Gui Water (癸) Day Master: Rain and Dew
Gui (癸) is yin Water, pictured as rain and dew that soak into the ground. This page looks at how the tradition describes a chart whose day master is 癸, how it meets each of the other stems, and which months and gentle habits it reads as helpful.
Gui at a glance
癸 is the tenth and last heavenly stem (index 9), the yin partner of 壬. After 癸 the order returns to 甲, so this stem closes the ten-step round. The haru engine's image is "rain and dew that wet the ground": water in small amounts, falling quietly, reaching every leaf and root.
The day master is only one of eight characters, the seat from which the chart is read. Whether that rain is a mist or a steady downpour depends on the rest of the chart, so the portrait below belongs to the image.
How the tradition describes the temperament
The stored description reads "quietly seeping in and observing". Rain does not push; it soaks in and changes things from underneath. Commentators therefore give 癸 words like sensitivity, perception and patience. Strengths commonly named:
- Noticing moods and small changes before others do
- A gentle influence that works over time
- Imagination and an inner life rich in ideas
- Care that reaches people quietly, like dew on each leaf
Things to watch, gently
Water that seeps everywhere can also soak up too much. The tradition notes that 癸 may absorb the feelings of a room and grow tired, or keep its own views hidden. Time alone to settle, and saying one clear thing out loud, are habits the image recommends. They protect the same sensitivity that is 癸's gift.
How Gui meets the other nine stems
For 癸, Metal (庚, 辛) is the resource, Wood (甲, 乙) the output, Fire (丙, 丁) the wealth and Earth (戊, 己) the officer pair. Because 癸 is yin, the yang stem in each pair takes the direct name: 庚 is its Direct Resource, 丙 its Direct Wealth, 戊 its Direct Officer. The field 己 becomes its Seven Killings, and the vine 乙 its Eating God.
| Other stem | Element | Yin/Yang | Ten god | Hanja |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 甲 Jia | Wood | Yang | Hurting Officer | 傷官 |
| 乙 Yi | Wood | Yin | Eating God | 食神 |
| 丙 Bing | Fire | Yang | Direct Wealth | 正財 |
| 丁 Ding | Fire | Yin | Indirect Wealth | 偏財 |
| 戊 Wu | Earth | Yang | Direct Officer | 正官 |
| 己 Ji | Earth | Yin | Seven Killings | 偏官 |
| 庚 Geng | Metal | Yang | Direct Resource | 正印 |
| 辛 Xin | Metal | Yin | Indirect Resource | 偏印 |
| 壬 Ren | Water | Yang | Rob Wealth | 劫財 |
| 癸 Gui | Water | Yin | Companion | 比肩 |
Which months help Gui
The deLing rule gives 癸 the same four helping branches as 壬: 亥 and 子 (Water) and 申 and 酉 (Metal). The hidden stems tell a finer story. The 子 month, which in the 2026 cycle opens at 大雪 on 2026-12-07 (KST), holds 壬 for 10 days and 癸 itself for 20. The 丑 month that follows at 小寒 on 2027-01-05 is an Earth branch and does not count as helping, yet it still hides 癸 for 9 days, and 辰 hides it for 3.
The support score gains 8 in a helping month and loses 8 in any other, then reads 55 or more as strong and 40 or less as weak.
| Month branch | Month opens (2026 cycle, KST) | Branch element | Helps (deLing)? | Hidden stems as ten gods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 寅 (Tiger) | 立春 2026-02-04 | Wood | No | 戊 Direct Officer (7d); 丙 Direct Wealth (7d); 甲 Hurting Officer (16d) |
| 卯 (Rabbit) | 驚蟄 2026-03-05 | Wood | No | 甲 Hurting Officer (10d); 乙 Eating God (20d) |
| 辰 (Dragon) | 清明 2026-04-05 | Earth | No | 乙 Eating God (9d); 癸 Companion (3d); 戊 Direct Officer (18d) |
| 巳 (Snake) | 立夏 2026-05-05 | Fire | No | 戊 Direct Officer (7d); 庚 Direct Resource (7d); 丙 Direct Wealth (16d) |
| 午 (Horse) | 芒種 2026-06-06 | Fire | No | 丙 Direct Wealth (10d); 己 Seven Killings (9d); 丁 Indirect Wealth (11d) |
| 未 (Goat) | 小暑 2026-07-07 | Earth | No | 丁 Indirect Wealth (9d); 乙 Eating God (3d); 己 Seven Killings (18d) |
| 申 (Monkey) | 立秋 2026-08-07 | Metal | Yes | 戊 Direct Officer (7d); 壬 Rob Wealth (7d); 庚 Direct Resource (16d) |
| 酉 (Rooster) | 白露 2026-09-07 | Metal | Yes | 庚 Direct Resource (10d); 辛 Indirect Resource (20d) |
| 戌 (Dog) | 寒露 2026-10-08 | Earth | No | 辛 Indirect Resource (9d); 丁 Indirect Wealth (3d); 戊 Direct Officer (18d) |
| 亥 (Pig) | 立冬 2026-11-07 | Water | Yes | 戊 Direct Officer (7d); 甲 Hurting Officer (7d); 壬 Rob Wealth (16d) |
| 子 (Rat) | 大雪 2026-12-07 | Water | Yes | 壬 Rob Wealth (10d); 癸 Companion (20d) |
| 丑 (Ox) | 小寒 2027-01-05 | Earth | No | 癸 Companion (9d); 辛 Indirect Resource (3d); 己 Seven Killings (18d) |
Foods, and the reasoning behind them
haru picks foods through the useful element. A weak 癸 chart is pointed to Metal or Water, whichever is scarcer. A balanced or strong chart is pointed to the least present of Wood, Fire and Earth. The winter rule comes first for many Water charts: a winter birth with Fire under 15% and Water at 25% or more goes straight to Fire.
Classical commentaries often picture rain needing a source, and name 庚 and 辛 metal as that source. At the table that is the white, lightly pungent Metal list: radish, Asian pear, bellflower root, lotus root. The green, sour Wood list is the output side when the chart is full. All are everyday foods, not treatments.
| Element | Role in saju2.js | Its stems for this day master | Colour / taste | Foods (facts.words.eat) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metal | Resource: weak-chart pick (weak_help) | 庚 Direct Resource, 辛 Indirect Resource | white, slightly pungent | radish, Asian pear, bellflower root, onion, lotus root, Job's tears |
| Water | Same element: weak-chart pick if it is the scarcer of the two; summer_dry pick | 壬 Rob Wealth, 癸 Companion | black, slightly salty | miyeok seaweed, kelp, black soybeans, black sesame, gim (laver), tofu |
| Wood | Output: balanced/strong pick if least present | 甲 Hurting Officer, 乙 Eating God | green, sour | spinach, garlic chives, broccoli, mugwort, green plum (maesil), vinegar |
| Fire | Wealth: balanced/strong pick if least present; winter_cold pick | 丙 Direct Wealth, 丁 Indirect Wealth | red, bitter | tomato, jujube, red beans, crown daisy, bell pepper |
| Earth | Officer: balanced/strong pick if least present | 戊 Direct Officer, 己 Seven Killings | yellow, sweet | kabocha squash, sweet potato, corn, millet, honey |
Movement and rest
haru links each useful element with a movement and a rest window. For 癸 the three most common are:
- Metal (resource): deep breathing, light strength training; rest window 酉時 17~19 h, a quiet pause to breathe at dusk.
- Water (own element): swimming, waterside walks, slow stretching; rest window 亥時 21~23 h, go to bed early.
- Wood (output): forest walks, stretching; rest window 卯時 05~07 h, stretch lightly early in the morning.
Questions
Why is 癸 the last stem?
The ten stems run 甲 乙 丙 丁 戊 己 庚 辛 壬 癸, two for each element in the order Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water. 癸 is the yin form of Water, the final step before the order returns to 甲.
Which month holds the most 癸?
The 子 month: 20 of its 30 hidden-stem days are 癸. 丑 holds 9 days of 癸 but is an Earth branch, so it is not a helping month in saju2.js.
Why is 己 the Seven Killings for 癸?
Earth controls Water, and 己 and 癸 are both yin. A controller of the same polarity is named the Seven Killings (偏官, also called 七殺).
Does a Gui day master mean I am shy?
Not necessarily. The tradition describes an image; the other seven characters, the season and the hidden stems all shape the reading.
Read next
Traditional Four Pillars (myeongni) and yin-yang five-element interpretation. Not a medical diagnosis or advice.