BaZi glossary · Na Yin
What is Pine and Cypress Wood (松柏木)?
The Na Yin of 庚寅 and 辛卯
Short answer
Pine and Cypress Wood (Song Bai Mu, 松柏木) is one of the thirty Na Yin of the sixty-pillar cycle. Its image is pine and cypress that stay green through winter; it belongs to the 庚寅 (Geng Yin) and 辛卯 (Xin Mao) pillars, and its Na Yin element is Wood. People with either as their year pillar are often said to have a Pine and Cypress Wood life.
At a glance
- Group
- Na Yin · Wood
- Pillars
- 庚寅 Geng Yin, 辛卯 Xin Mao
- Image
- pine and cypress that stay green through winter
- Na Yin element
- Wood
- Other Wood Na Yin
- Forest Wood, Willow Wood, Flatland Wood, Mulberry Wood, Pomegranate Wood
How to find the Pine and Cypress Wood
The Na Yin pair up the sixty stem-branch pillars into thirty names; 庚寅 and 辛卯 share Pine and Cypress Wood. The Na Yin of the year pillar is often called one's life Na Yin, so people with a 庚寅 or 辛卯 year pillar are said to have a Pine and Cypress Wood life. BaZi years change at Lichun (around 4 February), so anyone born in January or early February uses the previous year's pillar.
| Pillar | Years (1900–2099) |
|---|---|
| 庚寅 | 1950, 2010, 2070 |
| 辛卯 | 1951, 2011, 2071 |
The image and meaning of Pine and Cypress Wood
Pine and Cypress Wood stays green through wind and snow: tough, upright and hardy. Traditionally it describes steadfast people with integrity who hold on hardest when times are hard.
Pines and cypresses grow slowly but live very long, so this Na Yin is often read as steady, trustworthy and independent of fashion, suited to goals that need long persistence.
How to read it in a chart
- Year pillar
- the year pillar's Na Yin is the “life” Na Yin, traditionally used for a person's general temperament and, in compatibility matching, for comparing two people's Na Yin.
- Day pillar
- the day pillar's Na Yin is seen as closer to the self; some schools use it to add detail on temperament.
- Other pillars
- the Na Yin of the month and hour pillars, luck pillars and years are usually read only as background, not as good or bad on their own.
Pine and Cypress Wood and the regular Five Phases
- Na Yin element
- Pine and Cypress Wood's Na Yin element is Wood, taken from the 庚寅–辛卯 pair as a whole.
- 庚寅 (Geng Yin)
- the stem 庚 is Metal, the branch 寅 is Wood.
- 辛卯 (Xin Mao)
- the stem 辛 is Metal, the branch 卯 is Wood.
Common misconceptions
- Na Yin cannot decide good or bad fortune on its own. BaZi analysis rests on the regular Five Phases and the Ten Gods; Na Yin is a supporting symbol.
- A Pine and Cypress Wood life refers to the year pillar's Na Yin only; it does not make the whole chart Wood.
- Clashing Na Yin in compatibility matching does not mean a poor match; modern readings weigh how the two whole charts fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have a Pine and Cypress Wood life?
Look at your year pillar: if it is 庚寅 or 辛卯, yes. You can use the years in the table, but if your birthday is before Lichun (around 4 February), use the previous year. The surest way is to check the year pillar's Na Yin in the free calculator.
Is Pine and Cypress Wood's element just Wood?
Its Na Yin element is Wood, which is not the same as the regular Five Phases used in BaZi. Judging the Day Master's strength and useful god uses the regular elements of the stems and branches, not the Na Yin.
How important is Na Yin in BaZi?
Na Yin is an older supporting system, used for the “life” element of the year and in traditional compatibility matching. Modern BaZi analysis rests on the regular Five Phases, the Ten Gods and the chart's structure, so Na Yin is best read as a symbolic reference.
Find the Na Yin of your year pillar
The free calculator lists the Na Yin of every pillar and changes the year at Lichun, so your year pillar's Na Yin is always right.
For cultural learning, self-reflection, and entertainment. AI interpretations may be incomplete or inaccurate and are not professional advice.