The Monkey, 9th sign of Chinese astrology

Meaning

The Monkey holds the ninth place in the cycle of the twelve earthly branches. Its branch is named Shen, its element is Metal and its phase is Yang. Metal Yang is the element of the blade and the tool: something precise, that cuts reality into workable pieces.

The theme of the sign fits in one sentence: the inventiveness that goes around the obstacle instead of hitting it. It is a relation to difficulty before it is a character trait. Placed in front of a wall, the Monkey neither throws itself at it nor gives up: it walks around, it looks for the flaw, it tries a door nobody had thought of. Its strength is not in the head on impact, it is in the trajectory.

From there follow the traits tradition associates with it. Cleverness first, which is an art of the economical solution: the least effort for the best result. Curiosity next, without which there would be no repertoire of solutions to draw on; the Monkey learns by handling, not by listening. Agility, mental as much as practical, able to change plan without living it as a failure. Cunning, the exact reverse of that suppleness: constantly going around ends up looking like dodging, and those nearby no longer always read it as frankness. Versatility finally, which opens many doors and makes choosing a single one that much harder.

One clarification is indispensable. In a BaZi reading, the animal of the year is only one character out of eight. The Monkey described here is a tonality, not a complete portrait: the month, day and hour pillars modulate its reach, and can go as far as contradicting it.

The branch and its element

The branch Shen is the ninth of the twelve. It carries Metal in its Yang phase, that of the forged object rather than the chiselled jewel.

Three stems are hidden in it, and all three are Yang: Shen is a branch turned entirely outward. Geng, Metal Yang, leads the trio and doubles the element of the branch: it is the blade, the ability to separate cleanly. Wu, Earth Yang, comes next: it brings matter, a base on which the metal rests instead of floating. Ren, Water Yang, closes the series: it brings the current, the circulation, what keeps the whole from setting.

A point of vocabulary, because the confusion is frequent. The Monkey’s hidden stem Wu is the heavenly stem Wu (戊), Earth Yang. It must not be confused with the branch Wu (午), which is the Horse’s. Same romanisation, two different Chinese characters, and two different elements.

Alliances and clashes

Three relations place the Monkey in the cycle.

The Liu He, the alliance of six, ties it to the Snake (branch Si). The pair produces Water: two signs known for their intelligence of the situation, whose association gives birth to an element neither of them carries at the surface.

The Liu Chong, the clash of six, sets it against the Tiger (branch Yin). The branch Yin is here a branch name, that of the Tiger, and not the yin phase. It is an axis of tension between two opposite positions of the cycle: the direct confrontation of the Tiger against the sidestep of the Monkey.

The San He, the affinity trine, gathers the Monkey, the Rat and the Dragon, that is the branches Shen, Zi and Chen. This trio composes Water, and the Monkey holds the opening position in it: it is the one that triggers the movement the other two extend and close.

These three links are read between branches, never directly between two people. None of them allows any conclusion about a relationship drawn from the birth animal alone.

Key facts

The nine Monkey years closest to us, with the heavenly stem that opens each one.

Keywords

• cleverness
• curiosity
• agility
• cunning
• versatility