The Four Pillars

戌︎Xū — the Dog

Earthly Branch · Dog · Earth

The eleventh Earthly Branch — the Dog, late autumn, warm and guarding Earth.

Xū reads as loyal, principled steadiness: honest, protective, and quick to stand up for what and whom it believes in. Its faithfulness is its heart, and its work is to trust first, so watchfulness does not harden into suspicion.