Zodi Animal· The Elements· Metal 金

The phase of the blade and the harvest

Metal

jīn · west · autumn · the virtue 義 yì, righteousness

Metal is the phase that yields and is reshaped, 從革 (cóng gé). It is the turn inward, the harvest gathered in, the clean edge that cuts to what matters. In Chinese thought Metal is not one thing: it is the raw sword and the fine jewel at once. Meet both below.

The centrepiece · 庚 and 辛

The two metals

Every phase has a yang face and a yin face. For Metal they even carry their own names: 庚 the great metal and 辛 the fine metal. Tap one.

Where Metal sits on the wheel

Metal never stands alone

Metal is fed by one phase, feeds another, holds a third in check, and is held by a fourth. Follow any thread to that phase.

Go deeper

Eight rooms of Metal

Everything the research found, one door at a time.

Up to the wheel, down to your animal

Metal is a thread. Your animal is where it lands.

Up to the five phases

Metal is one turn of a larger wheel. Step back and watch all five feed and check each other.

Down to your animal

Monkey carries yang metal, Rooster carries yin metal, and any birth year can add Metal on top. Find yours.

Meaning, not prediction. The Metal material here, including the 庚 and 辛 temperaments and the BaZi and TCM notes, is symbolic character-lore and classical tradition drawn from Chinese metaphysics. It is a lens for reflection, not a claim of fact about anyone's health, wealth, or fate. Correspondences vary by lineage. See how Metal lines up across traditions.