小雪 Lesser Snow: winter solar term, November 22-23 小雪 · Xiǎo Xuě

Classical attributes

• Solar position: longitude 240°
• Date range: November 22-23
• Season: winter (early winter)
• Type: 氣 — Mid-term — within month
• Month branch: 亥 (Pig)

Climatic register

First snows in northern regions; cold deepens but has not reached its peak. Water-element register strengthens; preparation for the deep winter to come.

Hidden stems of the 亥 month branch

The 亥 earthly branch holds these heavenly stems internally — read in BaZi as the “hidden essence” of the month pillar:

• 壬 (Yang Water, primary)
• 甲 (Yang Wood, transitional)

BaZi relevance

小雪 is the mid-term within the 亥 month pillar. The classical 'lesser snow' period is read as the consolidation phase of early winter — where the water-element transition that opened at 立冬 stabilises and the year's energetic vector deepens further inward.

QMDJ (Qi Men Dun Jia) relevance

Same as 霜降 — yin dun 5 opening, transitioning through 8 and 2. The early-winter consolidation register continues from autumn's closing. In the QMDJ system, 小雪 falls within the 陰遁 (yin dun, backward-rotating consolidation) half-year. The three thirds of this solar term map to 陰遁5局 (upper), 陰遁8局 (middle), and 陰遁2局 (lower) respectively. QMDJ consultations made during 小雪 carry the dun-period register stacked on top of the solar-term's seasonal energy.

For chart-aware QMDJ reading of a specific consultation made during 小雪, see the 18 Dun Periods reference for the relevant dun-period pages, or book a QMDJ forecasting consultation.

Observed register for 小雪 births

小雪 carries the register of partial-cold, anticipation of the deeper winter. Born around 小雪 often carries a register of measured pace, knowing how to conserve resources for the demands ahead.

Why generic Lesser Snow interpretation fails

The solar term is one structural layer of a BaZi chart, not the whole chart. The actual reading for someone born around 小雪 depends on the day pillar (the Day Master), the year and hour pillars, the chart's elemental balance, and the upcoming luck pillars. Generic per-solar-term descriptions can name the foundational seasonal register, but they cannot tell you what your specific chart says. Master Sean Chan’s BaZi consultation reads the full chart against your specific question.

• Identify whether your birth or your question's timing falls within 小雪 (November 22-23). For BaZi practice, this mid-term sits within the 亥 month pillar without changing it.
• Read the 小雪 register against your full chart. The solar term contributes a foundational layer; the rest of the chart determines actionable guidance.
• Plot your chart via the free BaZi Calculator to see how 小雪 interacts with your day, year, and hour pillars.
• Book chart-aware reading via BaZi consultation for high-stakes questions. Generic per-term reference is no substitute for the consultation.