Heavenly stem
The upper character of a pillar; there are ten, one for each element in its yang and its yin form.
In one sentence
The upper character of a pillar; there are ten, one for each element in its yang and its yin form.
How it is used
Stems are read as what shows on the surface: how you present, speak and act where other people can see it. Because they sit on top, their interactions happen mainly with each other, through stem combination and stem clash. A stem on its own says little until you can see which branch it is standing on.