GGSFS Reader 2009 (www.ggsfs.

com)

PRACTICAL FENG SHUI by Simon Brown, pg 11 - 15

the PRINCIPLES of
FENG SHUI
The concepts of chi energy, yin
and yang, the Five Elements and
the Eight Directions explain
how making changes to your
living space can transform your
life and fortunes; Nine Ki
astrology deals with the timing
of those changes. .

ch 1 energy
For thousands of

What has come to be called 'chi' is a subtle flow of electromagnetic

years people have

energy which links all things in the universe. Ancient peoples were
probably able to sense its movement. Sites such as Stonehenge, Carll3c

been aware of energy

and the Nazca lines, seem to have been constructed along so-called l'ey

moving through the

lines, believed to mark underlying concentrations of energy. They may

universe, connecting

have been built specifically to channel this energy: maybe their builders

everything in it like
a huge computer
network.

were in touch with the flow of energy and knew how to influence it.
In the Far East the understanding and control of energy flows underlies traditional healing systems such as acupuncture and Shiatsu as well
as martial arts like Tai Chi, Qi Kong and Aikido. The energy has several
names. In China it is called Chi, inJapan it is known as Ki (also spelt Qi)
and in India Prana. There are no specific words for it in the West,
although expressions such as 'atmosphere', 'mood', 'life-force' or
'spirit' describe how it is perceived, In this book it is referred to as chi
energy, Chi is central to Oriental astrology and Feng Shui,
Chi stays mainly within entities such as human bodies, plants or build-

SUN

ings, but some of it constantly flows out and some flows in from other
sources, Your own personal chi energy is always mixing with the chi
energy around you, In this way you are connected to the immediate
environment, and ultimately to the whole universe, as ripples of chi
energy from far away reach you, Exceptionally sensitive people may be
able to pick up advance information from these distant sources iJ1 the
form of premonitions, visions or telepathy,

WIND AND WATER

The flow of chi energy from one entity to another is the basis of Feng
Shui, The chi energy you take in from your environment influences your
nl00ds, emotions, physical energy and, over time, your health, Chi
energy is carried through the environment by wind, water, the sun's
solar energy, light and sound, It moves in a similar way

to

these natural

phenomena except that, unlike some of them, it is able to flow through

solid matter. It flows in and out of buildings mainly through the doors
and windows, but some chi can enter and leave through the walls, It
moves like water ebbing and flowing with the tides, and like air moving
Heavens:S force and Earth:S force
Chi energy mdiatingfrom the !Jlanets
'moves tOu/(l'I"Cls the Earth - Heaven's
jorce. Earth radiates chi energy that
moves away from it - Earth's fOTce.
12

around the Earth, The name Feng Shui, which literally means '\vindwater", reflects the way chi energy moves, The basic aim of Feng Shui is
to enable you to position yourself where this natural flow of chi energy
helps you to realise your goals and your dreams in life,

eh

energy

UNIVERSAL CHI
Chi energy flows not only throughout our planet, but through the entire
solar system and galaxy. Our own planet, Earth, radiates chi energy that
flows out and away from the planet. To the people who live on Earth this
appears as chi energy moving upwards and is called Earth's force. At the

CHI FROM THE PAST

.....

Old buildings will have absorbed

some of the chi energy linked

surface of the Earth, and therefore in our homes and in our own bod-

wHh the happy or sad events Ulat

have tiaken place fuere. Most.of
this washes away with time, blu a
residue could stay for centuries.
Negative chi energy hangs on

ies, is influenced by the Earth itself and the surrounding planets. As the

in parts of a building that are

position of the Earth, Sun and planets changes, so does the movement

darkor damp" and can affect the

lives of people ]jving there. If
generations of occupants have
expelienced similar misfortunes
(for example, illness, divorce or

same time, the planets surrounding Earth radiate chi energy which travels towards and into the Earth. This appears to us to move downwards
and is known as Heaven's force. So the movement of chi energy on the

of chi energy, which in turn affects our own flow of chi energy. Feng
Shui astrology (see pages 34-41) is the art of understanding these
largescale movemen ts of chi energy and predicting their effect on a
particular person.
The spinning motion of the Earth means that more of Earth's force
is thrown off at the Equator and less at the poles. Slightly more of
Heaven's force will flow into the north and south poles. Earth's chi
energy moves from the cen tre up through the Earth's crust, becoming
more dispersed in some areas and more concen trated in others. These
concentrations are thought to appear' on the surface as ley lines.
As Heaven's chi energy reaches Earth its movement is altered by the
landscape (hills, mountains, rivers), vegetation (trees, crops, grasses,

bankruptcy), it could be caused

by the Feng Shui of the building.
Before moving into a new
home find out as much as you
can about its history and that of
the previous occupants. If there
have been problems, you may be
able to change the existing Feng
Shui so that the chain of events
is broken.

bushes) and the ground itself (rocks, clay, soil, chalk). As Earth's force
and Heaven's force mix across the surface of the planet various unique
flows and eddies of chi energy develop. The same is true of buildings in
a city. Low flat dwellings, skyscrapers, pointed roofs, domes and treelined avenues all determine how chi energy flows across the surface, and
roads, rivers, railways, offices, factories, homes, entertainment centres,
churches, graveyards and hospitals all have an influence on the nature
of that energy.

CHI IN BUILDINGS
Buildings alter the flow of chi energy. Their shape, openings and the
materials they are made of define the way chi energy flows through
them (see Chapter 2). It moves most easily through doors and to a
lesser extent through windows, so the orientation of a building to the
sun and the planets will determine the kind of chi energy that enters it.
This changes as the planets move through the sky, so there is a new pattern of chi energy each year, month, day and hour. The biggest changes
occur each year (see pages 34-41). Features of the immediate surroundings, such as water or roads, further determine the kind of chi

Fields of influence
The originators ofFeng Shui sensed
intuitively the influence of the
electrical, magnetic and gravitational
fields that pervade the universe.
13

the

n c

pIe s

of

feng

shu

energy that flows back and forth through the doors of the building. In
DUST AND CLUTTER

Y
Dust has

it~

own chi energy,

which tends to stagnate when it

becomes stuck in one place.
Clutter harbours old chi energy
and makes it difftcult for chi to
move smoothly through a

an ideal situation chi energy flows harmoniously through the whole of a

building. The design and in terior decoration should enhance the kind
of chi energy that furthers the aims and desires of the occupants and
should exclude or minimize features that hinder them,

UNFAVOURABLE CHI

ENERGIES

Some situations produce unhelpful types of chi, causing problems for a

building. Stagnant and slow-

building's occupants, and even physical or mental ill-health.

moving chi deplete your vitality

N EGAT IV E CHI

and make it difficult to look

fonvard and be productive.
Clean your home regularly to
revitalize its chi energy. Take

Certain building or decorating materials have a nega-

tive effect on chi energy: synthetic fibres, synthetic building materials,

artificial lighting and air conditioning all add their own artificial chi
energy, which negatively influences the chi energy of the occupants, and

rllgS and bedding outside to air;

could lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

empty and clean out cupboards,

STAGNANT CHI

vacuum carpets thoroughl)' and

dark corners, cluttered rooms and dampness. They can lead to a slowing

wash or dry-clean curtains

regularly.
At least once a year go urrough
your possessions and put to one

Slow-moving and stagnant chi energy is produced by

down of your own chi energy, which may cause serious health problems
and a loss of direction in your life.
FAST-FLOWING CHI

Chi energy moving quickly in a straight line can

side the things you no longer

destabilize the flow through an entire building, so long corridors,

use. Put them in storage, sell

straight paths or several features in a straight line should be avoided.

them or give them away.

Fast-moving 'chi energy directed towards you could push away some of
your own chi energy, making you feel insecure and under attack.
(See also Cutting Chi, below.)

cutting chi
If chi energy passes a sharp
corner it begins to spin and
swirl, forming eddies and
whirlpools like a fast-flowing
stream passing a sharp bend.
This is called cutting chi and
can occur inside or outside
buildings. It can make your own
chi energy swirl, leading to
disorien tation and confusion
and, in time, ill-health. There
are various remedies (see pages
62 and 85).

14

Furniture
ShCl11J corners on furnituTe can cause
cutting chi. Avoid them in bedrooms
and nea'r seating a'reas.

Neighbouring buildings

If the corner of (~ building points at

yOUT home, it can cause cutting chi.
Plant bushes to shield the front doo'r.

GGSFS Reader 2009 (www.ggsfs.com)

PRACTICAL FENG SHUI by Simon Brown, pg 24 - 29

fi ve elements
The concept of the

The Five Elements are most often applied in Oriental medicine but they

Five Elements

also relate to the home and environment. Like yin and yang, the Five

IS

refinement of the
principle of yin and
yang. Instead of two

Elements are linked with seasons and times of day. The year is divided
into five seasons, rather than four, with an extra season appearing
between summer and autumn, called early autumn or late summer.
Each of the Five Elements describes a certain kind of chi energy and
these can be related to a particular directiori based on the way the sun

types of chi energy,

there are five: tree,

types of chi energy are best appreciated by imagining that you are out-

fire, soil, metal and

side in nature at the appropriate time of day and year (see opposite)

moves around the sky during the day and over the year. The different

water.
THE FIVE ELEMENTS IN YOUR HOME
The Five Elements are associated with five directions, which are related
to the movement of the sun through the day. In the morning the east of
your home soaks up the upward chi energy known as tree. As the day
progresses, the sun moves from east to south and charges up the south
of your home with radiating fire chi energy. Later, the un begins to go
down and brings more ettled soil chi energy into the south-west and
cen tre of your home. As the sun sets, the west of your home will take in
inward-moving metal chi energy. During the night, the north of your
home benefits from flowing water chi energy.
Five-Element chi en rgies are taken into your home most intensively
at the relevant time of day and remain there until recharged again the
following day. So the east of your home, for example, will always be
charged to some extent with tree energy regardless of the time of day.
The Five Elements are also found in your home in their pure form.
Tree energy is there in the form of wood, paper and tall plants; fire in
the form of stoves, fireplaces and lighting; soil in the form of china, clay
and plaster; metal in the form of iron, silver, stainless steel and other
metals; water in the form of ponds, sinks, bathrooms and aquariums.

SHAPES, COLOURS AND MATERIALS

The Five Elements are associated with shapes, colours and materials (see
chart on page 26), and can be introduced into your home in these
forms, applied to the building itself and its interior decoration.
v"allpaper with vertical stripes, for example, will bring more uplifting
tree chi energy, making the ceiling appear higher and the room more
spacious. A. star print will increase fire chi energy, creating an exciting
2-1

ch

PERSONAL CHI
To appreciate how chi energy in the environment influences you, it is
necessary to understand how it moves within your own body. It flows

energy

crown

-----!; ,.

mid-brain
(pituitary)

-;.('

throat

--::::-.,.---I

through it in much the same way as blood. Along the centre of the body
are seven concentrations of energy called chakras (see right), which are
similar to large organs where blood concentrates. Spreading out from
the chakras are 14 paths of chi energy known as meridians. These flow

heart

-----'-----'''--_

along your arms, legs, torso and head. Like blood vessels and capillaries,

stomach
(solar plexus)_--;---:-;._,---

they take chi energy to smaller and smaller channels un til each cell is

hara (navel)_ _-:---,;,---,-:.<

nourished by both blood and chi energy.

reproductive _ _--;-_,..,
organs (coccyx)

While blood carries oxygen and nutrients, chi energy carries

thoughts, ideas, emotions and your dreams in life. It also carries some
of the chi energy from the environment. Therefore, what you think and
where you think it, will have a direct influence on the cells in your body.
The influence of the mind on physical heal th is well-established. Many
people have experienced the benefits of positive thinking and some

chi enel'gy field _ _

claim to have used it to recover from serious illness. Similarly, people

have been healed by moving to a new location. Travelling to spa towns
or locations with special healing properties has a long tradition.
Chi energy operates as a two-way process whereby the way you think
influences your chi energy, and your chi energy influences the way you
think; so your environment will influence your chi energy and that
change will alter the way you think and feel. Like trees plan ted in the
best soil for their needs, we thrive if we are planted in the best chi energy. By moving from one building to another, one ci ty to another, or one
country to another, you have the opportunity to change your own chi
energy and therefore the way you think and feel. If the chi energy of the

The chahras
Chi flows through the human body by
means oj ch.annels called meridians
which act mther like blood vessels.
Th.ey radiate from seven hey l]oints in
the body where energy concentTCltes,
called chakras. Typically, chi extends
at least 10cm and UI] to 1 metre
outside your shin.

place where you live matches the chi energy you require for happiness,
the11 it will have a very positive influence on your life. Unfortunately, it
is also possible that your home may work against you, and the chi
energy of some places could negatively affect your well-being.
Many factors affect the chi energy that comes in to your body - among
these are food, weather and the people you are with. In Feng Shui
terms, the primary influence is the chi energy of the environment. This
includes your home, your place ofwark and the surrounding landscape.
A building itself has an influence. Being in a large ornate building such
as a museum or cathedral can be inspiring, exciting and stimulating,
whereas a small cosy place such as a cottage, cafe or bar is more relaxing and intimate. A building's location also helps shape the kind of chi
that enters your body. The chi energy in rural areas is different from
that in a city, and travelling to other parts of the world also gives you the
ch~nce

to experience very different kinds of chi energy.

/5

i v e

elements

atmosphere. Horizontal or check patterns enhance soil energy, which

makes the room feel cosier. Round shapes boost metal energy, making it
feel more complete and finished. Wavy or irregular patterns add ,vater
chi energy, conveying a peaceful flowing atmosphere.
Appropriate colours can be applied to walls, ceilings and floors or
furnishings. Strong colours like red and black will be effective even
when they cover a relatively small surface area. A vase of red flowers
could be enough. Similarly, what your furniture is made of - wood or
metal, for example - will have an influence.
These effects will be especially intense if you combine colours with
particular patterns or materials. For example, green wallpaper with vertical stripes would represent tree energy and so on. This ability to
manipulate the existing chi energy using the Five Elements is the basis
of many Feng Shui remedies.

five-elelllent chi energIes

Tree
You are walking down
a tree-lined jJal.h in the
earl)1 'Ilwrning in
;pr'ing as the sun
blw!ks the ho'rizon.
The overriding feeling
is of energy 'Inoving
up, like the branches
of a tTee Teaching up
into the sky. The tree is
coming into leaf;
erJel)'thing is looking
forwmd to a new day
and a new yem:

Fire
It is the middle of a
hot sU1I1:nwr<\' day.
Nature is in full
blo01'I/.. The tree is in
full leaf. BTight light
and colou'lful flowers
fill the jJict'll:re. The
energy seems to
expand in every
direction, radiating
like the heat of a
glowing fire.

Soil
Think alan
ajiernoon in early
autwnn. The leaves
have changed colour
and aTe beginning to
fa.ll. The sun is
getting lower in the
sky. The overall
feeling is of energy
moving down into the
grO'1md.

Metal
It is evening in late
autu1l1:n and there is a
bea'll.tiful sunset. As
the 'red sun sinks
below the hO'lizon the
feeling is ol elwgy
gathering in, and
natuni storing ujJ its
energy Teady for the
winter: Energy is
moving i'l'lwards and
becom.ing solid, which
'InirTors the process by
which metal is fanned.

Water
Finally it is a damjJ,
Fosty night in
midwinter: On the
s'wface all is quiet
and still, but jJoweljul
changes aTe taking
pla.ce in the soil below
and there aTe strong
currents of wate!'
beneath the ice. Waler
is calm. on the sU'IJace
but flowing beneath.
This tyjJe of chi moves
in a sim.ilar way.

25

the

p r

FIVE ELEMENT

11

pIe s

f e

11

s h

1I

SHAPES

COLOURS

MATERIALS

MEANING

TREE

I-ectangulal-

gl-een

wood

life

East/South-east

tall

wickel-

gmwth

thin

rush

vitality

vel-tical

bamboo

activity

papel-

FI RE

pointed

(plastic is the material associated

passion

South

star

with nl-e chi energy, but is not

wanllth

selTated

I-ecommended for use in the

excitement

tl-iangulal-

home because of its negative

expl-ession

pyl-amid

effects on chi enel-gy - see also

diamond

page 129)

zigzag

501 L

squat

yellow

plastel-

South-west/Centl-el

low

bl-own

china

comfort
secul-ity

NOI-th-east

nat

clay

steadiness

wide

ceramics

caution

check

bl-icks

horizontal

natural flbl-es (e,g, cotton,

linen, wool. silk)
softer stone (e,g, limestone)

METAL

mund

white

stainless steel

I-ichness

West/Nol-th-west

domed

gold

bl-ass

solidity

alThed

silvel-

silver

leadel-ship

oval

bmnze

mganization

cil-culal-

copper

sphel-ical

imn
gold
hal-del- stone (e,g, marble, gl-anite)

WATER

IITegulal-

North

curved

glass

depth
power

chaotic

nexibility

wavy

tranquillity

amol-phous

26

black

five

elplllents

FIVE-ELEMENT RELATIONSHIPS
Two noli's of chi energy govern the relationships between the Five
Elemen ts: the su pport cycle and the destructive cycle (righ t).
These can be compared to the annual agricultural cycle.
Remember that each of the Five Elements relates to a
particular season: water to winter, tree

to

spring, fire to

summer, soil to early autumn, metal to late autumn.

WATER

In winter we prepare the ground and plant the

'"c
u
u

seeds. If spring is fine, they will grow. But if there are

late frosts, they will destroy the new shoots, and there

'"

will be nothing to show in summer. "Vater supports tree,

but if tree is deficient, water destroys fire. Think of water
feeding a tree, but extinguishing fire.
TREE

If spring goes well, the fields will be full of crops in sum-

mer. But if summer is poor, due to lack of sun or heavy rains, the
crops will rot in the ground in the early autumn. Tree supports
fire, as \\"Ood is fuel but, if fire is deficient, tree destroys soil.
FIRE

WATER

After a good summer the crops will ripen in early aulUmn.

But if the weather is cold and cloudy in early autumn, the crops will not
ripen to be ready for the late autumn harvest. Fire supports soil just as
ash enriches the earth but, if soil is deficient, fire can destroy metal.
SOIL

With plenty of sun in early autumn there will be a good

harvest in the late autumn. But early frosts or heavy rain in late autumn
will destroy the harvest and there will be no new seed to plant in the
winter. Soil supports metal just as minerals in the soil form metal ores,
but if metal is deficient, soil will destroy water.
METAL

If the crop has set seed in the late autumn and conditions in

winter are good, the seed can be planted for the following spring. But
harsh winter conditions may destroy the seed before it can to sprout.
Metal supports water, but if water is deficient metal will destroy tree.

5 ELEMENT

WATER

SUPPORTS

tree

DESTROYS

DRAINS

fire (if tr-ee is weak)

metal

I
TREE

fire

soil (if fire is weak)

water

FI R E

soil

metal (if soil is weak)

tr-ee

SOIL

metal

water (if metal

fir-e

METAL

water-

tree (if water is weak)

IS

weak)

Cycles of sulJport and

destruction
In tlu' sulJ/mrt Iyelp (omnge) chi
erlelgy moves in a cirrle elochwisp
.liD/it 01U' FivI'ElementjJosition to thp
nexl, chan.g"ing itself into thl' npxt
ell'menl. Elich elr'ml"nl sU/J/Jorls thl'
nexl, bul Ihe sUjJ/JOrlivl' IIclivil)' is
draining, so each element is drained
by 111.1' following one - waler SUP/JOTts
Iree, bul is also d'rained by tTee. This
m.ums the SUIJ/J01t cycle can be used to
calm I;hi as well as boost it.
In the dpstruI;tive cycle (red) chi
moves in straight lines/1-om one
element by/Jassing the second element
and going straight to the thiTd. It
does Ihis i/ th.1' second one is deficient
in some way, but the effect of the fint
element on the third one is
destru.ctivI'. The destTuctive cycle can
be uspd positively in Feng SImi, but
generally the main objective is to
build up deficient energy.
These TelationshijJs aTe sum.marized
in the chaTt (left).

soil

27

h e

principles

of

reng

shu

USING THE FIVE ELEMENTS

The File Elemenls and the relalionships between them (see page 27)
prO\-ide a model for understanding the universe and the interaction of
lhe differenl lypes of chi energy. They can be used

to

manipulate the

flow of chi energy in your h~me and are the basis of many Feng Shui
remedies and solutions. Using your knowledge of the supportive and
destructive cycles, and depending on what you are trying to achieve or
what problem you are trying to solve, you can enhance one type of Five
Element chi energy, calm another or maintain a balance. This manipulation is carried out by introducing objects associated with the relevant
elements (see below) into the appropriate space.
Suppose, for example, you have a room in the south of your home,
and you wish to increase the chi energy there. The south is linked with
five-Elemen t fi re ch i energy. Fire is su pported by tree energy. So you
can boost the chi energy of the south by building up fire energy itself or

introducing
five-element
objects
Five-Element chi energies can
be introduced into a space in
pure form - actual plants, fire,
soil, metal or water - or in the
form of represen tative objects.
The most powerful objects are
those which combine the shape,
colour and material of an
element (round, silver, metal
balls for metal energy, or a low,
brown, terracotta trough filled
with brown earth for soil
energy, for example).
Other colour schemes linked
to compass directions (see
pages 30-3) can also be usecl:
for instance, red in the west for
metal and purple in the south
for fire.

28

Water
Use clean fresh water ilsel!, glass objects
or things that are black aT irTegulaT in
shaf)e. Those above include glass dishes
and f)ebbles, Nark wav)' ste'll!S and fabric.

Tree
Use actual f)lants, wood aT f)aper and
tall, thin green objects. Those above
include a green f)ot, a iall green vase, tall
lamp with pafler shade and green frame.

i v e

elernents

by adding supportive tree energy. Fire energy is linked with pointed

shapes, the colour red, lights and fire itself, so to boost it introduce candles, red star-patterned wallpaper and bright lights into the room.
Tree chi energy is linked with tall thin rectangular shapes, the colour
green and materials wood and paper. Trees and tall plan ts are the element itself, so tall plants, green vertical-striped wallpaper, wooden floors
and a paper screen would all increase tree chi energy in the room.
To reduce the chi energy in a southern room you would need to bolster the Five-Element chi energy that is draining to fire, namely soil. Low
clay sculptures, the colour yellow, and low spreading plants growing in
plenty of soil would bring more soil chi energy into the room.
The support cycle can be used to calm chi energy as well as build it
up. To calm chi energy in the north, for example, you could grow trees
or tall plants because they represent Five-Element tree energy, which
drains the water energy of the north.

Fire
Use ji:re itself and red or pointed objects.
Those above include an oil lam!), stmc
shaped candle holders, a Ted star, red
flowers in a red vase and red fabric.

Soil
Use sailor clay itself and yellow/brown
or low TectnngulaT objects. Those (tbove
include n clay tTOugh, yellow flowers, a
squaTe !Jlate, frame and checked fab'ic.

Metal
Use metal itself and 'round, silvel; gold aT
white objects. Those above include n
round metal fmme, a TOund metal pot, a
round wiTe tmy and silvery balls.

29

GGSFS Reader 2009 (www.ggsfs.com)THEFENGSHUIHANDBOOKbyDerekWalter.pg 44 - 64

The Five Elements

Central to Feng Shui theory is the principle of the Five Elements.
Whenever a Feng Shui expert studies the hills or buildings that
surround a site, or considers whether the prospective site matches
the personality of the client, or even advises on the material and
colour of the furnishings within a room, all the deliberations and
counsel will be based on the interaction of the predominant element, whether Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water.
This order of the elements is the principal one, because in this
order each element is seen to generate the next one.
Thus:
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Wood

burns, creating
which leaves ash, or
from which is obtained
which can be melted to flow like
which is needed to sustain growing
and so on.

Through the Five Element theory, the Chinese are able to classify all things into one of five categories. The expression 'Five Elements' has been adopted for convenience, since they apparently
parallel the four Aristotelian elements-Air, Earth, Fire, and Water.
Some writers prefer to call the five Chinese categories by other
terms, such as the 'five agencies' but since the expression 'elements' has been in use for at least three hundred years there
seems to be little point in changing it now. Nevertheless, the five
Chinese elements and the four western elements have little in
common other than the names of three of them. But there all
similarity ceases. To begin with, the fOUf western elements form

The Feng Shui Handbook

46

complementary and contrasting pairs; whereas in the Chinese

system, the very fact that there are five elements creates a continual imbalance, which is itself the essential kernel of the Chinese
philosophy of continual change.

The Five Planets

The fact that there are five Chinese elements seems to be derived from the fact that ancient astronomers recognized five major
planets; and indeed, the five inner planets are known as the Wood
Planet (Jupiter); the Fire Planet (Mars); the Earth Planet (Saturn);
the Metal Planet (Venus); and the Water Planet (Mercury). The
names of the planets are given here out of interest only, and
neither they nor the apparent confusion between Saturn and the
Earth need concern us further.

The Five Elements and the Five Cardinal Points

The Five Elements symbolize the Five Cardinal Points, namely"
the Four Directions-East, South, West, and North-together with
the non-direction, Centre. Earlier, we saw that each of the Four
Directions represented one of the seasons: East, the Spring;
South, the Summer; West, Autumn; and North, Winter. Now by
omitting (for the time being) the central Earth element, the Four
Directions symbolize the four seasons, their colours, and four of
the elements, thus:
East
South
Centre
West
North

Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Green
Red
Yellow
White
Black

Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water

These correlations are explained by the fact that in Spring, plant

life (the Chinese word for Wood' is wide-reaching) begins to grow,
showing green buds, while Spring is the dawn of the new year
and the sun rises in the East. Similarly, red is the colour of Fire;
the sun is at its hottest at midday, when it is in the South; Summer is the noon of the year. Yellow is the colour of the earth of
central China. Autumn is the time of harvesting, and also when
in ancient times, after the harvesting, it was customary to fight

The Five Elements

47

wars. For sickles in peacetime, or swords in times of war, Metal

was needed, and white (silvery white) is the colour of polished
iron. Winter is the midnight of the year, when all is black and
the sunshine gives way to rains, hence Water is the element of
Winter and the North.

Generative and Destructive Orders

The 'generative' order of the elements has already been given.
This is the basic order of the Five Elements and should be remembered. It can be shown diagrammatically:
Earth

Fire

/~

Wood

Metal

Water

Generative Order of the Elements

Elements that are next to each other in this order help each other;
thus Wood helps Fire, Water helps Wood, and so on. But there
is another order of the elements, called the 'destructive' order.
When two elements stand next to each other in this series, one
destroys the other.
Earth
Fire
Wood

Metal
Water

Destructive Order of the Elements

So Wood destroys Earth, Fire destroys Water, and so on. The
sequence can be remembered by thinking:
Wood draws the goodness from Earth

48

The Feng Shui Handbook

Earth pollutes Water

Water quenches Fire
Fire melts Metal
Metal chops down Wood
On the other hand, observe that some elements act to the advantage of others in the reverse order; for example, Earth nourishes
Wood; Water softens Earth (making clay pliable); and Fire boils
Water.
When someone assesses the Feng Shui qualities of a site, it is
important to see what are the predominant elements of the surroundings, and then decide what is likely to be the predominant
element of the site. In this way it will be possible to ensure that
the elemental qualities of the location and the site will be in
harmony.
Firstly, then, let us look at the ways in which the elemental qualities are revealed.

Shape
Perhaps the most obvious way by which a location reveals its
elemental qualities is in its shape. We see opposite the shapes
associated with each of the elements.
Wood. Trees are tall and upright. The Wood element is suggested
by columnar structures such as tall soaring hills (such as those
found in parts of southern China), or in man-made structures
such as pillars, minarets, factory chimneys, or tall narrow skyscraper buildings.
Fire. Points suggest flames. The Fire element is represented by
the sharp peaks of mountains, and by the steeply-pointed roofs
of certain eastern temples, the spires of churches, and similar
sharply-roofed buildings.
Earth. The ground is generally flat; the Earth element is shown
by long, flat hills, plateaux, table mountains, and flat-roofed
buildings.
Metal. Bronze mirrors and coins are round; the Metal element
is shown in gently-rounded summits of hills, and by buildings
that have domed roofs.
Water. Water has no shape and every shape. The Water element
is revealed in undulating and irregular hills, and by buildings that
have bizarre or complex structures, although rounded rather than
angular.

The Five Elements

1<.

49

Earth

Metal
Fire

Wood

Water

The Five Elemental Shapes

Exercises
1. Which elements are associated with:
(a) Spring
(b) Winter
(c) Green
(d) Yellow
(f) East
(e) South
(g) Tortoise
(h) Dragon
(i) Sunset
(j) Noon

50

The Feng Shui Handbook

2. What element
produces:
(a) Earth
destroys:
(c) Fire
is produced by:
(e) Wood
is destroyed by:
(g) Water

(b) Water
(d) Metal
(f) Earth
(h) Fire

Answers
1. (a) Wood (b) Water (c) Wood (d) Earth (e) Fire (f) Wood (g) Water
(h) Wood (i) Metal (j) Fire
2. (a) Fire (b) Metal (c) Water (d) Fire (e) Fire (f) Metal (g) Fire (h)
Metal

Element Shapes in Practice

We should now consider the Feng Shui situation that would be
the consequence of erecting a building of a particular shape, in
surroundings dominated by buildings, or hills, with well-defined
element features.
With the two sequences discussed above, we could imagine five
possible cases, when the element of the surrounding is the SAME
as the element of the contemplated structure, either precedes or
follows it in the GENERATIVE sequence, or further, precedes or
foll9wS it in the DESTRUCTIVE sequence. To take an example; suppose the predominant element of the surroundings (the element
of the location) is the Earth element, revealed by squarish, flattopped buildings. It is proposed to erect another building within
this location, but its general shape has not yet been decided. The
proposed structure might have any of the five elemental shapes:
Wood (tall and slender); Fire (pointed); Earth (flat topped); Metal
(rounded); or Water (irregular).
These are the five situations:

1. Location: Earth/Structure: Wood

Earth and Wood are in the destructive sequence, Wood benefit-

The Five Elements

51

ing at the expense of Earth. This would be very fortunate for

those working or living in the proposed building.

2. Location: Earth/Structure: Fire

Earth and Fire are in the generative sequence, Earth benefiting
from Fire. The situation would not be harmful, but on the other
hand not very rewarding. It would be an ideal situation, however, for a hospital, school, or library-buildings intended to
be of benefit to the community.

3. Location: Earth/Structure: Earth

Earth and Earth are stable; the situation is neither beneficial
nor harmful. In cases like this, the structure should have the
same purpose as the buildings round it, such as a new residential block in a residential area, for example.

4. Location: Earth/Structure: Metal

Earth and Metal are in the generative sequence; the Earth
producing Metal. Since Metal represents coinage, such a situation would be financially very rewarding.

5. Location: Earth/Structure: Water

Earth and Water are in the destructive sequences, Water being
harmed by Earth. Such a structure would not be favoured by
the geomancer as its function might have an adverse effect on
the neighbourhood.
Later, we shall take a closer look at each of the conditions that
can arise when a building stands in a location and the element
features of both buildings and location are clearly observable.
Before that, however, let us look at the symbolism of each element in greater detail.

The Symbolism of Each Element

WOOo-Spring-East-Green
Material: Wood Shape: Columnar

Although the elements follow each other in a continuous

sequence, so that they have no start and no end, Wood is generally taken as the first of the series being symbolic of Spring, the
beginning of the year. Consequently, Wood symbolizes creation,
nourishment, and growth.

The Feng Shui Handbook

52

. '~ " l----~

Wood environment

The Five Elements

53

The Wood shape is tall and upright and is usually encountered

in memorial, religious, military, or commemorative structures such
as columns, obelisks, tall pagodas, watchtowers, and pillars. Until
comparatively recent years, with the development of modern
building techniques and the subsequent emergence of skyscrapers
and tower blocks, Wood-shape structures would hardly ever be
encountered for domestic or commercial use. However, Wood is
a common building material, and consequently a building of standard shape might be considered to belong to the 'Wood' element
if it was proposed to construct it from that material.
Buildings under the aegis of Wood would be suitable for all matters connected with creation, nourishment, and growth. Thus,
nurseries, hospitals, residences, and catering establishments, as
well as artists' ateliers, would benefit from the influence of the
Wood element. Within a home, the dining room, the children's
room and the bedroom would benefit.
In commercial premises, the Wood element, representing
creativity, would be the element most suitable for the design studio, while the 'nourishing' aspect suggests that establishments
connected with the victualling trades, such as restaurants, and
cafes, would benefit. In manufacture and retailing, where the
Wood element predominates, the production or sale of goods
made from Wood is suggested.
FIRE-Summer-South-Red
Material: Plastics; animal materials Shape: Pointed

The Fire shape is revealed by sharp angles and points, particularly of roofs, and is often found in the roofs of certain temples,
such as those of Thailand, where monsoon rains make tall, sloping roofs almost mandatory, although the spires of churches are
also emblematic of the Fire element. Throughout South-East Asia
it is considered unlucky to build a house near a church, partly
because it is thought that, since people go to church to rid themselves of evil, the evil forces are likely to take up residence in the
nearest available dwelling, but also because it is thought that the
close proximity of the Fire element puts wooden buildings under
a constant threat of conflagration.
The fact that Fire is connected with chemical processes suggests that the Fire element rules man-made materials, although
in former times no building materials-apart, perhaps, from the
leather tents of the nomads-were considered as belonging to the

The Feng Shui Handbook

54

---_.:::---=-

. nment
Fire enVlro

The Five Elements

55

Fire element. Nevertheless, premises with sloping roofs-perhaps

the commonest type of construction, whether domestic, civic, or
industrial-were regarded as being of the Fire element type.
The red colour of Fire is the colour of blood, so Fire represents
livestock (animal life) as distinct from vegetable life.
The Fire element is said to indicate intellect, and Fire-shaped
buildings would therefore be suitable for libraries, schools, and
other places of learning. In commerce, design and fashion are
possibilities. More obviously, manufacturing processes involving
fire and furnaces, and, less obviously, chemical processes, are
categorized as belonging to the Fire element type. Livestock and
(with Metal) butchery are also classed under the Fire element.
In the home, the kitchen stove is the seat of the Fire element.

EARTH-Centre-Yellow
Material: Brick Shape: Square; flat
The Earth element is revealed by low flat buildings, flat sides,
plain unadorned surfaces, and flat roofs. Blocks of flats and offices,
flat-topped low buildings, and similar constructions all reveal the
Earth shape.
Earth is also the element of clay and bricks, so that brick, clay,
and concrete buildings have a portion of the element Earth
present, whatever their shape. Thus, a brick house with a sloping roof shows both the qualities of Fire and Earth elements; since
Fire and Earth stand in the generative or production order of the
Five Elements, this is regarded as a stable and fortunate combination.
Buildings of a strongly 'Earth' type may be solid, enduring, and
reliable, but they have no stimulating influences. Generally speaking, because they are considered to be 'immobile', their best use
is for storage. In commercial premises, Earth element areas might
be used for the stock-room. In the home, areas that come under
the influence of the Earth element are best used for storage space,
seldom-used lounges, garages or conservatories (although, strictly
speaking, the latter should be in an area strongly associated with
the Wood element).
In industry, the Earth element is associated with tunnelling,
farming, building, and civil engineering. In commerce, the
production or sale of ceramics is suggested.

The Feng Shui Handbook

56_---

--

~.~"~
.. ------=--

-Earth environment

The Five Elements

57

METAL-Autumn-West-White
Material: Metal Shape: Round
The Metal shape is revealed in buildings that have domes, curved
roofs, and arches. Such buildings are nearly always of a monumental, religious, or civic nature; in the western world, domed
residences tend to be confined to the palaces of the gentry, but
there are countries where domed houses are the traditional form
of domestic architecture.
Since Metal is the symbolic element of coinage and money, it
is not surprising that so many successful commercial premises,
notably banking houses, favour domed halls. In Feng Shui terms,
nothing could be more appropriate for commerce than the dome
shape. Those wishing for financial success, but are not yet able
to afford a domed structure to roof their enterprises, may, however, content themselves with the construction of arches and other
rounded ornament. Arched roofs often soar over railways stations;
and it was entirely apt that this should have been the design,
when railways, 'the iron roads', inaugurated a new era of trade
and industry.
Today, Metal is also a component of building materials; ferroconcrete reveals a combination of the Earth and Metal elements.
As Earth and Metal stand in the generative or production
sequence of the Five Elements, this is regarded as fortunateEarth produces Metal, and hence this combination of elements
is said to ensure wealth and financial success.
The Metal element is more suited to commercial and manufacturing buildings than to domestic ones. Whilst Metal promises
monetary gain, this element is not conducive to the simple, everyday processes of living and growing. In the horne, any area that
falls under the auspices of Metal should be set aside for a workshop.
The Metal element rules knives and swords. All manufacturing processes involving Metal obviously fall into the Metal
category. In commercial activities, the manufacture and sale of
jewellery and hardware benefit from the influence of the Metal
element.
WATER-Winter-North-Black
Material: Glass Shape: Square; flat
The Water type of building is revealed by irregularities of shape
and construction. Buildings that seem thrown together, rather

58

The Feng Shui Handbook

Metal environment

The Five Elements

. nment
Water enVlro

59

60

The Feng Shui Handbook

than designed, and seem to show features of all four of the other
elements (although not too definitely angular or flat surfaced) may
be said to belong to the Water element.
Water is the element of communication, and all matters concerned with the transmission of ideas will benefit from the
influence of the Water element. Literature and the arts, particularly music, fall into this category, and it is perhaps a happy chance
that the famous skyline of Sydney Opera House should reveal
the characteristics of the Water shape most distinctively.
In modern construction, the predominant use of glass as a
building material is another way in which a structure is revealed
as belonging to the Water element. Glass, however, cannot be used
on its own but in conjunction with 'some other material such as
brick, metal or wood. Which of these materials is the most appropriate to use with glass, representing the Water element? Water
and Earth stand in the destructive sequence; hence, it is suggested
that buildings involving large expanses of glass do not benefit
by having a brick support. Wood and Water, and Metal and Water,
however, both stand in the generative sequences, and would
therefore be much more favourable.
In the home, the obvious use of Water is for its cleaning properties, and the bathroom, laundry, and still-room are the more mundane applications of Water in its material sense. But in considering
the metaphorical aspect of Water, any area that receives the beneficial influence of the Water element could appropriately be used
for a study.
In business, the Water element represents post and communications, the media, advertising, word processing, computer terminology, electrical engineering, and enterprises involving liquids
and fluids, such as brewing and distilling; but in the past hundred
years, the oil business has now become part of the Water element's
domain.

Exercise
Test your understanding of this section on the Five Elements
by deciding which of the Five Elements is the one most
appropriate for each of the items below. Then compare your
answers with the alphabetical guide that follows:

The Five Elements

61

Commerce and Industry:

Advertising
Artists' studios
Brewing
Building
Carpentry
Catering
Ceramics
Chemical processes
Civil engineering
Communications
Computers
Distilling
Electrical Engineering
Farming
Media
Oil industry
Word processing

Residential:
Bathroom
Bedroom
Children's room
Dining room
Garage
Kitchen
Laundry
Nursery
Storeroom
Workshop

Architectural Shapes and Features:

Angles
Arches
Blocks of flats
Church steeples
Columns
Curves
Domes
Flat roofs

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The Feng Shui Handbook

62

Irregular shapes
Low buildings
Pillars
Points
Squares
Tunnels
Watchtowers

Substances, Materials, and Objects:

Animal life
.
Blood
.
Bricks
.
Clay
.
Coinage
.
Furnaces
.
Furniture
.
Glass
.
Hardware
.
Jewellery
.
Knives
.
Leather
.
~oney
.......
Plains
.
Plants
.
Pottery
.
Swords
.
Trees
.
Vegetables
.

Index to the Five Elements

Advertising-Water
Angles-Fire
Animal life-Fire
Arches-Metal
Artists' studios-Wood
Arts-Water

Bedroom-Wood
Blocks of flats-Earth
Blood-Fire
Brewing-Water
Bricks-Earth
Building-Earth

Bathroom-Water

Cafes-Wood

The Five Elements

Carpentry-Wood
Catering establishmentsWood
Ceramics-Earth
Chemical processes-Fire
Children's room-Wood
Church steeple-Fire
Civil engineering-Earth
Clay-Earth
Coinage-Metal
Columns-Wood
Communications-Water
Computers-Water
Curves-Metal
Dining-room-Wood
Distilling-Water
Domes-Metal
Electricity-Water
Farming- Earth
Flat roofs-Earth
Furnaces-Fire
Furniture-Wood
Garages-Earth
Glass-Water
Growth-Wood
ffardware-Metal
ffospitals-Wood
Intellect- Fire
Irregular shapes-Water
Jewellery-Metal
Kitchen-Fire
Knives-Metal

Laundry-Water
Leather-Fire
Libraries-Fire
Literature-Water
Livestock-Fire
Low buildings-Earth
Media-Water
Money-Metal
Music-Water
Nourishment-Wood
Nurseries-Wood
Oil wells-Water
Pillars-Wood
Plains-Earth
Plants-Wood
Points-Fire
Post-Water
Pottery-Earth
Railways-Metal
Residences-Wood
Restaurants-Wood
Squares-Earth
Storerooms-Earth
Swords-Metal
Trees-Wood
Tunnels-Earth
Vegetables-Wood
Watchtowers-Wood
Word processing-Water
Workshop-Metal

63

GGSFS Reader 2009 (www.ggsts.com)

BETWEEN HEAVEN & EARTH by Harriet Beintield & Etren Korngold, pg 85 - 98

CHAPTER. SIX

FIVE-PHASE THEORY:
EVOLUTIONARY STAGES
OF TRANSFORMATION
As a microcosm, human beings embody all the phases within themselves. Within each thing is contained all things. In the seed is the
tree; in the tree is the forest. , . . Life forms are stations for the
reception and transmission of forces, through which all are nourished. Each thing exists to nourish all others and, in return, to be
nourished itself. In this manner, each kingdom of nature serves to
receive and transmit life.... These forces are not all material, but
include subtle energies of . . . a spiritual nature. . . . In the inner
world, a central sun is also the source of life. The inner sun is our
true self....
Vasant Lad and David Frawley
The Yoga of Herbs

THE URGE TO ORDER OUR PERCEPTIONS AND DEFINE THE WORLD IS AS

old as humankind itself. From observation and contemplation, we generate

symbols that reflect our experience back to us, demystifying existence by
discovering and deciding how reality is organized. Chinese philosophy does
this through the notions of Tao, Yin-Yang, and the Five Phases.
Tao is a composite of everything, the intrinsic order of all things. The
way we interact with Tao, with nature, is described by Yin-Yang and the Five
Phases. Chinese cosmology suggests that life's movement is like a spinning
ball on a flowing river, a tide of wind and water, a vortex revolving while
rhythmically contracting and expanding (Yin- Yang) as we are carried along
by the currents of Tao.
The Yin-Yang model symbolizes the creation process through the interaction of bipolar forces. Five-Phase Theory* further differentiates this dynamic into the relationship between five fundamental powers, partitioning
the continuum of movement into identifiable stages. Five-Phase thinking pro-

"Five Phases is a translation of the Chinese phrase Wu Xing, meaning five (wu) fundamental processes, agents, interactive phases, movements, transformations, or powers (xing).

85

THEORY

---------------=--------------vides the basis for describing the development of forms, systems, and events.
It postulates that everything in creation can be categorized within these basic
parameters: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. I
If Yin- Yang is like shadow and sun in varying proportions, Five-Phase is
like the rainbow spectrum. Shades of darkness and light create the drama
and intensity, and the Five Phases provide the shape, character, and hue.
Green, Red, Yellow, White, and Black correspond to each of the Phases.
Five affords a more complex description of phenomena than two. Combining Yin-Yang and Five-Phase generates an even more intricate system of
two times five, or ten. Any process that can be described in terms of YinYang can be further differentiated into Five-Phase. Any of the Five Phases can
be further differentiated into Yin-Yang. Each of the five colors can be distinguished as bright and intense, Yang, or pale and diffuse, Yin.
Just as Yin-Yang can be used to describe the alternation between sun

12

'\

1;.

I\.t;

C"0

e(iJ!

86

12

lvs

--.

Five-Phase Yin-Yang Rhythms

The stages of transformation that define all processes in nature can be similarly described by the two interpenetrating paradigms of Yin- Yang and Five
Phases.

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

--------------E--------------

and shade, heat and cold, dry and wet, so the Five Phases represent the
seasons of the earth, the stages of human life, the waxing and waning of Yin
and Yang. Just as day is Yang and night Yin, so the dawn is Wood, midday
Fire, afternoon Earth, evening Metal, and nighttime Water. Five-Phase and
Yin- Yang concepts always illuminate and cast shadows upon each other.

FIVE-PHASE THEORY: A HOLOGRAPHIC MAP

The underlying assumption of Chinese philosophy is that the forces that

govern the cycles of change occurring in the external world are duplicated
within our human bodies and minds. Patterns in nature are recapitulated at
every level of organization-from the rotation of the planets to the behavior
of our internal organs. These ancient Oriental ideas conform to what some
modern thinkers call the "holographic paradigm": the organization of the
whole (nature) is reflected by each and every part (plants, animals, human
beings).2
Within the human being, the same forces that organize the physical,
sensory, and perceptual life of the organism (soma) affect the emotional,
intellectual, and spiritual life of the person (psyche). Within this framework, the Five-Phase model has a diverse range of application. Using anthropologist Gregory Bateson's phrase, it is a "pattern which connects.")
A complex web of relationships was spun between the Five Phases and
human culture. Affairs of state and society were conducted according to
these principles. Proper times to plant and harvest, advance and retreat in
battle, wed and procreate, and the methods of preserving health were prescribed by this system. The Five Phases are an almanac of the human cycles
of momentary and lifelong change, a map that charts the course of process,
a guide for comprehending our unfolding.

PHASES As TRANSFORMATIVE STAGES

The Five Phases identify stages of transformation, patterns of expansion and

contraction, proliferation and withering. Each Phase has an intrinsic primal
energy, an ontological influence that shapes events. For example, human
beings go through cycles in their lives similar to the seasons in naturebeginning in birth and ending in death, with stages of growth, maturity, and
decay in between. Within the life cycle, the power of each Phase can be
observed.
The Wood Phase is seen in birth, new life bursting forth. The newborn,
at first small and fragile like a tender green shoot, mobilizes tremendous
energy for swift growth. The baby moves from the Yin phase of gestation,

87

THEORY

---------------=--------------Fire

Wood

Metal

Water
WOOD
East
Dawn
Awakening
Spring

88

FIRE
South
Midday
Wakefulness
Summer

EARTH
Center
Late afternoon
Transition
Late summer

WATER
North
Midnight
Slumber
Winter

METAL
West
Dusk
Quieting
Autumn

Five Phases With Earth in the Center

One representation of Earth within the Five-Phase model is as the center or
axis, the point of reference of the four cardinal directions, the middle of the
Middle Kingdom that was ancient China. Later on, in an effort to align YinYang and Five-Phase Theory, Earth came to represent the time and space of
transition from one stage to another, particularly the passage between the
apex of Yang (Fire) and ascendance of Yin (Metal). For example, between
summer and autumn is late summer, between noon and dusk is late afternoon. Within this logic, Earth was placed schematically along the circular
continuum between Fire and Metal. This diagram has become the one conventionally used to describe the Five-Phase relationships in Chinese medicine.

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

corresponding to Water, to the Yang phase of growth, corresponding to Wood.

The peak of this Yang phase is reached in adulthood when we are in our
prime. This corresponds to Fire. Our "ripening," the stage during which we
luxuriate in our maturity, corresponds to the Earth Phase. We revisit Yin
through degeneration and aging, which corresponds to Metal. In our dying
we return to the Yin state of dissolution, the Water Phase, and the emptiness
from which we emerged.
Just as the Five Phases delineate transformations of the life cycle, they
also describe the process of our daily existence. Our awakening is associated
with Wood, and our movement toward a state of complete wakefulness corresponds to Fire. Becoming sleepy represents Metal, and the state of sleep
itself corresponds to Water. Earth represents the still point, the balance between the polar movements, when neither one nor the other ascends. Our
integrity is based on the proportion and rhythm of each of the Five Phases
within us, regulating our waking and sleeping, activity and rest, arousal and
inhibition.

PHASES OF PuLSATION

The power, quality, and direction of each Phase can be observed in any given
internal process. In expanding the chest, for example, we move out into our
world, and in contracting we gather our resources, experiencing ourselves as
contained within our own boundaries. Wood is the Phase of expansion, culminating in the Phase of Fire, which spreads energy across and away from
the surface (Yang). Metal is the Phase of contraction, culminating in the Phase
of Water, which consolidates energy at the core (Yin). Our Wood aspect leads
us outward toward Fire, where we feel at one, a part of it all; our Metal aspect
leads us inward toward Water, where we recognize our separate and historical self. Our Earth Phase stabilizes us so that we can handle the gyrations
of our oscillating process. Consciousness that exists beyond time, in the
realm of space, belongs to Fire. Our bodies, lineage, genes, and will to pass
from generation to generation through time belongs to Water. The realm of
action belongs to Wood, definition to Metal, and balance to Earth. Familiarity
with each of the Five Phases acquaints us with the individual waves within
the common sea of our being.
In tension with the great Yin Phase, Water, is the great Yang, Fire. Water
gives rise to the germination of substance, and Fire gives rise to the completion of materialized form. The latent power of the apple seed in the creation
of the apple tree derives from Water. The manifest power of the tree to
mature and bear shiny red apples, completing and fulfilling its potential,
derives from Fire. Whereas Metal and Wood represent stages of expansion
89

THEORY

--------------E-------------and contraction, Water and Fire represent stages of generation and completion.
The lines of correspondence between the Five Phases and human experience divide the body into Five Organ Networks, each of which corresponds
to one Phase. These Organ Networks, echoing the nature of each Phase, describe the physiology and psychology of the organism. By extrapolation people can be generally classified into five character types by matching healthy
and distorted expressions of the soma and psyche with the characteristics
of each of the Five Phases and Organ Networks.
Five-Phase Theory is like a fugue, with ascending and descending rhythms
and recapitulations, repetitions, echoes, and variations on a theme. Each

Phases of Pulsation
Symbolizing the organism as a sphere: Metal (Yin) represents contraction,
movement inward toward the core. Water (extreme Yin) represents the core,
the site of germination and creation. Wood (Yang) represents expansion,
movement outward toward the surface. Fire (extreme Yang) represents the
surface, the site of culmination and completion. Earth represents the axis,
the point of balance, around which the forces of Yin- Yang revolve and spin.
90

o ----------------

-~--------------=

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

Organ Network is a living system, a melody, expressed through the instrument of the soma and psyche. In the body, dissonance manifests as physical
symptoms and patterns of dysfunction. In the psyche, bothersome traits,
fixations, and dilemmas manifest as distortions of character and patterns of
distress. The function and interaction of the Five Organ Networks establish
the basis for understanding the five character types.

FIVE ORGAN NETWORKS: TRADITIONAL CHINESE PHYSIOLOGY

To maintain the abundant circulation of Qi and Blood is to sustain the material life of the organism, the integrity of mind and tissue. Each Organ
Network refers to a complete set of functions-physiological and psychological-rather than to a specific and discrete physical structure fixed in an
anatomical location. For this reason they are referred to as Organ Networks
rather than simply organs. Identified by the names of the Yin Organs, each
paired system consists of Liver-Gallbladder, Heart-Small Intestine, SpleenStomach, Lung-Large Intestine, and Kidney-Bladder. *
Yin corresponds to organs that store Qi. Here Qi means Essence-the most
refined state of material substance. The Yin organs are more stable and constant, representing the more homeostatic mechanisms that regulate pressure,
temperature, distribution, and metabolism. Constituting the body's foundation, they're both more consequential and more vulnerable. Disease of these
organs is considered deeper and more critical. Yang corresponds to the organs that transform matter. They are more active and unstable in character
because of their participation in the process of digestion and elimination.
As an aggregate of organs, tissues, channels, and physiologic functions,
each Network is critical for the sustenance of life. Each embodies a distinctive
intellectual, emotional, and behavioral style as well as physiological corre-

Although there are five Organ Networks and ten viscera, there are twelve channels. Two functional
entities called the Pericardium and Triple-Bumer have no corresponding visceral structures yet have
acupuncture channels associated with them. The Triple-Burner is viewed as an integrating function
that ties together and harmonizes the phYSiologic processes of the primary Organ Networns. It
regulates the metabolism and the distribution of body fluids other than Blood. The Triple-Bumer is
represented by the three cavities of the body: the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The Pericardium, or
Heart Protector, is viewed as the active mechanism of the Heart, whereas the Heart itself is accorded
the role of harboring the spirit and maintaining conscious awareness.
In the historical development of Chinese medical theory, the existence of other organs such as
the brain and uterus were defined as "strange organs" outside of Five-Phase or Yin-Yang theory.
These "strange organs" such as the uterus, brain, Pericardium, and Triple-Bumer do not fit neatly
into the Five-Phase model. For our purposes, the Pericardium and Tnple-Bumer can be subsumed
within the Phases of Fire and Water respectively. Although they are anatomically distinct structures,
the brain and uterus are not understood as functionally separate from the Organ Networns of the
Kidney, Heart, liver, and Spleen, and neither do they have their own distinct channels.

91

THEORY

---------------e--------------FIRE

WOOD

EARTH

WATER

METAL

Five-Phase Organ Network Correspondences

Each Organ Network refers to a complete set of functions-physiological and
psychological-rather than to a specific and discrete physical structure fixed
in an anatomical location. For this reason they are referred to as Organ
Networks rather than simply organs. Each paired system is identified by the
names of the Yin Organs.

spondences. Each has its own responsibilities (a job to do), a strategy (how
to do the job), and a character (a way of being, a personality) that reflect the
power of each Phase.
The Liver stores the Blood and regulates the even movement of Qi. The
Heart propels the Blood and is the seat of consciousness. The Spleen generates
and distributes nourishment. The Lung receives and disperses Qi. And the
Kidney stores the Vital Essence. Together the Organ Networks comprise the
team that gets the work of the body done. Through the division of labor, all
tasks are accomplished.

CIRCULATION OF QI FROM DAY THROUGH NIGHT

Qi and Blood circulate continuously in an orderly sequence from one Organ

92

Network to the next throughout the day and night, accounting for maximum

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

---------------e--------------Our Functional Shape: A

Continuum of Organ Networks
as Yin-Yang Protoplasm
Our inner and outer shape is
defined not only by cavities
and structures, but also by an
alchemy of processes governed
by the functions of the Organ
Networks impelled by the
inexorable ebb and flow of Yin
(jing) and Yang (Shen) as Qi
and Blood pulse and stream
through the organism.

93

THEORY

---------------=---------------

and minimum periods of function. During the day, Qi expands outward

toward the surface of the body (Yang) and during the night Qi retreats into
the body's core (Yin). Yang peaks at midday, Yin at midnight. Every twohour period during the day and night clocks an alternating ebb and flow of
Qi. One Organ and its associated channel fills, while another empties. For
example, from three to five A.M., the Qi of the Lung reaches its peak, while
the Bladder is at its lowest ebb. At noon the Heart reaches its peak and the
Gallbladder its ebb.

A.M.

P.M.

12
MIDNIGHT

P.M.

The Rhythmic Circulation of Qi from Day through Night

Stomach peaks 7 A.M.-9 A.M.
Pericardium peaks 7 P.M.-9 P.M.
Spleen peaks 9 A.M.-11 A.M.
Triple-Burner peaks 9 p.M.-11 P.M.
Heart peaks 11 A.M.-l P.M.
Gallbladder peaks 11 p.M.-l A.M.
Small Intestine peaks 1 p.M.-3 P.M.
Liver peaks 1 A.M.-3 A.M.
Urinary Bladder peaks 3 p.M.-5 P.M. Lung peaks 3 A.M.-5 A.M.
Kidney peaks 5 p.M.-7 P.M.
Large Intestine peaks 5 A.M.-7 A.M.

94

The Stomach and Spleen are at their peak function between seven and
eleven A.M. This is the time of optimal digestion and assimilation and helps
to explain why the first meal of the day is so important for maintaining
adequate energy. The time of peak function for the Large Intestine occurs at
five to seven A.M., just prior to that of the Stomach. This suggests that the
natural rhythm is to empty in preparation for receiving. During sleep, the
anabolic or regenerative phase is at its maximum. The time of awakening is

---------------E

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

the beginning of the catabolic phase, when energy is liberated for the purpose of doing work. Symptoms that appear and disappear regularly during
different times of the day correspond directly to this ebb and flow of Qi.
Symptoms of excess appear during peak hours, those of deficiency during
the ebb tides of Qi. Symptoms of Kidney deficiency often manifest between
five and seven A.M. This accounts for the difficulty some people have in
awakening with vigor and enthusiasm. Conversely, excessive Kidney Qi may
manifest as increased stiffness and pain in the lower back during the peak
hours of Bladder and Kidney function, between three and seven P.M. Heart
disease has particular hours of aggravation: heart attacks occur more frequently around midday and heart failure at midnight. People subject to migraines often awaken during the peak function of the Liver, between one and
three A.M., with a severe headache. These same people may experience fatigue, mental lethargy, and perhaps even a weakening of vision between one
and three in the afternoon, following lunch.
According to the classical theory, the most opportune time to intensify
the Qi of any channel is just after it peaks, when it has the greatest momentum. The best time to disperse Qi is prior to the peak period, before it gathers
full strength. This same dynamic applies to the seasonal rhythms of ebb and
flow. The best time to strengthen the Lung is during the fall, which also
subdues and restrains excesses of the Liver and Gallbladder (Metal controls
Wood). Kidney Essence and Fire are best supplemented in the winter; this is
a time when elder Chinese men and women drink their ginseng tonic. The
Liver is nourished in the spring, the Heart during summer, and the Spleen in
late summer. The Chinese classics also say it is important to treat a disease
in the time and season of its origin. Allergies that arise in the spring are
treated in the same season to achieve the greatest results. Rheumatism that
occurs after exposure to the cold of winter may become full blown in spring,
yet it must be treated during the season of its origin, winter, and may only
be palliated in spring, summer, and fall. Patience becomes practical virtue
since it is often necessary to return full cycle and wait for the most propitious time to resolve a dysfunctional pattern.

INTERACTION OF THE FIVE PHASES: SHENG AND KE SEQUENCES

The Five Phases interact according to patterns of generation and restraint.

Along the sheng sequence the Phases generate, nourish, and support each
other, counterbalanced by the ke sequence, which represents the dynamic
of restraint, inhibition, and control. Equilibrium is maintained by these contrary patterns of proliferation and limitation.
These relationships are like those between parents and children. In the
sheng sequence one Phase gives birth to the next, and in the ke sequence

95

THEORY

--------------=-------------FIRE

WOOD

EARTH

WATER

METAL

The Pattern of Five-Phase Relationships

The Five Phases interact according to patterns of generation and restraint.
Equilibrium is maintained by these contrary patterns of proliferation and
limitation. In the sheng sequence one Phase gives birth to the next, and in
the he sequence each Phase sets limits, insuring that no Phase oversteps its
bounds.

96

each Phase sets limits, insuring that no Phase oversteps its bounds. Metaphorically this can be understood as follows: Water nourishes Wood by
moistening it and restrains Fire by quenching it. Wood generates Fire by
providing fuel for combustion and inhibits Earth by covering it. Fire generates Earth by reducing matter to ash that forms soil; Fire restrains Metal by
burning and melting it. Earth supports Metal by forming minerals and bringing them to the surface but controls Water by damming and absorbing it.
Metal vitalizes Water by permeating it with refined substances that enhance
its life-giving properties. Metal restrains and inhibits Wood by cutting it.
Just as Water nourishes Wood, within the body, the Kidney Essence can
be understood to generate the Blood stored by the Liver. As Wood feeds Fire,
the Blood of the Liver can be said to nurture the spirit of the Heart by
providing the mind with its basis. As Fire generates Earth, the Heart supports
the Spleen by providing the warmth and metabolic energy (oxygenated blood)
necessary for the transformation and assimilation of food. As Earth gives rise

FIVE-PHASE THEORY

--------------E--------------

Supporting Sequence: Sheng

Fire
engenders
Earth

Wood

Earth
engenders
Metal

engenders
Fire

Metal
engenders
Water

Water
engenders

Wood

Restraining Sequence: Ke

Fire
controls
Metal

Wood

Earth
controls
Water

controls
Earth

Water
controls
Fire

Metal
controls

Wood
97

THEORY

--------------E-------------to Metal, the Spleen supports the Lung by raising Food Essence upward to be
combined with Air Essence, forming the pure Qi that circulates in the channels. And just as Metal vitalizes Water, the Lung nurtures the Kidney by
precipitating its moist Qi downward to be collected and stored as Essence by
the Kidney.
Sheng and ke define the relationships between the Organ Networks. In
correspondence with the ke sequence, as Water controls Fire, so the Yin
moisture of the Kidney counterbalances the Yang fire of the Heart. As Fire
controls Metal, so the Heart's capacity to rule the Blood complements the
Lung's capacity to govern the Qi. As Metal restrains Wood, so the Lung's
power to mobilize Qi counteracts the Liver's power to gather the Blood. As
Wood dominates Earth, so the activating power of the Liver Qi awakens the
transformative function of the Spleen. And since Earth dams Water, the
Spleen's ability to absorb and distribute Moisture counterbalances the Kidney's
ability to concentrate Essence and excrete fluid.
An Organ Network overly restrained collapses and, if not kept within
proper limits, becomes exaggerated. Overly restrained, its force and influence
dissipate and diminish, becoming passive and impotent. Inadequately restrained, it magnifies, becoming bound up, intensified, and oppressive. When
prolonged, either situation will transform into the other and lead ultimately
to the attrition of the power and potential of the person.
Five-Phase Theory explains the interaction of the Organ Networks in a
broad and general way. Descriptions of physiologic processes in Chinese
medicine can become very complex, just as they do in Western medicine.
For our purposes it is sufficient to have a circumscribed understanding of
the Organ Networks and their correspondences within the Five-Phase model.

98

GGSFS Reader 2009 (www.ggsfs.com)THEWEBTHATHASNOWEAVERbyTedKaptchuk.pg 427444

THE FIVE PHASES

(Wu Xing)*

he theory of the Five Phases is an attempt to classify phenomena in tetms

of five quintessential processes, represented by the emblems Wood, Fire,

Earth, Metal, and Water. Its place in Chinese medicine and other Chinese
intellectual pursuits has been misunderstOod ever since the first Occidentals
tried to explain Chinese natural philosophy to the West over

300

years ago.

During this century, the academic world has made some advances tOward a
better appreciation of the Five Phases theory.l
The Five Phases are not in any way ultimate constituents of matter. This
misconception has long been embodied in the common mistranslation "Five
Elements" and exemplifies the problems that arise from looking at things Chinese with a Western frame of reference. The Chinese term that we translate
as "Five Phases" is wu xing. Wu is the number five, and xing means "walk" or
"move," and, perhaps most pertinently, it implies a process. The wu xing,
therefore, are five kinds of processes; hence the Five Phases, and not the Five
Elements. The theory of Phases is a system of correspondences and patterns
that subsume events and things, especially in relationship to their dynamics.
More specifically, each Phase is an emblem that denotes a category of
related functions and qualities. The Phase called Wood is associated with
'This appendix was written in collaborarion wirh Dan Bensky and rhe assisrance of
Kiiko Marsumoro.

I 437 I

1438 I

THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER

active functions that are in a growing phase. Fire designates functions that
have reached a maximal state of activity and are about to begin a decline or a
resting period. Metal represents functions in a declining state. Water represents
functions that have reached a maximal state of rest and are about to change
the direction of their activity. Finally, Earth designates balance or neutrality;
in a sense, Earth is a buffer between the other Phases. In the sense that the
Phases correlate observable phenomena of human life into images derived from
the macrocosm, they serve a similar function as that of elements in other medical systems.
In more concrete terms, the Five Phases can be used to describe the
annual cycle in terms of biological growth and development. Wood corresponds to spring, Fire

to

summer, Metal to autumn, and Water to winter. And

what of Earth? Earth may represent the cransition between each season (and
it is commonly used to represent "Indian summer"). These correlations, as
diagramed in Figure 49, are known as the Mutual Production order of the
Five Phases. They represent the way in which the Five Phases interact and
arise our of one another in the typical yearly cycle. There are thirty-six mathematically possible orders in which the Five Phases can be arranged, but only
a few of them are actually used either in medicine or in other disciplines.
FIGURE

49 Mutual Production Order ofthe Five Phases

~ter

Fire
(Summer)

(Winter)

Metal
(Autumn)

"-----.-J

)
Earth
Indian Summer)

Appendix F

I 439 I

The application of the Five Phases to seasonable growth is only one example of how the system was used. In time, the five generic categories were used
for classifying many more perceptions, from colors, sounds, odors, and raste
sensations to emotions, animals, dynasties, the planets, and ultimately everything in the universe. (See Table 30.) Correlations were also made between the
Phases and various Organs and anatomical regions, which is how the connection between the Phases and medicine came abour. 2
TABLE 30

Five Phases Correspondences

WOOD

FIRE

EARTH

METAL

WATER

east
bluegreen
windy
shouting

south
red

center
yellow

west
white

north
black

hot
laughing

damp
SlI1gll1g

dry
weeping

cold
groaI1lng

Emotion

anger

elation

grief

fear

Taste

sour
Liver
Gall
Bladder
eyes
tendons

bitter
Heart
Small
Intestine
tongue
blood
vessels
burning
Spirit
propriety

pensiveness
sweet
Spleen
Stomach

salty
Kidney
Bladder

mouth
flesh

pungent
Lungs
Large
Intestine
nose
skin

fragrant
Yi
faithfulness

rank
Po
righteousness

rotten
will
wisdom

Direction
Color
Climate
Human
Sound

Yin Organ
YtmgOrgan
Orifice
Tissue
Smell
Spirit
Virtue

goatish
Hun
human
kindness

ears
bones

Before exploring the use of Five Phases theory in medicine, it is helpful to

consider its history and relationship to Yin-Yang thinking. While Yin-Yang theory stretches back into China's remote antiquity, Five Phases theory was not
documented until the fourth century

B.C.E.3

It is nevertheless reasonable ro

assume that a scheme as complex as the Five Phases theory did not emerge spontaneously. The framework must have been gestating for some time. Some intimation of the Five Phases can be found in many writings of the period from
about

500 B.C.E.

to

200 B.C.E.,

which was a time of great intellectual, politi-

cal, and social ferment in China. 4 The Five Phases theory was first systematized

1440 I

THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER

by Zou Yen (approximately 350

B.C.E.

to 270

B.C.E.)

and his followets. 5 The

otiginal emphasis of the theory was as much political as it was scientific. The
correct timing of rites and the succession of dynasties came to be interpreted
through the dynamics of the Phases, which were then called the Five Virtues
or Powers. As Joseph Needham comments, "there were intense and anxious debates about the proper color, musical notes and instruments, sacrifices, etc. [according to Five Phases]' appropriate to a particular dynasty or emperor."6
The number five was important in the numerology of the period, particularly for classifications of Earthly things. Various other numbers, such as six,
four, and three, rum up in early classification schemes for things pertaining
to Heaven.? It is difficult to determine whether the importance of the number five led to Five Phases theory or the popularity of the Five Phases theory
led to things being classified in fives.
During the third and fourth centuries

B.C.E.,

the Five Phases theory and

the Yin-Yang theory existed simultaneously and independently of each other. s

For example, Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu refer extensively to Yin and Yang bur
do not mention the Five Phases. Unlike other traditional cultures with systems
of elemental correspondences (e.g., the Greek Four Elements or the Hindu
Three Doshas), the Chinese thus had two systems of referents. It was not
until the Han dynasty, a period of great eclecticism and synthesis, that the two
systems began to merge in Chinese medicine. "The five elements [Phases]
[which] had not been part of the most ancient Chinese medical speculations"
were incorporated into the clinical tradition that culminated in the Nei Jing. 9
Certain parts of the Nei Jing refer to the Five Phases, while others do not. Yet
other texts, such as the Discussion of Cold-Induced Disorders (the main early
herbal text) and the biography of Bian Que in the Shi Ji or Historical
Records,1O make no mention whatsoever of Five Phases theory. I I The Five
Phases theory continued to undergo changes even after its incorporation into
Chinese medicine. It is not until the Song dynasty (960-1279

C.E.)

that the

relationships between the Phases were commonly used to explain the etiology
and processes of illness. 12
Many attempts were made to fit the Five Phases nearly into the Yin-Yang
structure. For example, Wood and Fire were considered the Yang Phases, being
active in character, while Metal and Water, associated with quiescent functions,
were the Yin Phases. Earth was the balance point between Yin and Yang. Yet,

Appendix F

44 1

despite this apparently successful marriage between Five Phases and Yin-Yang
theory, the two systems of correspondence frequently yielded different interpretations of health and disease. 13 For example, Five Phases theory might
emphasize the following correspondences stated in the Nei Jing: The Liver
opens into the eyes; the Kidney opens into the ears; the Heart opens into the
tongue. Disorder in a particular orifice would necessarily be linked to its corresponding Organ. Yin-Yang theory, on the other hand, might emphasize the
following quite different assertions of the Nei Jing: The pure Qi of all Organs
is reflected in the eyes; all the Meridians meet in the ears; the tongue is connected to most of the Meridians. Yin-Yang theory would not necessarily see
a link between a parr and a part. Rather, all disharmonies of the eyes, ears, or
tongue would be interpreted in terms of patterns. Thus, an eye disorder could
be part of a Liver disharmony or perhaps a Lung, Kidney, or Spleen disharmony, depending on the configuration of other signs. The differences between
these medical interpretations stem from the fact that Five Phases theory
emphasizes one-to-one correspondences, while Yin-Yang theory emphasizes
the need to understand the overall configuration upon which the part depends.

-1

USE OF THE FIVE PHASES IN MEDICINE

At the bottom line, the Five Phases theory is a crucial emblem system used to
discuss and represent clinical phenomena. In fact, one could have written this
entire book from a Five Phases perspective. If this had been done then Earth
would correspond to Spleen, Qi, Dampness, worry, Consciousness of Possibilities, and faithfulness; wood would correspond to Liver, Blood, wind, NonCorporeal Soul, and human kindness; water would correspond to Kidneys,
Essence, Cold, fear, and the Will; fire would correspond to Heart, warmth,
elation, Heart Spirit, and propriety; and metal would correspond to Lungs,
Fluids, dryness, Corporeal Soul, and righteousness. Much of what was presented would have fallen into place. Few practitioners would agree with these
relationships, but in some situations the correspondence could be forced and
be more metaphysical than practical.
To be valuable, the Five Phases theory requires flexibility and sensitivity.
Distinguishing between useful and not useful correspondences can be difficult,

14421

THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER

and practitioners can disagree. For example, some practitioners are happy with
such correspondence as those of plants and grains; others are not. Odors are
excluded from many lists,14 but a number of practitioners feel that they are
clinically quite useful. 15 The correspondences that are in general use in medicine are listed in Table 30. The medically useful correspondences can be
divided into two groups. There are those that make metaphysical sense in the
Chinese mode of thought, or are construed to have associations outside the
body (often forced associations). And there are correspondences derived not
from metaphysical premises, but from the functions of the Organs or from
empirical observation. The best example of the former is color: green for Wood
(rrees), red for Fire, yellow for Earth (the soil of northern China, where these
correspondences originated, is yellow), white for Metal (silvery luster), and
black for Water (the inky depths of the ocean). Similar explanations, however
strained, are available for the seasons, climatic conditions, directions, tastes,
and smells. An example of the latter type of correspondence is that between
Metal and the nose. The nose has no actual relationship with Metal, and such
a relationship was never posited by the ancient Chinese. The nose is, however,
the opening most often affected by diseases of the Lungs, and in Chinese
physiology the nasal tract is considered an extension of the Lungs. Because the
Lungs are associated with Metal, the nose is also given that association. Similarly, the association of anger with the Liver is probably due to careful observation of people, rather than to any notion of the "woodenness" of becoming
enraged. The distinctions between the two types of correspondence is important in explaining the dynamic behind the diagnostic use of the Five Phases
theory, and also gives perspective on the whole system.
Chinese medicine has had to creatively adapt the Five Phases theory in
order to fit it to actual medical experience. The physiology that grew out of
Five Phases theory, for example, is not always identical with Eight Principal
physiology. The Eight Principal tradition is based on empirical observation
and is intimately connected to Yin-Yang theory, concentrating on the functions
of the Organs and extrapolating their interrelationships from their functions.
The Organs are thus the key to the system. Five Phases theory does not always
agree with this understanding, and in that case, it is simply ignored. 16 For
example, in Five Phases physiology, the Heart corresponds to Fire. Traditional

Appendix F

I 443 I

Chinese texts, however, consider the Kidneys (Life Gate Fire) to be the physiological basis for the Fire (Yang) of the other Organs. And so, the Five Phases
theory's formal correspondence would be conveniently forgotten.
The Five Phases correspondence is often a convenient way to organize
significant clinical reality. Let us take facial color correspondence, delineated
in Table 30, as an example. A yellow complexion often appears in a Spleen
disharmony (yellow and Spleen are both associated with Earth), and a darkish complexion often appears in a Kidney disharmony (black and Kidneys are
associated with water). A red face, however, although it can be part of a Heart
pattern, is just as likely to be part of the Heat pattern of any Organ. A white
face can appear with Lung disharmonies, but can also be part of the Cold
pattern of any Organ. A blue-green complexion, while often part of a Liver
disharmony, might as easily be part of a Congealed Heart Blood pattern. The
correspondences of climate work much the same way. Although it is true that
the Spleen is especially sensitive to Dampness, the Kidney to Cold, the Lungs
to

Dryness, and the Liver to Wind, Dryness does not necessarily imply a Lung

disharmony, for it can easily affect the Stomach, Intestines, or Heart. Coldness does not necessarily imply the Kidneys, because the Spleen, Lungs, and
Heart can also be affected by Cold. And so on. The Five Phases correspondence can be helpful as a guide to clinical tendencies, but the rest of veracity
in Chinese medicine remains the pattern. Pattern thinking overrules all formal rules. The flexibility of Yin-Yang theory, including Five Phases, resides in
its insistence that all correspondences finally depend on the configuration of
a unique whole.
The Five Phases are often used to describe clinical processes and relarionships and to help in the conceptualizarion of proper treatments. It is an
explanatory theory and is not meant as a binding doctrine. For example, as has
been shown (see Figure 49), the Five Phases can be used

to

describe rhe general

processes that take place during rhe annual cycle. That sequence-rhe Mutual
Production order of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water-describes normal generative functions. In the sequence, the producer is called the Mother and the
produced, the Child (an example of the tendency toward concreteness in
tradirional Chinese thoughr). Some patterns of disharmony can be explained
by reference

to

the Mutual Production order, especially patterns of Deficiency.

14441

THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER

The Child of a Deficiem Mothet, for instance, becomes Deficiem for wam
of proper nourishmem. Conversely, when the child is Deficiem, it may "steal
the Qi" of the Mother, making it Deficient as well. If an Organ is Deficiem,
therefore, treatment can be affected by strengthening the Mother Organ. When
there is an Excess in an Organ, the Child can be drained. The concept of treatment is important in acupuncture, but is seldom used in herbal medicine. I?
Another sequence is known as the Mutual Checking or Mutual Control
order. In this sequence, each Phase is said
Phase (see Figure

50).

to

check or control the succeeding

The Control order, like the Mutual Production order,

describes naturally occurring phenomena, and it works

to

ensure that the

Mutual Production order does not overgenerate and cause imbalances. A

disharmony within the Control order might mean that an Organ is exerting
Excess control over the Organ that it regulates. This would lead to a
Deficiency in the regulated Organ. Or the Organ that should be regulated may
become the regulator. Other situations can arise, but these two are the most
likely. The former imbalance is known as an insulting cycle, and the latter as
a humiliation cycle.

FIGURE 50

Mutual Control Order ofthe Five Phases

/?':l:'~,:::\

ILI,
Metal

Earth

)"ffl!

(Heart),

wnter

_ _ _ _ (Kidne;'s)