The Five Elements
Classical Five Element Acupuncture, as taught by J. R. Worsley, is a Daoist medicine from the time of the Yellow Emperor. It’s based on the understanding that each of us has an internal environment, the microcosm, that reflects the natural external environment, the macrocosm. Within this natural environment, there are five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The communication and interaction of these elements informs how we see and process our world—physically, emotionally and spiritually.
The Five Elements exist within every one of us, however each individual has a fundamental elemental imbalance or “Causative Factor” (CF), which if left untreated, sets the wheel of disease in motion on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. By addressing your elemental imbalance, we harmonize the whole, thus creating a greater sense of well being with access to your most essential nature.
The Wood Element is associated with Spring, which is a period of rebirth, vitality and activity. Spring arrives after the dark winter months and all the energies that have been hibernating are ready to greet the world again, renewed and transformed. This is a time of great hope, of clear judgement and the directed action necessary for growth. If growth is blocked, there is anger, rage, hopelessness or rebellion.
Wood is about flexible, purposeful movement. Imbalances on the physical level can lead to balance issues, rigidity of movement and lack of coordination. On a mental level, the wood element allows for the creation of new ideas, structured reasoning and the ability to make clear and informed decisions. If imbalanced, there is confusion and difficulty making plans and seeing them through.
The Wood Element is governed by the Liver and Gallbladder. The Liver official is the architect. It lays out the plans and the rhythm at which these actions will take place. The Liver creates structure, method, reason and accountability. The Gallbladder official is the decision maker who fulfills the plans and goals set out by the liver. This official is all about choice. On a physical level, the Liver official lays the plans for the rhythmic cycles of the body, such as hormonal systems and the female menstrual cycle. At the spirit level, a Liver imbalance leaves an individual lost, without purpose. Gallbladder imbalances may cause an inability to make clear judgments, reasoning becomes muddled and one becomes stuck.
Related Organs: Liver & Gallbladder
Related Emotion: Anger
Related Color: Green
Related Odor: Rancid
Fire is the source of all life. It represents the sun, within and without. It is the warmth of the heart, the divine spark, and the passion between lovers. This element represents expansion, connection, and joy. Summer is the season of Fire, where everything is in full bloom and has reached maturity.
On a physical level, this warmth drives our digestive and circulatory systems. Fire is responsible for communication, physically and emotionally. More specifically, it corresponds to blood and blood vessels, an integral part of the body’s communication system. Fire is about joy. When low, everything can seem joyless. Even the most exciting things are expressed with a lack of enthusiasm. On the contrary, those whose excess Fire can express joy and laughter inappropriately.
A balanced Fire CF can create intimacy, set and maintain safe boundaries and communicate effectively. When in excess, internal fire blazes, drying up the body’s fluids— causing anxiety, palpitations and hyper sexuality. When deficient, the body feels cold and circulation is impaired. Emotionally, an individual is cold, unable to give and receive love and often overly guarded. When in excess, this individual is especially vulnerable to having their heart broken, desperately looking for love wherever they can find it.
The Fire element is so critical that it includes two organ systems, the Heart and Small Intestine and the Pericardium and Triple Heater. Individuals governed by the Heart/Small Intestine have issues with control and separating the pure from the impure. Those on the Pericardium/Triple Heater side have difficulty in creating healthy boundaries as well as being to self-regulate in an ever-changing world.
Related Organs: Heart & Small Intestine and Pericardium & Triple Heater
Related Emotion: Joy
Related Color: Red or Ashen Grey
Related Odor: Scorched
There is a mother that resides at the core of all of us. She is nurturing, nourishing, supportive, and grounded. Like a tree, she is deeply rooted in the ground with branches that extend out into the world. Earth is the element associated with late summer; it gives us the ability to nurture ourselves and others. Earth provides nourishment and represents our inner maternal matrix. Just as a mother provides compassionate understanding for her child, an individual with an Earth CF seeks to be seen and understood by those around them. When one does not feel a connection to the mother within, they feel lost, panicked and hungry for nurturing or understanding. If left untreated, a search for mothering outside oneself will continue. The opposite is also possible, causing an imbalanced Earth CF to reject care and understanding from others.
Governed by the Stomach and Spleen officials, the Earth element is concerned with digestion and absorption. That is, how we digest not only the food we eat, but also the events of our lives. How do we take in the world around us? What is absorbed? These are questions that pertain to the Earth within us. If we cannot digest properly, we feel overwhelmed, churning over thoughts and emotions— learning us feeling malnourished and ungrounded.
A balanced Earth CF appropriately nourishes themselves while also leaving space to do what they do best, caring for others!
Related Organs: Stomach & Spleen
Related Emotion: Sympathy
Related Color: Yellow
Related Odor: Fragrant
After rejoicing in the harvest of late summer, the crowds die down and things begin to quiet down. The weather cools and the dimming of summer light begins to show in the fading fall foliage. Leaves fall and the land becomes dry. The nourishing energy of Mother Earth declines and gives way to the Father, who arrives to cleanse what is no longer useful. He arrives to break down and extract what is pure. He performs with cutting precision of a pure silver sword. This is the essence of Metal— it represents death, purity, quality, discernment and inspiration.
With death comes grief, the emotion associated with Metal— further marked by the sound of weeping. There is grief in the clearing away of the old; but we are comforted with the knowing that spring will arrive soon afterward. When Metal is balanced we are able to adapt to the natural cycles of life. Conversely, imbalances in Metal cause difficulty in letting go of what is invaluable; producing an inappropriate expression of grief over what has been lost. When Metal is imbalanced, there is no spark of inspiration and lack of self-worth and self-respect often follows.
Metal is represented by the Lungs and the Large Intestine. The Large Intestine is responsible for disposing of what is no longer needed and the Lung are responsible for taking in the new, pure inspiration. An imbalanced Large Intestine cannot let go of waste, leading to toxic buildup in the blood, skin, joints and everywhere in between.
When the Lung official is deficient, one feels cut off from this connection, they feel worthless, insecure and lack luster in all areas of their lives. Herein lies a deep, inconsolable grief, that of being separated from the pure, nourishing energy of that heavens. To compensate, these individuals become obsessed with trophies that denote value, often becoming crazed with collecting people and objects that make them feel worthy.
Related Organs: Lung & Large Intestine
Related Emotion: Grief
Related Color: White
Related Odor: Rotten
The stark Winter landscapes hold the pure potential for the blossoming growth of spring. For this potential to take form, we are asked to rest and gather reserves. This is a time for deep internal work— to pause and gather strength. We use Water's still, reflective nature to go deep within and connect with our essential nature.
When we have enough reserves, we feel secure and are able to move forward with clarity and willpower. Without these reserves, we are paralyzed with fear— lacking the will to survive. Water is about adaptability to be belt to weave through any obstacle that might come your way. The Water element is the quiet strength of a stream that cuts through a boulder, slowly and steadily over time.
Water is governed by the Kidneys and the Bladder. The Bladder controls the storage of Water, while the Kidneys are responsible for the filtering and distribution of Water. On a physical level, imbalances in Water can cause edema, brittle bones or stiff joints. On a spirit level, an imbalance in Water may express as the fear of not having enough reserves to complete plans once envisioned or a fear of not being prepared for whatever one might have to face.
Related Organs: Kidney & Bladder
Related Emotion: Fear
Related Color: Blue
Related Odor: Putrid