(18) Sin Yu Sul

By Janet Shin

This week is about sin, yu and sul, the years of monkey, chicken and dog respectively. Sin, yu and sul make up the trine of metal. Although sul itself is earth energy, but as previously discussed, earth takes the role of balancing the energy between the seasons so we put earth energy in each season. Think about the five elements and their properties that we learned in previous months. Metal has the qualities of determination, self reliance, unyielding, strong, persistent and forceful.

These three branches represent 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. of the day when people wrap up their daily work and finish for the day. It is also harvest season, when it is time to collect the fruits and crops. Imagine what people do at this time of the day and what is most needed for harvesting. Go and get your own four pillars to know your year, month and time branches.

Sin metal

(a place with water)

Inclusions: mu earth (7 days), im water (7 days), gyeong metal (16 days) Birth year: monkey (1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992) Birth time: 15 ― 17 Month: autumn (seventh month of the lunar calendar) Property: yang

It is the month for fruition. Wood gains results from the energy of fruits. It seems that the wood plumes itself on the fruit but we cannot see the inside. Inside, the wood is being hollowed.

As we learned from the yin yang theory, everything starts to crash when it is at the top, the more the sun shines, the darker the shadow, when it's the full moon, the moon can't be bigger and it starts to decline. Like we reviewed in the chapter of mutual restraint and promoting relationship of five elements, the metal restrains the wood. So in sin month when the metal energy starts to rule the power, woods begin to die. Sin metal has the yang property as the kyung metal takes the most part.

It is time for settlement and accounting, and the distribution will start.

Sin year people are talented and sociable, but they are too emotional to keep a balanced relationship. They are sometimes obsessed about love. Without the heritage from their parents, they will make their own success.

Yu metal

(a place where metal flourishes)

Inclusions: gyeong metal (10 days), sin metal (20 days) Birth year: chicken (1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993) Birth time: 17 ― 19 Month: September (eighth month of the lunar calendar) Property: yin

Gyeong metal from sin month takes first part in yu month and it is full of metal power. Therefore it is solid and hard to be broken by any force. It has yin property as the Sin metal takes the major portion.

It is related with precision instruments, machinery and distribution. The relevant occupations are army, police, economy and financial business.

Sin year people do not have consistent characteristics. Sometimes they seem lazy while sometimes they seem impatient. They do not take the task without confidence but once they take it they do their best to achieve the outcome. They do not like adventurous tasks or anything uncertain. So they often lose the good opportunities. But as they chase only security, there is no big failure. They are gentle and have honorable reputation. But they are also selfish and stingy in helping others.

Sul earth

(a repository place of fire)

Inclusions: sin metal (7 days), jeong fire (7 days), mu earth (16 days) Birth year: dog (1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994) Birth time: 19 ― 21 Month: October (ninth month of the lunar calendar) Property: yang

It is similar to mu earth. It doesn't contain any moisture, and sin metal takes the starting part in sul month. Considering that the major responsibility of the earth is to grow grass and woods, the dry earth is a dying earth. Mu earth energy takes the major part so it's yang energy.

It sums up and organizes people's activity, and is related to settlement, warehouses and preservation.

The people born in sul years are broad-minded and outgoing. They value the reputation a lot and can handle others well. They often show off. They may enjoy affluent lives but they often lose their heritage, and have to make their own fortune. They are liberal and easily go out with the opposite sex.

The writer is the president of the Heavenly Garden, a saju research center in Korea. She is the author of the book titled ``Learning Four Pillars.'' She offers saju learning courses to open for people who are interested. For more information, visit her Web site (https://blog.naver.com/janet_shin) or email to janetshin@hotmail.com