The 60 year Cycle:

Understanding the Qi of the Year and its Clinical

Implications

© 2016 Wendy S. Goldman

•  Basic Theory
•  Analysis
Nei Jing Su Wen: Chapters 66-71, & 74

Unschuld: “over 1/3 of the Su Wen”

Unschuld, Paul U. Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical Text, Berkeley:

University of California Press 2003

~100 page appendix about this topic

Su Wen Chapter 2: “In the old days, the sages
treated disease by preventing illness before it
began…”

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 7
Su Wen Chapter 9: “Through careful observation of the time of the
season and the arrival of the appropriate weather and cyclic pattern, we can

understand and apply the knowledge of the transformation of the five

elements. Thus, a doctor who does not understand or had misinterpreted

the peaks and valleys of the cycles of nature will not understand the

mechanism by which people get sick. That doctor will be ineffective in both

the treatment and prognosis of patients.”

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 39
Su Wen Chapter 66: “In ancient times the sages observed
the heavens and noted their surroundings carefully and
proposed a complex system, consisting of several subsystems
to account for all possible variables in the forecast of
macrocosmic influences upon the world, especially the
weather and the effects on people.”

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 237
Su Wen Chapter 66: “The five elemental phases and the six
atmospheric influences have a definite pattern and rhythm. This

knowledge is very profound. If one grasps it, one can know the

changes that will transpire in the natural world. One who masters

this science can enjoy eternal health. One who neglects to learn this

will suffer danger, injury, and even death by having violated the

natural rhythms and patterns of the universe. Please learn,

understand and apply this knowledge carefully.”

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 240
Su Wen Chapter 66: “The interactive dynamic between
the stems and the branches produces subsystems that
make up the large system of meteorology. This system is
not just about predicting weather patterns but also is
about the influence of these weather patterns on all living
things in the world, especially people’s well-being. It is
immensely useful for forecasting epidemic illnesses.”

Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 239
Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches

Each Year: Yin or Yang

 Heavenly Stems

WOOD Yang Wood

Yin Wood

FIRE Yang Fire

Yin Fire

EARTH Yang Earth

Yin Earth

METAL Yang Metal

Yin Metal

WATER Yang Water

Yin Water
 South

June
y Jul
Ma y
Horse
e Go
nak at
S
Yang
EaYin

Au
Fire
Yinre

ril
Sh rth

gu
ee

Ap
Fi

Mo
p

gon

st
nk
Dra

Eaar ng

Ya etal
Dra th

M
gon

ey
ng
Y
Earthly

West
September
Rooster
Metal
March

Rabbit

Yin
Wood
East

Yin
Branches

Eaang
Yanood

Do rth
W

g
Y
g
Tig

g
Do
EaYin

er
er
Feb

Yinter

tob
Oxrth
Wa
uar

Yang

Oc
Water
y

Ox ar
Bo
Ja Rat er
nu b
ar
y vem
No
December

North
 Earthly Branches

WOOD - Yang Wood

- Yin Wood
- Yang Earth Dragon
FIRE - Yin Fire
- Yang Fire
- Yin Earth Sheep (Goat)
EARTH - Yin Earth Ox
- Yang Earth Dragon
- Yin Earth Sheep
- Yang Earth Dog
METAL - Yang Metal
- Yin Metal
- Yang Earth Dog
WATER - Yang Water
- Yin Water
- Yin Earth Ox
60 Year Jia-Zi Cycle

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +water -earth +wood -wood +earth -fire +fire -earth +metal -metal
Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +earth -water +water -earth +wood -wood +earh -fire +fire -earth
Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +metal -metal +earth -water +water -earth +wood -wood +earth -fire
Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +fire -earth +metal -metal +earth -water +water -earth +wood -wood
Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +earth -fire +fire -earth +metal -metal +earh -water +water -earth
Stem +wood -wood +fire -fire +earth -earth +metal -metal +water -water
Branch +wood -wood +earth -fire +fire -earth +metal -metal +earth -water
Relationships Between the Elements
Between Heaven & Earth
Between Elements
Strength
Timing
Unseasonal; or “off-timed” weather
 FIVE ELEMENT CONFLICTS

Yang Wood Yang Metal

Yin Wood Yin Metal
Yang Fire Yang Water
Yin Fire Yin Water
 Five Element Correspondences

Five WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER

Elements
Color blue & green red & purple yellow & white & gray black
brown
Direction east south center west north
Season spring summer all 4 autumn winter
seasons
Nature/ evil wind heat dampness dryness cold
Yin Organ Liver Heart Spleen Lungs Kidneys
Yang Gallbladder Small Stomach Large Urinary
Organs Intestine Intestine Bladder
Body tendons & blood & muscles & skin bones &
Tissues nervous blood fat bone
system vessels marrow
Sense eyes tongue mouth nose ears
Organs
Body Fuids tears sweat drool nasal mucus saliva
Emotions anger joy worry & sadness fear
over-thinking
Moral kindness & courtesy & trust justice wisdom
Characters compassion respect
Heavenly Yang Wood Yang Fire Yang Earth Yang Metal Yang Water
Stems Yin Wood Yin Fire Yin Earth Yin Metal Yin Water
Earthly Yang Wood Yin Fire Yang E Dragon Yang Metal Yin Water
Branches Yin Wood Yang Fire Yin E. Sheep Yin Metal Yang Water
Yang E. Dog
Yin Earth Ox
 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
yang fire yin fire yang earth yin earth yang metal yin metal yang water yin water yang wood yin wood
dog/ yang pig or boar/ rat/ yang ox/ yin tiger/ yang rabbit/ yin dragon/ snake/ yin horse/ goat/ yin
earth dog yang water water earth ox wood wood yang earth fire yang fire earth
dragon sheep or
goat
hot hot el nino hot hot el nino/ hot

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
yang fire yin fire yang earth yin earth yang metal yin metal yang water yin water yang wood yin wood
monkey/ rooster/ yin dog/ yang pig or boar/ rat/ yang ox/ yin tiger/ yang rabbit/ yin dragon/ snake/ yin
yang metal earth dog yin water water earth ox wood wood yang earth fire
metal dragon

Note: El Nino = warm water; La Nina = cool water; for ocean temps in tropical Pacific Ocean

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/cei/graph/us/cei/01-12;
hottest year on record in USA = 2012
hottest on record worldwide = 2014 (http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/summary-info/global/201412)
2014 = driest year in California (http://plantingseedsblog.cdfa.ca.gov/wordpress/?p=9466)
2015 = third wettest year on record (https://weather.com/news/climate/news/record-warmest-wettest-december-us-2015),
2015 = wettest winter on record in England & Wales (http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/2016/winter-statistics)
Resources

•  Ni, Maoshing. The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine, Boston: Shambala 1995 Pg. 240

•  Unschuld, Paul U. Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in an Ancient Chinese Medical
Text, Berkeley: University of California Press 2003

•  Unschuld, Paul U and Tessenow, Hermann. Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: An Annotated TranslaGon of Huang
Di’s Inner Classic – Basic QuesGons, Berkeley: University of California Press 2011

•  Wang, Bing. Wu, Nelson Liansheng and Wu, Andrew Qi, translators. Yellow Empero’s Cannon Internal
Medicine, Chinaq Science & Technology Press 1997


QuesRons?
Master Wendy S. Goldman, L.Ac.

•  info@GoldmanWellnessCenter.com
•  info@SanDiegoQigong.com
•  info@EmeiQigongHealing.com