In the Chinese calendar, August 8, 2023, is the first day of Yang Metal Monkey 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 Metal Monkey month extends till September 7, 2023.
The Yang Metal Monkey refers to the 2nd hexagram described in the I Ching and used in Feng Shui. Its image is Heaven over Heaven. The Yang Metal Monkey represents "Creation". It is an image of strength, and since it is without weakness, its essence is power or energy.
The Yang Metal Monkey hexagram:
From the body and health perspective, the Yang Metal Monkey hexagram represents a shift away from the solid energetic nature of early springtime. The environmental influences, currently, are in full Summer mode. As a result, the effect now has caused a different pathogenic influence. The Yang Metal Monkey is a highly energetic hexagram. It represents a hyperactive movement of systemic energies throughout the body. This happens as a result of the extreme environmental heat of summertime. When inflammation overwhelms our body's tissues and organs systemic heat and inflammation set in. The dominant pathological influences begin with heat and transition to inflammation, dryness, fluid deficiencies, and fatigue. During the Yang Metal Monkey month, dry heat patterns have their root in external climatic pathogenic factors coupled with internal organ inflammation. This culminates in an exuberance of Yang Qi.
The Heaven trigram originates in the Metal element and is related to extremely dry hot conditions affecting the Lungs, Large Intestine, Bladder, Gallbladder, and nervous system. Internal organ inflammation pathology in the summertime often results from eating the wrong foods for the summer season. Essentially, the Yang Metal Monkey month represents a perfect storm of inflammation.
Each season consists of various energetic states, often in conflict. These conditions will be reflected in nature and, more importantly, our bodies. As mentioned before, the Yang Metal Monkey represents a generalized pattern of extreme heat accumulation that affects various organs, tissues, and body regions. In addition to the environmental heat of summertime, systemic inflammation during the Yang Metal Monkey month involves the Urinary Bladder, Gallbladder, Large Intestine, and the peripheral nervous system, Each of these patterns has its own set of signs and symptoms.
Common problems during the Yang Metal Monkey month are:
Taiyang Level (peripheral nervous system) - headache, eye pain, nasal congestion, epistaxis, fevers, apoplexy, loss of consciousness, acute mastitis, sore throat, conjunctivitis, headache
Upper Jiao key signs: problems in the head, pituitary gland, scalp, facial bones, brain, inner & middle ear, sympathetic nervous system; Headaches, nervousness, insomnia, head colds, high blood pressure, migraine headache, nervousness, amnesia, chronic fatigue, dizziness
Middle Jiao key signs: Heart valves, arteries, pericardium; Functional heart conditions and certain chest conditions
Lower Jio key signs: Kidney problems, hardening of the arteries, chronic fatigue, nephritis, pyelitis
Yangming Level (stomach/large intestine inflammation) - swelling of the face, toothache, sore throat, nosebleeds, nightmares or dream-disturbed sleep, manic psychosis
Taiyin Level (GI tract, fluid metabolism) - menstrual problems, abdominal distension,
Shaoyang Level (hormones/lymphatic system) - Migraine, redness and pain of the eye, pain in the hypochondrium, tinnitus, deafness, hemiplegia
Jueyin Level (circulatory system) - heat stroke, cardiac pain, irritability, swelling, and stiffness of the tongue
Shaoyin Level (central nervous system) - Loss of consciousness, headache, neck pain, dizziness, manic psychosis, nausea, vomiting, swelling of the pharynx, dryness of the tongue, painful urination, constipation, heat sensation in the sole, palpitations, cardiac pain, chest pain, rib pain, fever
Internal organ inflammation patterns are caused by:
- excess consumption of alcohol, spicy, salty, and sweet foods
- long-term emotional upset or anger
- exterior heat invading the digestive organs
- long-term physical, mental, or emotional stress
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