5 Element Laws

There are several laws in acupuncture that determines what the configuration of what the patient's symptoms may be. These laws include the law of creating that is the shen cycle, the loq of control that is the KO cycle, midday and midnight cycle, and mother-child cycle.

The shen cycle is best understood in the macrocosmic images of the five elements. The wood produces plants and trees that is wood, wood brings forth fiver, fire produces ashes that is soil (earht), soil brings forth metal, when heated metal produces steam that is water.

The controlling cycle, KO cycle, is illustrated as follows: water overcomes fire, fire melts the metal, metal in the form of a knife overcomes wood, wood as in the form of a spade overcomes soil (earth), soil in the form of a dyke subdues the water.

In illness, for example, of the wood an imbalance of this element would cause symptoms to be seen in the wood in the fire through the shen cycle or in the earth through the KO cycle.