In the Chinese calendar, Jun 6, 2023, is the first day of Yang Earth Horse Month. The Chinese calendar assigns one of the twelve animals, five elements, and the polarity of yin or yang to each year, month, day, and hour. The Yang Earth Horse month extends till July 7, 2023.
The Yang Earth Horse refers to the 22nd hexagram described in the I Ching and used in Feng Shui. Its image is Mountain over Fire. The Yang Earth Horse signifies "Grace". It represents an image of fire illuminating the mountain.
The Yang Earth Horse hexagram:
From the body and health perspective, the Yang Earth Horse hexagram continues a strong energetic shift away from early springtime. The environmental influences have moved to the Summer season. The Yang Earth Horse is an energetic hexagram. Its image is Mountain over Fire. The Yang Earth Horse represents an imbalance in the movement of systemic energies and inhibited digestive, circulatory, and elimination functions. These imbalances are due to internal organ inflammation and low-grade organ infections. The dominant pathological influences are characterized by heat and dampness. During the Yang Earth Horse month, damp heat patterns have their root mostly, in internal organ problems and secondarily, in external hot damp or humid weather.
The Mountain trigram originates in the Earth element and is related to damp heat in the Spleen, Stomach, Small Intestine, and lymphatic systems. Internal organ damp heat pathology often results from eating the wrong foods for the summer season. The Fire trigram originates in the Fire element and is related to the Heart, Small Intestine, and Spleen. Its nature is heat rising. Essentially, the Yang Earth Horse month represents a perfect storm of inflammation coupled with low-grade internal organ infection.
Each season consists of various energetic states, often in conflict. These energetic states will be reflected in nature and more importantly in our bodies. As mentioned before, the Yang Earth Horse represents a generalized pattern of Damp Heat that affects various organs, tissues, and body regions. Each of these patterns has its own set of signs and symptoms.
Common problems during the Yang Earth Horse month are:
- Hay fever with either stuffy or runny nose, dry or swollen lips and mouth, swollen or inflamed eustachian tube, diminished hearing, and sore or swollen throat
- The liver and gallbladder are very susceptible to internal damp-heat conditions, causing fullness and discomfort of the solar plexus, inhibited circulation, blood pressure problems, joint pain, and fatty liver or elevated cholesterol. Typical problems include jaundice, poor or low appetite, fever, bitter taste in the mouth, anorexia, dark scanty urine, abdominal distention, hypochondria pain & fullness, nausea, vomiting sour & bitter fluid, yellow vaginal discharge with a foul odor, pruritus vulvae pain & swelling and burning sensation in testicles.
- The large intestine is also affected by damp heat, causing constipation, colitis, dysentery, and diarrhea. Other signs include fever with profuse sweating, heaviness & tiredness in body, and limbs, diarrhea with tenesmus which intensifies after a bowel movement, frequent small quantity stools, yellow or brown, thin watery stools with a foul odor or sticky and pasty, sticky fluid, with pus & blood, mucus & blood in stool, burning hot sensation in the anus, abdominal pain, scanty dark or red urination, anorexia, vomiting, lump in epigastrium, dry mouth with no desire to drink, and fullness in the chest.
- The Spleen and Stomach belong to the Earth element and are, naturally, affected by damp-heat conditions resulting in general fatigue or lassitude, low-grade fever, heavy sensation in the body, palpitations, fullness in the abdomen, loss of appetite, scanty yellow urine, constipation or foul smelling loose stools, fullness in the chest, nausea, vomiting, thirst without the desire to drink, dizziness, bitter taste and stickiness in the mouth. Typical problems include acute hepatitis, acute pancreatitis, acute cholecystitis, acute gastric inflammation, and early or late-stage cirrhosis of the liver.
Internal organ Damp-Heat patterns are caused by:
- excess consumption of alcohol, greasy, fried, spicy, and sweet foods
- excess consumption of cold or raw foods
- long-term emotional upset or anger
- exterior damp heat invading the digestive organs
- long-term physical, mental, or emotional stress
- weak digestion
Internal damp heat can lead to phlegm heat. Damp heat primarily affects the organs below the diaphragm. Phlegm-heat affects the lungs and heart.
Lung phlegm heat conditions include bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and pulmonary abscess. There are two patterns of lung phlegm heat. The first involves an exterior invasion of Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat. The second pattern belongs to the current discussion in this post and has its root in the Spleen and Stomach damp-heat.
Heart phlegm heat has its root in emotional turmoil, depression, frustration, irregular diet, and excess consumption of hot greasy, or fried foods. Typical signs include irritability, palpitations, restlessness, coma, bitter taste in the mouth, insomnia, coarse breathing, flushed face, dream-disturbed sleep, easily startled, agitation, alternating depression & confusion, incoherent speech, crying & laughing without reason, mania, aphasia, irrational behavior, schizophrenia, manic depression, and constipation,
As you can see many of the signs and symptoms of damp heat and phlegm heat can be quite debilitating. Fortunately, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have great treatment options for all the above conditions.Clinic hours: Tue - Fri 8:00 - 12:00, 1:30 - 6:30
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