The Mountain Rat

What a day pillar is

Of the four pillars in a chart, the day pillar is the one that stands for the person rather than their circumstances. It is fixed by the calendar date of a birth, which means it survives an unknown birth time intact — most people can find theirs without knowing the hour.

The Mountain Rat is the Mountain — yang Earth — standing on the Rat. The persona sets the material; the animal sets the ground it stands on. Neither half means much alone, which is why there are sixty of these and not ten.

Pairings where something actually fires

Not every pairing engages structurally. These do.

• The Mountain Rat and The Mist GoatA direct pull between the two Day Masters.
• The Mountain Rat and The Mist OxImmediate attraction with an easy footing under it.
• The Mountain Rat and The Mist PigA direct pull between the two Day Masters.
• The Mountain Rat and The Mist RabbitA direct pull between the two Day Masters.
• The Mountain Rat and The Mist RoosterA direct pull between the two Day Masters.
• The Mountain Rat and The Mist SnakeA direct pull between the two Day Masters.
• The Mountain Rat and The Diamond GoatQuiet, persistent friction that neither will find easy to name.
• The Mountain Rat and The Diamond OxEasy agreement, arrived at before it is argued for.