Different, but connected
Think about light and darkness.
They are different, but thinking about one naturally helps us notice the other.
Yin and Yang are traditional concepts for describing this kind of relationship.[1]
Yin and Yang are two different aspects.
But they are not treated as two completely separate worlds.
They are understood in relation to one another.
Yin and Yang can change
Yin and Yang are not permanently frozen in place.
They are described as alternating, changing, and increasing or decreasing relative to each other as conditions change.[1]
Light gives way to darkness over the course of a day.
Activity is followed by rest.
The important idea is not to attach a fixed label to everything.
It is to notice relationship and change.
One side is not better than the other
Yang does not mean “better,” and Yin does not mean “worse.”
Yin and Yang are not a scale of good and bad.
They are also not fixed labels for male and female personalities.
A simple way to understand them is as neutral words for two different but related aspects.
Where do we see them in Saju?
The Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches used in Saju are each classified as Yin or Yang.[2]
You do not need to memorize which characters belong to each group yet.
For now, remember this:
Yin and Yang are different but connected aspects that are understood through relationship and change.
In Saju, Yin and Yang are one of the basic ways the Stems and Branches are classified.
A Yin or Yang label by itself does not define a person’s personality or whole life.