Classical Chinese medical symbolism: Wood, Metal and Spring (part 2 of 2)
Here is the continuation of Michael “Delli” Dell’orfano’s article on the symbolism of wood, metal and the spring season in Classical Chinese medical symbolism. Please feel free to leave any thoughts you have on this two-part article in the comments. Lively discussion is always appreciated! If you missed the first installment, read it here.———————
In Neijing Suwen (素問) Chapter 7 - Yin Yang Bie Lun (陰 陽 別 論 篇) Huang Di asks Qi Bo,
人 有 四 經 ， 十 二 從 ， 何 謂
“A man has four channels and twelve equivalences, and what are the implications of them?”
Qi Bo answers,
四 經 ， 應 四 時 ； 十 二 從 ， 應 十 二 月 ； 十 二 月 應 十 二 脈
“The four channels are the four solid organs which correspond to the four seasons; the twelve equivalences are the twelve two-hour periods, the twelve, the twelve two-hour periods correspond to the twelve meridians.”
Keep in mind when talking about the four seasons that the Earth has no real season of its own, thus they speak of four instead of five. Qi Bo goes on to say the Liver corresponds to the spring, the twelve-hour periods are governed by the twelve months, and that the di zhi Yin, Mao, and Chen are the months of spring (earthly branches 3,4,5 respectively). Qi Bo correlates the twelve months with the twelve channels and states that the first month of the lunar cycle (February) corresponds to the Hand Taiyin channel. In terms of the four seasons, (maybe we can say this relates more to the solar cycle, or related to yang and heaven) we say February is associated with the Spring energy of the Liver, but in terms of the twelve months, (maybe more related to a lunar cycle, and thus yin and Earth) February goes with the Lung.
I interpret this as meaning the energy of nature around us in the external world is strongly Mu/wood in the spring, and so internally our energy should be strong in the Jin/metal channels in order to keep Mu/wood energy that is on the rise in check. If the Mu/wood energy is strong outside the body, it will inevitably penetrate into us as well, and so the body should have a natural physiological response to increase the Jin/metal element to prevent the Mu/wood energy from becoming too strong and causing imbalances in the body. Also, a little later in Chapter 7 of the Wu and Wu translation of the Neijing, it talks about the taboo times for Gan (Liver, 肝) are Geng and Xin days (associated with metal). I think this is trying to tell us that Gan 肝 problems are more likely to arise on these days since they represent Jin/metal energy, and Jin affects Mu because of their intimate relationship through the Ke (control) cycle.
It is instructive to analyze the hexagrams symbolically associated with the Spring Metal/Jin organ networks. First, we have Tai, Hexagram 11 going with the Lung and the first month (Feb-Mar). Next, we have Da Zhuang, Hexagram 34 going with the Large Intestine and belonging to the second month (Mar-Apr).
Hexagram 11 is all about balance and harmony with three yang lines below and three yin lines above representing the upward movement of Heaven coalescing with the downward movement of the Earth. The rising yang in the lines of hexagram is symbolic of what is taking place in nature- energy on the rise. At the same time, the yin energy is pushing down to create a pressurizer-like effect in nature like the Lung does in the body. The idea of balance and prosperity that go along with this hexagram make it a symbol of health. The Lung is crucial to our health, thus the important title of prime minister is placed upon it. It is also worth noting that some of the greatest ancient Chinese medicine doctors were also prime ministers.
Hexagram 34 is an image of the trigram Zhen, or Thunder, over the trigram Qian, or Heaven. It shows the progression of the yang energy on earth, as now four yang lines are on the bottom of the hexagram with only two yin lines above. Nature is starting to move away from balance as yang is starting to take over, thus the story of Yang dominance in the second month. This hexagram symbolizes great strength and power as nature is bursting forth from the earth. The earthly branch that goes with the second month is Mao 卯, which means to flourish or explode. Much movement takes place in nature as the green vegetation is starting to grow rapidly. This is the picture of foot yangming (Large Intestine) brute force. Yangming carries tremendous amounts of qi and blood, and so is associated with 2nd and 3rd months of the year. This is the microcosmic picture in the body of what is going on this time of year as reflected in the macrocosm of the natural world around us.
Hu (虎, tiger) is the animal that resonates with Fei (Lung 肺) and Yin (February). It is associated with Fei because it is a symbol of authority and justice. Tigers will growl and protect, and only use their sharp teeth and claws when they have good reason. Tigers also have beautiful colored skin patterns, and this is a Fei signature since the skin relates to the Fei network. The sharp teeth and claws are akin to metal weapons and the ability to protect can be associated with a metal shield or helmet. Other mu characteristics of the tiger include the mu voice. The jumping ability and strength of the connective tissue is related to Gan and mu, and so is their tendency towards rage. Neijing Ch.8 has reference to the tiger in the line for the Liver.
To point out another correspondance between Wood and Metal, consider where the Neijing (Chapter 8) says,
肝 者 ， 將 軍 之 官 ， 謀 慮 出 焉
gan zhe jiang jun zhi guan mo lu chu yan
The Liver is the general and is in charge of planning and strategizing.
The character lu 慮 contains the tiger radical. Here the tiger is used to symbolize foresight, clairvoyance, patience, intelligence as associated with Wood/Yin/Aquarius/Jupiter energy to demonstrate what characteristics a good general should possess. Here we can see the intertwining of Wood and Metal imagery in the classics.
Tu (兔 rabbit) goes with the Da Chang (Large Intestine 大肠) and Mao (March). Tu/rabbits have a hot yangming (ST/LI) condition, and so have dry hard pellets for feces. This is much like constipation, which is a condition related to Da Chang. The rabbit is associated with longevity, which is also a Jin/metal quality. Rabbits use feces instead of urine like most animals to mark territory. Also, in rabbit we find some Mu/wood characteristics as well. For example, their amazing jumping ability can be related to connective tissue strength and the springing forth of nature that is taking place. Rabbits are competitive, always in a race. This is also a Wood quality. Rabbits have a lot of nervous, windy energy, and so they are always moving around and do not like to be held. This can be seen as related to Mu/wood as it is said to dislike being contained. Yet more intertwining of Wood and Metal imagery is revealed to us!
Bringing it back to the human body
In general, we can say that Jin/metal and Mu/wood are balancing poles of activity in the body. Jin moves down and in, and Mu moves up and out, but what if imbalance and disharmony occur between jin and mu? One example of this might be the emotion of grief, which when experienced, has an energetic feeling of moving down and in like Jin or metal. This downward movement of Fei will oppress Gan and cause Gan/Liver Qi stagnation eventually. How about another example? Consider the relationship between Fei/Lung and Gan/Liver in breathing. Fei is master of the qi, and a weakness in Fei qi can lead to a weakness of Gan qi, and so Gan may not be able to spring up. A progression from this might be that the Gan qi becomes stagnated because of a lack of qi from Fei, and then Gan fire could flare up and travel through the reverse ke/control cycle causing Fei to be scorched. In this situation, Fei will no longer be able to mist the organs because of heat/dryness and may lose the ability to exert pressure and descend downward. In this case, symptoms could arise on both the Gan and Fei organ systems such as coughing, blood in saliva, pain in sides and thorax, red eyes and anger.
Another example of a mu/jin pathology directly related to the spring is bi qiu- allergic rhinitis. Bi qiu is caused by the increased wind of the spring carrying the pollen from plants into the body of a person who has a disharmony of wei and ying (protective and nutritive). We can even say that the wei qi has a connection to the Lung and the Liver and that the Liver is also part of the ying, so it very likely this type of person already has an imbalance in the mu-jin axis to begin with, and so the symptoms all appear as related to these two organ systems. The itching is associated with the wind, and so by frequency correlation we can also say Wood. This pathology also has itching of the eye as a symptom, and the eye is the orfice of the Liver in CM. The problem is also related to the Lung since the nose is the orfice of the Lung and the symptoms are itchy nose, runny nose, anosmia, and nasal congestion.
Delli
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I hope that Delli’s elaboration on the relationship between Wood and Metal has helped you to understand their associated symbols and organ systems more deeply. It’s a dense article, to be sure, definitely worth a couple of readings. I would be interested to hear from practitioners, especially, to see if the symbolism as discussed here bears fruit in clinical practice. I find myself thinking particularly of formulas and how this symbolism might help me to understand them more deeply - perhaps that’s another article in the making. :) For now, back to studying for finals!
Eric
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Tags: Character, hexagram, liver, lung, nature, neijing, Organ systems, Seasons, spring, symbolismRelated posts
Chinese medicine and professional development
I have been thinking quite a bit about my February Year of Sagely Living goal. Before I reveal what I’d like to do this month, I want to look at the symbolism of this month in a little more detail. Let’s revisit the original explanation in the inagural post of this project.
February - Liver, Chou 丑 (Ox): Strategy/Business: This category will contain practices in the realm of business development and strategic planning in the professional world. Why this pairing? The Liver is the general of the body, so has a natural affinity for this kind of activity.
Liver as the General
In the Neijing (Chapter 8), it is said:
肝者將軍之官謀慮出焉
gān zhě jiáng jùn zhī guān móu lù chū yān
Translations vary, of course. Here are my favorites: “The liver is the official of managing the horsepower, planning and strategizing emerge from it.” “The liver is the general who is valiant and resourceful”
I think a lot of people who are interested in Chinese medicine tend to shy away from the old General. We don’t like to hear that we have a Wood voice, we shy away from the concept of an organ as associated with war. We look down on people who express their anger, even in appropriate ways. I don’t feel this way. I embrace the General. The wood is the motivating and moving force in nature, in our bodies, and in our organizations. I reckon that my school and our profession in general could use a little invigoration. Certainly it must be kept in balance - but a focus on this powerful force can only be a boon for me and mine.
When I think about the General, I think of so many of the personal development gurus I’ve known and learned from over the years. David Allen. Steven Covey. Anthony Robbins. Many others. I’m not implying that these folks are constitutionally Wood (though certainly a couple of them are) but simply that what they do resonates with the principle we’re trying to invoke this month. A focus on developing ourselves into the kinds of people that effortlessly and courageously interact with the world in some of its more difficult and potentially conflict-ridden arenas - business being one of those. So, resonant activities for the Year of Sagely Living should take the General as their inspiration. They should involve managing the horsepower (resources), planning, strategizing and valiant effort.
February - the end of Winter
About now in Oregon, everyone is complaining about the weather. Constitutionally damp and cold people have finally become saturated and get depressed. Even folks with strong Spleen energy start to long for the easy warmth and beauty of spring and summer. But I’m smiling. Because I feel the energy on the upswing. In fact, the winter is as good as gone! My bulbs are sprouting vigorously. Buds are growing fat on the Japanese maple. My dog is shedding. I am strangely compelled to play frisbee in the rain. February for me is all about opening myself to the increased activity of the spring season. In that way - a focus on the strongly outward realm of business is certainly warranted. It will help shake out the cobwebs. :)
I do recognize that the weather is still quite cold most places in the Northern hemisphere. In fact, the agricultural nodes for Liver time all relate to intense cold. Further, the time associated with the Liver (1-3am) is certainly a deep and dark time of the day. This is why we didn’t choose to put a type of activity here that was strongly physical, demanding lots of opening of pores or outdoor activity. Do keep this limitation in mind when crafting your goals for February.
Many realms of professional development :my interpretation of February’s category
A variety of activities could fit in this category. On the more low-key end of things, you might think about reading a book on small business, leadership development or the history of some great leader in your religious or cultural tradition. On the more intensive side of things, you might consider developing a business plan (if you don’t already have one), setting some new goals for your (already existing) business, or taking a professional development course. On a more subtle level, you could consider doing a series of meditations on Liver, general, and the wood element in general and how those forces are functioning in your life.
This category is a little challenging for me because I’m already engaged in so many streams of habit that would fit in it. For instance, I’m working my GTD system. I’m the President AND Vice President of my class. I’m engaged in a variety of leadership development groups in Portland and at NCNM. My partner and I are working through our own business plan while we are both taking formal classes about business! Because of all of this, I think I will take one of the more low-key options. I’m going to be reading one of two books (or their audiobook versions) - either Principle Centered Leadership by Steven Covey or Personal Power II by Anthony Robbins. Along with this, I will be doing daily meditations concerning my future business - simply stilling my mind and letting myself be guided. Simple, but I think powerful.
Eric
Tags: Business, business development, Leadership, liver, ox, Personal Development, professional-development, strategic planning, symbolism, winterRelated posts
7 keys to understanding the Classical Chinese Medicine concept of organs
I’d like to piggyback off of the organ clock post and introduce the Chinese medicine theory of organs in a little more
depth. It’s important to understand that there is not just one right way to view the body. There is no more validity in viewing it in the Western medicine manner than there is in viewing it in the Chinese medicine manner. Each system (and many others) have taken different features of the human being to be primary, each system has used their own conceptual understanding to render a viable picture of the body and its interactions. Perhaps most importantly, each system uses their vision of the human being to craft effective treatments. It seems that different systems will create different spheres of effectiveness - a topic for a future post. With no further ado, here are seven things you need to know to enhance your understanding of Chinese medicine organ systems.
- There are twelve organ systems in Chinese medicine: Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Triple Burner, Gall Bladder, Liver, Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach and Spleen. The typical convention is to capitalize when we are talking about Chinese organ systems and not to capitalize when we are referring to the anatomical organ known to Western medicine. Another convention is to refer to the in the singular. So, for instance, the Lung organ system includes the Lungs, but we don’t say - for example - The emotion of the Lungs is grief.
- They’re not ORGANS. Probably the most important thing to understand is that the Classical Chinese view is not based on materialism. Although the ancient Chinese did investigate the inside of the body and were clearly aware of the physical structures that Western medicine now names “organs” this is not primary for the medicine’s understanding. The organ is included in a larger concept that is often called the “organ system,” which you have already seen me use many times. This organ system includes the physical organ, it’s associated channel(s), the tissues, surfaces, functions and other bodily features associated with that organ and other more rarefied aspects of the system.
- The organs work together as a dynamic whole. While each system has specific functions and can be talked about in isolation, the beauty of the Chinese medical view of the body only becomes truly apparent when you focus on the interconnections. No system is complete without seeing its relationship to the rest. This can make it a little confusing to study because our brains seem to find it simpler to focus on one mono-dimensional thing at a time. TCM has largely lost its understanding of the physiological interactions of the organs except where those interactions are extremely simplified.
- The organs are a reflection of the macrocosm. This principle relates back to Chinese philosophical understanding of the holographic nature of reality. For a complete review of the holographic worldview, see Michael Talbot’s The Holographic Universe. The basic gist of this philosophy is that the fundamental nature of reality is reflected in its smallest pieces just as much as in its largest. The small reflect the large, and the large reflect the small - they’re both reflecting something much deeper than themselves. In Chinese medicine we study this principle all the time. On one level, each organ is a reflection of all the others - the parts reflect the whole. On another level, the total complex of organs and each organ individually reflect some aspect of nature. For example, the Heart reflects the nature of our Sun and acts as such within the body. Understanding these layers of meaning help us to fully comprehend the human body, and studying the human body through this lens helps us to gain a greater understanding about the Universe. It’s funny like that.
- Following from that, then, the organ systems can be understood using natural and governmental symbolism. For me personally, learning about the Chinese concept of the body was much easier once I learned to think about it as an ecosystem or as a country. With the former, I could simply walk in nature in a mindful way and reflect on the various features I found there. IS the Heart like the Sun? What would that mean if it were? How does that bear out in diagnosis? In treatment? I think this practice does its work on more subtle levels as well - it must be why we are constantly urged to spend time in nature as CCM students. Using metaphors about the government helped me a great deal in understanding the functional relationships between organ systems. If the Heart is like the Emperor (or the King, possibly the President) then what relationships should I see between it and the Lung, which is said to be like the Prime Minister (or Presidential Cabinet?).
- The organs’ interrelationships are therapeutically useful. Far from being a simple intellectual exercise, understanding the organ systems as networks of interrelationship bears out in treatment. An example: imagine we are looking at some kind of problem that - through the intake process, including tongue and pulse taking - we come to understand as being centered in the Heart organ system. A TCM process of differentiation would then focus on the Heart, most likely, only adding other organ systems in limited circumstances (such as adding Lung if there are breathing difficulties). A more nuanced approach will consider the interrelationships using various systems, such as five-element or six conformation. Using a five element approach, we might wonder whether fire is failing to be generated by wood, or whether it is being over-controlled by water. We would search for symptoms that might suggest this, we would recheck the pulse to see whether we had missed something. There are specific systems to use when doing these investigations, but the key is simply to dive deeply into the physiology in order to comprehend pathology. It will yield excellent treatment.
- Even with this complex understanding - the organ systems are not PRIMARY. In a sense, the organ systems are simply a useful way of organizing the overwhelming amount of information we can get from studying the human body. It is a convenient way because it has clear physical correlates. But we must also consider the fluids of the body (Qi, Blood, Jing, Shen, JinYe) as well as any more subtle aspects of the human being. We must also keep in mind that the body is not just a jumble of parts, but a integral functioning whole - when we treat we are not “tonifying the Kidney” but instead having a specific kind of impact on an infinitely complicated system using a particular technique. Maybe that’s splitting hairs, but it seems an important distinction.
There’s a lot more to know - but that’s a good start. Please put any questions or thoughts in the comments!
Eric Grey
Tags: classical-chinese-medicine, exercise, five phases, flu, focus, health, Learning, liver, lung, materialism, nature, organ system, Organ systems, organizing, overwhelm, pericardium, philosophy, pulse, rest, spleen, students, study, studying, symbolism, tea, Theory, traditional-chinese-medicine, visionRelated posts
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