The Snake (巳, Sa) in Korean Saju: Fire Branch, Years and Matches
The Snake in Korean Saju (사주) is the Earthly Branch Sa (사 巳), sixth of the twelve (지지 地支 jiji). Its element is Fire, and it marks the start of summer, when heat is building but has not yet peaked. Snake years include 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025. Sa is an interesting branch to study because the animal people know is a Fire sign, yet the branch also carries the seed of Metal.
The branch behind the animal
Sa is Fire and is listed as Yin. Its month begins at Ipha (입하 立夏, Start of Summer) around May 6 and ends about June 5, the fourth month of the Saju year. Its two-hour block runs from 09:00 to 11:00, the late-morning hours when the sun climbs fast.
Three hidden stems (지장간 支藏干 jijanggan) sit inside it:
- Mu (戊) Yang Earth for 7 days
- Gyeong (庚) Yang Metal for 7 days
- Byeong (丙) Yang Fire for 16 days, the main qi
Two details stand out. First, the main qi is Byeong, a Yang stem, even though Sa is a Yin branch. Some teachers therefore treat Sa as Yang when they assign Ten Gods to branches, while others keep the table polarity. Second, Gyeong Metal is already present. Metal is "born" in Sa in the classical scheme, and that is why the Snake opens the Metal triple frame below. For how Fire and Metal interact, see the Five Elements guide.
As your year branch, and as your day branch
The animal on your Korean tti (띠) is your year branch. Readers use it for the background layer of a life: family origin, early environment and the way you are seen in a crowd or an organisation. The Snake year is traditionally linked with perceptiveness and a composed, private manner. Every person born in that Saju year shares the branch, so it stays a background colour.
The day branch (일지 日支 ilji) is personal. Sitting directly under your Day Master, it is the spouse palace (배우자궁 配偶者宮), read for marriage, partnership and the self you show at home. A Sa day branch places strong Fire, with some Metal underneath, next to the self. For a Fire Day Master this is a firm root; for a Metal Day Master it is both pressure and, through the hidden Gyeong, a hidden ally.
Harmony, triple frame and clash
Sa's traditional relationships, stated as notes on chart dynamics rather than promises about people:
| Relationship | Partner(s) | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Six harmony (육합 六合 yukhap) | Sin 申 Monkey | A bond between a Fire branch and a Metal branch, often read as attraction with some tension |
| Triple frame (삼합 三合 samhap) | Sa 巳 Snake, Yu 酉 Rooster, Chuk 丑 Ox | A Metal frame; Sa is its starting point |
| Clash (충 沖 chung) | Hae 亥 Pig | Fire and Water facing each other across the circle |
Because Sa and Hae both begin a season, their clash is usually read as motion: moves, travel, changes of course. Readers weigh it alongside everything else in two charts before saying anything about a relationship.
Why your Saju year may differ from your zodiac year
The boundary that matters in Saju is Ipchun (입춘 立春), the start of spring around February 4. The popular zodiac changes at Lunar New Year. In years when Lunar New Year comes early, late-January births are a classic source of confusion.
2025 is a clear case. Lunar New Year fell on January 29, 2025, so a baby born on January 30 would be announced as a Snake. Ipchun came a few days later, which means the Saju year pillar for that baby is still Gap-jin (甲辰), the Dragon year of 2024. Only from Ipchun onward does the Eul-sa (乙巳) Snake year begin.
The five Snake day pillars
Sa pairs with the five Yin stems, giving Eul-sa (乙巳), Jeong-sa (丁巳), Gi-sa (己巳), Sin-sa (辛巳) and Gye-sa (癸巳). Sin-sa is the pairing where the stem and the Metal hidden inside the branch speak most directly to each other.
FAQ
Is the Snake Yin or Yang?
On the standard table Sa is Yin Fire. Its main hidden stem, Byeong (丙), is Yang Fire, so some schools use it as Yang when assigning Ten Gods.
Which years are Snake years?
Snake years include 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025. Each one begins at Ipchun, around February 4.
Who does the Snake clash with?
Sa clashes with Hae, the Pig. Its six-harmony partner is the Monkey, and it forms a Metal triple frame with the Rooster and Ox.
Hidden stems
| Stem | Element | Share of the month |
|---|---|---|
| 戊 Mu | Yang Earth | 7 days |
| 庚 Gyeong | Yang Metal | 7 days |
| 丙 Byeong | Yang Fire | 16 days |
Snake years
Years whose pillar carries this branch. A Saju year starts at Ipchun, around February 4, so anyone born before that in January or early February belongs to the previous year.
| Year (from ~Feb 4) | Year pillar |
|---|---|
| 1941 | 辛巳 Sin-sa · Yin Metal Snake |
| 1953 | 癸巳 Gye-sa · Yin Water Snake |
| 1965 | 乙巳 Eul-sa · Yin Wood Snake |
| 1977 | 丁巳 Jeong-sa · Yin Fire Snake |
| 1989 | 己巳 Gi-sa · Yin Earth Snake |
| 2001 | 辛巳 Sin-sa · Yin Metal Snake |
| 2013 | 癸巳 Gye-sa · Yin Water Snake |
| 2025 | 乙巳 Eul-sa · Yin Wood Snake |
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