天干地支 HS / EB - Part 9 San Ming Tong Hui - Jia Wood

SMTH 甲 Jia Wood

甲木乃十干之首，主宰四时，生育万物；

Jia wood is the leader of the 10 Stem, meant to rule 4 seasons, engenders and nourishes ten thousands beings.

在天为雷为龙，在地为梁为栋，谓之阳木。

In heaven it is the thunder, the dragon, on earth it is the pillar and column, it is called Yang Wood.

其禄到寅,寅为离上之木，

It is at "Lu" at Yin, Yin as the wood above the Gua 'Li'

其根已断，其枝已绝，谓之死木。

Its root is broken, its branches are gone, it is called the dead wood.

死木者，刚木也，须仗斧斤斫削方成其器。

Dead wood is tough wood, it has to been carved and scraped by weighty axe in order to be useful.

长生于亥，亥为河潭池沼之水，名曰死水，

It 'ChangSheng' at Hai, Hai is the water of river, lakes, ponds and pools, it is named dead water, 

故死木放死水中，虽浸年久，不能朽坏，譬如杪椿之木，在于水中则能坚固。

When dead wood is put into dead water, even if it is immersed for years, it will not be rotten, for example the wood of cedar, even if it is in water, it still can persist.

若离水至岸而遇癸水，癸水者，活水也，为天地间雨露，

If it departs from the bank of water and meets Gui water, Gui water is living water, it's the rain and dew between heaven and earth,

日晒雨淋，干湿不调，遂成枯朽，则能生火，火旺而木必焚矣，故有灰飞烟灭之患耳。

It is shone upon by the sun and wet by the rain, we and dry irregularly,eventually it withers and rots, and that can produce fire, when fire is strong wood will be burnt, that has the suffering / disaster of flying ashes and extinguished smoke.

且午属离火，火赖木生，木为火母，火为木子，子旺母衰，焉有不终之理？

And wood belongs to Li Fire, Fire relies on wood to burn, wood is the mother of Fire, Fire is the child of Wood, child is prosperous and mother is weak, will it not be the end?

故甲木死于午。经云：木不南奔。正谓此也。

That is why Jia wood dies at Wu. The classics says: wood does not rush to south. That means this.