The Five Elements Flashcards
What is the Chinese word for the theory of the Five Elements?
Wu Xing
True or False:
The theory of the Five Elements along with the Yin Yang theory constitutes the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine
True
What are the Five Elements?
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water
What is the basic premise behind the theory of the five Elements?
All things in the natural world are derived from wood, fire, earth, metal and water
Name 5 properties of the element Water
Moistening
Flow downward
Cold
Closure
Storage
Name 4 properties of the element Fire
Warmth
Upwards movement
Heat
Brightness
Name 5 properties of the element Wood
Flexing
Extending
Growth
Development
Free activity
Name 3 properties of the element Metal
Change
Cleansing
Astringency or contraction
Name 3 properties of the element Earth
Acceptance
Cultivation
Transformation
What season is Wood?
Spring
What weather is Wood?
Wind
What direction is Wood?
East
What development stage is wood?
New growth
Birth
What color is Wood?
Green-Blue
What Zang or viscus organ is Wood?
Liver
What Fu or Bowel organ is Wood?
Gallbladder
What sense organ is wood?
Eyes
What tissue is wood?
Sinew/Tendon
What emotion or mind is associated with Wood?
Anger
What expressive sound is Wood?
Shouting
What season is Earth?
Long summer or Late summer
What weather is Earth?
Dampness
What direction is Earth?
Center
What development is Earth?
Transformation
What color is Earth?
Yellow
What flavor is Earth?
Sweet
What Yin/Zang/viscus organ is Earth?
Spleen
What Yang/Fu/bowel organ is Earth?
Stomach
What sense organ is Earth?
Mouth
What tissue is Earth?
Muscle/Flesh
What mind or emotion is Earth?
Lost in thought, meditation
What season is water?
Winter
What weather is water?
Cold
What direction is water?
North
What stage of development is water?
Dormancy, closure, death, reset
What color is associated with water?
Black
What flavor is associated with water?
Salty
What zang/viscus/Yin organ is associated with water?
Kidney
What bowel/fu/yang organ is associated with water?
Bladder
What sensory organ is associated with water?
Ears
What tissue is associated with water?
Bone
What emotion is associated with water?
Fear
What season is associated with fire?
Summer
What weather is associated with fire?
Heat
What direction is associated with fire?
South
What stage of development is associated with fire?
Ripenening, maturity
What color is associated with fire?
Red
What flavor is associated with fire?
Bitter
What viscus/zang/Yin organ is associated with fire?
Heart
What bowel/Fu/Yang organ is associated with fire?
Small intestine
What sensory organ is associated with fire ?
Tongue
What tissue is associated with fire?
Vessels
What emotion or mind is associated with fire?
Joy, excitement
What season is associated with metal?
Autumn
What weather is associated with metal?
Dryness
What direction is associated with metal?
West
What stage of development is associated with metal?
Withdrawal, harvest, old age
What color is associated with metal?
White
What flavor is associated with metal?
Acrid, pungent
What viscus/zang/Yin organ is associated with metal?
Lung
What bowel/fu/Yang organ is associated with metal?
Large intestine
What sensory organ is associated with metal?
Nose
What tissue is associated with metal?
Body hair,skin
What emotion or mind is associated with metal?
Sorrow
What expressive sound is associated with fire?
Laughing
What expressive sound is associated with earth?
Singing, poetry
What expressive sound is associated with metal?
Crying
What expressive sound is associated with water?
Groaning
Name the Five seasons as the correspond the the Five Elements
Spring (wood)
Summer (Fire)
Late summer (earth)
Autumn (metal)
Winter (water)
Name the five climates or weather as they pertain to the Five Elements
Wind (Wood)
Heat (Summer)
Dampness (Earth)
Dryness (Metal)
Cold (Winter)
What is the expressive sound associated with water?
Groaning
What are the 5 phases of transformation?
Wood》Fire》Earth》Metal》Water
True or False:
Mother points are points used in acupuncture to reduce
False, mother points are used to tonify
True or False
Son points (or child) in acupuncture are used to tonify?
False, they are used to reduce
What elements is the son of wood?
Fire
What Element is the father of fire?
Water
What Element is father of metal?
Fire
What Element is father of water?
Earth
What element is son of earth?
Metal
What Element is woods father?
Metal
True or False
If the mother element it too powerful it will draw from the child
True
True or False
If the son element is too powerful it will draw from the mother
False; it will draw from the next child
True or False
If Wood is too powerful it will Bully the earth
True
(Father bully son)
True or False
If Fire is too powerful it will bully Metal
True
(Father bully son)
True or False
The inter-promotion and inter-acting of the Five Phases of Transformation (Five Elements chart) is normal
True
True or False
The Five Phases of Transformation rotates only in a clockwise when it is inter-promoting or inter-acting
True
True or False
The Five Phases of Transformation rotates counter clockwise when an element is counter-acting another element
True
True or False
The theory of the Five Elements originated at about the same time as the Yin Yang theory
True
Yin Yang theory and theory of the five Elements date back to what Dynasty?
Zhou dynasty (1000 - 771 BC)
The theory of the five Elements is based on the view that disease is caused by lifestyle (as opposed to evil spirits, as was previously thought)
Fact in the text book
True or False
Water moistens downwards
True
True or False
Fire flares upwards
True
True or False
Wood can be bent and straightened
True
True or False
Metal can be moulded and hardened
True
True or False
Earth can permit sowing, growing, reaping
True
THE BASIC QUALITIES OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS: Water moistens downwards, Fire flares upwards, Wood can bend and straighten, Metal can mould and harden, and Earth permit sowing, growing and reaping is a VERY IMPORTANT concept on the NATURE of the Five Elements
Textbook
True or False
Theory of the Five Elements was developed by the same philosophical school that developed the theory of Yin Yang
True (Naturalist School)
What is the MOVEMENT of Wood
Expansion
What is the MOVEMENT of Fire
Upwards
What is the MOVEMENT of Earth
Centre, point of reference, stability
What is the movement of Metal
Contraction
What is the movement of Water
Downward
What development stage is Spring associated with?
Birth
What development stage is Summer associated with?
Growth
What development stage is Autumn associated with?
Harvest
What development stage is associated with Winter?
Storage
What development stage is associated with Earth?
Transformation
True or False
Earth does not correspond to a season
True
Zhang’s Jie Bin says: “The Spleen belongs to Earth which pertains to Center, its influence manifests for 18 days at the end of each of the four seasons and does not pertain to any season on its own”. Zhang Zhong Jing says “During the last period of each season, the Spleen is strong enough to resist pathogenic factors”
Textbook
In the GENERATING sequence, what element generates Fire?
Wood
In the GENERATING sequence, what element generates Earth?
Fire
In the GENERATING sequence, what element generates Metal
Earth
In the GENERATING sequence, what element generates Water?
Metal
In the GENERATING sequence, what element generates Wood?
Water
In the GENERATING sequence, name all the Five Elements and what element it is generated by
Wood is generated by Water
Fire is generated by Wood
Earth is generated by Fire
Metal is generated by Earth
Water is generated by Metal
The Generating sequence of the Five Elements is also called the INTER-PROMOTION sequence. ie Elements are generating and being generated.
Observation between text and ACATCM notes
The CONTROLLING sequence is also called the INTER-ACTING sequence. In this sequence each element controls another and is controlled by one. This sequence ensures there is a balance maintained between the Five Elements, therefore its is also a normal interaction like the generating/inter-promotion sequence.
Textbook
Describe the Elemental sequence in the Controlling/Interacting sequence:
Wood controls/restrains Earth
Fire controls/restrains Metal
Earth controls/restrains Water
Metal controls/restrains Wood
Water controls/restrains Fire
Describe the ORGAN sequence in the Controlling / Inter-acting sequence
Liver controls/restrains Spleen
Spleen controls/restrains Kidney
Kidney restrains/controls Heart
Heart controls/restrains Lung
Lung controls/restrains Liver
True or False
The over-acting (abnormal) sequence is in the same order as the inter-acting/controlling sequence (normal)
True
In the OVER-acting (OVER-CONTROLLING) sequence, name the two causative factors that create this sequence
- One Element/organ among the five becomes TOO POWERFUL and EXCESSIVELY restrains the element that it NORMALLY restrains
- One element/organ among the five elements becomes TOO WEAK and therefore allows the element that normally restrains it to have a chance to EXCESSIVELY restrain it
True or False
Inter-promotion and Inter-acting sequence among the five elements promote the corresponding elements to maintain normal development and harmonious balance while they control/restrict to avoid harm resulting from excessive promotion and over restraint
True
True or False
The counter-acting (insulting) sequence is an abnormal state in which one element REVERSELY controls/restrains or bullies another element
True
True or False
The order of the counter-acting/insulting sequence is the opposite of the inter-acting sequence
True
Name the causative factors involved in the counter-acting/insulting sequence
- One element among the five becomes VERY POWERFUL and turns to control/restrain the element that normally restrains it
- One element among the five becomes WEAK and is restrained by the element that it normally controls/restrains
Mother points, in acupuncture, are used to:
Tonify
In acupuncture, child points are used to:
Reduce
(eg Alcoholics need to reduce liver, use child to reduce (Fire) )
Name a physiologic condition that creates an excess in the wood element:
Stress
