衰 · Decline

shuāi · the sixth of the twelve life stages 十二长生

衰 Decline, shuāi, is the sixth of the twelve life stages in BaZi, 十二长生, the cycle a stem's strength follows through the twelve branches. A 甲 Yang Wood Day Master reaches it in 辰, the Dragon, and a 乙 Yin Wood Day Master in 丑, the Ox.

The twelve life stages trace a stem’s energy through the twelve branches, from birth to rest and back again. Each stem has a stage in every branch, so the same branch can be a high point for one stem and a low one for another.

The sixth phase: past the peak, the energy is still present but softening.

Where each stem reaches it

• 甲in辰
• 乙in丑
• 丙in未
• 丁in辰
• 戊in未
• 己in辰
• 庚in戌
• 辛in未
• 壬in丑
• 癸in戌

Yang stems move forward through the branches and Yin stems move backward, which is why each stem reaches this stage in a different branch.

Where you meet it

• Under each pillar in the Pro chart view: the stage of your Day Master in that branch.
• On Luck Pillars, where each decade’s branch puts your Day Master at a different stage.

A stage describes strength in one place, not a fate. Names like Death or Tomb are traditional labels for phases of the cycle.