The Wood Element or Phase

The Wood element or Wood phase – for growth –  is the subject of this page, but first, consider how it fits into the greater scheme of things!

WOOD ELEMENT or WOOD PHASE in the Shen Cycle

The five elements comprise an archetypal view of existence, each element emphasising a distinct principle. The ancient Chinese looked at life’s ebb and flow in terms of movement and change, and the five Elements or Phases reflect stages of the process.

• Wood symbolises birth and growth,
• Fire maturity and Display,
• Earth consolidation,
• Metal refining and rebalancing,
• Water a remembering and inner strengthening, prior to rebirth through Wood again.

Endless Cycle of Life

No element can be considered in isolation in the same way that a wheel is not a wheel unless its rim is intact at all points. Each element contains aspects of all the others and nourishes the following element as per the 5 Element cycle.

Wood Phase, Growth and Spring

Wood symbolises the activity of birth or growth, and all facets of life connected with it, including, when Wood is imbalanced, those facets which arise from inhibiting, wasting, or a surfeit of the birth or growth process.

Goals

in any process of growth there must be direction and a proper use of resources. The Wood organs, Gallbladder and Liver represent this process, Gallbladder by Decision and Judgement, Liver by Planning.

But by themselves neither of these adequately conveys the quickening, gathering, positive, optimistic, hopeful, self-asserting, future-oriented, enthusiastic and expansive principal for which Wood stands,

Spring

In nature, spring is the wood season, with its bright greens, unfolding buds at the start of their new phase, freshening winds, spring cleaning and planting, awakening from hibernation of small mammals and lizards, return of migratory birds, their mating and gathering of twigs (Wood) for nests, and the yielding of trees in the wind which blows with a new restlessness.

Appropriately, the sun rises earlier each day, and in the East, connected to Wood by the ancient Chinese.

A Healthy Wood element type

Goes for Growth!

Someone who has an optimistic forward-looking outlook with a spring in his step.

He sees a bright future, and ‘Vision’ is the sense, together with its perception, connected with Wood.

The man moves in a fresh and youthful way, with hope in his eyes; he believes in the future. Entrepreneurial!

He or she works hard, concentrating on success in his endeavours.

“I don’t know what I want, but I want it NOW!” Vivian Stanshall

If he seeks you out, it is because you will be useful! Not always, indeed hardly ever, is he merely interested in your company, I’m afraid, no matter how fascinating you are.

Wood Phase Colour – Green

Food picked before it is ripe is often green and sour because only at a later stage – after the heat of the sun has worked on it – will it be ripe. Such food often causes flatulence, ie wind.

In countries fortunate to be blessed by ample water and sun, growing plants are usually green.

Water, Metal and Wood Elements

Wood takes its energy from Water, but to be effective the Wood energy must be balanced, steadied and co-ordinated; balance is a necessary ingredient of growth (and is connected with the eyes and ears) but for mature judgement and good planning, it must be remembered that Metal regulates Wood.

Growth needs to take form with direction and purpose. This can be inhibited in several ways, either by chaos or straight frustration (more on this below).

If so there may be irritability and anger, shouting and sudden movements (putting a strain on the ligaments).

Or there may be depression, resignation, hopelessness and despair (see below).

Someone who never gets angry is often aimless and apathetic; for others the emotions may break out explosively for no good reason.

For some, the perfect way in the face of such an obstacle is compliance and yielding, growth round or through the problem.

The acupuncture point that perhaps most represents the flow of life into the Wood phase from the preceding Water phase is the ‘water’ point on the Liver channel: ququan. 

Ququan, Liver 8, is translated various ways: “Source at the bending” and “Spring at the crook”.

Here ‘bending’ and ‘crook’ could represent the turning point in the year, or a life, from downward trajectory to upward trajectory: ‘Source’ and ‘Spring’ both suggest a constantly renewing foundation for life.

Liver 8 is a very nourishing point for Liver Blood and Liver Yin. It is a point for renewal.

“My friends, as I have discovered myself, there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters.” Boris Johnson

Wood Imbalance: maybe not growth but rush!

Impatient? Someone always hastening, never enough time, full of plans for when he has nothing to do, in a state of constant tension, at the end of his tether? Probably Wood imbalance!

Another Form of Wood Imbalance

If …

• our plans have been constantly frustrated, or
• we fear to admit something embarrassing or that might adversely affect our lives or
• we accept compensation for work done at a lower than ‘fair’ rate or
• we find ourselves forced to forgo what we like in order to please someone else, or worse
• to please someone else we must do something we actually really dislike …

… this easily leads to inner tensions.

We may smile, but it’s a tight smile!

Here, Wood energy often spills over, upwards, causing neck or jaw tension ( for example, ‘bruxism’ – grinding or clenching teeth). It can make us dizzy (partly due to Wood energy interfering in our Earth energy, depleting effective digestion) and anxious, sometimes feeling a bit hopeless, harbingers of depression for some.

Our Blood Pressure may rise.

Later it may affect our appetite (too much, too little), digestion (belching, acid risings) and bowel actions (variable, unreliable).

If the pressure really builds up in us, we may become unpredictable, or unaccountably selfish, not understood by others. Or we display passive aggression.

Sometimes, life’s like that!

Now, don’t misunderstand me! Everyone, for the sake of civilisation, puts up with this from time to time. We tell or accept white lies, we forgo pleasures, we put up with it. That’s life!

But for some of us, constant inward pressures like these lead to ongoing health problems. Often, looking back, we realise we should have done or said something which might have displeased another party at the time but which would have prevented us from becoming bitter and twisted!

Solution?

If possible, have a firm chat with the ‘other ‘ party. But that’s not always easy.

Another solution is to have some personal activity that moves your energy round the 5 Element cycle. In this case it would be something that enables you to enjoy Fire element/phase activity, Fire being the next after Wood. For more, read our page on Fire phase, but for example, this could be a creative or display process that leads to recognition, an important aspect of Fire. This way, you achieve satisfaction and approval in another, perhaps artistic or inventive, way.

How does acupuncture help here? If the right acupuncture points are chosen, our Wood energy begins to flow smoothly again and we feel newly empowered. Of course, we may still need to have that little ‘chat’! But for a while, we can get on with things.

“I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else.” Winston Churchill

Continued acupuncture can gradually strengthen the smooth flow of our Wood energy again. This makes us better at planning and decisions – and peaceful assertiveness! – leadng to more happiness and progress in life.

It helps if your acupuncturist is not only experienced but understanding and trained to listen and supply feedback.