Understanding Yin-Yang and the Five Elements Through the Changing Seasons

The yearly cycle of nature — spring birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage — reflects the fundamental sequence of Qi’s rising, descending, exiting, and entering:

• When Qi moves outward, life flourishes.

• When Qi is stored inward, life withers.

This cycle can be divided into two phases:

• The expansive phase is called Yang, representing outward movement and growth.

• The contracting phase is called Yin, representing inward movement and conservation.

This transformation is not instantaneous but occurs gradually and continuously. The five elements correspond to the different aspects of Qi movement throughout the seasons:

• Wood (Spring): budding and growing — Qi rises.

• Fire (Summer): flourishing and fullness — Qi disperses.

• Metal (Autumn): blooming and fruiting — Qi contracts.

• Water (Winter): leaves fall and return to roots — Qi stores.

• Earth: lies at the center, harmonizing and transforming the transitions between elements.

Earth plays a regulatory role:

• It prevents excessive rising during wood’s growth phase and ensures proper transition into fire’s flourishing.

• It controls excessive dispersion during fire’s peak and guides it into metal’s contraction.

• It facilitates contraction into water’s storage phase.
  In all transitions, Earth governs moderation and transformation.

The Subtle Changes of Qi and the Ten Heavenly Stems

The flow of Qi from the unseen to the seen, from energy to matter, can also be understood through the Ten Heavenly Stems:

• Spring: Jia (甲), Yi (乙)

  • Jia: Qi begins to stir invisibly; forms have not yet appeared.

  • Yi: Buds emerge, and form manifests as Qi and matter move together.

• Summer: Bing (丙), Ding (丁)

  • Bing: Yang Qi is at its peak; everything is thriving.

  • Ding: Yin is hidden within Yang; maturity begins.

• Autumn: Geng (庚), Xin (辛)

  • Geng: Qi begins to contract; fruits mature.

  • Xin: Contraction reaches its peak; nature declines.

• Winter: Ren (壬), Gui (癸)

  • Ren: Yin Qi dominates; life retreats inward.

  • Gui: Extreme Yin prepares for the birth of new Yang.

• Earth’s transitional energy: Wu (戊), Ji (己)

  • These govern the transitions between seasons, ensuring harmony and proper transformation.