The Ox is the second animal and one of the most loved in Korean farming life. For centuries a family's ox was its tractor and its savings account, and the saying that a person is as hardworking as an ox (소처럼 일한다) is still a compliment.
In Saju the Ox is the branch 丑 Chuk. It is earth, the last month of winter, and the hours from 01:00 to 03:00. Inside it sit hidden stems of water, metal and earth, so it is read as a frozen field storing what spring will need.
Your animal is your year branch and only one of eight characters. The Ox also appears as a month branch (early January to early February) and in day and hour pillars. In Saju the Ox year starts at Ipchun, around 4 February, which surprises many people born in January.
- Patient
- Dependable
- Hardworking
- Quietly stubborn
The five Oxs of the sixty year cycle
Every twelve years is an Ox year, and each one wears the colour of its heavenly stem. The same colour comes back every sixty years. Each card opens the day pillar with the same two characters.
Harmonies
The Ox's six harmony partner is the Rat 子, read as a practical earth pairing. Its three harmony partners are the Snake 巳 and the Rooster 酉, the metal trine, read as precise and determined.
Clash and wonjin
The Ox clashes with the Goat 未, two earth branches from opposite seasons. Its wonjin is the Horse 午. The tradition reads these as places where rhythms differ, which is something to talk about, not something to fear.
- Six harmony: Rat
- Three harmony: Snake and Rooster
- Clash: Goat
- Wonjin: Horse
The Ox with each animal
How the tradition reads the Ox branch meeting each of the twelve, as it would in gunghap between two year or day branches. One pair of branches is a small part of two charts; compare the full charts for the whole picture.
| Rat 子 Six harmony A pair of branches that bond easily, read as comfort and a natural fit. | |
| Ox 丑 Same animal The same branch twice, read as a familiar rhythm: easy to read each other, easy to get stuck in the same place. | |
| Tiger 寅 No named pattern A neutral pairing: nothing in the tradition pulls these two branches together or apart. | |
| Rabbit 卯 No named pattern A neutral pairing: nothing in the tradition pulls these two branches together or apart. | |
| Dragon 辰 No named pattern A neutral pairing: nothing in the tradition pulls these two branches together or apart. | |
| Snake 巳 Three harmony Two branches from the same trine, read as shared purpose and working well as a team. | |
| Horse 午 HarmWonjin 원진 A subtle mismatch, read as small misunderstandings that grow if nobody names them. | |
| Goat 未 ClashPunishment Branches from opposite points of the year, read as movement and contrast that ask for give and take. | |
| Monkey 申 No named pattern A neutral pairing: nothing in the tradition pulls these two branches together or apart. | |
| Rooster 酉 Three harmony Two branches from the same trine, read as shared purpose and working well as a team. | |
| Dog 戌 Punishment Read as friction around pride, rules or favors. Useful to know about; never a verdict. | |
| Pig 亥 No named pattern A neutral pairing: nothing in the tradition pulls these two branches together or apart. |
Ox years and when they start
Each Ox year begins at Ipchun, shown here in Korea Standard Time. If you were born before the start time, your year pillar belongs to the previous animal.
| Year | Pillar | Color animal | Starts (KST) | Ends (KST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | 乙丑 Eul-chuk | Blue Ox | 4 Feb 1925, 16:36 | 4 Feb 1926, 22:38 |
| 1937 | 丁丑 Jeong-chuk | Red Ox | 4 Feb 1937, 14:25 | 4 Feb 1938, 20:14 |
| 1949 | 己丑 Gi-chuk | Yellow Ox | 4 Feb 1949, 12:23 | 4 Feb 1950, 18:20 |
| 1961 | 辛丑 Sin-chuk | White Ox | 4 Feb 1961, 09:52 | 4 Feb 1962, 16:17 |
| 1973 | 癸丑 Gye-chuk | Black Ox | 4 Feb 1973, 08:04 | 4 Feb 1974, 14:00 |
| 1985 | 乙丑 Eul-chuk | Blue Ox | 4 Feb 1985, 06:12 | 4 Feb 1986, 12:07 |
| 1997 | 丁丑 Jeong-chuk | Red Ox | 4 Feb 1997, 04:02 | 4 Feb 1998, 09:56 |
| 2009 | 己丑 Gi-chuk | Yellow Ox | 4 Feb 2009, 01:50 | 4 Feb 2010, 07:47 |
| 2021 | 辛丑 Sin-chuk | White Ox | 3 Feb 2021, 23:59 | 4 Feb 2022, 05:50 |