Void branches (Kong Wang)
There are 10 stems but 12 branches, so when the 60 stem-branch pairs are grouped into six "decades" of ten, two branches in each decade never get a stem. Those two are your void branches (Kong Wang, sometimes called Death & Emptiness).
Lookup table (from your Day pillar)
| Day pillar decade | Void |
|---|---|
| 甲子 – 癸酉 | 戌亥 (Dog, Pig) |
| 甲戌 – 癸未 | 申酉 (Monkey, Rooster) |
| 甲申 – 癸巳 | 午未 (Horse, Goat) |
| 甲午 – 癸卯 | 辰巳 (Dragon, Snake) |
| 甲辰 – 癸丑 | 寅卯 (Tiger, Rabbit) |
| 甲寅 – 癸亥 | 子丑 (Rat, Ox) |
Example: a Day pillar of 戊午 (Wu Wu) falls in the 甲寅–癸亥 decade, so the void branches are 子丑 (Rat, Ox). The calculator shows yours automatically.
Void periods
Years and months that bring your void branches are traditionally better for preparation, study and review than for launching big new ventures. There is no need to fear them — treat them as time to strengthen your footing.