What are the twelve earthly branches?

What are the twelve earthly branches?

The Twelve Earthly Branches are an important concept in traditional Chinese culture. Together with the Heavenly Stems, they form the Ganzhi Calendar System and are widely used in calendars, divination, numerology and other fields. The twelve earthly branches not only represent time, but also contain rich cultural connotations. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with a detailed analysis of the origin, meaning and application of the twelve earthly branches.

1. The Origin and Meaning of the Twelve Earthly Branches

The twelve earthly branches originated from ancient astronomy and were first used to record time and direction. They are: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Each earthly branch corresponds to a specific zodiac sign, five element attributes, and time frame.

2. Cultural application of the twelve earthly branches

The twelve earthly branches are widely used in traditional culture. The following are some hot topics that have been hotly discussed on the Internet in the past 10 days:

1. Zodiac fortune prediction

Recently, many numerology bloggers and media have released zodiac fortune predictions for 2024 (Jiachen year). They analyze the fortune, career and health fortune of each zodiac sign based on the relationship between the earthly branches and the five elements. For example, because "Yin Tiger" conflicts with "Chen Dragon", it is considered that you need to pay attention to interpersonal relationships.

2. Earthly Branches and Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation

In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the twelve earthly branches correspond to the twelve meridians of the human body, and are suitable for regulating different organs at different times. For example, "Zi Shi" corresponds to the bile meridian, and staying up late will affect the rise of bile qi. This topic is relatively popular in health content.

3. Application of Earthly Branches in Nomenclature

Many parents will refer to the earthly branches and five elements when naming their children to make up for the lack of birth dates. For example, a child who is "short of water" may choose a name with "Zi" or "Hai", a topic that has sparked discussion in parenting forums.

3. The modern significance of the twelve earthly branches

Despite the development of modern science and technology, the twelve earthly branches still have unique cultural value:

1. Intangible cultural heritage

The chronology of the Earthly Branches has been included in China's intangible cultural heritage. Many traditional festivals (such as the Spring Festival) are still named after the Earthly Branches. For example, 2023 is the "Nian of Guimao".

2. Film, television and game elements

In recent popular TV dramas and games, Earthly Branches often serve as character settings or plot clues. For example, a certain mobile game uses the "Twelve Earthly Branches" as inspiration for level design, attracting players to explore traditional culture.

3. Business and Brand Marketing

Some brands use the earthly zodiac signs to launch limited-edition products, such as "unitary rooster"-themed cultural and creative products, which combine traditional culture and modern design and become hot topics on social media.

4. Summary

As an important part of Chinese culture, the twelve earthly branches not only carry the wisdom of the ancients, but also radiate new vitality in modern society. Whether it is numerology prediction, health and wellness, or cultural and creative industries, the application of earthly branches demonstrates the lasting charm of traditional culture. In the future, with the rise of national trends, the twelve earthly branches may come into public view in more innovative forms.