The Twelve Life Stages trace how energy is born, grows, declines and is conceived again — twelve phases likened to a human life. The same character carries different strength and use depending on which stage it sits in.
The cycle of twelve stages
The stages run Growth (birth), Bath, Cap, Prosperity, Peak, Decline, Sickness, Death, Tomb, Extinction, Conception and Nourishment. It mirrors nature’s cycle — a seed sprouts, flourishes, withers and returns to seed.
Some stages such as Prosperity and Peak are vigorous; others such as Decline, Sickness, Death and Tomb are fading; and Extinction, Conception and Nourishment are being freshly conceived. This gives the view that "strong" does not equal "good" — each stage has its own use.
The same energy differs by stage
Which stage applies is set by where the Day Master sits among the Branches. The same Day Master seated at Peak shows strong confidence and drive; seated at Tomb it shows a tendency to gather and store inward.
So the stages serve as a supporting gauge of the Day Master’s strength, and as a lens for reading how that energy will express itself across the phases of life.
Frequently asked
The names can startle, but no. Death and Tomb are stages where energy condenses and gathers inward, and they often show up as focus, expertise and staying power. There is no need to take the names literally.
They are a supporting gauge that complements the core structure (elements, Ten Gods, strength). Not mandatory, but helpful when you want to read the subtle use of an energy and the texture of a life’s flow more finely.