ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Heavenly Stems

Heavenly stems are like special stickers that we use to mark time. Each stem is like a different color sticker and there are 10 of them in total. We use them in a special order, like a sequence of numbers, and repeat the sequence every 60 years.

People who use the heavenly stems believe that each stem has a special energy or personality. Just like how some people are happy and some people are serious, each stem has its own personality.

We use the heavenly stems to help us understand and predict things like the weather, good or bad luck, and how things might change in the future.

For example, if it's the year of the rabbit and the heavenly stem is Yang Wood, people who use the stems might say that this year is going to be very lucky for people who are born in the year of the monkey because monkey matches well with rabbit, and rabbit matches well with Yang Wood.

Overall, heavenly stems are like special tools that help us keep track of time and understand the world around us.
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