Rat

original: 子 (Zi). The first of the twelve Earthly Branches, associated with the beginning of the cycle.

The Application of the Five Elements

Four Births Fire is born in the Tiger original: 寅 (Yin) Four Failures Fire fails in the Rabbit original: 卯 (Mao) Fire reaches Official Career in the Snake original: 巳 (Si)

Four Births Metal is born in the Snake original: 巳 (Si)
Four Failures Metal fails in the Horse original: 午 (Wu)
Metal reaches Official Career in the Monkey original: 申 (Shen)

Four Births Water and Earth are both born in the Monkey original: 申 (Shen)
Four Failures Water and Earth fail in the Rooster original: 酉 (You)
Water and Earth reach Official Career in the Pig original: 亥 (Hai)

Four Births Wood is born in the Pig original: 亥 (Hai)
Four Failures Wood fails in the Rat original: 子 (Zi)
Wood reaches Official Career in the Tiger original: 寅 (Yin)

Wood	Earth & Water	Metal	[Fire]
Birth: Pig / Sickness: Snake	Birth: Monkey / Sickness: Tiger	Birth: Snake / Sickness: Pig	Birth: Tiger / Sickness: Monkey
Bath: Rat / Death: Horse	Bath: Rooster / Death: Rabbit	Bath: Horse / Death: Rat	Bath: Rabbit / Death: Rooster
Youth: Ox / Grave: Goat	Youth: Dog / Grave: Dragon	Youth: Goat / Grave: Ox	Youth: Dragon / Grave: Dog
Office: Tiger / Extinction: Monkey	Office: Pig / Extinction: Snake	Office: Monkey / Extinction: Tiger	Office: Snake / Extinction: Pig
Peak: Rabbit / Embryo: Rooster	Peak: Rat / Embryo: Horse	Peak: Rooster / Embryo: Rabbit	Peak: Horse / Embryo: Rat
Decline: Dragon / Nourishment: Dog	Decline: Ox / Nourishment: Goat	Decline: Dog / Nourishment: Dragon	Decline: Goat / Nourishment: Ox

This table illustrates the Twelve Stages of Life (Shi’er Zhangsheng), a cycle describing how the strength of an element waxes and wanes. The stages range from "Birth" (Sheng) and "Peak" (Wang) to "Extinction" (Jue) and "Nourishment" (Yang). These stages are essential for determining the potency of a person's elemental makeup in traditional astrology.