Jeong-chuk (丁丑) Day Pillar: A Lamp in the Winter Barn
Jeong-chuk (丁丑) is Jeong, Yin Fire, resting on Chuk, the Earth Ox. It is the 14th pair of the sixty-day cycle (육십갑자 六十甲子, yuksip gapja), right after Byeong-ja (丙子) and before Mu-in (戊寅). The scene is a single oil lamp hanging in a barn on a January night. Outside, the fields are frozen; inside, the oxen are fed and someone is still working.
The image
Fire produces Earth, so Jeong gives its warmth to the branch. 丑 is the coldest and wettest of the Earth branches, though, and it absorbs more than it returns. The hidden stems (지장간 支藏干, jijanggan) are Gye (癸) Yin Water for 9 days, Sin (辛) Yin Metal for 3 days and Gi (己) Yin Earth for 18 days. For a Jeong Day Master (일간 日干, ilgan), Gye is the Seven Killings, Sin is Indirect Wealth and Gi is the Eating God. Gi is the main stem, so the branch reads as Eating God.
So the barn holds three things at once: cold water that threatens the flame, a small store of metal value, and a large body of patient work. 丑 is also the classical storehouse of Metal, which is Wealth for Jeong, so money in this pillar is often something saved and accumulated rather than won.
On the twelve life stages (십이운성 十二運星, sibi-unseong), Jeong at 丑 is at Tomb (묘 墓, myo). This uses the reversed sequence most Korean schools apply to Yin stems; schools that let Yin and Yang Fire share one cycle place it differently, so the label is debated. In either reading the flame has little root here and depends on Wood or Fire elsewhere in the chart.
Character
Jeong-chuk people tend to be quiet, persistent and practical. They do slow work well, keep going when others stop, and rarely announce what they are doing. Their warmth is rationed: a few people get all of it.
Two stars are attached to this pillar. The White Tiger (백호살 白虎煞) traditionally marks intensity and sudden force, and in character terms it shows as a hard core under a calm surface. Yin-Yang Mismatch (음양차착살 陰陽差錯煞) is an old star tied to awkwardness in family and marriage timing, which many modern readers downplay.
Blind spots: stubbornness, an Ox-like refusal to change pace, and a habit of carrying worries silently until they become heavy. The hidden Seven Killings can show as constant worry about security.
Relationships
The day branch is the spouse palace (배우자궁 配偶者宮, baeujagung). The Eating God there points to a partner who is gentle, domestic and dependable, and a relationship built on shared routine more than romance. The hidden Seven Killings adds a second note: in a woman's chart it is one of the husband stars, and texts read it as a partner with a tougher side or a relationship that has to survive pressure. With the White Tiger and Yin-Yang Mismatch present, older books advise patience.
Traditional notes: Im-ja (壬子) is the harmony pillar, with 丁 and 壬 combining and 丑 and 子 combining, called 천지합 (天地合, cheonjihap). Gye-mi (癸未) is the clash pillar, with 癸 controlling 丁 and 未 clashing 丑, called 천극지충 (天剋地沖, cheongeuk jichung).
Work and money
The Eating God on stored Wealth suits careful, cumulative work: accounting and bookkeeping, agriculture and food production, research, engineering maintenance, archives, finance roles that reward discipline. Wealth tends to build through saving and compound effort; speculation fits the pillar poorly.
How Jeong-chuk differs from the other Jeong pillars
- Jeong-mi (丁未) is its clash opposite and also sits on an Eating God branch, but 未 is hot summer earth with a Friend inside. Jeong-chuk's earth is frozen and hides the Seven Killings.
- Jeong-sa (丁巳) is at Emperor on Fire, bright and self-reliant. Jeong-chuk is at Tomb, reserved and dependent on support.
- Jeong-yu (丁酉) holds Wealth openly in its branch. Jeong-chuk keeps a small amount of it hidden and spends its days on work.
- Jeong-hae (丁亥) sits on the Direct Officer and is shaped by duty; Jeong-chuk is shaped by labour.
Jeong-chuk in 2026–2030
- 2026, Byeong-o (丙午): a Rob Wealth stem and a Friend branch. Fire is welcome in this cold pillar, bringing confidence and allies.
- 2027, Jeong-mi (丁未): a Friend stem and an Eating God branch, and 未 clashes the day branch 丑. A year of change in routine, home or partnership, with plenty of work.
- 2028, Mu-sin (戊申): a Hurting Officer stem and a Direct Wealth branch. 申 is one of the Void branches, so some readers expect the money to arrive in a less solid form.
- 2029, Gi-yu (己酉): an Eating God stem and an Indirect Wealth branch. 酉 is the other Void branch.
- 2030, Gyeong-sul (庚戌): a Direct Wealth stem and a Hurting Officer branch. Earnings tied to skill and expression.
The Void branches (공망 空亡, gongmang) here are Sin 申 Monkey and Yu 酉 Rooster; see Void. Read the Jeong Day Master and Ox pages for each half, and use the day pillar calculator to find your own.
FAQ
Is Jeong-chuk a weak day pillar?
On its own it usually is: Jeong sits at Tomb on cold, wet Earth that drains Fire. A chart with Wood and Fire elsewhere can make it well balanced.
What does 2027 mean for Jeong-chuk?
The 2027 Jeong-mi (丁未) year clashes the 丑 day branch. Traditionally that points to movement in home life, partnership or routine.
Why is Wealth called "stored" in Jeong-chuk?
丑 is the classical storehouse of Metal, and Metal is Wealth for Jeong. Readers take this as a tendency to build money by saving.
Hidden stems in the branch
The Ox branch carries these stems inside it (지장간). Read from the Jeong Day Master, each takes a Ten God role.
| Hidden stem | Element | Share of the month | Ten God |
|---|---|---|---|
| 癸 Gye | Yin Water | 9 days | Seven Killings |
| 辛 Sin | Yin Metal | 3 days | Indirect Wealth |
| 己 Gi | Yin Earth | 18 days | Eating God |
Jeong-chuk and the years 2026–2030
Each year has its own pillar. Its stem and branch take Ten God roles for this Day Master, and its branch may combine or clash with your day branch.
| Year | Year pillar | Stem as | Branch as | With your day pillar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 丙午 Byeong-o | Rob Wealth | Friend | — |
| 2027 | 丁未 Jeong-mi | Friend | Eating God | branch clash (沖) |
| 2028 | 戊申 Mu-sin | Hurting Officer | Direct Wealth | — |
| 2029 | 己酉 Gi-yu | Eating God | Indirect Wealth | — |
| 2030 | 庚戌 Gyeong-sul | Direct Wealth | Hurting Officer | — |
Find your Day Pillar
Enter your birth date, and optionally the time and place, to see your four pillars and which of the sixty day pillars is yours. Free, no sign-up, nothing is stored.
Open the calculator →