The
Pioneer  is action-oriented, whereas the Philosopher , who
characterizes Water , is preoccupied with seeking  truth and exploring
the hidden mysteries through the medium of his own imaginative
mind. The Peacemaker , stable, centered, and relaxed, personies
Earth , drawn  toward being a mediator in the service of harmony and
unity. The Wizard , embodying Fire, is magnetic and exciting,
inspiring faith that dreams can be realized and desires fullled. The
Alchemist , who personies Metal , observes, studies, and analyzes
phenomena to extract fundamental laws and principles in the
service of a universal order. The rocks in the river can shift, redirecting the water’s  course,
altering the shape of the riverbanks, but inexorably the river,
twisting and turning, follows the gravitational pull from the
mountains to the sea. In that sense the river, like our identity, does
not change its fundamental direction of ow. How we live out our
lives may shift and vary, but the primacy of one Phase  as our
organizing force remains; we change, but our type does not. One
Phase  fashions the context within which we evolve and acts as our
primary frame of reference, guiding our instincts and how we live
them. Knowing whether the power  of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal , or Water
is preeminent sheds light on the goals we set, the risks we take, the
competence we manifest, the postures we adopt toward people and
projects, the expectations we have, the things that most threaten us,
and the satisfactions from which we derive the greatest rewards. Our pattern also explains the otherwise mysterious conguration of
our particular symptoms, why our stress manifests as sinus
congestion, our friend’s as ts of irritability with neck tension, andour child’s as lethargy and a stomachache. It reveals under what
circumstances we feel conic t and why we prefer certain solutions,
where there is resistance and bound-up energy and where there is
collapse and emptiness. Whic h of our talents and facultie s are most
developed and which remain stunted and neglected? In what
context do we ourish, and in what context do we suer,
experiencing frustration and disappointment? For example, Wood  does well under the intense competitive
pressure that upsets Earth  and paralyzes Water. Water  prefers to
have time to think things through, and Earth  feels most comfortable
when people are working together cheerfully. So Wood  thrives on
the challenge and fast pace that threatens Water  and Earth. Metal
appreciates the same order that can hastily be cast aside by the
impulsiveness of Wood  and the excita bility of Fire. Earth  can be hurt
and discourage d in attempts to be warm and friendly with Metal  and
Water  types who remain detached and withdrawn. Yet Earth  may
also be just the animated, imposing social force these types need to
be included in events that would otherwise pass them by. We gravitate toward an environment that suits our character;
similarly, it’s easiest to develop in areas where we have natural
talent. Maslow’s phrase “When the only tool you have is a hammer,
you treat everything as if it were a nail” describes typica l xations
of character. For Wood  it is easy to interpret any circumstance as
requiring audacious action. Fire might perceive gratication  as the
end goal of any situation. Metal  adheres to rules and protocols even
when these have become a hindrance. Water  may prefer to cogitate,
perhaps losing the opportuni ty to realize or fulll those visions. And
Earth  may be so concerned with establishing balance and harmony
that the dynamic tension essential for movement and change is
neutralized. The Five Phases , corresponding to the ve seasons, can be
portrayed as ve people. Composite characters for each Phase—
Sally, Hector, Dorothy, Louis, and Kate—act out each archetypal
destiny. Since our English language is gender specic, each type is
alternately male and female. Yet the qualities and charac teristics of
each type appear in male and female alike. The distinguishingfeatures of each of the Organ Networks  are embodied in each of the
ve character types. Although one Phase predominates as our organizing force, we
exist as a complex amalgam of all the Phases  in continuous interplay
—so all Five Phases  exist within every person. Like our DNA, the
pattern of these relationships is the tao of our individualized
process, the template that molds our internal and external
behavior. 7 When action is demanded, our Wood  kicks into gear. When it is time to take pleasu re in the achievement of our goals, the
Fire aspect takes charge. When we let go of old habits and values to
prepare for a new stage of our life, the power of Metal  enables us to
sigh deeply and release. When our labors demand that we stop, rest,
take stock of what we have done, and rededicate ourselves to a fresh
purpose, our Water  aspect gives us the renewed vitality and will to
carry on. When the vicissitudes of our lives threaten to overturn or
deect us from our path, our Earth  aspect returns us to an even keel. TYPOLOGY  IS NOT EQUIVALENT TO  PATHOLOGY
Our patterns of disease and health both correspond to the Phase  that
typies us. That is why the Five-Phase  system can be used to
simultaneously examine not only the process of sicknes s, but also
the process of health. Pathology and ontogeny are both expressions
of our instrinsic self-or ganizing process–one undermining,
fragmenting, overwhelming, devolving, and the other arming,
integrating, enlivening, and evolving. One way of applying Five-Phase Theory  has been simply to equate
pathology with typology—ailments alone are then the basis of
typing. Within this reasoning, the Organ Network  in which you have
the most symptoms becomes synonymous with your type. For
example, if your symptoms are puy eyes, backache, chilly hands
and feet, and paralysis of motivation, all these problems are
associated with the Kidney Network , so you are considered a Water
type. However, the Phase  corresp onding to the greatest number of
our symptoms is not necessarily the one that organizes us.Symptoms often appear not only in our primary Phase , but in those
in conict with or being dominated by it. Each Phase and Organ Network  is like a political leader who can
be benevolent and socially responsible or greedy and self-
aggrandizing: each one can serve the greater good of the body as a
whole or its own narrower self-interest. 8 We can think of the body
as a political entity in which each Network  functions like a
Department of State. The Liver is like a strate gic minister of defense,
the Heart  the royal monarch, the Spleen  a minister of agriculture and
trade, the Lung a minister of justice and secretary of state, and the
Kidney  a minister of interior and natural resources. Each of these has
a political role to play in serving the state of the organis m, as well
as an individual need for maintaining its own existence. Each primary Phase  can subjugate or inhibit parts of ourselves
that are less developed. Our core Phase  can be a bully, injuring other
Phases  by its domin ation. Or it can become weak, neglecting to
provide the leadership we rely upon for direction and guidance, and
in turn be encroached upon by the Phase  that controls it. We can be
thwarted as well as served by our core Phase. The Phases  that restrain or are restrain ed by our primary Phase
are the ones likely to manifest the gross distortions of our structure
and character. Often our most obvious and dramatic symptoms are
located in the two Phases  along the control or ke sequence. For example, for an Earth  type, disturbances are likely to show up
in Water  (restrained by Earth ) and in Wood  (which restrains Earth ). Exaggerated Earth  oppresses Water  and antagonizes Wood . When the
Spleen  is dominant, Dampness  and the stagnation that occurs with it
inhibit the function of the Kidney  and Liver. An Earth  type might
experience a sore lower back, swollen ankles, and premenstrual
water retention, all indicatio ns of Kidney  disturb ances, along with
fullness in the head and pressure behind the eyes, which reect Liver
disturbance. When Dampness  in the Spleen  hampers the capacity of
the Liver to make decisions and initiate action, a person feels
obsessed with small changes  and decisions and reluctant to commit
to big decisions and their consequences. The eect on the Kidney  is
to create an unsettling feeling of doubt and insecurity, as if one’ssource or identity is never rmly grasped. Thus the characteristic
aability and gregariousness  of the Earth  type may be hemmed in
by an undercurrent of irritability and vulnerability. When diculty or trauma distort our true nature, disharmony
manifests as aberrations of character, disturbances of physiologic
function, and deformations of physical structure. This means that
the behavior of an exaggerated Organ Network  has overwhelmed and
oppressed others or that it has collapsed , its force dissipated,
creating an unstable vacuum . Signs of conict are likely  to appear
along the ke sequence in exaggerated  patterns and within the
predominant Organ Network  and its “moth er” and “child” along the
sheng  sequence in collapsed  patterns. If the predomin ant Organ
Network  is exaggerated , it needs to be subdued; if it is collapsed , it
needs to be nourished. Exaggerated  and collapsed  pattern s can and
often do coexist, as do excess  and deciency, Heat and Cold. Harmony is restored when appropriate therapeutic measures of
tonifying or purging, consolidating or dispersing, restore stability by
easing conict and correcting  inequities. The strategy of caring only
for the leader is not enough when the followers are in distress, nor
is aiding the followers enough to guarantee the prudent behavior of
the leader. Both must be supported or limited according to their
need and their role. When our motion is disturbed by external forces or internal
upheaval, our path becomes crooked and our movement wobbly. Allied with our organizing force, we navigate smoothly  along our
path, our inner gyroscope unperturbed. Spinning freely, we feel
aligned, at home in our body and right with the world. This
comfortable sense of t and freedom is what we recognize as health. Five Phases within Each PhasePowers of the Five Archetypes(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Power of the Five Archetypes
Distortions of Five Powers(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Distortions of Five Powers
Five Types: Anities and Aversions
Anities: Desires and Values(see larger image)
Aversions: Fears and Diculties(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Five Types: Anities and Aversions
Five Types: Challenges, Contradictions, Knots
Earth :
Being at the still point—feeling stuck
Wanting to be full—feeling weighted down, overstued , and
overwhelmed
Seeking emptiness—fearing that there is nothing at the core
Desiring change—wanting things to stay the same
Wanting to be needed—wary of being absorbed, losing the self
Water :
Yearns for truth—fears exposureYearns for connection—intolerant of contact
Likes to be squeezed—scared of being squashed
Wants to penetrate inside—detests being absorbed
Enjoys being left alone—dreads being abandoned
Wood :
Wants to be in charge—misses the companionship of equals
Yearns to do, to act—subject to uncontrollable impulse
Makes rules—likes to break them
Demands freedom—needs to struggle
Feels invincible—fears vulnerability and loss of control
Fire:
Desires contact, intimacy—needs solitude
Loves sensatio n and feeling—fears being overwhelmed by
intensity
Loves to say yes—can’t say no
Yearns for fusion—dreads dissolution
Lives in the moment—dreads the future
Metal :
Wants relationship—needs distance
Knows what is right—accepts what is safe
Aspires toward beauty—settles for utility
Wants joy—fears spontaneityLikes creativity, ingenuity—intolerant of disorder, dissonance
SELF-ASSESSMENT  QUESTIONNAIRE
The following questionnaire is designed to help you map how the
Five Phases  act and interact within you. The letters (?–E) at the end
of each statement refer to each of the Five Phases . Mark the space at
the beginning of each statement according to the strength of your
response. If it strongly typies you, place a “3” in the space; if it
characterizes you somewhat, put a “1”; if you feel ambivalent or
indierent toward it, put a “0.” If you have a denite negative
response (“I’m not at all like this!”), put a “–2.”
When you are nished, total up the number of positive (+) and
negative (–) responses for each section according to the letter code:
total score for “A,” “B,” and so on. Do this before you look at the
code key so that you are not biased in your responses. Record the
number of positive and negative responses on the Five-Phase
diagram at the end of the questionnaire to plot your particular
patterns. Look at the Phases  with the highest positive scores and see
whether they are opposite or adjacent to each other: Wood  and Fire
and Earth  are adjacent, whereas Wood  and Metal , Fire and Water , are
opposite. Adjacent Phases  with high scores reect a strong
supporting (“sheng sequence”) relationship. Opposite Phases  with
high scores reect a strong conicting (“fee sequence”) relationship. Negative scores also suggest conict with an opposing Phase . In this
context, conict is not necessarily good or bad—it represents the
potential for movement and change as well as instability. If all the scores on the diagram look pretty much the same—that
is, if they dier by a value of only 1–3, you may need to go back to
the questionnaire, review your responses, and eliminate those that
are only a “+1.” This will help to accentuate the numerical contrast
between Phases . If there are still no signicant dierences, refer to
the charts at the end of each chapter on the ve types to determinethe set of characteristics with which you identify most strongly. How do these reactions compare with your responses to the
questionnaire? Also, answer the questions at the end of the
questionnaire and see if you can classify your answers as belonging
more to one Phase than another. Whether or not the pattern that emerges now reects your
primary type is a question that you may need to answer upon
further consideration. Eventually a pattern will reveal itself so that
you feel you have a sense of who you are within this paradigm. PSYCHOLOGICAL
It is typical of me (+) or unlike me (–) to:
___ be honest , even blunt, though not necessarily tactful or
diplomatic A
___ be cautious and sensible A
___ enjoy frequent periods of solitude and introspection A
___ enjoy indulging my imagination and curiosity A
___ keep my feelings, thoughts, and opinions to myself A
___ be content being anonymous or on the periphery of social events
A
___ be considered unusual or eccentric A
___ be involved in intellectual pursuits A
___ be content with a few good friends and minimal social activities
A
___ be content guring things out for myself A
___ be careful about what I reveal to other people A
___ be a stubborn defender of the truth as I see it A
___ be patient and persevering in spite of defeats or dead ends A
___ be objective and dispassionate A___ feel self-sucient in or out of a relationship A
___ choose privacy over intimacy, solitude over socializing A
___ be critical and skeptical while observing people and events from
a distance A
___ pursue my own interests regardless of what others consider
important A
___ enjoy projects that don’t involve other people A
___ remove myself from every day aairs and turn inward to quietly
reect upon the place of my life in the grand scheme of things A
___ feel condent and act assertively B
___ enjoy being competitive and ambitious B
___ feel powerful and invulnerable B
___ reluctantly acknowledge other people as my equals B
___ openly discuss my abilities and achievements with others B
___ be comfortable with conict or pressure B
___ enjoy being rst, best, unique, or even outlandish B
___ act with condence and assurance regardless of what others may
think or feel B
___ make quick decisions and commit myself to a course  of action
even if the odds are not in my favor B
___ be comforta ble with dicult tasks or emergencies that demand
“thinking on my feet” B
___ feel that I’m right even if others strongly disagree with or
disapprove of me B
___ feel good about follow ing my instincts and satisfying my
impulses B
___ be direct or provocati ve even if it causes discomfort or
embarrassment to others B
___ take pleasure in public recognition and admiration of my talents
and achievements B
___ be comfortable leading or directing others B___ follow my own hunches about what is right or wrong B
___ to take the lead when it is necessary to get things done quickly
and eectively B
___ act boldly and decisively even if I don’t have all the expertise or
information that I need B
___ enjoy the process of striving against the odds for its own sake B
___ to want to reject or argue with other people’s appraisals of me B
___ be animated and enthusiastic C
___ enjoy the pleasure of my senses C
___ easily know what another thinks and feels C
___ enjoy physical contact and emotional intimacy C
___ be comfortable in a very stimulating environment C
___ openly share my innermost feelings and desires C
___ live in the here and now and not worry about the future or dwell
on the past C
___ see the humorous side of life C
___ thoroughly enjoy getting what I want and need C
___ be tender, intimate, and vulnerable with another person C
___ be comfortable receiving and showing aection and pleasure C
___ enjoy being moved emotionally C
___ easily become complete ly involved in the events going on
around me C
___ become deeply identied with the feelings, thoughts, and
experiences of another C
___ be emotionally sensitive, responsive, and intuitive C
___ remain optimistic and hopeful in spite of what others may say or
believe C
___ be completely open and exposed C
___ identify and empathize with another’s joy or pain C___ be unabashed in showing enthusiasm and excitement C
___ enjoy being attractive and magnetic C
___ be nurturing and supportive D
___ put the needs of others before my own D
___ enjoy frequent socializing with friends and family D
___ care for others and try to satisfy their needs D
___ enjoy being relied upon for reassurance and help D
___ enjoy being the hub of my social and family network D
___ be agreeable and accommodating D
___ enjoy settling disputes so that all parties are satised D
___ help people work together in a harmonious manner D
___ create a relaxed and comfortable environment in which very
dierent people can enjoy being together D
___ be loyal and accessible to the people who are my friends,
relations, or in some important way involved in my life and work
D
___ get involved in other people’s lives D
___ enjoy maintaining many diverse, even conicting, relationships
D
___ be diplomatic and tactful D
___ rely on the skill and intelligence of others D
___ accept other people’s characterizations of who I am D
___ enjoy just being in the company of other people D
___ sympathize with the circumstances of others D
___ nd ways to resolve conict and bring about agreement D
___ get close enough to need another person D
___ be comfortable and sociable with people I don’t know well D
___ maintain a neat and orderly personal life-style E___ enjoy a convivial but undemanding social life E
___ be in control of my environment and the way I do things E
___ be strongly committed to my moral principles and standards of
conduct E
___ feel secure and condent in my work when I know that everyone
is following proper procedures E
___ enjoy tasks that require logical, analytical, and systematic
approaches to problem-solving E
___ appreciate being thought of as meticulous and discriminating E
___ think of myself as being impeccable and above reproach E
___ be self-contained and not overly involved in other people’s
aairs E
___ work easily and eciently in situations where goals and
guidelines are well dened E
___ be apprecia ted or admired for my skill and expertise rather than
my personality or emotional enthusiasm E
___ be judged or evaluated according to objective criteria rather than
personal biases or intuitions E
___ accept the authority of those with more competence E
___ be systematic and methodical in my work E
___ enjoy the process of solving puzzles and mysteries E
___ be content with few close attachments or demanding
relationships E
___ put virtue and principles before pleasure and fulllment E
___ restrain myself in expressing my feelings or opinions E
___ enjoy temperance and moderation E
___ be tasteful and discriminating E
PHYSIOLOGICALI am frequently (+) or rarely (–) bothered by:
___ lack of semen or other sexual secretions A
___ infertility, impotence, or lack of libido A
___ depression or weariness following sex A
___ diminished recall of recent information or events A
___ diminished acuity of vision or hearing A
___ swelling or pain at the inner corners of the eyes A
___ pain in the arches, heels, or soles of the feet A
___ hypersensitive vision and hearing A
___ stiness or aching of joints or spine A
___ unusual or painful bony protuberances A
___ frequent, slow, or suppressed urination A
___ incontinence of semen, urine, or stool A
___ loss of pubic or head hair A
___ pimples on the chin or between the nose and the upper lip A
___ fatigue or listlessness following prolonged mental eort A
___ stiness or pain when bending over or standing up A
___ dark brown, purple, or black circles around the eyes A
___ aching in the bones from fatigue, standing, or overwork A
___ tenderness and hardness of prostate, testes, ovaries, or cervix A
___ diminished acuity of vision or hearing A
___ pain at the temples, sides, back, or top of the head B
___ vertigo and nausea B
___ sudden blurring of vision or ringing in the ears B
___ dry eyes B
___ headache, earache, or eye ache from exposure to wind B
___ diculty swallowing or tightness of the throat B___ sharp pain in the eyes, ears, nose, or throat, especially during the
night B
___ a feeling of fullness or soreness beneath the ribs B
___ sudden sharp or sticking pains in the breasts, between the ribs,
in the armpits, or in any of the internal or genital organs B
___ frequent sensitivity to bright light or loud noise B
___ split, hardened, or thickened nails B
___ oily skin, especially of the face, nose, and scalp B
___ frequent tension in the neck and across the shoulders B
___ premenstrual grouchiness and depression B
___ irritability following sex B
___ excessive libido or frequent, uncomfortable sexual arousal B
___ boils or painful nodes in the armpits or groin B
___ severe cramps at the start of menstruation B
___ cramping or twitching of the muscles in the eyes, face, ears,
calves, or feet B
___ eyes that tear a lot B
___ excessive perspiration C
___ being ushed or overheated C
___ craving or thirst for cold liquids and foods C
___ rapid or irregular heartbeat C
___ sores in the mouth or on the tongue C
___ burning sensation in the mouth, urethra, rectum, or vagina C
___ easy or uncontrollable excitability C
___ feeling faint, dizzy, or disoriented when startled or excited C
___ diminished long-term memory C
___ stuttering or talking too fast C
___ nervous giggling or talkativeness C
___ premature ejaculation or orgasm C___ insomnia when anxious or excited C
___ anxiety or dread at dusk C
___ disturbing or very vivid dreams C
___ awakening anxious or with a racing heart C
___ blushing when startled, nervous, or upset C
___ dry, red, itchy rashes or eczema, especially in the hollow of the
elbows, behind the knees, or on the palms or soles of the feet C
___ distorted perceptions or mental images C
___ inammatio n of the blood vessels, tongue, outer ears, or corners
of the eyes C
___ rapid weight gain and diculty losing weight D
___ obsessive desire for or avoidance of food D
___ frequent bloating of the abdomen, especially in the evening D
___ eshy and tender muscles especially of the upper arms and
thighs D
___ weakness of the neck, wrists, ankles, and low back D
___ inamed eyelids that tend to stick together D
___ frequent cravings for sweet, glutinous, starchy foods D
___ swollen, sore, or bleeding gums D
___ misshapen nails that tear easily D
___ cuticles that erode or become inamed easily D
___ swollen muscles and joints D
___ generalized puness or edema D
___ easy or frequent bruising D
___ feeling full, heavy, and lethargic D
___ feeling dry but not thirsty D
___ lack of stamina D
___ premenstrual lethargy, bloating, and water retention D___ pimples on the scalp, eyelids (sties), nose, or around the mouth
D
___ headaches from prolonged thinking, excessive worrying , conict,
or disappointment D
___ prolapse of the veins in the rectum (hemorrhoids) or legs
(varicosities) D
___ dryness of the nose, throat, skin, or hair E
___ dry, scaly pimples, especi ally on the cheeks, beside the nose, or
on the upper back E
___ lack of perspiration even when hot E
___ itching from dryness E
___ scanty urine E
___ lack of mucus secretions E
___ many enlarged or hard lymph nodes, especially along the sides
of the neck or under the jaw E
___ large pores on the face, nose, and upper back E
___ many moles or warts E
___ frequent sneezing or coughing due to changes in air temperature
or moisture E
___ wrinkling or shrinking of the skin or mucous membranes E
___ skin that feels tight or cracks easily E
___ congestion of the nose, sinuses, or larynx E
___ frontal headaches due to dryness or congestion with mucus E
___ pain in the head or chest due to disappointment or loss E
___ shallow breathing E
___ many small varicose veins E
___ nasal or intestinal polyps E
___ thin, delicate skin E___ dry, painful, ssures or cracks of the nostrils, lips, or corners of
the mouth E
Use these questions and/or  the statements on the questionnaire to
make ve statem ents about yourself that you feel are accurate in
describing who you are. These statements, along with the map, can
be used to identify yourself according to the Five-Phase  model. 1. What concept, metaphor, or principle is at the center of your life,
and how does it motivate you? 2. What do you desire from life, and what are you seeking to
accomplish, create, assist, and support? 3. What circumstances would provide you with the optimum
conditions for satisfying your needs and fulllin g your
expectations? 4. What values and virtues do you admire and strive to engender in
yourself and others? 5. What are the fundamenta l activities and behaviors that express
your deepest intentions? 6. What do you feel is the particular talent and perspectiv e that you
bring to any relationship or endeavor? 7. What do you want from other people and from yourself? 8. What is it about your work or job that is most satisfying, most
frustrating, most dicult, most easy? 9. What are your most trying dilemmas, conicts, and
contradictions? Self-Assessment Prole
DETERMINING  YOUR TYPE
Some people rightly identify with the characteristics of many types. But the object of this self-ass essment process is to dierentiate and
make choices. When decidin g which clothes to wear, you usually
have many garments to choose from but select one outt based on
how it ts and whether it truly suits you. Similarly, you have to try
on dierent archetypes to see if they t.But unlike clothing, you can no more change your type than you
can your parents. Your organizing force, like your blood type, is
with you for life. You can alter your hair color and your weight, but
not your height or chromosomes. You can raise your hemoglobin,
but it is to no avail to wish your blood were AB-positive  when you
were born O-negative. In deliberating upon your type, it’s not what you do that matters,
but how and why you do it. Evie, Ed, and Susanne all spend a great
deal of time cooking. Evie manages a restaurant, Ed teaches cooking
classes and writes cookbooks, and Susanne frequently feeds her
large extended family, inviting close friends for dinners. Evie describes her attractio n to this work: “I thrive on the
challenge of getting my sta to function at a hum— everything
planned just right so that the energy and the product are in a ow. I
enjoy the constant demand for problem-solving—when it gets too
easy, I get bored.”
When Ed is asked what he likes about food, he oers a frugal,
droll reply: “I like eating it.” Then he continues to say that what
concerns him is the form: “People seem to think I cut vegetables in
interesting ways. I like to take ingredients and combine them in just
the right way. I don’t really  care whether anybody else likes it or
not. It’s impor tant to me to have room to move around and a clean
and orderly space in which to work.”
Susanne, on the other hand, cooks specically to please her
diners: “What I love is looking down a long table full of people I
care about and having them feel good about eating food I’ve
prepared specially for them.”
Evie is a Wood  type, Ed is Metal , and Susanne is Earth . Evie is also
a perfe ctionist (a Metal  charac teristic) and often feeds her friends
(Earth ); Ed takes pleasure in getting things done (Wood ); and
Susanne works as a graphic designer, spending most of her time
doing solitary, creative work (Water ). Each embodies traits of all the
Phases  but is most motivated and characterized by one. YEARNING  TO BE ANOTHERKosta is a large, friendly, eshy philosophy professor who is
extremely nurturing, sometimes to the point of neglectin g his own
needs. At times dissatised with his Earth  nature, he wishes he were
more like Achilles, the mythical warrior, rather than Ferdinand the
Bull, who is content to sit quietly and smell the owers. He struggles
to bolster the rude will and determination needed for him to ght
for himself and what he cares about. Madeline is an intense doctor, a self-directed loner, a Water  type
who wishes she were more like Kosta, soft, connected, communal,
and easy to know and love. She would like to change her nature in
order to escape her limitations and fulll her longings. Some of you will be sure of your type, others will resist
identication, especially with that which most represents you. Often
this is because you are attem pting to develop neglected  aspects of
your character. It is appropriate for you to want to cultivate the
power of polar Phases  that will give you greater scope and stability. During times of growth or stress it is possible to confuse that which
you are striving for with that which you are. In these examples it is
the ke relationships that are at play—Kosta is seeking to develop his
Wood  aspect to compensate for the overbearing inuence of Earth ,
while Madeline  needs to cultivate Earth  to expand her Water  nature. Kosta and Madeline demonstrate the inclination to reach for and
embody what counterbalanc es them. It is the stabilizing power of
the ke relationships that restrains and counterbalances us. UNDERSTANDING  SHENG AND  KE
When Murray, a strident and assertive Wood  type, needs to restore
himself, he retreats from projects and commitments like a reclusive
Water  type, preferrin g to spend hours in solitary reading, studying,
and going to the movies. When he is feeling at his peak, he burns
hot like a amboyant Fire type, open, charismatic, demonstrative,
and exciting, a magical communicator and teacher. Murray
illustrates how when the organizing Phase  (Wood ) is in collapse , it
gravitates toward its parent (Water ), and in exaggeration , it becomeslike its child (Fire). In times of vulnerability as well as in times of
being overcha rged, it can be a Phase  on the sheng  sequence that
masquerades as our type. Ke implies tension, while sheng implies capacity. The sheng  triad
maintains our resources, our potential. Without tension, potential
has no spring, no motivating impulse, no egress; and without
potential, motivation has no foundation, no source, no utility. Equilibrium is the outcome of poise between opposing force s as well
as sustenance of vital reserve s. When the organizing pattern we call
our type is harmonic, there is a satisfying complementari ty between
the nurturance of our potential and the intensity that brings it forth. Tension without adequate potential (reserve) leads to exhaustion,
and potential without the essential ignition of intensity and striving
(tension) leads to stultication and inertia. Usually the rst problems people experience are a result of ke
sequence con ict, which is an escalation of tension between the
primary Phase , the one it controls, and the one that controls it. This
is how the exaggerated  pattern develops. When the equilibrating
mechanism of the organism has been overwhelmed by exaggeration,
collapse  ensues, and problems along the sheng  sequence tend to
become more apparent. We tend to dene each type in terms of the ke triad. For this
reason we see harmonizing the relationships between Earth  and
Water  (Spleen-Kidney ), Wood  and Earth  (Liver-Spleen ), Metal  and
Wood  (Lung-Liver ), Fire and Metal  (Heart-Lung ), and Water  and Fire
(Kidney-Heart ) as essential in reconcilin g conict and regaining
stability. STEPS TO  SOLVING THE  PUZZLE
Solving the puzzle of which type you are involves several steps, but
not necessarily in a predetermined order. After reading the
descriptions of each Phase, pick one that you identify with most
strongly. You can also ip to the ends of the chapters and review the
charts that summarize the mental faculties, emotional qualities,physical features, and problem areas of each type. Once having
decided, look at the pattern of interactions between Phases . Suppose you feel the greates t anity with Fire. Do you also have
strong responses—either positive or negative—with Metal  or Water ? Use this strong response along the ke sequen ce to conrm or cast
doubt on your hypothetical type designation. The triad of Metal-
Wood-Earth  charac terizes the dynamic of the Wood  type, whereas
the triad of Water-Fire-Metal  characterizes the Fire type. Both types
share tension with Metal , so what can help you distinguish between
being a Wood  or Fire type will be evaluating whether there is greater
tension for you with Water  if you are a Fire type or tension with
Earth  if you are a Wood  type. This example emphasizes that in determining what type you are,
it is central to look at the interactions and relationships of the
Phases  within you. So, if you suspect that you are a Metal  type, your
pattern of anities, aversions, symptoms, and emotio nal styles
should reect stronger interactions with Wood  and Fire than with
Earth  and Water .The Ke Relationships
FROM THEORY TO  PRACTICE
Recognizing who you are and how you function within the Five-
Phase  paradig m provides a starting point from which to gain access
to the practical benets that Chinese medicine oers. It is a starting
point from which to acqui re the means to preserve or recoverhealth. Five-Phase  thinking can not only help you evaluate your
personal strengths and weaknesses and forecast future diculties, it
can also guide you in the use of therapies such as acupuncture,
medicinal herb formulas, and food recipes. OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER EIGHT
WOOD
Spring  
 
The water murmurs
In the old stone well,
And, a rippling mirror,
Gives back the clear blue sky. The river roars,
Swollen with the late rains of spring. On the cool, jade-green grass
The golden sunshine Splashes. Sometimes, at early dawn, I climb
Even as far as Lien Shan Temple. In the spring
I plow the thirsty eld,
That it may drink new life. I eat a little,I work a little,
Each day my hair grows thinner,
And, it seems,
I lean ever a bit more heavily
On my old thornwood cane. Liu Tzu-Hui  
Sung dynasty, A.D. 960–1278
 
WOOD IS AS FORC EFUL AND DETERMINED AS THE WIND, AS SUPPLE AS A
spreading aspen stretching into a bright, cloudless sky. Spring, a
time of rebirth, sudden growth, and rapid expansion, marks the
ascendance of this power. Movement surges to the surface, bursting
through the connement of winter. A crescendo of excitement
builds as the life process reawakens. One day the forest appears gray
and lifeless, the next day sunbeams cast warm light upon branches
brimming with buds. This burgeoning of activity stirs tumultuous
feeling. The change is expected yet unpredictable—like the birth of
a child, the precise day or moment remains a mystery;  we know
spring will come but not exactly when. Anticipation fome nts tension
as well as the promise of release. The Liver, whose Qi is akin to the phase of Wood , instigates
movement and arouses the mind by allowing tension and pressure
to build. As spring initiates the rising of sap in the trees, so the Liver
lifts the Blood  and Qi. Alternately gathering and releasing the Blood ,
the Liver modulates the intensity and force of all motion and
process. THE ARCHETYPE FOR  WOOD: THE PIONEER
Metamorphosis is the organiz ing principle for the Pioneer . Driven by
the adventure of penetrating the unknown, she contends with fate,
deliberately battling adversity to tame the wilderness. Adaptive,cunning, and ercely indep endent, she strikes out on her own,
striving constantly to surpass  her limits. Carving a broad expanse in
which movem ent and vision are free and unfettered takes a
multiplicity of forms. Inexorably drawn to travel roads not yet
mapped, she treks wild mountain ridges, explores star-clustered
heavens in an astronaut’s suit, launches a business from scratch, or
embarks upon research in yet unrecognized elds. Infatuated with
what is new, curious about what is untried, she is eager to innovate,
reform, and revolutionize. Action compels the Pioneer . She vanquish es resistance with the
thrust of a warrior’s determination. Like a locomotive that gathers
momentum and speed as it hurtles down the track, the Pioneer  steers
an awesome power. SALLY: EXEMPLAR OF  WOOD
Assertive in forging plans and implementing them, Sally maneuvers
easily and gets things done. Highly motivated, she pursues projects
with outright zeal, shifting  into gear with a strategic  sense of
opportunity. Sally moves with nimble elegance, fully inhabiting her
body. She drives herself hard, works well under pressure, and meets
deadlines. Resourceful and ingenious, she excels at managing
conict and producing solutions. Her strength is not as a visionary,
but as an implementer. Sally takes the ball and runs with it. Once
she sets her goal, she brooks no interference to achieve it. Wielding
power and inuence comes naturally. Sally’s audacity bolsters her inclination to take the risks necessary
to initiate change. She is willing to forfeit comfort, break with
tradition, and endure hardship, perceiving the sacrice of
contentment and convention not as loss, but as liberation from the
constraints of obligation and rules. With certainty and self-
condence, Sally galvanizes others, infusing them with her own
ambition and optimism. With the conviction that her purpose is
worthy, she expects that all obstacles can be overcome.Impatient with sitting still, Sally can be quiet but never
completely relaxed. Comfortable with perpetual motion, she is wary
and alert, like a cougar stalking the forest with muscular grace,
ready to react,  confront, or change course. Her objective is her prey,
which she hunts with craft and passion. It is no strain for Sally to
sublimate other pleasures for the sake of accomplishment. She
thrives within American culture, where ambition, achieve ment, and
single-mindedness are handsomely rewarded. Sally’s conde nce is matched by her commitment. Once she has
decided that she wants to do something, she keeps at it until it is
done, working long and hard if necessary. Once the end is in sight,
she is ready to move on, to meet the next test. Others may have
trouble keeping up with Sally’s pace. After an arduous hike up a
mountain, when the rest of her group is ready to sit and sh by the
creek, Sally is o scaling another peak. She feels most herself
striving, advancing, contending: grappling with a problem, initiating
events, guring out novel strategies, and pitting her competence
against the odds. With a passion for the race, the gamble, and the
victory, she is willing to do anything and risk everything—sink or
swim, do or die. Sally is courageous, assuming tasks and
undertaking courses of action that others would fear or deride. She
prefers being the rst, the best, or just one of a kind. Protective and supportive of her family, Sally prides herself on
being a competent provider. She does not relish hanging out idly at
home, so she keeps busy. Sometimes equating domesticity with
tameness and predictability, she is wary of the constraints that
constant closeness require, like compromising for the sake of others’
needs. She savors being wanted more than being needed. The
dependency of the family can strain her yearning for freedom of
movement and action. Sally’s perspective is that there is “one way, my way, the right
way.” She doesn’t question her own judgment and authority and
resists the idea that someone else may. When Sally’s self-assurance
becomes inated, she stubbornly thrusts her chin and shoulders
forward, assuming a provocative stance. Her momentum snowballs
beyond her capacity for self-control. She keeps pushing when sheshould back o, tightening up when she should relax, barreling
ahead when she should pause and reect. Ignoring considerations
that may cast reasonable doubt upon her choices, she bolts like a
racehorse wearing blinders. Rushing ahead impetuously and
deantly, she becomes accident-prone, tripping over unseen
hazards, a disaster waiting to happen, injuring herself or others
unintentionally. Feeling invincible and unassailable, she indulges
her impulses as if nothing can or should stop her. This insistence
upon following  her own lead contributes to her triumphs and her
defeats. When Sally is in the throes of struggle, the muscles of her neck
and shoulders compress into a vise at the base of her skull, while the
pulsing of blood in her head crests into a throbbing pain in her
temples. Feverish activity inames her eyes, tightens her chest,
strains her lower back, and turns her body odor into the smell of
sour milk. At these times she needs to open the valve on her
pressure cooker and discharge pent-up steam. Sympathetic attempts
to console her are spurned until after she nds release. A hard game
of racqu etball, a erce argument, a solitary workout, or prevailing
over a demand ing piece of music help her to dispel tension, relieve
bottled-up feelings, and soften her disposition. To regulate her internal state so that it doesn’t interfere with her
agenda, Sally nds it expedient to rely on coee to get her going
and alcohol to slow her down. Often in a hurry, she grabs quick
meals on the run, starving herself one day, overeating the next,
continually overcompensatin g for her extremism and appetite for
novelty. Intolerant of limitati on, Sally tends to believe that if a little
is good, more is better—her  impulse is always to go farther. She
dreads boredom and stays occupied with a vengeance. One month
she wakes early and jogs, the next she stays up late and sleeps in. Consistently inconsistent, she pays the price of a careless life-style in
the form of indigestion, pain in her joints and muscles, erratic
energy, and unpredictable moods. When Sally runs out of steam, she becomes indecisive, scattered,
and distracted. Rather than encouraging relaxation, fatigue makes
her feel nervous and uptight. The thought of resting when tiredcontradicts her propensity to push herself. Instead she tries to
reinvigorate herself through stimulation, by working harder,
exercising, or eating sugary, fatty, and spicy foods. This constant
prodding creates more agitation and tension, which makes her feel
hot, dry, and volatile. Too much heat and lack of moisture make
Sally brittle and inexible like an unwatered sapling. Losing softness
and resiliency, she snaps at the slightest provocation, her good
humor abandoned. Irritable and depressed, jittery and exhausted,
she is overtaken by a sullen pessimism. Easily frustrated, she begins
projects that she cannot nish, no longer having the zest for
sustained eort. When no longer buoyed by the feeling of pressure
and intensity that she identi es as the source of her strength and
drive, she feels frightened, humiliated, and disabled, as if her body
has betrayed her. Sally is at her best when the pace of her life keeps her engaged
but not exhaus ted, dened by a clear purpose but not conned to an
inexible program. Permittin g herself to moderate extremism and
accept structur e and discipline helps her to harness her drive. This
optimum functioning reect s the harmony between Wood  (Liver),
Earth  (Spleen ), and Metal  (Lung). Earth  modulates the variability of
Wood , while Metal  subdues and diuses its force. Wood  keeps Earth
from becoming stagnant and inert and Metal  from being vacuous
and stied. Just as the Liver governs movement and pressure by regulating the
ow of Qi, storing and releasing the Blood , Sally develops the power
in her body and psyche by “pumping up” her emotions and uids so
that she is always primed and ready. In generating power to run a
turbine or mill, a river is dammed so the momentum of falling water
channels into smaller and smaller conduits, which increase its
pressure and force. Self-generated pressure and tension supply Sally
with the steam necessary for her to put her projects into motion. Without adequate avenues for channeling this internal force, she can
develop high blood pressure, muscles locked in spasm, and
emotional lability. She needs adequate mechanisms for release as
well as buildup. When the Qi in the Liver is obstructed or depleted,
the Blood  cannot nourish the Heart , eyes, and muscles. This leads toproblems like insomnia or anxiety, photophobia or blurred vision,
cramps or tremors, hypersensitivity, and fatigue. When Sally is
thwarted, she becomes agitated and erratic, loses foresight, and
becomes awkward and uncoordinated. Sally may also experience trouble with her menstrual cycle,
another proce ss characteriz ed by rhythmic buildup and release. Before her period, uid and blood accumulate in Sally’s breasts and
abdomen, making her feel stretched and tender. This uncomfortable
strain against her tissue translates into mental and emotional
urgency in her psyche. Goaded by this oppressive fullness, Sally gets
cantankerous, overwrought, and eruptive, losing her judgment and
perspective. She feels assaulted by noise, yet she herself tends to be
loud and prone to sudden outbursts of tears, peevishness, and
temper. Knotted up and restless, she sleeps poorly, anxiously
anticipating the decompression and relief that accompanies the
onset of her period. Sally lives two personalities, one premenstrual
and the other post-. Her period behind her, she recovers her
composure, once again in charge of herself. Sally has the strength of a tiger. When she handles herself well
she is capable of tremendous work—provoked and unrestrained, she
can wreak havoc. Like the archetype whose nature she shares, she is
a productive dynamo when conditions are right. The urge to get
things moving, make things happen, and voyage onward typies the
Pioneer . HOW WE RECOGNIZE  SALLY AS A WOOD TYPE
At her best, Sally expresses her true nature: she is bold, decisive,
clear, relishing work and performing well under pressu re. On the
other hand, because she is driven by a tendency to overdo,
overperform, and overdirect, what was once a gratifying challenge
can turn the corner into an aggravating distress. It is then dicult
for her to retreat and recover a hedonic state. Boldness can become
aggressive and hostile, decisiveness can become impulsive and
unyielding, and clarity can escalate into fanatical adherence.Sally can become a tyrant. When Wood  is unbridled, it can run
wild, inicting emotional and physical trauma. When Sally’s desire
to remain even-tempered is confounded, her muscles swell and
tighten, and her focus of attention narrows. This restricts her
capacity for sustained arousal and appropriate release, making her
feel shackled and compressed. Exaggerated , inated, or “bound” Liver Qi expresses itself by a
propensity toward tension headaches; a drive to discharge pent-up
energy in noisy, emotional outbursts; nervous, erratic behavior like
eating on the run and inconsistent exercise; intolerance, indulgence,
obstinence, strong body odor, a compulsion to work, and the need
for sedatives to slow down. Collapsed , deated, or “exhausted” Liver Qi is characterized by
irritability, indecisiveness, a sensitivity to noise, a loss of judgment
and perspective, a need for stimulants, and feeling overwrought,
overwhelmed, uptight, and tired. These reactions are linked to the
deciency  and stagnation of Liver Qi and Blood . In periods of
deciency  or excess , the Liver is unable to maintain the equanimity of
the mind and emotions. In Sally, as in us all, her true nature coexists
with states of exaggeration  and collapse . THE EVOLUTION OF  DISTORTED  PATTERNS OF  WOOD
Understanding the interdependent dynamic between Wood-Earth
(Liver-Spleen ) and Wood-Metal  (Liver-Lung ) gives us insight into
people like Sally. When the relationship between these forces and
functions is disturbed, distortions evolve in predictable  patterns. Corresponding to the arousin g power of Wood  in nature, the Liver
awakens, mobilizes, and coordinates human process. Sally’s
diculties mirror aberrant activity of the Liver.The Liver activates the process of digestion and assimilation and
by regulating the ow (volume and pressure) of Blood , helps the
Spleen  disseminate nutrition. The Blood , enriched by the Nutritive
Essence  of the Spleen , is stored and released by the Liver. Together
the Spleen  and Liver distribute nutrients and Blood . Together, the Lung and Liver govern the circulation of Qi. The
Liver’s capac ity to elevate, accelerate, and expand is matched by the
Lung’s abilit y to descend, retard, and constrict. The even, rhythmic
pulsation of the diaphragm, digestive tube, heart, and blood vessels
is governed by this interaction. The Liver restrains the Spleen , and the Lung restrains the Liver. When the Liver becomes overly strong, it oppresses the Spleen  and
antagonizes the Lung. Unbridled Liver Qi interrupts the smooth
upward and downward movement of Spleen  and Stomach Qi,
upsetting digestion. This results in erratic appetite, irregular
elimination, heartburn, gas, and spasmodic pain of the stomach and
intestines. Volatile Liver Qi rushes  up against the descending Lung
Qi, jamming movement in the throat, chest, and diaphragm. This
results in tightness of the larynx and esophagus, pain between the
ribs, and shallow breathing or wheezing. When Liver Qi is exhausted, movement, excitation, and pulsation
dwindle. Spleen Qi  sinks and stagnates. Lung Qi  tightens and shrinks. Without the mobilizing force of the Liver, the Moisture  of the Spleen
collects, turning into edema, and the Moisture  of the Lung congealsand turns into phlegm. The muscles become heavy and sti,
circulation becomes sluggish, and Cold and Wind  penetrate easily,
leading to aches and pains of the joints and tendons. In the psyche, a distorted Liver-Spleen  relationship engenders
conict around  the need for change and stability, adventure and
continuity, hyperactivity and inertia, and between impulsiveness
and indecisiveness. Dissonance between Liver-Lung  foments a
struggle between expressiveness and self-restraint, fervor and
indierence, spontaneity and reserve, chaos and order. Because she’s a Wood  type, Sally is predisposed to unbridled Liver
Qi, which generates excess pressure and tension to produce
hyperactivity, heat, spasm, and volatility. Eventually overwork, lack
of proper nutrition, and prolonged emotional intensity deplete Blood
and Moisture , leaving Sally reactive, dry, fatigued, restless, sullen,
and depressed, especially before her period. The therapeutic strategy needed to assist Sally in recovering her
equilibrium includes relieving pressure, dispelling Heat, relaxing
spasm, and replenishing Blood  and Moisture . Exercise that includes
stretching and softening muscles will relieve pressure and spasm
and equalize circulation between her extremities, chest, and
abdomen. This cools her head while warming her hands and feet. Appropriate herbs and foods will nourish Blood , restore Moisture ,
encourage circulation, and dispel Heat and Wind . Acupuncture will
foster the ecient function of her internal organs by modulating the
movement of Qi and Blood , quieting her mind, and tempering her
mercurial moods. Sally tends to use up all her available energy and to rest only
when she is exhausted, rather than sustain adequate reserves. Her
pacing and timing are critical—activity and work need to be
balanced by adequate leisure , and she must learn to be comfortable
with the feeling of energy without experiencing a compulsion to
expend it immediately. WOOD: Liver  PatternsHarmonic
Collapsed
Exaggerated
Harmonic  and Dissonant Patterns
In the harmonic Liver  pattern, the Kidney  and Heart  maintain stability
while the Spleen  and Lung provide the tension necessary for
movement and adaptation. In the exaggerated Liver pattern, the
Kidney  and Heart  become hyperactive, and the Spleen  and Lung
become hypersensitive and erratic. In the collapsed  pattern, the
Kidney  and Heart  become drained and weakened while the Spleen
and Lung become overbearing and congested. Whereas Sally is a composite sketch of a Wood  type, acting out
exaggerated  and collapsed  scenarios, Dan is a real patient who sought
help for a very particular problem. Dan ts the Wood  pattern
because his talents and style of operating as well as the problems he
experiences under duress correspond to the mode of action and the
character of the Liver Network . Like Sally, he has the strengths and
weaknesses of Wood . DAN: HOW COME I’M NOT BETTER YESTERDAY? Dan marches into the clinic as if he owns the place. Dropping his
coat and briefcase on a chair, he spreads out onto the couch. By
bellowing that he’s arrived, he commands immediate and total
attention. Dan complains of needing to eat every few hours to avoid feeling
weak, dizzy, and congested in his chest and throat. This congestion
obstructs his free access to air, provoking anxiety, which then
triggers rapid breathing and feeling faint, hot, and nauseated. His
physician has told him that he has hypoglycemia and food allergies. Dan declares, “I’ve been all over the place and done all the tests. I’m
fed up with not getting results. I hear you’re good, and I want you to
cure me. Which room do you want me in? I have another
appointment in an hour.”As Dan lies down on the treatment table, he says, “I’m thirty-ve,
I’ve lived in numerous cities, and started many businesses. Six years
ago I could run all day, go without a meal until dinner, and work all
night. Now I not only have to sleep, but I have to get up in the
middle of the night for a snack. If I wait too long, I wake up with a
headache poun ding in my temples. This thing is interfering with my
freedom. I can’t just go to any restaurant because if I eat the wrong
foods, my chest tightens up and my head gets stuy. I’ve had to
forgo even an occasional drink over business. Fix me. By the way,
there’s one other little problem. Sometimes I can’t get it up, and
when I do, boom it’s over. I never used to have any trouble in that
department.”
Dan’s body is well proporti oned and muscular. He points to a
midri bulge that is another  recent acquisition, which he attributes
to his craving for the abunda nt carbohydrates that keep him going. He has been told to eat a lot of protein, but beef often causes
allergic reactions. TREATMENT
Dan’s tongue is enlarged and pale with greasy yellowish-white fur
and a red line that goes from the tip along both edges. His face and
neck are slightly ushed. His pulse is quick and taut, as well as
weak and soft in the positions that correspond to the Spleen  and
Kidney . Dan begins to look anxious and fearful of the acupuncture
needles and wants to know how long this treatment will take. In
response to his temerity, I choose three points: between the thumb
and forenger on the Large Intestine  meridi an; between the rst and
second toe on the Liver meridian; and above the inside ankle on the
Spleen  meridi an. Dan feels every needle strongly, even with mild
stimulation. Slight perspirati on forms on his upper lip, palms, and
feet. Within ten minutes after the needles are in place, Dan falls into a
deep sleep with slow, regula r breathing and a serene expression on
his face. After twenty minut es the needles are removed, and Dancomments that he feels mellow but a bit uneasy being so relaxed
since he’s accustomed to operating at a fast pace. He gets back into his tie, jacket, and shoes without rushing,
announcing, “I feel great. So is this it, or do I need more treatment?”
I let Dan know this is the beginning of an ongoing process that
requires more acupuncture, herbs, and a modication of his diet. Total reliance on convenient carbohydrates like bread and pasta for
quick energy must be replace d by more complex carbohydrates like
rice, protein-rich legumes, and fat-free animal foods that will
generate and sustain energy without creating stagnation. High-ber
foods, both raw and cooked, will help to disperse Qi by stimulating
intestinal activity; steamed and boiled foods will help to disperse
phlegm and at the same time moisturize and eliminate Heat Dan
needs to avoid greasy, spicy, and creamy foods, which tend to create
congestion of Qi and Moisture  and accumulation of Heat and phlegm. Since he has lost the ability to regulate his own metabo lism, his
body requires reeducation. Success will depend on modifying his
diet, work style, and sleep pattern, as well as receiving acupuncture
and herbal treatments. Acupuncture enables Dan to experience how
it feels to function eectively without always being in “overdrive.”
He agrees to try this approach for a while and leaves the clinic with
herbs that disperse Qi and Moisture  and tonify the Spleen . He takes
these herbs before eating to improve his assimilation, help him last
longer between meals, and lessen his allergic reactio ns. In the
morning and evening he takes a constitutional formula that
harmonizes the Liver and Spleen . This relaxes the Liver, activates the
Spleen , eliminates Heat and Wind , and both nurtures and distributes
Qi and Blood . INTERPRETATION AND  STRATEGY
Erratic intensity and hyperfunction characterize Dan. He has been in
overdrive for so long that he cannot slow down without feeling
unnatural, even threatened. He becomes bound up and volatile
without the constant opportunity for discharging his nervousness.This exaggerated Liver pattern oppresses the Spleen , resulting in an
inability to accumulate reserves, demonstrated by his major
complaint—the inability to endure too long without eating. The dynamic of the Liver dominating and overstimulating the
Stomach  and Spleen  causes Nutritive Qi to be utilized immediately
without the appropriate diversion of some of this into stored
reserves. The Liver should be able to store resources in the form of
Blood , but when it becomes hyperactive it drains its own resevoir
and the Kidney ’s as well. Since Water  nurtures Wood , this is a case
of the rebellious child (Liver) making inordinate demand s upon its
mother (Kidney ). That’s why impotence and premature ejaculation
have become a problem. The words quick  and short-lived  characterize a lot of Dan’s history. He has pursued many life-styles and careers without sustaining any
vocation long enough to build a secure base that would provide
continuity and foundation. Dan has become unbounded and
ungrounded by his insatiable appetite for change and challenge. It is important to gain Dan’s trust and cooperation so that he can
direct some of his drive into reorganizing his existence , throwing
himself into the project of healing himself with the enthusiasm he
has for starting a new business. The Wood  type recoils at the
prospect of following orders or adopting someone else’s agenda. Dan
needs to know that he is in charge and that there are choices. He
doesn’t want to be pushed. He’d like to rely on the acupuncture to do his work for him, but as
he begins to feel better, he is willing to be more aware of the
consequences of his own behavior. He then has the choice to use
himself diere ntly. Dan must come to this realization through his
own experience rather than on the faith of another’s authority. Acupuncture softens Dan’s temperament so that he can experience a
more serene self. The dynamic between Earth  and Wood , Spleen  and Liver, organizes
the production and distribution of Nutritive Qi and Blood , the
buildup and breakdown of energy and tissue. Dispersing the
stagnant Qi and Heat from the Liver while dispersing the stagnant
Moisture  and Qi from the Spleen  will improve the interactionbetween the Liver and Spleen . Treatments lessen Dan’s excessive
hunger, steady his erratic energy and moods, and begin to generate
a surplu s of Qi, which will strengthen the Kidney  and restore his
agging reserves. The dynamic between Metal  and Wood , Lung and Liver, organizes
rhythm and ow. Dispersing the stagnant Qi (phlegm) of the Lung
while moistur izing the Lung and Liver will restore their proper
relationship. Treatment relieves Dan’s symptoms of dicult
breathing and mucus congestion and helps him to become
comfortable with limits by stabilizing his energy so that he is less
anxious about having too much or too little. He can be full of energy
without being  full of tensio n or agitation. The main dierences
between the Liver-Spleen  and Liver-Lung patterns are the
predominance of digestive disturbance in the former and
dysfunctional elimination or discharge in the latter. In either,
exaggerated Liver Qi interferes with the smooth functioning of
peristalsis and respiration, both of which depend on the harmonious
interaction of contraction (Metal ) and expansion (Wood ). Dan’s case
typies a primary Wood-Earth  conict and a secondary Wood-Metal
conict. Resolving the conicts between Liver-Spleen  and Liver-Lung  helps
Dan with his problems. Within four months of his rst visit, Dan has
regained contr ol of his eatin g problem—he has three regular meals
a day and sleeps through the night. Although he needs a snack if he
has been working hard, he no longer has the same desperation
about it. Some congestion persists, but without the former anxiety
about or diculty in breathi ng. Because he feels more in control of
his life, he is more patient, less nervous, and more optim istic. With
more consistent energy throughout the day and the return of his
sexual stamina, Dan feels that treatment is working for him. (see larger image)(see larger image)(see larger image)
SO, YOU THINK YOU’RE A WOOD TYPE
KEYS TO  UNDERSTANDING  WOOD
• seeks challenge and pushes to the limit• enjoys and does well under pressure
• admires speed, novelty, and skill
• loves action, movement, and adventure
• likes to be rst, best, and only
TYPICAL  PROBLEMS
• intolerance and impatience
• volatile emotions
• extremism: impulsive or overdisciplined self-indulgen t or self-
punishing
• vascular headaches, muscle spasms, high blood pressure, nerve
inammations, migratory pain
• abuse of stimulants and sedatives
CRITICAL  TIMES
• exaggerated Wood—Liver  congestion: spring and late summer, 11
P.M.–3 A.M. and 7 A.M.–11 A.M.
• collapsed Wood—Liver  depletion: summer and fall, 11 A.M.–3 P.M.
and 3 A.M.–7 A.M.
A FRIENDLY  REMINDER
The power of Wood  comes from the capacity to rapidly expand and
build up pressu re. Wood  types need to modulate their intensity and
stay exible, to be able to retreat and yield as well as surge forward
and be undaunted. OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER NINE
FIRE
Do you not see That you and I
Are as the branches of one tree? With your rejoicing
Comes my laughter;
With your sadness
Start my tears
Love,
Could life be otherwise With you and me? Tsu Yeh  
Tsin dynasty, A.D. 265–316
 
FIRE IS DAZZLING, EVANESCENT, TREM BLING, EXCITING, AND ALL-embracing
embracing. Summer, the time when plants and creatures develop to
their fullest potential, marks  the ascendance of the power of Fire. Summer conju res up a sense of splendor and fulllment as we
stretch to the limits of our capacity. A brilliant sun climbs to its
zenith over full-bloom magnolias amidst the hum of bees buzzing. Insummer, Yang is dominant—light, warmth, activity, and interaction
are at a peak. Fire, like summer, is expansive, radiant, outgoing, and
warm. As the sun accelerates  the life streams of the earth, the Heart
squeezes the living juices of the blood through the vessels, imbuing
the body with mindfulness. The Heart  and Kidney  are like two ends of a rainbow, distinct and
unfathomable, drawing between them the multicolored luminous
ribbon of our being, a dimension bounded on one end by Water  and
on the other by Fire. Fire represents the universal and enveloping
space into which we grow and expand. As Water  determines our
longevity, Fire determines our breadth and scope. Water  is seed and
root, Fire is ower and fruit.
_OceanofPDF.com_Between_Heaven_and_Earth_-_Harriet_Beinfield.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The
Pioneer  is action-oriented, whereas the Philosopher, who
characterizes Water, is preoccupied with seeking  truth and exploring
the hidden mysteries through the medium of his own imaginative
mind. The Peacemaker, stable, centered, and relaxed, personies
Earth, drawn  toward being a mediator in the service of harmony and
unity. The Wizard, embodying Fire, is magnetic and exciting,
inspiring faith that dreams can be realized and desires fullled. The
Alchemist, who personies Metal, observes, studies, and analyzes
phenomena to extract fundamental laws and principles in the
service of a universal order. The rocks in the river can shift, redirecting the water’s  course,
altering the shape of the riverbanks, but inexorably the river,
twisting and turning, follows the gravitational pull from the
mountains to the sea. In that sense the river, like our identity, does
not change its fundamental direction of ow. How we live out our
lives may shift and vary, but the primacy of one Phase  as our
organizing force remains; we change, but our type does not. One
Phase  fashions the context within which we evolve and acts as our
primary frame of reference, guiding our instincts and how we live
them. Knowing whether the power  of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water
is preeminent sheds light on the goals we set, the risks we take, the
competence we manifest, the postures we adopt toward people and
projects, the expectations we have, the things that most threaten us,
and the satisfactions from which we derive the greatest rewards. Our pattern also explains the otherwise mysterious conguration of
our particular symptoms, why our stress manifests as sinus
congestion, our friend’s as ts of irritability with neck tension, andour child’s as lethargy and a stomachache. It reveals under what
circumstances we feel conic t and why we prefer certain solutions,
where there is resistance and bound-up energy and where there is
collapse and emptiness. Whic h of our talents and facultie s are most
developed and which remain stunted and neglected. In what
context do we ourish, and in what context do we suer,
experiencing frustration and disappointment. For example, Wood  does well under the intense competitive
pressure that upsets Earth  and paralyzes Water. Water  prefers to
have time to think things through, and Earth  feels most comfortable
when people are working together cheerfully. So Wood  thrives on
the challenge and fast pace that threatens Water  and Earth. Metal
appreciates the same order that can hastily be cast aside by the
impulsiveness of Wood  and the excita bility of Fire. Earth  can be hurt
and discourage d in attempts to be warm and friendly with Metal  and
Water  types who remain detached and withdrawn. Yet Earth  may
also be just the animated, imposing social force these types need to
be included in events that would otherwise pass them by. We gravitate toward an environment that suits our character;
similarly, it’s easiest to develop in areas where we have natural
talent. Maslow’s phrase “When the only tool you have is a hammer,
you treat everything as if it were a nail” describes typica l xations
of character. For Wood  it is easy to interpret any circumstance as
requiring audacious action. Fire might perceive gratication  as the
end goal of any situation. Metal  adheres to rules and protocols even
when these have become a hindrance. Water  may prefer to cogitate,
perhaps losing the opportuni ty to realize or fulll those visions. And
Earth  may be so concerned with establishing balance and harmony
that the dynamic tension essential for movement and change is
neutralized. The Five Phases, corresponding to the ve seasons, can be
portrayed as ve people. Composite characters for each Phase—
Sally, Hector, Dorothy, Louis, and Kate—act out each archetypal
destiny. Since our English language is gender specic, each type is
alternately male and female. Yet the qualities and charac teristics of
each type appear in male and female alike. The distinguishingfeatures of each of the Organ Networks  are embodied in each of the
ve character types. Although one Phase predominates as our organizing force, we
exist as a complex amalgam of all the Phases  in continuous interplay
—so all Five Phases  exist within every person. Like our DNA, the
pattern of these relationships is the tao of our individualized
process, the template that molds our internal and external
behavior. 7 When action is demanded, our Wood  kicks into gear. When it is time to take pleasu re in the achievement of our goals, the
Fire aspect takes charge. When we let go of old habits and values to
prepare for a new stage of our life, the power of Metal  enables us to
sigh deeply and release. When our labors demand that we stop, rest,
take stock of what we have done, and rededicate ourselves to a fresh
purpose, our Water  aspect gives us the renewed vitality and will to
carry on. When the vicissitudes of our lives threaten to overturn or
deect us from our path, our Earth  aspect returns us to an even keel. TYPOLOGY  IS NOT EQUIVALENT TO  PATHOLOGY
Our patterns of disease and health both correspond to the Phase  that
typies us. That is why the Five-Phase  system can be used to
simultaneously examine not only the process of sicknes s, but also
the process of health. Pathology and ontogeny are both expressions
of our instrinsic self-or ganizing process–one undermining,
fragmenting, overwhelming, devolving, and the other arming,
integrating, enlivening, and evolving. One way of applying Five-Phase Theory  has been simply to equate
pathology with typology—ailments alone are then the basis of
typing. Within this reasoning, the Organ Network  in which you have
the most symptoms becomes synonymous with your type. For
example, if your symptoms are puy eyes, backache, chilly hands
and feet, and paralysis of motivation, all these problems are
associated with the Kidney Network, so you are considered a Water
type. However, the Phase  corresp onding to the greatest number of
our symptoms is not necessarily the one that organizes us. Symptoms often appear not only in our primary Phase, but in those
in conict with or being dominated by it. Each Phase and Organ Network  is like a political leader who can
be benevolent and socially responsible or greedy and self-
aggrandizing: each one can serve the greater good of the body as a
whole or its own narrower self-interest. 8 We can think of the body
as a political entity in which each Network  functions like a
Department of State. The Liver is like a strate gic minister of defense,
the Heart  the royal monarch, the Spleen  a minister of agriculture and
trade, the Lung a minister of justice and secretary of state, and the
Kidney  a minister of interior and natural resources. Each of these has
a political role to play in serving the state of the organis m, as well
as an individual need for maintaining its own existence. Each primary Phase  can subjugate or inhibit parts of ourselves
that are less developed. Our core Phase  can be a bully, injuring other
Phases  by its domin ation. Or it can become weak, neglecting to
provide the leadership we rely upon for direction and guidance, and
in turn be encroached upon by the Phase  that controls it. We can be
thwarted as well as served by our core Phase. The Phases  that restrain or are restrain ed by our primary Phase
are the ones likely to manifest the gross distortions of our structure
and character. Often our most obvious and dramatic symptoms are
located in the two Phases  along the control or ke sequence. For example, for an Earth  type, disturbances are likely to show up
in Water  (restrained by Earth ) and in Wood  (which restrains Earth ). Exaggerated Earth  oppresses Water  and antagonizes Wood. When the
Spleen  is dominant, Dampness  and the stagnation that occurs with it
inhibit the function of the Kidney  and Liver. An Earth  type might
experience a sore lower back, swollen ankles, and premenstrual
water retention, all indicatio ns of Kidney  disturb ances, along with
fullness in the head and pressure behind the eyes, which reect Liver
disturbance. When Dampness  in the Spleen  hampers the capacity of
the Liver to make decisions and initiate action, a person feels
obsessed with small changes  and decisions and reluctant to commit
to big decisions and their consequences. The eect on the Kidney  is
to create an unsettling feeling of doubt and insecurity, as if one’ssource or identity is never rmly grasped. Thus the characteristic
aability and gregariousness  of the Earth  type may be hemmed in
by an undercurrent of irritability and vulnerability. When diculty or trauma distort our true nature, disharmony
manifests as aberrations of character, disturbances of physiologic
function, and deformations of physical structure. This means that
the behavior of an exaggerated Organ Network  has overwhelmed and
oppressed others or that it has collapsed, its force dissipated,
creating an unstable vacuum. Signs of conict are likely  to appear
along the ke sequence in exaggerated  patterns and within the
predominant Organ Network  and its “moth er” and “child” along the
sheng  sequence in collapsed  patterns. If the predomin ant Organ
Network  is exaggerated, it needs to be subdued; if it is collapsed, it
needs to be nourished. Exaggerated  and collapsed  pattern s can and
often do coexist, as do excess  and deciency, Heat and Cold. Harmony is restored when appropriate therapeutic measures of
tonifying or purging, consolidating or dispersing, restore stability by
easing conict and correcting  inequities. The strategy of caring only
for the leader is not enough when the followers are in distress, nor
is aiding the followers enough to guarantee the prudent behavior of
the leader. Both must be supported or limited according to their
need and their role. When our motion is disturbed by external forces or internal
upheaval, our path becomes crooked and our movement wobbly. Allied with our organizing force, we navigate smoothly  along our
path, our inner gyroscope unperturbed. Spinning freely, we feel
aligned, at home in our body and right with the world. This
comfortable sense of t and freedom is what we recognize as health. Five Phases within Each PhasePowers of the Five Archetypes(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Power of the Five Archetypes
Distortions of Five Powers(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Distortions of Five Powers
Five Types: Anities and Aversions
Anities: Desires and Values(see larger image)
Aversions: Fears and Diculties(see larger image)  
Click  to download a PDF of Five Types: Anities and Aversions
Five Types: Challenges, Contradictions, Knots
Earth :
Being at the still point—feeling stuck
Wanting to be full—feeling weighted down, overstued, and
overwhelmed
Seeking emptiness—fearing that there is nothing at the core
Desiring change—wanting things to stay the same
Wanting to be needed—wary of being absorbed, losing the self
Water :
Yearns for truth—fears exposureYearns for connection—intolerant of contact
Likes to be squeezed—scared of being squashed
Wants to penetrate inside—detests being absorbed
Enjoys being left alone—dreads being abandoned
Wood :
Wants to be in charge—misses the companionship of equals
Yearns to do, to act—subject to uncontrollable impulse
Makes rules—likes to break them
Demands freedom—needs to struggle
Feels invincible—fears vulnerability and loss of control
Fire:
Desires contact, intimacy—needs solitude
Loves sensatio n and feeling—fears being overwhelmed by
intensity
Loves to say yes—can’t say no
Yearns for fusion—dreads dissolution
Lives in the moment—dreads the future
Metal :
Wants relationship—needs distance
Knows what is right—accepts what is safe
Aspires toward beauty—settles for utility
Wants joy—fears spontaneityLikes creativity, ingenuity—intolerant of disorder, dissonance
SELF-ASSESSMENT  QUESTIONNAIRE
The following questionnaire is designed to help you map how the
Five Phases  act and interact within you. The letters (. –E) at the end
of each statement refer to each of the Five Phases. Mark the space at
the beginning of each statement according to the strength of your
response. If it strongly typies you, place a “3” in the space; if it
characterizes you somewhat, put a “1”; if you feel ambivalent or
indierent toward it, put a “0. ” If you have a denite negative
response (“I’m not at all like this. ”), put a “–2. ”
When you are nished, total up the number of positive (+) and
negative (–) responses for each section according to the letter code:
total score for “A,” “B,” and so on. Do this before you look at the
code key so that you are not biased in your responses. Record the
number of positive and negative responses on the Five-Phase
diagram at the end of the questionnaire to plot your particular
patterns. Look at the Phases  with the highest positive scores and see
whether they are opposite or adjacent to each other: Wood  and Fire
and Earth  are adjacent, whereas Wood  and Metal, Fire and Water, are
opposite. Adjacent Phases  with high scores reect a strong
supporting (“sheng sequence”) relationship. Opposite Phases  with
high scores reect a strong conicting (“fee sequence”) relationship. Negative scores also suggest conict with an opposing Phase. In this
context, conict is not necessarily good or bad—it represents the
potential for movement and change as well as instability. If all the scores on the diagram look pretty much the same—that
is, if they dier by a value of only 1–3, you may need to go back to
the questionnaire, review your responses, and eliminate those that
are only a “+1. ” This will help to accentuate the numerical contrast
between Phases. If there are still no signicant dierences, refer to
the charts at the end of each chapter on the ve types to determinethe set of characteristics with which you identify most strongly. How do these reactions compare with your responses to the
questionnaire. Also, answer the questions at the end of the
questionnaire and see if you can classify your answers as belonging
more to one Phase than another. Whether or not the pattern that emerges now reects your
primary type is a question that you may need to answer upon
further consideration. Eventually a pattern will reveal itself so that
you feel you have a sense of who you are within this paradigm. PSYCHOLOGICAL
It is typical of me (+) or unlike me (–) to:
___ be honest, even blunt, though not necessarily tactful or
diplomatic A
___ be cautious and sensible A
___ enjoy frequent periods of solitude and introspection A
___ enjoy indulging my imagination and curiosity A
___ keep my feelings, thoughts, and opinions to myself A
___ be content being anonymous or on the periphery of social events
A
___ be considered unusual or eccentric A
___ be involved in intellectual pursuits A
___ be content with a few good friends and minimal social activities
A
___ be content guring things out for myself A
___ be careful about what I reveal to other people A
___ be a stubborn defender of the truth as I see it A
___ be patient and persevering in spite of defeats or dead ends A
___ be objective and dispassionate A___ feel self-sucient in or out of a relationship A
___ choose privacy over intimacy, solitude over socializing A
___ be critical and skeptical while observing people and events from
a distance A
___ pursue my own interests regardless of what others consider
important A
___ enjoy projects that don’t involve other people A
___ remove myself from every day aairs and turn inward to quietly
reect upon the place of my life in the grand scheme of things A
___ feel condent and act assertively B
___ enjoy being competitive and ambitious B
___ feel powerful and invulnerable B
___ reluctantly acknowledge other people as my equals B
___ openly discuss my abilities and achievements with others B
___ be comfortable with conict or pressure B
___ enjoy being rst, best, unique, or even outlandish B
___ act with condence and assurance regardless of what others may
think or feel B
___ make quick decisions and commit myself to a course  of action
even if the odds are not in my favor B
___ be comforta ble with dicult tasks or emergencies that demand
“thinking on my feet” B
___ feel that I’m right even if others strongly disagree with or
disapprove of me B
___ feel good about follow ing my instincts and satisfying my
impulses B
___ be direct or provocati ve even if it causes discomfort or
embarrassment to others B
___ take pleasure in public recognition and admiration of my talents
and achievements B
___ be comfortable leading or directing others B___ follow my own hunches about what is right or wrong B
___ to take the lead when it is necessary to get things done quickly
and eectively B
___ act boldly and decisively even if I don’t have all the expertise or
information that I need B
___ enjoy the process of striving against the odds for its own sake B
___ to want to reject or argue with other people’s appraisals of me B
___ be animated and enthusiastic C
___ enjoy the pleasure of my senses C
___ easily know what another thinks and feels C
___ enjoy physical contact and emotional intimacy C
___ be comfortable in a very stimulating environment C
___ openly share my innermost feelings and desires C
___ live in the here and now and not worry about the future or dwell
on the past C
___ see the humorous side of life C
___ thoroughly enjoy getting what I want and need C
___ be tender, intimate, and vulnerable with another person C
___ be comfortable receiving and showing aection and pleasure C
___ enjoy being moved emotionally C
___ easily become complete ly involved in the events going on
around me C
___ become deeply identied with the feelings, thoughts, and
experiences of another C
___ be emotionally sensitive, responsive, and intuitive C
___ remain optimistic and hopeful in spite of what others may say or
believe C
___ be completely open and exposed C
___ identify and empathize with another’s joy or pain C___ be unabashed in showing enthusiasm and excitement C
___ enjoy being attractive and magnetic C
___ be nurturing and supportive D
___ put the needs of others before my own D
___ enjoy frequent socializing with friends and family D
___ care for others and try to satisfy their needs D
___ enjoy being relied upon for reassurance and help D
___ enjoy being the hub of my social and family network D
___ be agreeable and accommodating D
___ enjoy settling disputes so that all parties are satised D
___ help people work together in a harmonious manner D
___ create a relaxed and comfortable environment in which very
dierent people can enjoy being together D
___ be loyal and accessible to the people who are my friends,
relations, or in some important way involved in my life and work
D
___ get involved in other people’s lives D
___ enjoy maintaining many diverse, even conicting, relationships
D
___ be diplomatic and tactful D
___ rely on the skill and intelligence of others D
___ accept other people’s characterizations of who I am D
___ enjoy just being in the company of other people D
___ sympathize with the circumstances of others D
___ nd ways to resolve conict and bring about agreement D
___ get close enough to need another person D
___ be comfortable and sociable with people I don’t know well D
___ maintain a neat and orderly personal life-style E___ enjoy a convivial but undemanding social life E
___ be in control of my environment and the way I do things E
___ be strongly committed to my moral principles and standards of
conduct E
___ feel secure and condent in my work when I know that everyone
is following proper procedures E
___ enjoy tasks that require logical, analytical, and systematic
approaches to problem-solving E
___ appreciate being thought of as meticulous and discriminating E
___ think of myself as being impeccable and above reproach E
___ be self-contained and not overly involved in other people’s
aairs E
___ work easily and eciently in situations where goals and
guidelines are well dened E
___ be apprecia ted or admired for my skill and expertise rather than
my personality or emotional enthusiasm E
___ be judged or evaluated according to objective criteria rather than
personal biases or intuitions E
___ accept the authority of those with more competence E
___ be systematic and methodical in my work E
___ enjoy the process of solving puzzles and mysteries E
___ be content with few close attachments or demanding
relationships E
___ put virtue and principles before pleasure and fulllment E
___ restrain myself in expressing my feelings or opinions E
___ enjoy temperance and moderation E
___ be tasteful and discriminating E
PHYSIOLOGICALI am frequently (+) or rarely (–) bothered by:
___ lack of semen or other sexual secretions A
___ infertility, impotence, or lack of libido A
___ depression or weariness following sex A
___ diminished recall of recent information or events A
___ diminished acuity of vision or hearing A
___ swelling or pain at the inner corners of the eyes A
___ pain in the arches, heels, or soles of the feet A
___ hypersensitive vision and hearing A
___ stiness or aching of joints or spine A
___ unusual or painful bony protuberances A
___ frequent, slow, or suppressed urination A
___ incontinence of semen, urine, or stool A
___ loss of pubic or head hair A
___ pimples on the chin or between the nose and the upper lip A
___ fatigue or listlessness following prolonged mental eort A
___ stiness or pain when bending over or standing up A
___ dark brown, purple, or black circles around the eyes A
___ aching in the bones from fatigue, standing, or overwork A
___ tenderness and hardness of prostate, testes, ovaries, or cervix A
___ diminished acuity of vision or hearing A
___ pain at the temples, sides, back, or top of the head B
___ vertigo and nausea B
___ sudden blurring of vision or ringing in the ears B
___ dry eyes B
___ headache, earache, or eye ache from exposure to wind B
___ diculty swallowing or tightness of the throat B___ sharp pain in the eyes, ears, nose, or throat, especially during the
night B
___ a feeling of fullness or soreness beneath the ribs B
___ sudden sharp or sticking pains in the breasts, between the ribs,
in the armpits, or in any of the internal or genital organs B
___ frequent sensitivity to bright light or loud noise B
___ split, hardened, or thickened nails B
___ oily skin, especially of the face, nose, and scalp B
___ frequent tension in the neck and across the shoulders B
___ premenstrual grouchiness and depression B
___ irritability following sex B
___ excessive libido or frequent, uncomfortable sexual arousal B
___ boils or painful nodes in the armpits or groin B
___ severe cramps at the start of menstruation B
___ cramping or twitching of the muscles in the eyes, face, ears,
calves, or feet B
___ eyes that tear a lot B
___ excessive perspiration C
___ being ushed or overheated C
___ craving or thirst for cold liquids and foods C
___ rapid or irregular heartbeat C
___ sores in the mouth or on the tongue C
___ burning sensation in the mouth, urethra, rectum, or vagina C
___ easy or uncontrollable excitability C
___ feeling faint, dizzy, or disoriented when startled or excited C
___ diminished long-term memory C
___ stuttering or talking too fast C
___ nervous giggling or talkativeness C
___ premature ejaculation or orgasm C___ insomnia when anxious or excited C
___ anxiety or dread at dusk C
___ disturbing or very vivid dreams C
___ awakening anxious or with a racing heart C
___ blushing when startled, nervous, or upset C
___ dry, red, itchy rashes or eczema, especially in the hollow of the
elbows, behind the knees, or on the palms or soles of the feet C
___ distorted perceptions or mental images C
___ inammatio n of the blood vessels, tongue, outer ears, or corners
of the eyes C
___ rapid weight gain and diculty losing weight D
___ obsessive desire for or avoidance of food D
___ frequent bloating of the abdomen, especially in the evening D
___ eshy and tender muscles especially of the upper arms and
thighs D
___ weakness of the neck, wrists, ankles, and low back D
___ inamed eyelids that tend to stick together D
___ frequent cravings for sweet, glutinous, starchy foods D
___ swollen, sore, or bleeding gums D
___ misshapen nails that tear easily D
___ cuticles that erode or become inamed easily D
___ swollen muscles and joints D
___ generalized puness or edema D
___ easy or frequent bruising D
___ feeling full, heavy, and lethargic D
___ feeling dry but not thirsty D
___ lack of stamina D
___ premenstrual lethargy, bloating, and water retention D___ pimples on the scalp, eyelids (sties), nose, or around the mouth
D
___ headaches from prolonged thinking, excessive worrying, conict,
or disappointment D
___ prolapse of the veins in the rectum (hemorrhoids) or legs
(varicosities) D
___ dryness of the nose, throat, skin, or hair E
___ dry, scaly pimples, especi ally on the cheeks, beside the nose, or
on the upper back E
___ lack of perspiration even when hot E
___ itching from dryness E
___ scanty urine E
___ lack of mucus secretions E
___ many enlarged or hard lymph nodes, especially along the sides
of the neck or under the jaw E
___ large pores on the face, nose, and upper back E
___ many moles or warts E
___ frequent sneezing or coughing due to changes in air temperature
or moisture E
___ wrinkling or shrinking of the skin or mucous membranes E
___ skin that feels tight or cracks easily E
___ congestion of the nose, sinuses, or larynx E
___ frontal headaches due to dryness or congestion with mucus E
___ pain in the head or chest due to disappointment or loss E
___ shallow breathing E
___ many small varicose veins E
___ nasal or intestinal polyps E
___ thin, delicate skin E___ dry, painful, ssures or cracks of the nostrils, lips, or corners of
the mouth E
Use these questions and/or  the statements on the questionnaire to
make ve statem ents about yourself that you feel are accurate in
describing who you are. These statements, along with the map, can
be used to identify yourself according to the Five-Phase  model. 1. What concept, metaphor, or principle is at the center of your life,
and how does it motivate you. 2. What do you desire from life, and what are you seeking to
accomplish, create, assist, and support. 3. What circumstances would provide you with the optimum
conditions for satisfying your needs and fulllin g your
expectations. 4. What values and virtues do you admire and strive to engender in
yourself and others. 5. What are the fundamenta l activities and behaviors that express
your deepest intentions. 6. What do you feel is the particular talent and perspectiv e that you
bring to any relationship or endeavor. 7. What do you want from other people and from yourself. 8. What is it about your work or job that is most satisfying, most
frustrating, most dicult, most easy. 9. What are your most trying dilemmas, conicts, and
contradictions. Self-Assessment Prole
DETERMINING  YOUR TYPE
Some people rightly identify with the characteristics of many types. But the object of this self-ass essment process is to dierentiate and
make choices. When decidin g which clothes to wear, you usually
have many garments to choose from but select one outt based on
how it ts and whether it truly suits you. Similarly, you have to try
on dierent archetypes to see if they t. But unlike clothing, you can no more change your type than you
can your parents. Your organizing force, like your blood type, is
with you for life. You can alter your hair color and your weight, but
not your height or chromosomes. You can raise your hemoglobin,
but it is to no avail to wish your blood were AB-positive  when you
were born O-negative. In deliberating upon your type, it’s not what you do that matters,
but how and why you do it. Evie, Ed, and Susanne all spend a great
deal of time cooking. Evie manages a restaurant, Ed teaches cooking
classes and writes cookbooks, and Susanne frequently feeds her
large extended family, inviting close friends for dinners. Evie describes her attractio n to this work: “I thrive on the
challenge of getting my sta to function at a hum— everything
planned just right so that the energy and the product are in a ow. I
enjoy the constant demand for problem-solving—when it gets too
easy, I get bored. ”
When Ed is asked what he likes about food, he oers a frugal,
droll reply: “I like eating it. ” Then he continues to say that what
concerns him is the form: “People seem to think I cut vegetables in
interesting ways. I like to take ingredients and combine them in just
the right way. I don’t really  care whether anybody else likes it or
not. It’s impor tant to me to have room to move around and a clean
and orderly space in which to work. ”
Susanne, on the other hand, cooks specically to please her
diners: “What I love is looking down a long table full of people I
care about and having them feel good about eating food I’ve
prepared specially for them. ”
Evie is a Wood  type, Ed is Metal, and Susanne is Earth. Evie is also
a perfe ctionist (a Metal  charac teristic) and often feeds her friends
(Earth ); Ed takes pleasure in getting things done (Wood ); and
Susanne works as a graphic designer, spending most of her time
doing solitary, creative work (Water ). Each embodies traits of all the
Phases  but is most motivated and characterized by one. YEARNING  TO BE ANOTHERKosta is a large, friendly, eshy philosophy professor who is
extremely nurturing, sometimes to the point of neglectin g his own
needs. At times dissatised with his Earth  nature, he wishes he were
more like Achilles, the mythical warrior, rather than Ferdinand the
Bull, who is content to sit quietly and smell the owers. He struggles
to bolster the rude will and determination needed for him to ght
for himself and what he cares about. Madeline is an intense doctor, a self-directed loner, a Water  type
who wishes she were more like Kosta, soft, connected, communal,
and easy to know and love. She would like to change her nature in
order to escape her limitations and fulll her longings. Some of you will be sure of your type, others will resist
identication, especially with that which most represents you. Often
this is because you are attem pting to develop neglected  aspects of
your character. It is appropriate for you to want to cultivate the
power of polar Phases  that will give you greater scope and stability. During times of growth or stress it is possible to confuse that which
you are striving for with that which you are. In these examples it is
the ke relationships that are at play—Kosta is seeking to develop his
Wood  aspect to compensate for the overbearing inuence of Earth,
while Madeline  needs to cultivate Earth  to expand her Water  nature. Kosta and Madeline demonstrate the inclination to reach for and
embody what counterbalanc es them. It is the stabilizing power of
the ke relationships that restrains and counterbalances us. UNDERSTANDING  SHENG AND  KE
When Murray, a strident and assertive Wood  type, needs to restore
himself, he retreats from projects and commitments like a reclusive
Water  type, preferrin g to spend hours in solitary reading, studying,
and going to the movies. When he is feeling at his peak, he burns
hot like a amboyant Fire type, open, charismatic, demonstrative,
and exciting, a magical communicator and teacher. Murray
illustrates how when the organizing Phase  (Wood ) is in collapse, it
gravitates toward its parent (Water ), and in exaggeration, it becomeslike its child (Fire). In times of vulnerability as well as in times of
being overcha rged, it can be a Phase  on the sheng  sequence that
masquerades as our type. Ke implies tension, while sheng implies capacity. The sheng  triad
maintains our resources, our potential. Without tension, potential
has no spring, no motivating impulse, no egress; and without
potential, motivation has no foundation, no source, no utility. Equilibrium is the outcome of poise between opposing force s as well
as sustenance of vital reserve s. When the organizing pattern we call
our type is harmonic, there is a satisfying complementari ty between
the nurturance of our potential and the intensity that brings it forth. Tension without adequate potential (reserve) leads to exhaustion,
and potential without the essential ignition of intensity and striving
(tension) leads to stultication and inertia. Usually the rst problems people experience are a result of ke
sequence con ict, which is an escalation of tension between the
primary Phase, the one it controls, and the one that controls it. This
is how the exaggerated  pattern develops. When the equilibrating
mechanism of the organism has been overwhelmed by exaggeration,
collapse  ensues, and problems along the sheng  sequence tend to
become more apparent. We tend to dene each type in terms of the ke triad. For this
reason we see harmonizing the relationships between Earth  and
Water  (Spleen-Kidney ), Wood  and Earth  (Liver-Spleen ), Metal  and
Wood  (Lung-Liver ), Fire and Metal  (Heart-Lung ), and Water  and Fire
(Kidney-Heart ) as essential in reconcilin g conict and regaining
stability. STEPS TO  SOLVING THE  PUZZLE
Solving the puzzle of which type you are involves several steps, but
not necessarily in a predetermined order. After reading the
descriptions of each Phase, pick one that you identify with most
strongly. You can also ip to the ends of the chapters and review the
charts that summarize the mental faculties, emotional qualities,physical features, and problem areas of each type. Once having
decided, look at the pattern of interactions between Phases. Suppose you feel the greates t anity with Fire. Do you also have
strong responses—either positive or negative—with Metal  or Water. Use this strong response along the ke sequen ce to conrm or cast
doubt on your hypothetical type designation. The triad of Metal-
Wood-Earth  charac terizes the dynamic of the Wood  type, whereas
the triad of Water-Fire-Metal  characterizes the Fire type. Both types
share tension with Metal, so what can help you distinguish between
being a Wood  or Fire type will be evaluating whether there is greater
tension for you with Water  if you are a Fire type or tension with
Earth  if you are a Wood  type. This example emphasizes that in determining what type you are,
it is central to look at the interactions and relationships of the
Phases  within you. So, if you suspect that you are a Metal  type, your
pattern of anities, aversions, symptoms, and emotio nal styles
should reect stronger interactions with Wood  and Fire than with
Earth  and Water. The Ke Relationships
FROM THEORY TO  PRACTICE
Recognizing who you are and how you function within the Five-
Phase  paradig m provides a starting point from which to gain access
to the practical benets that Chinese medicine oers. It is a starting
point from which to acqui re the means to preserve or recoverhealth. Five-Phase  thinking can not only help you evaluate your
personal strengths and weaknesses and forecast future diculties, it
can also guide you in the use of therapies such as acupuncture,
medicinal herb formulas, and food recipes. OceanofPDF. comCHAPTER EIGHT
WOOD
Spring  
 
The water murmurs
In the old stone well,
And, a rippling mirror,
Gives back the clear blue sky. The river roars,
Swollen with the late rains of spring. On the cool, jade-green grass
The golden sunshine Splashes. Sometimes, at early dawn, I climb
Even as far as Lien Shan Temple. In the spring
I plow the thirsty eld,
That it may drink new life. I eat a little,I work a little,
Each day my hair grows thinner,
And, it seems,
I lean ever a bit more heavily
On my old thornwood cane. Liu Tzu-Hui  
Sung dynasty, A. D. 960–1278
 
WOOD IS AS FORC EFUL AND DETERMINED AS THE WIND, AS SUPPLE AS A
spreading aspen stretching into a bright, cloudless sky. Spring, a
time of rebirth, sudden growth, and rapid expansion, marks the
ascendance of this power. Movement surges to the surface, bursting
through the connement of winter. A crescendo of excitement
builds as the life process reawakens. One day the forest appears gray
and lifeless, the next day sunbeams cast warm light upon branches
brimming with buds. This burgeoning of activity stirs tumultuous
feeling. The change is expected yet unpredictable—like the birth of
a child, the precise day or moment remains a mystery;  we know
spring will come but not exactly when. Anticipation fome nts tension
as well as the promise of release. The Liver, whose Qi is akin to the phase of Wood, instigates
movement and arouses the mind by allowing tension and pressure
to build. As spring initiates the rising of sap in the trees, so the Liver
lifts the Blood  and Qi. Alternately gathering and releasing the Blood,
the Liver modulates the intensity and force of all motion and
process. THE ARCHETYPE FOR  WOOD: THE PIONEER
Metamorphosis is the organiz ing principle for the Pioneer. Driven by
the adventure of penetrating the unknown, she contends with fate,
deliberately battling adversity to tame the wilderness. Adaptive,cunning, and ercely indep endent, she strikes out on her own,
striving constantly to surpass  her limits. Carving a broad expanse in
which movem ent and vision are free and unfettered takes a
multiplicity of forms. Inexorably drawn to travel roads not yet
mapped, she treks wild mountain ridges, explores star-clustered
heavens in an astronaut’s suit, launches a business from scratch, or
embarks upon research in yet unrecognized elds. Infatuated with
what is new, curious about what is untried, she is eager to innovate,
reform, and revolutionize. Action compels the Pioneer. She vanquish es resistance with the
thrust of a warrior’s determination. Like a locomotive that gathers
momentum and speed as it hurtles down the track, the Pioneer  steers
an awesome power. SALLY: EXEMPLAR OF  WOOD
Assertive in forging plans and implementing them, Sally maneuvers
easily and gets things done. Highly motivated, she pursues projects
with outright zeal, shifting  into gear with a strategic  sense of
opportunity. Sally moves with nimble elegance, fully inhabiting her
body. She drives herself hard, works well under pressure, and meets
deadlines. Resourceful and ingenious, she excels at managing
conict and producing solutions. Her strength is not as a visionary,
but as an implementer. Sally takes the ball and runs with it. Once
she sets her goal, she brooks no interference to achieve it. Wielding
power and inuence comes naturally. Sally’s audacity bolsters her inclination to take the risks necessary
to initiate change. She is willing to forfeit comfort, break with
tradition, and endure hardship, perceiving the sacrice of
contentment and convention not as loss, but as liberation from the
constraints of obligation and rules. With certainty and self-
condence, Sally galvanizes others, infusing them with her own
ambition and optimism. With the conviction that her purpose is
worthy, she expects that all obstacles can be overcome. Impatient with sitting still, Sally can be quiet but never
completely relaxed. Comfortable with perpetual motion, she is wary
and alert, like a cougar stalking the forest with muscular grace,
ready to react,  confront, or change course. Her objective is her prey,
which she hunts with craft and passion. It is no strain for Sally to
sublimate other pleasures for the sake of accomplishment. She
thrives within American culture, where ambition, achieve ment, and
single-mindedness are handsomely rewarded. Sally’s conde nce is matched by her commitment. Once she has
decided that she wants to do something, she keeps at it until it is
done, working long and hard if necessary. Once the end is in sight,
she is ready to move on, to meet the next test. Others may have
trouble keeping up with Sally’s pace. After an arduous hike up a
mountain, when the rest of her group is ready to sit and sh by the
creek, Sally is o scaling another peak. She feels most herself
striving, advancing, contending: grappling with a problem, initiating
events, guring out novel strategies, and pitting her competence
against the odds. With a passion for the race, the gamble, and the
victory, she is willing to do anything and risk everything—sink or
swim, do or die. Sally is courageous, assuming tasks and
undertaking courses of action that others would fear or deride. She
prefers being the rst, the best, or just one of a kind. Protective and supportive of her family, Sally prides herself on
being a competent provider. She does not relish hanging out idly at
home, so she keeps busy. Sometimes equating domesticity with
tameness and predictability, she is wary of the constraints that
constant closeness require, like compromising for the sake of others’
needs. She savors being wanted more than being needed. The
dependency of the family can strain her yearning for freedom of
movement and action. Sally’s perspective is that there is “one way, my way, the right
way. ” She doesn’t question her own judgment and authority and
resists the idea that someone else may. When Sally’s self-assurance
becomes inated, she stubbornly thrusts her chin and shoulders
forward, assuming a provocative stance. Her momentum snowballs
beyond her capacity for self-control. She keeps pushing when sheshould back o, tightening up when she should relax, barreling
ahead when she should pause and reect. Ignoring considerations
that may cast reasonable doubt upon her choices, she bolts like a
racehorse wearing blinders. Rushing ahead impetuously and
deantly, she becomes accident-prone, tripping over unseen
hazards, a disaster waiting to happen, injuring herself or others
unintentionally. Feeling invincible and unassailable, she indulges
her impulses as if nothing can or should stop her. This insistence
upon following  her own lead contributes to her triumphs and her
defeats. When Sally is in the throes of struggle, the muscles of her neck
and shoulders compress into a vise at the base of her skull, while the
pulsing of blood in her head crests into a throbbing pain in her
temples. Feverish activity inames her eyes, tightens her chest,
strains her lower back, and turns her body odor into the smell of
sour milk. At these times she needs to open the valve on her
pressure cooker and discharge pent-up steam. Sympathetic attempts
to console her are spurned until after she nds release. A hard game
of racqu etball, a erce argument, a solitary workout, or prevailing
over a demand ing piece of music help her to dispel tension, relieve
bottled-up feelings, and soften her disposition. To regulate her internal state so that it doesn’t interfere with her
agenda, Sally nds it expedient to rely on coee to get her going
and alcohol to slow her down. Often in a hurry, she grabs quick
meals on the run, starving herself one day, overeating the next,
continually overcompensatin g for her extremism and appetite for
novelty. Intolerant of limitati on, Sally tends to believe that if a little
is good, more is better—her  impulse is always to go farther. She
dreads boredom and stays occupied with a vengeance. One month
she wakes early and jogs, the next she stays up late and sleeps in. Consistently inconsistent, she pays the price of a careless life-style in
the form of indigestion, pain in her joints and muscles, erratic
energy, and unpredictable moods. When Sally runs out of steam, she becomes indecisive, scattered,
and distracted. Rather than encouraging relaxation, fatigue makes
her feel nervous and uptight. The thought of resting when tiredcontradicts her propensity to push herself. Instead she tries to
reinvigorate herself through stimulation, by working harder,
exercising, or eating sugary, fatty, and spicy foods. This constant
prodding creates more agitation and tension, which makes her feel
hot, dry, and volatile. Too much heat and lack of moisture make
Sally brittle and inexible like an unwatered sapling. Losing softness
and resiliency, she snaps at the slightest provocation, her good
humor abandoned. Irritable and depressed, jittery and exhausted,
she is overtaken by a sullen pessimism. Easily frustrated, she begins
projects that she cannot nish, no longer having the zest for
sustained eort. When no longer buoyed by the feeling of pressure
and intensity that she identi es as the source of her strength and
drive, she feels frightened, humiliated, and disabled, as if her body
has betrayed her. Sally is at her best when the pace of her life keeps her engaged
but not exhaus ted, dened by a clear purpose but not conned to an
inexible program. Permittin g herself to moderate extremism and
accept structur e and discipline helps her to harness her drive. This
optimum functioning reect s the harmony between Wood  (Liver),
Earth  (Spleen ), and Metal  (Lung). Earth  modulates the variability of
Wood, while Metal  subdues and diuses its force. Wood  keeps Earth
from becoming stagnant and inert and Metal  from being vacuous
and stied. Just as the Liver governs movement and pressure by regulating the
ow of Qi, storing and releasing the Blood, Sally develops the power
in her body and psyche by “pumping up” her emotions and uids so
that she is always primed and ready. In generating power to run a
turbine or mill, a river is dammed so the momentum of falling water
channels into smaller and smaller conduits, which increase its
pressure and force. Self-generated pressure and tension supply Sally
with the steam necessary for her to put her projects into motion. Without adequate avenues for channeling this internal force, she can
develop high blood pressure, muscles locked in spasm, and
emotional lability. She needs adequate mechanisms for release as
well as buildup. When the Qi in the Liver is obstructed or depleted,
the Blood  cannot nourish the Heart, eyes, and muscles. This leads toproblems like insomnia or anxiety, photophobia or blurred vision,
cramps or tremors, hypersensitivity, and fatigue. When Sally is
thwarted, she becomes agitated and erratic, loses foresight, and
becomes awkward and uncoordinated. Sally may also experience trouble with her menstrual cycle,
another proce ss characteriz ed by rhythmic buildup and release. Before her period, uid and blood accumulate in Sally’s breasts and
abdomen, making her feel stretched and tender. This uncomfortable
strain against her tissue translates into mental and emotional
urgency in her psyche. Goaded by this oppressive fullness, Sally gets
cantankerous, overwrought, and eruptive, losing her judgment and
perspective. She feels assaulted by noise, yet she herself tends to be
loud and prone to sudden outbursts of tears, peevishness, and
temper. Knotted up and restless, she sleeps poorly, anxiously
anticipating the decompression and relief that accompanies the
onset of her period. Sally lives two personalities, one premenstrual
and the other post-. Her period behind her, she recovers her
composure, once again in charge of herself. Sally has the strength of a tiger. When she handles herself well
she is capable of tremendous work—provoked and unrestrained, she
can wreak havoc. Like the archetype whose nature she shares, she is
a productive dynamo when conditions are right. The urge to get
things moving, make things happen, and voyage onward typies the
Pioneer. HOW WE RECOGNIZE  SALLY AS A WOOD TYPE
At her best, Sally expresses her true nature: she is bold, decisive,
clear, relishing work and performing well under pressu re. On the
other hand, because she is driven by a tendency to overdo,
overperform, and overdirect, what was once a gratifying challenge
can turn the corner into an aggravating distress. It is then dicult
for her to retreat and recover a hedonic state. Boldness can become
aggressive and hostile, decisiveness can become impulsive and
unyielding, and clarity can escalate into fanatical adherence. Sally can become a tyrant. When Wood  is unbridled, it can run
wild, inicting emotional and physical trauma. When Sally’s desire
to remain even-tempered is confounded, her muscles swell and
tighten, and her focus of attention narrows. This restricts her
capacity for sustained arousal and appropriate release, making her
feel shackled and compressed. Exaggerated, inated, or “bound” Liver Qi expresses itself by a
propensity toward tension headaches; a drive to discharge pent-up
energy in noisy, emotional outbursts; nervous, erratic behavior like
eating on the run and inconsistent exercise; intolerance, indulgence,
obstinence, strong body odor, a compulsion to work, and the need
for sedatives to slow down. Collapsed, deated, or “exhausted” Liver Qi is characterized by
irritability, indecisiveness, a sensitivity to noise, a loss of judgment
and perspective, a need for stimulants, and feeling overwrought,
overwhelmed, uptight, and tired. These reactions are linked to the
deciency  and stagnation of Liver Qi and Blood. In periods of
deciency  or excess, the Liver is unable to maintain the equanimity of
the mind and emotions. In Sally, as in us all, her true nature coexists
with states of exaggeration  and collapse. THE EVOLUTION OF  DISTORTED  PATTERNS OF  WOOD
Understanding the interdependent dynamic between Wood-Earth
(Liver-Spleen ) and Wood-Metal  (Liver-Lung ) gives us insight into
people like Sally. When the relationship between these forces and
functions is disturbed, distortions evolve in predictable  patterns. Corresponding to the arousin g power of Wood  in nature, the Liver
awakens, mobilizes, and coordinates human process. Sally’s
diculties mirror aberrant activity of the Liver. The Liver activates the process of digestion and assimilation and
by regulating the ow (volume and pressure) of Blood, helps the
Spleen  disseminate nutrition. The Blood, enriched by the Nutritive
Essence  of the Spleen, is stored and released by the Liver. Together
the Spleen  and Liver distribute nutrients and Blood. Together, the Lung and Liver govern the circulation of Qi. The
Liver’s capac ity to elevate, accelerate, and expand is matched by the
Lung’s abilit y to descend, retard, and constrict. The even, rhythmic
pulsation of the diaphragm, digestive tube, heart, and blood vessels
is governed by this interaction. The Liver restrains the Spleen, and the Lung restrains the Liver. When the Liver becomes overly strong, it oppresses the Spleen  and
antagonizes the Lung. Unbridled Liver Qi interrupts the smooth
upward and downward movement of Spleen  and Stomach Qi,
upsetting digestion. This results in erratic appetite, irregular
elimination, heartburn, gas, and spasmodic pain of the stomach and
intestines. Volatile Liver Qi rushes  up against the descending Lung
Qi, jamming movement in the throat, chest, and diaphragm. This
results in tightness of the larynx and esophagus, pain between the
ribs, and shallow breathing or wheezing. When Liver Qi is exhausted, movement, excitation, and pulsation
dwindle. Spleen Qi  sinks and stagnates. Lung Qi  tightens and shrinks. Without the mobilizing force of the Liver, the Moisture  of the Spleen
collects, turning into edema, and the Moisture  of the Lung congealsand turns into phlegm. The muscles become heavy and sti,
circulation becomes sluggish, and Cold and Wind  penetrate easily,
leading to aches and pains of the joints and tendons. In the psyche, a distorted Liver-Spleen  relationship engenders
conict around  the need for change and stability, adventure and
continuity, hyperactivity and inertia, and between impulsiveness
and indecisiveness. Dissonance between Liver-Lung  foments a
struggle between expressiveness and self-restraint, fervor and
indierence, spontaneity and reserve, chaos and order. Because she’s a Wood  type, Sally is predisposed to unbridled Liver
Qi, which generates excess pressure and tension to produce
hyperactivity, heat, spasm, and volatility. Eventually overwork, lack
of proper nutrition, and prolonged emotional intensity deplete Blood
and Moisture, leaving Sally reactive, dry, fatigued, restless, sullen,
and depressed, especially before her period. The therapeutic strategy needed to assist Sally in recovering her
equilibrium includes relieving pressure, dispelling Heat, relaxing
spasm, and replenishing Blood  and Moisture. Exercise that includes
stretching and softening muscles will relieve pressure and spasm
and equalize circulation between her extremities, chest, and
abdomen. This cools her head while warming her hands and feet. Appropriate herbs and foods will nourish Blood, restore Moisture,
encourage circulation, and dispel Heat and Wind. Acupuncture will
foster the ecient function of her internal organs by modulating the
movement of Qi and Blood, quieting her mind, and tempering her
mercurial moods. Sally tends to use up all her available energy and to rest only
when she is exhausted, rather than sustain adequate reserves. Her
pacing and timing are critical—activity and work need to be
balanced by adequate leisure, and she must learn to be comfortable
with the feeling of energy without experiencing a compulsion to
expend it immediately. WOOD: Liver  PatternsHarmonic
Collapsed
Exaggerated
Harmonic  and Dissonant Patterns
In the harmonic Liver  pattern, the Kidney  and Heart  maintain stability
while the Spleen  and Lung provide the tension necessary for
movement and adaptation. In the exaggerated Liver pattern, the
Kidney  and Heart  become hyperactive, and the Spleen  and Lung
become hypersensitive and erratic. In the collapsed  pattern, the
Kidney  and Heart  become drained and weakened while the Spleen
and Lung become overbearing and congested. Whereas Sally is a composite sketch of a Wood  type, acting out
exaggerated  and collapsed  scenarios, Dan is a real patient who sought
help for a very particular problem. Dan ts the Wood  pattern
because his talents and style of operating as well as the problems he
experiences under duress correspond to the mode of action and the
character of the Liver Network. Like Sally, he has the strengths and
weaknesses of Wood. DAN: HOW COME I’M NOT BETTER YESTERDAY. Dan marches into the clinic as if he owns the place. Dropping his
coat and briefcase on a chair, he spreads out onto the couch. By
bellowing that he’s arrived, he commands immediate and total
attention. Dan complains of needing to eat every few hours to avoid feeling
weak, dizzy, and congested in his chest and throat. This congestion
obstructs his free access to air, provoking anxiety, which then
triggers rapid breathing and feeling faint, hot, and nauseated. His
physician has told him that he has hypoglycemia and food allergies. Dan declares, “I’ve been all over the place and done all the tests. I’m
fed up with not getting results. I hear you’re good, and I want you to
cure me. Which room do you want me in. I have another
appointment in an hour. ”As Dan lies down on the treatment table, he says, “I’m thirty-ve,
I’ve lived in numerous cities, and started many businesses. Six years
ago I could run all day, go without a meal until dinner, and work all
night. Now I not only have to sleep, but I have to get up in the
middle of the night for a snack. If I wait too long, I wake up with a
headache poun ding in my temples. This thing is interfering with my
freedom. I can’t just go to any restaurant because if I eat the wrong
foods, my chest tightens up and my head gets stuy. I’ve had to
forgo even an occasional drink over business. Fix me. By the way,
there’s one other little problem. Sometimes I can’t get it up, and
when I do, boom it’s over. I never used to have any trouble in that
department. ”
Dan’s body is well proporti oned and muscular. He points to a
midri bulge that is another  recent acquisition, which he attributes
to his craving for the abunda nt carbohydrates that keep him going. He has been told to eat a lot of protein, but beef often causes
allergic reactions. TREATMENT
Dan’s tongue is enlarged and pale with greasy yellowish-white fur
and a red line that goes from the tip along both edges. His face and
neck are slightly ushed. His pulse is quick and taut, as well as
weak and soft in the positions that correspond to the Spleen  and
Kidney. Dan begins to look anxious and fearful of the acupuncture
needles and wants to know how long this treatment will take. In
response to his temerity, I choose three points: between the thumb
and forenger on the Large Intestine  meridi an; between the rst and
second toe on the Liver meridian; and above the inside ankle on the
Spleen  meridi an. Dan feels every needle strongly, even with mild
stimulation. Slight perspirati on forms on his upper lip, palms, and
feet. Within ten minutes after the needles are in place, Dan falls into a
deep sleep with slow, regula r breathing and a serene expression on
his face. After twenty minut es the needles are removed, and Dancomments that he feels mellow but a bit uneasy being so relaxed
since he’s accustomed to operating at a fast pace. He gets back into his tie, jacket, and shoes without rushing,
announcing, “I feel great. So is this it, or do I need more treatment. ”
I let Dan know this is the beginning of an ongoing process that
requires more acupuncture, herbs, and a modication of his diet. Total reliance on convenient carbohydrates like bread and pasta for
quick energy must be replace d by more complex carbohydrates like
rice, protein-rich legumes, and fat-free animal foods that will
generate and sustain energy without creating stagnation. High-ber
foods, both raw and cooked, will help to disperse Qi by stimulating
intestinal activity; steamed and boiled foods will help to disperse
phlegm and at the same time moisturize and eliminate Heat Dan
needs to avoid greasy, spicy, and creamy foods, which tend to create
congestion of Qi and Moisture  and accumulation of Heat and phlegm. Since he has lost the ability to regulate his own metabo lism, his
body requires reeducation. Success will depend on modifying his
diet, work style, and sleep pattern, as well as receiving acupuncture
and herbal treatments. Acupuncture enables Dan to experience how
it feels to function eectively without always being in “overdrive. ”
He agrees to try this approach for a while and leaves the clinic with
herbs that disperse Qi and Moisture  and tonify the Spleen. He takes
these herbs before eating to improve his assimilation, help him last
longer between meals, and lessen his allergic reactio ns. In the
morning and evening he takes a constitutional formula that
harmonizes the Liver and Spleen. This relaxes the Liver, activates the
Spleen, eliminates Heat and Wind, and both nurtures and distributes
Qi and Blood. INTERPRETATION AND  STRATEGY
Erratic intensity and hyperfunction characterize Dan. He has been in
overdrive for so long that he cannot slow down without feeling
unnatural, even threatened. He becomes bound up and volatile
without the constant opportunity for discharging his nervousness. This exaggerated Liver pattern oppresses the Spleen, resulting in an
inability to accumulate reserves, demonstrated by his major
complaint—the inability to endure too long without eating. The dynamic of the Liver dominating and overstimulating the
Stomach  and Spleen  causes Nutritive Qi to be utilized immediately
without the appropriate diversion of some of this into stored
reserves. The Liver should be able to store resources in the form of
Blood, but when it becomes hyperactive it drains its own resevoir
and the Kidney ’s as well. Since Water  nurtures Wood, this is a case
of the rebellious child (Liver) making inordinate demand s upon its
mother (Kidney ). That’s why impotence and premature ejaculation
have become a problem. The words quick  and short-lived  characterize a lot of Dan’s history. He has pursued many life-styles and careers without sustaining any
vocation long enough to build a secure base that would provide
continuity and foundation. Dan has become unbounded and
ungrounded by his insatiable appetite for change and challenge. It is important to gain Dan’s trust and cooperation so that he can
direct some of his drive into reorganizing his existence, throwing
himself into the project of healing himself with the enthusiasm he
has for starting a new business. The Wood  type recoils at the
prospect of following orders or adopting someone else’s agenda. Dan
needs to know that he is in charge and that there are choices. He
doesn’t want to be pushed. He’d like to rely on the acupuncture to do his work for him, but as
he begins to feel better, he is willing to be more aware of the
consequences of his own behavior. He then has the choice to use
himself diere ntly. Dan must come to this realization through his
own experience rather than on the faith of another’s authority. Acupuncture softens Dan’s temperament so that he can experience a
more serene self. The dynamic between Earth  and Wood, Spleen  and Liver, organizes
the production and distribution of Nutritive Qi and Blood, the
buildup and breakdown of energy and tissue. Dispersing the
stagnant Qi and Heat from the Liver while dispersing the stagnant
Moisture  and Qi from the Spleen  will improve the interactionbetween the Liver and Spleen. Treatments lessen Dan’s excessive
hunger, steady his erratic energy and moods, and begin to generate
a surplu s of Qi, which will strengthen the Kidney  and restore his
agging reserves. The dynamic between Metal  and Wood, Lung and Liver, organizes
rhythm and ow. Dispersing the stagnant Qi (phlegm) of the Lung
while moistur izing the Lung and Liver will restore their proper
relationship. Treatment relieves Dan’s symptoms of dicult
breathing and mucus congestion and helps him to become
comfortable with limits by stabilizing his energy so that he is less
anxious about having too much or too little. He can be full of energy
without being  full of tensio n or agitation. The main dierences
between the Liver-Spleen  and Liver-Lung patterns are the
predominance of digestive disturbance in the former and
dysfunctional elimination or discharge in the latter. In either,
exaggerated Liver Qi interferes with the smooth functioning of
peristalsis and respiration, both of which depend on the harmonious
interaction of contraction (Metal ) and expansion (Wood ). Dan’s case
typies a primary Wood-Earth  conict and a secondary Wood-Metal
conict. Resolving the conicts between Liver-Spleen  and Liver-Lung  helps
Dan with his problems. Within four months of his rst visit, Dan has
regained contr ol of his eatin g problem—he has three regular meals
a day and sleeps through the night. Although he needs a snack if he
has been working hard, he no longer has the same desperation
about it. Some congestion persists, but without the former anxiety
about or diculty in breathi ng. Because he feels more in control of
his life, he is more patient, less nervous, and more optim istic. With
more consistent energy throughout the day and the return of his
sexual stamina, Dan feels that treatment is working for him. (see larger image)(see larger image)(see larger image)
SO, YOU THINK YOU’RE A WOOD TYPE
KEYS TO  UNDERSTANDING  WOOD
• seeks challenge and pushes to the limit• enjoys and does well under pressure
• admires speed, novelty, and skill
• loves action, movement, and adventure
• likes to be rst, best, and only
TYPICAL  PROBLEMS
• intolerance and impatience
• volatile emotions
• extremism: impulsive or overdisciplined self-indulgen t or self-
punishing
• vascular headaches, muscle spasms, high blood pressure, nerve
inammations, migratory pain
• abuse of stimulants and sedatives
CRITICAL  TIMES
• exaggerated Wood—Liver  congestion: spring and late summer, 11
P. M. –3 A.
The Pioneer is action-oriented, whereas the Philosopher is preoccupied with seeking truth and exploring the hidden mysteries through his own imaginative mind.
What is the main difference between the Pioneer and the Philosopher?
The Five Phases can be used to simultaneously examine both the process of sickness and health, as both are expressions of our intrinsic self-organizing process.
What is the purpose of the Five Phases, according to the text?
The chapter on Wood discusses the importance of finding a balance between the need for change and the need for stability, as well as the importance of self-regulation and the need for a harmonious relationship with Earth and Water.
What is the main theme of the chapter on Wood?
The questionnaire is designed to help individuals identify their type and understand their patterns, strengths, and weaknesses.
What is the purpose of the questionnaire provided in the text?
The story illustrates how the Five Phases can be used to understand the dynamics between different aspects of a person's personality and how they interact with each other, and how this can lead to health problems if not addressed.
What is the main message of the story about Kosta and Madeline?