What is 'The sexagenary cycle' of oriental? A method of calculation

 

What is 'The sexagenary cycle' of oriental?

The sexagenary cycle , based upon 10 Heavenly Stems (천간/天干) and 12 Earthly Branches (지지/地支), is a cycle of sixty terms used for reckoning time.

 

 

 

Meaning

The 'sexagenary cycle' appears as a means of recording days in the first Chinese written texts, the Shang oracle bones of the late second millennium BC.

Its use to record years began around the middle of the third century BC.

The cycle and its changes were an important part of the traditional calendar system, especially in countries in East Asia that were influenced by China, such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Here is an example of what is used in Korea.

 

'육십갑자(sexagenary cycle)' is a method of representing specific dates in Korea. This method is based on the Chinese lunar calendar and consists of 60 different combinations for each year. '육십갑자(sexagenary cycle)' is composed of two elements: the Heavenly Stems, which are 10 basic elements, and the Earthly Branches, which are 12 animal signs.

These elements are combined to represent a specific date in a particular year. For example, "경자년" represents the combination of the Heavenly Stem "경" and the Earthly Branch "자".

This method has been used in China, Korea, Japan, and other countries for a long time.

It also continues to have a role in contemporary Oriental astrology and fortune telling.

 

Heavenly order

The sexagenary cycle starts with Gapja (갑자/甲子) and ends with Gyehae (계해/癸亥).

And it begins again with Gapja for the second time in 60 years, called "Hwangap"

 

▶  10간 十干

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, Ten Celestial Stems and Twelve Terrestrial Branches

십신장(十神將) = 천간(天干)

갑을병정무기경신임계 (甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸)

1. 갑 (Gan)

2. 을 (Yi)

3. 병 (Bing)

4. 정 (Ding)

5. 무 (Wu)

6. 기 (Ji)

7. 경 (Geng)

8. 신 (Xin)

9. 임 (Ren)

10. 계 (Gui)

 

▶  12지 十二支

Twelve Celestial Stems and Terrestrial Branches

십이지신(十二地神) = 지지(地支)

자축인묘진사오미신유술해 (子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥)

자(子)  : Rat (쥐)

축(丑) : Ox (소)

묘(卯) : Rabbit (토끼)

진(辰) : Dragon (용)

사(巳) : Snake (뱀)

오(午) : Horse (말)

미(未) : Goat, Sheep (양)

신(申) : Monkey (원숭이)

유(酉) : Rooster (닭)

술(戌) : Dog (개)

해(亥) : Pig (돼지)

---

The sexagenary cycle - Table 

육십갑자 (六十甲子)

1)  갑자 甲子 Gapja	11) 갑술 甲戌 Gapsul	21) 갑신 甲申 Gapshin	31) 갑오 甲午 Gap-o	41) 갑진 甲辰 Gapjin	51) 갑인 甲寅 Gap-in
2)  을축 乙丑 Eulchuk	12) 을해 乙亥 Eulhae	22) 을유 乙酉 Eulyu	32) 을미 乙未 Eulmi	42) 을사 乙巳 Eulsa	52) 을묘 乙卯 Eulmyo
3)  병인 丙寅 Byeong-in	13) 병자 丙子 Byeongja	23) 병술 丙戌 Byeongsul	33) 병신 丙申 Byeongshin	43) 병오 丙午 Byeong-o	53) 병진 丙辰 Byeongjin
4 ) 정묘 丁卯 Jeongmyo	14) 정축 丁丑 Jeongchuk	24) 정해 丁亥 Jeonghae	34) 정유 丙申 Jeong-yu	44) 정미 丁未 Jeongmi	54) 정사 丁巳 Jeongsa
5 ) 무진 戊辰 Mujin	15) 무인 戊寅 Muin	25) 무자 戊子 Muja	35) 무술 戊戌 Musul	45) 무신 戊申 Mushin	55) 무오 戊午 Mu-o
6 ) 기사 己巳 Gisa	16) 기묘 己卯 Gimyo	26) 기축 己丑 Gichuk	36) 기해 己亥 Gihae	46) 기유 己酉 Giyu	56) 기미 己未 Gimi
7 ) 경오 庚午 Gyeong-o	17) 경진 庚辰 Gyeongjin	27) 경인 庚寅 Gyeong-in	37) 경자 庚子 Gyeongja	47) 경술 庚戌 Gyeongsul	57) 경신 庚申 Gyeongshin
8) 신미 辛未 Shinmi	18) 신사 辛巳 Shinsa	28) 신묘 辛卯 Shinmyo	38) 신축 辛丑 Shinchuk	48) 신해 辛亥 Shinhae	58) 신유 辛酉 Shinyu
9) 임신 壬申 Imshin	19) 임오 壬午 Im-o	29) 임진 壬辰 Imjin	39) 임인 壬寅 Imin	49) 임자 壬子 Imja	59) 임술 壬戌 Imsul
10) 계유 癸酉 Gyeyu	20) 계미 癸未 Gyemi	30) 계사 癸巳 Gyesa	40) 계묘 癸卯 Gyemyo	50) 계축 癸丑 Gyechuk	60) 계해 癸亥 Gyehae

*If you can't see 60 on your mobile, turn it to landscape mode.

•

•

2020 Years - 경자년 (庚子年) Gyeongja

2021 Years - 신축년 (辛丑年) Shinchuk

2022 Years - 임인년 (壬寅年) Imin

2023 Years - 계묘년 (癸卯年) Gyemyo

2024 Years - 갑진년 (甲辰年) Gapjin

2025 Years - 을사년 (乙巳年) Eulsa

2026 Years - 병오년 (丙午年) Byeong-o

2027 Years - 정미년 (丁未年) Jeongmi

2028 Years - 무신년 (戊申年) Mushin

2029 Years - 기유년 (己酉年) Giyu

2030 Years - 경술년 (庚戌年) Gyeongsul

2031 Years - 신해년 (辛亥年) Shinhae

2032 Years - 임자년 (壬子年) Imja

2033 Years - 계축년 (癸丑年) Gyechuk

2034 Years - 갑인년 (甲寅 年) Gap-in

2035 Years - 을묘년 (乙卯 年) Eulmyo

2036 Years - 병진년 (丙辰年) Byeongjin

•

•

•