Wuyun Liuqi for 甲辰 Year of the Yang Wood Dragon
“Baby Dragon” series by Kate Oh
Welcome to 甲辰 Jia Chen, the year of the Wood Dragon!
The following is a detailed overview of the climate potentials and associated health risks of the Wood Dragon year, as described in the Wuyun Liuqi calendrical system. This system comes from the “Qipian Dalun” chapters of the Neijing Suwen (Chapters 66-74), and is China’s oldest recorded calendrical system. All other Chinese calendars - the Lunar calendar, the Chinese Zodiac, the BaZi, etc. are rooted in this original system.
Below is a summary of the yearly climates, symbolic elements and possible health pathology, followed by practical protocols and guidelines for health in the year of the Wood Dragon. I hope this information is useful for personal and professional practices of seasonal wellness in the new year.*
*This overview is intended primarily for students and practitioners of Chinese herbalism. For practical guidelines tailored to the general public, refer to “Seasonal Health” posts.
Happy New Year!
五運六氣 Wu Yun Liu Qi:
The calendrical system of Wuyun Liuqi, the “five [heavenly] influences and six resonant climates” is a map of yearly seasons and climates based in two overlapping cycles. The first of these cycles, the Wuyun 五運, breaks the year up into five equal periods of 73 days. Each of these periods is governed by one of the five elements, starting with Wood and moving through the generating cycle. The annular movement of the Wuyun maps the seasons of the year, while moving alongside this cycle is the Liuqi, a division of the year into six seasonal climates of ~61 days each. The cycles of both the Wuyun and Liuqi begin at the seasonal node ‘Great Cold’ 大寒 (January 20/21st) and end the following year at the same time. This regular rhythm of seasons and climates describes the ordinary, healthy flow of qi through the year - both heavenly qi (Wuyun) and earthly qi (Liuqi) - in which no abnormal weather patterns or pathology should develop. However, this regular flow is disrupted by “visitations” from other seasonal and climatic influences.
Every year, the regular seasons and climates of the Wuyun and Liuqi play “Host” to various “Guests” of different seasons and climates, out of their usual order and time. The visitation of these Guests impacts the Host season or climate, resulting in the potential for abnormal weather and illness to develop. These relationships are the basis of seasonal climate patterns and potential pathology for the year.
Host & Guest
Understanding the practical implications of the Wuyun Liuqi therefore requires a sense of the proper relationship between Host and Guest and the ways this relationship can play out between seasons and climates.
In the tradition of hospitality, the Host honors and shows respect for the Guest by obliging their needs and accommodating their disposition. When this goes smoothly, a easeful, relaxed atmosphere is created, but disregarding the Guest's needs or imposing the Host's preferences can lead to a hostile environment. Likewise, when the “Host qi” and “Guest qi” cannot smoothly integrate, the result is discord that can affect both climate and human health. Such issues most often develop when the Host dominates the Guest, or visa-versa, via the control cycle of the five elements.
The appearance of a discordant Guest can significantly influence yearly climate and pathology, and often manifests as brief, spontaneous weather changes within a season. While these disruptions may not be dramatic, they can disturb the unfolding of yin-yang dynamics throughout the year and cause lasting damage if ignored. Attuning to these subtle seasonal variations is essential to using the Wuyun Liuqi for preserving vitality and promoting health.
五運 - Wŭ Yùn
The first dynamic to consider for the year is that of the Wuyun, or “Five [Heavenly] Influences.” These influences are determined by Heavenly Stems, and as such are more energetic and less material than climate dynamics discussed later in the Liuqi section. The Guest Yunqi (Influencing Qi) that is pronounced in any given year is known as the “Annual Period.”
Annual Period - Abundant Earth
In 甲辰, the year of the Wood Dragon, the “Guest of Honor” position of the Annual Period is occupied by the resonant tone 太宫 “Tai Gong,” symbolizing an overtone of Excess Earth energy for the entire year. This Earth excess is the Guest energy visiting the Host stem of Jia 甲: Yang Wood, and consequently the interaction between Wood and Earth (Host and Guest) is fundamental to understanding the expression of energetics throughout the year, including climate.
It is important to note that the “Excessive Earth” energy is not itself an image of climate, but instead a symbol of the vibrational quality of Earth as an elemental force resonating through all things this year. When there is a strong vibration or tone, its surroundings begin to sympathetically resonate. As poet Andrea Gibson puts it: “When two violins are placed in a room/if a chord on one violin is struck/the other violin will sound the note.” So consider how the Earth tone Gong resonates not only with with climate, which may manifest weather patterns of dampness and rain, but more generally how all things, suffused with the vibration of Earth, begin to trend.
Earth is the symbol of completion: a comforting, homey collection of material that holds and nurtures. Socially, this can manifest a background occupation of homing, material stability and family. In terms of physiology, this can be a tendency to accumulate material in the body such as muscle and fat or retain water. In personality terms this can be a tendency towards collection and hoarding, preoccupation and rumination.
“宮為君...宮亂則荒，其君驕。
The tone “Gong” represents the Ruler. When “Gong” is discordant, there is fallow neglect, the Ruler is immoderate”
All of these patterns can serve healthy functions, but only when there is adequate movement and circulation. The tendency of the Guest - Earth - to collect must be balanced by the capacity of the Host - Wood - to move and circulate. The accumulation of Earth is pathological when stagnant, but at its core is also the potential to integrate and digest, which in turn can lead to transformation and fruition. Therefore the Excessive Earth tone Gong throughout the year holds great potency when Earth is kept from growing stagnant by proper, healthy movement.
Five Element Control Cycle
To bring the Earth excess into balance, Wood acts through the control cycle - establishing boundaries to create balance - in order to harmonize with Earth and restore proper order. Wood in turn must become powerful to create such a harmonic balance, so there is a dual tone through the Year - Earth resounding and Wood expanding to harmonize. Wood and Earth competing in the heavenly aspect of the year creates an image of great stirring winds and waves of moisture, which together bring an abundance of fecund energy and give this year the determination of “abundant enriching moisture” 柔潤重澤 , which can indicate increased fertility and even a second harvest if Wood energy is strong. However, this can also indicate damage to the Taiyang Bladder and Shaoyin Kidney networks: wind strike and phelgm stagnation if dampness fails to be transformed. The key is harmonizing the abundant, enriching vibration of Earth with Wood’s potential to transform and digest. This supports conditions for vitality to grow and unfold.
Seasonal Climate and Health Effects:
The presence of Excess Earth in the heavens indicates an overall tendency of climate towards dampness this year, with the possibility of Wood “taking revenge” on the dominating force of Earth in the form of stirring winds and sudden climate events.
The Neijing describes this year as having the potential for “transformations of sudden tremors/earthquakes, windstorms/hurricanes, with dampness creating heaviness below.”其變震驚飄驟，其病濕下重. “Dampness creating heaviness below” is a symbolic both of climate and human health pathology, with the potential for wind-damp to create damp accumulation and disruption of physiological diaphoretic and diuretic expressions, leading to dampness in the lower jiao and water retention in the legs.
As the Wuyun are the heavenly energetics for the year, this description is a general tendency of the year, with specific seasonal climate expressions more explicitly detailed by the Liuqi.
Chiang Yee “Going to Church in the Rain” 1937
六氣 - Lìu Qì
In contrast to the heavenly archetypes of seasonal qi described by the Wuyun, the Liuqi, or “Six Climates” are earthly manifestations of yearly climate. This makes the Liuqi more directly relevant to climate and health abnormalities we can expect in any given year and as such most discussion in the Neijing and subsequent commentary on how to promote seasonal health is in relation to the Liuqi.
Similar to the yearly cycle of seasons, the “Six Climates,” express in a regular pattern every year, beginning in January with each climate lasting two months. The cycle is as follows: early spring Wind, leading to vernal Sunlight warming to become summer Heat, Dampness arriving in late summer, Dry autumnal weather and winter Cold. These are the Host climates, which again are visited by Guest climates, and this interaction of Host and Guest climates produces the most concrete and actionable view of yearly weather patterns and health effects. Each year, one Guest climate rules the first part of the year, and another rules the latter half, making them the most important yearly climate indicators of the Liuqi.
Yearly Climate Guests - Cold and Damp
Complimenting the presence of Excess Earth in the heavens, the two main Guests in the earthly sphere this year are Cold, which predominates from January until late July, and Dampness, which is present the second half of the year. These two climates modify the regular cycle of yearly climate patterns with the potential to bring cool weather in the beginning of the year and double the already-excessive Earth quality of dampness in the second half.
The following calendar illustrates the periods of the Liuqi this year, as well as the interaction of Host and Guest in these periods with associated climate and health effects. The dominating climates of Cold and Damp are highlighted for reference.
Wood Dragon Liuqi Climate Calendar:
1st Qi - January 20 - March 21
Host Climate: Jueyin Wind | Guest Climate: Shaoyang Heat
Effect on Climate: Wind mixes with heat to create conditions for a warm, early spring. The Water Rabbit year ended with Guest qi of Imperial Fire leading into the new year, adding to conditions of warmth. Early buds and blossoms and a greater propensity for unseasonably warm weather early in the year alternates with seasonal cold and wind.
Health Effects: Wind-heat conditions increase likelihood of epidemic illness, especially warm diseases with fever, headache and vomiting. Skin lesions and sores may also develop at the joints, such as psoriasis or eczema.
2nd Qi - March 21 - May 27
Host Climate: Shaoyin Imperial Fire/Light | Guest Climate: Yangming Dryness
Effect on Climate: Unseasonal coolness as dry autumnal weather arrives during spring, creating the possibility of a late frost. The Host (Fire) controls the Guest (Metal), resulting in potentially extreme “retaliation” of weather in the Metal season of autumn.
Health Effects: Abdominal fullness due to qi stagnation. The expansive energy of the Spring/Summer pivot is held back by the guest of Metal, leading to repressed qi.
3rd Qi - May 27 - Jul 26
Host Climate: Shaoyang Heat | Guest Climate: Taiyang Cold
Effect on Climate: The Guest (Cold) dominates the Host (Heat), leading to a contraction of environmental qi - rainfall and cool weather arrive out of season.
Health Effects: Heat becomes constrained on the interior of the body, leading to counterflow heat symptoms, vexation and mental-emotional distress. Possible abscesses if internal heat is severe.
Remedy: Warm and open the exterior to keep heat moving outward - this can be accomplished with pungent foods or exercise to the point of sweating, being mindful to not get chilled afterward. Protect the exterior from cold invasions and stay dry if it rains.
4th Qi - July 26 - September 24
Host Climate: Taiyin Dampness | Guest Climate: Jueyin Wind
Effect on Climate: Wind and damp interact, the Guest (Wood) controlling the Host (Earth), creating spring-like conditions of warm, wet weather, liable to change quickly. The Damp climate of the 2nd half of the year begins now, adding to wet conditions. Plants may bloom for a second time in the year - this is unlikely, but archetypally representative.
Health Effects: Qi deficiency caused by wind exhausting qi at the surface - shortness of breath may follow, or damp heat leading to anxiety. The Taiyin Foot channel may also be affected, leading to atrophy of legs and feet and possibly diarrhea.
5th Qi - September 24 - November 23
Host Climate: Yangming Dryness | Guest Climate: Shaoyin Imperial Fire/Light
Effect on Climate: The bright, warm light of spring/summer returns late in the year, bringing relief. Plants have their second harvest - again this is symbolic but also a real possibility in some climates this year.
Health Effects: No ill health effects, this qi balances the previous, bringing comfort and ease.
6th and Final Qi (Winter) - November 23 - January 20, 2025
Host Climate: Taiyang Cold | Guest Climate: Taiyin Dampness
Effect on Climate: Damp-Cold combine to create chilling temperatures and dark, obscuring clouds. Wind gusts worsen the cold. Darkness is prominent and the Earth freezes, becoming still and inert.
Health Effects: The overall dampness of the year become most accentuated in this period, leading to “pregnancies not reaching completion.” This is not to be taken literally, but a symbol of the damage to Yang Qi and even Essence by the cold and damp sinking into the body. Shaoyin illness may develop with “Desire only to sleep” 但欲寐 .
Remedy: The late-year damage to Spleen and Kidney is best remediated ahead of time. From Song-era commentators to Wang Bing: “Take away the source of [disease’s] transformation before the ninth month” 先於九月迎取其化源 . The “source” of disease here being excess dampness. Drying damp and warming to nourish the Heart prior to the onset of cold can prevent these issues. Imagine emptying a hose before cold sets in. Once frozen, it is much harder to fix the problem.
“In the three winter months, the climate is very cold. Abounding cold qi can oppress the fire of the heart internally. Hence it is necessary to supplement the fire of the heart prior to the advent of winter, lest the fire of the heart is tied down by the cold evil.” ”
Joseon Dynasty, 19th Century
Herbal and Dietary Care in the Year of the Dragon
In keeping with the advice to warm the interior and drain damp this year, the primary flavor/nature profile for the Year of the Wood Dragon is a Bitter and Warm palette. The presence of Taiyang Cold in the first half and Taiyin Damp in the latter half of the year is best addressed through preventative measures such as small doses of bitter and warm substances incorporated into our diet, taking care to not eat too many cold bitter foods (like raw dandelion greens).
“Bitter is the flavor of fire, fire can warm cold. Bitter can dry dampness.”
It is not only through herbal treatment that bitterness can be introduced to daily living. A regular intake of dietary staples with a bitter, warm quality can be part of a seasonal wellness practice. For example: whole grains such as Rye and Spelt have a bitter as well as sweet flavor. Roasting spelt, rye or whole wheat enhances their bitter quality and emphasizes the warming, tonic quality of these grains. To roast spelt: place a single layer of grains on a baking sheet and place in oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove a few grains, allow to cool and test for doneness before removing the rest - there should be a toasty aroma and soft, chewy texture when ready. Use as a garnish for soups, salads in the spring and summer, or as a snack on their own.
You can drink your bitter too: in Indonesia’s damp tropical climate, coffee is taken with ginger, cardamom and other warming herbs. These warm aromatics compliment the coffee’s bitter flavor to create a warming, drying effect that clears damp while the aromatic qualities support the digestive system (thereby not over-taxing Earth). Similar flavor palettes are used in Mexico for coffee and bitter hot chocolate, take your pick! Simple measures like this - adding some spice to your daily cup of coffee during appropriate times and climates throughout the year can help ensure our diet and lifestyle is attuned to possible climate conditions and their health effects.
“氣味 … 苦泄涌為陰
[In regards to the] qi [of the 5] flavors … bitter drains and percolates Yin.”
Yearly Formula
The Song dynasty text “Treatise on the unifying theory and treatment of diseases from the three causes” 三因極一病證方論 provides yearly herbal formulas based on the Liuqi, with the following formula indicated for the Year of the Dragon and Year of the Dog - both Yang Earth years. This is presented here as a representative formula for the climate described in the Liuqi section and not recommended for personal consumption or as a prescription outside of relevant clinical diagnosis. Rather, it presents an archetype of the flavor palette of Bitter* and Warm herbs, adjusted seasonally to harmonize the particular inflections of seasonal climate that are possible in the year. A study of this formula can provide insight into the use of a constitutional base formula and seasonal modifications.
Yearly Formula: 靜順湯 Jìng Shùn Tang
Ingredients:
Fuling (茯苓) - 30 grams - Bland and Warm
Mugua (木瓜) - 30 grams - Sour and Warm
Fuzi (附子, peeled and processed) - 9 grams - Acrid and Hot
Niuxi (牛膝, soaked in wine) - 9 grams - Bitter and Neutral
Fangfeng (防風, processed) - 9 grams - Acrid, Sweet, Warm
Hezi (訶子, pitted and processed) - 9 grams - Bitter, Sour, Warm
Gancao (甘草, processed) - 9 grams - Sweet
Ganjiang (乾薑, processed) - 15 grams - Warm
Instructions:
· Grind above ingredients into a fine powder.
· For each dose use four dà qián (~15 grams), mixed with a cup or more of water.
· Boil for seven minutes, remove the dregs, and take it before meals.
Modifications:
• 1st Qi Period: remove Fuzi and add half an ounce of Gouqizi.
• 2nd Qi Period: follow the original formula.
• 3rd Qi, remove Fuzi, Mugua, and Ganjiang, and add 9 grams each of Renshen, Gouqizi, Diyu, Baizhi, and Shengjiang.
• 4th Qi, follow the original formula and add half an ounce of Shiliupi.
• 5th Qi, follow the original formula.
• 6th and Final Qi, remove Niuxi and add 9 grams each of Danggui, Shaoyao, and Ejiao.
*Note Jìng Shùn Tang’s flavor palette is only mildly bitter (increasing slightly in summer and winter) and instead makes us of bland, water transforming Fuling as the lead herb alongside Mugua, dried Chinese quince, which clears wind-damp with sour astringency. There is plenty of room for creativity in clearing & transforming damp as an herbal approach in the year of the Wood Dragon.
Closing Thoughts
As we move through the Year of the Wood Dragon, bear in mind the Wuyun Liuqi system is not meant to be predictive, nor are the climate and health forecasts universal. We all live in distinct microclimates wherein the dynamics of nature express uniquely. More than a literal reading of the classical forecast of health and climate captured here, I hope you come away with an understanding of the dynamic interplay of climate and health overall, and how the visitation of unseasonal weather in various seasons interacts climatically and within the human body.
In each season, consider the relationship of the and “Host” and “Guest” climates as they relate to your own microclimate, and observe how the unfolding of yearly weather might express these qualities. For example, the Damp quality of the year may be more noticeable in regions that are usually dry (as I write this, an atmospheric river washes over Los Angeles) than climates that are already humid. Conversely, it is possible that some dry environments may be insulted from the damp climate of the year, and some other aspect of the yearly qi will manifest more strongly in its place. Wherever you live, there is always something that can be learned from methodical observation of nature and the systematic frameworks we are the inheritors of.
Above all, I believe this system enhances our ability to understand and respond to local climate variations - even extreme weather events - and more clearly understand the health conditions that arise to better care for ourselves, our families and our patients.
