The Twelve Earthly Branches (Di Zhi)

Stillness, storage, and the clash

Branches move slowly: a yang stem shows its effect quickly, while an earth branch's yes-or-no works out over years. The chapter's practical rule is about clash (chong): growth palaces should be kept still, storage palaces are better opened, and a declining position must be judged with care before you call the clash good or bad. Whether the clash revives a weak element or uproots it depends on who is strong and who is weak — the strong uproot the weak, and a weak element that clashes a strong one merely stirs it.