5 Phases Pt 2
5 PHASE RELATIONSHIPS
Last time, we learned a little about each of the 5 Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water). Using this information, we can start to make sense of the relationships between them depicted in this symbol:
These relationships help us to understand how Chinese Medicine sees a healthy body. As we’ll see later, the internal organs are related to different phases, and they normally interact in the following ways to keep the body in balance.
CREATION CYCLE
First, let’s take a look at the cycle of creation, represented by the green arrows:
This cycle shows that each of the elements creates (or engenders) another element. Wood is necessary to make fire. When fire burns things, it makes ashes — in this way, fire creates earth. Metals are mined from the earth, so we say that earth creates metal.
The creation cycle between metal and water is a little more abstract. If you take a cold piece of metal and expose it to warm air (you might remember that air is associated with the metal phase), condensation will form on the metal, and in this way the Metal phase has “created” water.
Finally, water creates wood by nourishing the seed or sapling, allowing it to grow so that it can then be used to create fire, and so on.
The creation cycle is sometimes called the “Mother/Son” cycle in the classics. The element that is creating another element is called the “Mother” and the element being created is the “Son.” For example, Wood is the “mother” of Fire, and Fire is the “son” of Wood. Fire is the “mother” of Earth, and Earth is the “son” of Fire, and so on around the circle.
RESTRAINING CYCLE
Next, we’ll take a look at the restraining cycle, represented by the red arrows:
This cycle, which is also called the controlling cycle, shows that each of the element helps to keep another element in check. For example, Wood restrains Earth by breaking it up with roots and seedlings.
In turn, Earth restrains water by creating banks to direct the flow of Water. Water controls Fire by extinguishing it if Fire gets out of control, and Fire can control Metal by melting it. Metal is able to control Wood by cutting it down if it grows out of control.
These relationships are all considered physiological in Chinese medicine. In other words, they are the correct way for the 5 Phases to interact with each other. Next time, we’ll examine what happens when the 5 Phases are not interacting with each other properly. We’ll also take a look at a couple of pathologies that might arise if the 5 Phases aren’t balancing each other in the body.
NOTE: This blog is meant for educational purposes only — please don’t try to diagnose yourself using it! If you have a medical issue, please seek guidance and treatment from a licensed medical professional.
© 2017 Alli Urbanik Kimmel
