Xin Metal (辛) Day Master: The Shining Gem

Xin (辛) is yin Metal, pictured as a shining gem. This page follows how the tradition describes a chart with 辛 as its day master, how 辛 meets the other nine stems, and which months, foods and quiet habits it reads as supportive.

Xin at a glance

辛 is the eighth stem (index 7), the yin half of Metal after 庚. Where 庚 is ore and iron, the haru engine gives 辛 the image of "a shining gem": metal that has already been cut, polished and set. It is small, valuable and noticed for its clarity rather than its weight.

The day master is the stem on top of the day pillar, the seat from which the tradition reads the chart. Because the other seven characters shape it, the words below describe the image, not anyone's fixed character.

How the tradition describes the temperament

The stored description reads "delicate, and fond of neatness". A gem is worth what its finish is worth, so commentators speak of 辛 in terms of taste, care and a quiet sense of dignity. Commonly named strengths:

• An eye for detail and for things done properly
• Good taste in words, objects and surroundings
• Tact: knowing how a remark will land before saying it
• Resilience that shows after polishing, not before

Things to watch, gently

A gem scratches more easily than a boulder. The tradition notes that 辛 can take criticism to heart, or keep polishing when something is already good enough. Letting a finished piece be finished, and asking how a comment was meant before reacting, are habits the image points to. These are the flip side of the same care that gives 辛 its shine.

How Xin meets the other nine stems

For 辛, Earth (戊, 己) is the resource, Water (壬, 癸) is its output, Wood (甲, 乙) its wealth and Fire (丙, 丁) its officer pair. Because 辛 is yin, the yang stems of each pair take the "direct" names: 戊 is its Direct Resource, 甲 its Direct Wealth, 丙 its Direct Officer. The great river 壬 becomes its Hurting Officer and the rain 癸 its Eating God.

Which months help Xin

The deLing rule gives 辛 the same six helping branches as 庚: 申 and 酉 (Metal) and 丑, 辰, 未, 戌 (Earth). What differs is how the hidden stems read. In the 酉 month, which in 2026 opened at 白露 on 2026-09-07 (KST), the branch holds 庚 for 10 days and 辛 itself for 20, so it is almost pure Companion and Rob Wealth for this day master.

The 戌 month (opened at 寒露 on 2026-10-08) and the 丑 month both hide a little 辛 as well: 9 days in 戌 and 3 days in 丑. The engine adds 8 to the support score in any helping month and subtracts 8 otherwise, then reads 55 or more as strong and 40 or less as weak.

Foods, and the reasoning behind them

In haru, foods come from the useful element. A weak 辛 chart is pointed to Earth or Metal, whichever is scarcer. A balanced or strong chart is pointed to whichever of Water, Wood and Fire is least present. A summer birth with Water under 15% and Fire at 25% or more is pointed to Water first; a winter birth with Fire under 15% and Water at 25% or more, to Fire.

Older commentaries like to picture 辛 washed clean by clear 壬 water so that its shine shows. On the table, that is the black, lightly salty Water list, such as miyeok, gim and tofu, while the yellow, sweet Earth list (kabocha, sweet potato, millet) is the classic resource side. Both are everyday foods, not remedies.

Movement and rest

haru pairs each useful element with a movement and a rest window. For 辛 the three most likely are:

• Earth (resource): barefoot walking, yoga; rest window 未時 13~15 h, close the eyes briefly after lunch.
• Metal (own element): deep breathing, light strength training; rest window 酉時 17~19 h, a quiet pause to breathe at dusk.
• Water (output): swimming, waterside walks, slow stretching; rest window 亥時 21~23 h, go to bed early.

Questions

What is the difference between 庚 and 辛?

Both are Metal. 庚 is yang, pictured as rock and iron; 辛 is yin, pictured as a polished gem. Their ten-god rows differ because yin and yang swap the direct and indirect names.

Which month is the strongest support for 辛?

By branch element, all six Metal and Earth months help equally in saju2.js. The 酉 month simply holds the most 辛 among its hidden stems: 20 of its 30 days.

Why is 壬 the Hurting Officer for 辛?

Metal produces Water, which makes Water the output. 壬 is yang and 辛 is yin, and an output of opposite polarity is named the Hurting Officer (傷官).

Does this page describe me?

It describes an image. A real reading looks at all eight characters, the season and the hidden stems together.

Read next

Traditional Four Pillars (myeongni) and yin-yang five-element interpretation. Not a medical diagnosis or advice.