Ryan_Gallagher: March 11, 2020, 6:36pm
Michael’s great convo with Brenda Hood on the ziwu clock (among other things) dovetails nicely with something
I’ve been playing with:
In my training at NUNM, Heiner Fruehauf tended to present each organ network as having not two but three
elemental affinities: one for wuxing, one for liuqi, and one for the month (earthly branch, dizhi). He placed the
ziwu clock over the yearly cycle: LU in the first month (corresponding with February and therefore Wood, as
Brenda notes), then LI (Wood), ST (Earth, as the 3rd month of the season), SP (Fire), and so on. Here’s the list,
with the wuxing, liuqi, and dizhi:
Lung: Metal, Taiyin-Dampness, Wood
LI: Metal, Yangming-Dryness, Wood
Stomach: Earth, Yangming-Dryness, Earth
Spleen: Earth, Taiyin-Dampness, Fire
Heart: Fire, Shaoyin-Imperial Fire, Fire
SI: Fire, Taiyang-Cold, Earth
Bladder: Water, Taiyang-Cold, Metal
Kidney: Water, Shaoyin-Imperial Fire, Metal
PC: Fire, Jueyin-Wind, Earth
Sanjiao: Fire, Shaoyang-Ministerial Fire, Water
GB: Wood, Shaoyang-Ministerial Fire, Water
Liver: Wood, Jueyin-Wind, Earth
I bring this up because I’m wondering whether the earthly branch/tidal flow clock information is useful in thinking
about Saam. The Lung having an upward trajectory in Saam, for instance, might be linked to its monthly affinity
with Wood (“upward and outward”). The Spleen having a warming effect could have to do with its monthly Fire
affinity. Also, I’ve gotten the sense that, despite both being Fire and Water, the SI is more moistening than the
Kidney—could this be connected to the SI having an Earth monthly affinity (dampness), while Kidney’s is Metal
(dryness)?
Not sure if this played any role whatsoever in the formation of the Saam framework, but I’ve been finding it
interesting to investigate. Let me know if ya have any feedback on the topic!12/01/2024, 11:59Integrating dizhi/ziwu into Saam – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/integrating-dizhi-ziwu-into-saam/946/print2/2
michaelmax: March 13, 2020, 1:31am
Good questions @Ryan_Gallagher and I don’t know enough about the stems and branches to comment here. It’s
one of those areas I’ve not been able to wrap my mind around. I can follow a conversation about these things, but
that it slips away when I’m in clinic.
I’ve been reading Liu Li-Hong’s Classic Chinese Medicine, which is the transition of a popular book from the early
part of the century ????, Considering Chinese Medicine. Recently been reading through a section on how the
heavenly and earth qi of a year can affect an person and their illness/health. Again, when I read it, it makes sense.
But when I have to apply it in my own mind, it unravels like a cheap sweater. Perhaps I need a more focused study
of these things. Or just more exposure.
If you have a case that illustrates your thinking using these principles, by all means please share it here.
jedwardian: September 22, 2020, 3:30pm
Interesting line of thought, Ryan–and greetings, I was in that same class of Heiner’s at NUNM. For me as well,
thanks to that class the organs call to mind not just conformation, elements and functions but also hexagrams,
animals, rivers and so on. But I hadn’t thought about the tertiary elemental associations (e.g. metal for the Kidney)
as influencing the organ qualities in Sa’am. Seems well worth pursuing.
No real insight to add here, just appreciating the enquiry. And will be curious to continue the conversation as and
when relevant cases crop up.
Jonathan Edwards