(11) 10 Celestial Stems – Gyeong and Sin

By Janet Shin

Four pillars, or saju in Korean, is a study to understand and predict our life by analyzing a person's birth year, month, day and time. Studying saju, which involves knowing one's self, is one of the most valuable things in life. Studying saju is an eye-opening process. Whether we are capable or not, we always have to face our destiny. Some may overcome it and make a better future by learning lessons from the past, while others may be crushed after failing to overcome trials. One should not evaluate saju as 'good or bad' but there could be a good saju that allows someone to overcome challenges better than anyone else. But there also could be a miserable life filled with bad luck.

The fact is that we cannot change saju because we are born with it. Everyone meets unexpected incidents in their lives, whether they are good or bad. The key is how we handle them. Open your eyes to see and find who you are and where you are by studying saju.

Now, let's look at metal, one of the five natural elements that determine your character.

● The west

● Autumn

● The planet Venus

● The color white

● Respiratory system and lungs

● Determined, self reliant, unyielding, strong, persistent, forceful

● Reserved, needs personal space, sophisticated, seeks pleasure

Metal is basically heavy. It is also sharp, charismatic and decisive.

6) Gyeong metal

Gyeong metal are people of great resolution. They would like to be recognized as great people. They are loyal, heavy and taciturn.

The big rock or unrefined metal represents gyeong metal.

Gyeong metal is yang metal and it expresses the property of metal. As it wants to be recognized for its value, it is very decisive.

7) Sin metal

Sin metal people are moderate, strict and calm. They have a warm personality.

The jewel or knife represents the sin metal.

Sin metal is a yin metal, so it doesn't express the metal property like gyeong metal. It is moderate in its actions and speaking like gyeong metal but sharper and straight. It also likes to be recognized as a splendid piece of jewelry. Owing to its moderate action and speaking, there are many leaders of sin metal.

Here are four pillars of a woman to show metal characteristics. (Chart 1)

Since she was born with sin metal energy, she is sharp and straight. Although she is warm inside, she has hurt others when she argues on certain subjects. The jewelry is washed down by water and shined by light.

As we will learn later, wood energy is the money star in her saju. For a quick understanding, the element that the day stem restricts is the money star as metal restricts wood in the mutual relationship of the five elements. Lots of money stars in her saju tell us that what she values most in her life is money.

She is rich, but she has been suffering with bronchial asthma for over 40 years.

What is important in one's life is really subjective. We can't say money should not be valued over other things. Someone may pursue money as their life goal, while others pursue knowledge more than money. Someone may consider their career as the most valuable thing in their life. So when we evaluate one's life, we need to figure out what the person values the most.

The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea. She is the author of a book titled ``Learning Four Pillars." She offers saju learning courses.

For more information, visit her Web site (https://blog.naver.com/janet_shin) or email to janetshin@hotmail.com.