← Glossary
Xu (戌) — Dog Branch / Yang Earth
Also known as: Dog Branch · Fire Storehouse
Eleventh Earthly Branch; yang earth; the dog sign; rules late evening (19:00–21:00) and the last month of autumn — the storehouse of fire.
Xu is yang earth holding 戊 (yang earth), 辛 (yin metal), 丁 (yin fire) — warm dry soil with autumn metal and a banked fire residue. Classically the 火庫 (fire storehouse). Symbolically the loyal dog at the gate after sunset: watchful, faithful, defending the household. Xu Day Masters typically display loyalty, conviction, willingness to defend principles, and a tendency to feel responsible for the people they accept as theirs.
Xu san-he with 寅 and 午 transforms to fire (寅午戌合化火), and six-unites with 卯 to fire (卯戌合火). Conflicted by 辰 (辰戌冲 — earth-storehouse opposition), and part of the 丑戌未 三刑.