In the Chinese calendar, July 7, 2023, is the first day of Yin Earth Goat 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 Yin Earth Goat month extends till August 7, 2023.
The Yin Earth Goat refers to the 2nd hexagram described in the I Ching and used in Feng Shui. Its image is Earth over Earth. The Yin Earth Goat represents "Reception". It is an image of the dark, yielding, receptive primal power of yin.
The Yin Earth Goat hexagram:
From the body and health perspective, the Yin Earth Goat hexagram represents a shift away from the solid energetic nature of early springtime. Though the environmental influences have moved to the Summer season, the effect now has caused a different pathogenic influence. The Yin Earth Goat Horse is a stagnant hexagram. Its image is Earth over Earth. The Yin Earth Goat represents a stagnant 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 weakness and fatigue sets in. The dominant pathological influences begin with heat and transition to stagnant damp accumulation. During the Yin Earth Goat month, damp patterns have their root in internal organ weakness.
The Earth trigram originates in the Earth element and is related to stagnant dampness in the Spleen, Pancreas, Liver, Kidneys, and reproduction systems. Internal organ stagnant damp pathology in the summertime often results from eating the wrong foods for the summer season along with excessive internal organ inflammation. Essentially, the Yin Earth Goat month represents a perfect storm of inflammation coupled with internal organ fatigue.
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 Yin Earth Goat represents a generalized pattern of stagnant damp accumulation that affects various organs, tissues, and body regions. In addition to the environmental heat of summertime, systemic inflammation 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 Yin Earth Goat month are:
Chest problems: cough, asthma, sore throat, afternoon fever, chest congestion, palpitation, shortness of breath, poor appetite, cardiac pain, spasmodic pain and numbness of the elbow and arm, hand tremor
Headache, dizziness, swelling and pain of the eye, blurring vision, toothacheUrine retention, dysuria, incontinence of urine, edema
Joint pain in upper limbs, hemiplegia, pain and motor impairment of the shoulder, swelling, knee pain, lumbar pain, spasm and weakness of the lower extremities
Irregular menstruation, various skin rashes, genital pain, dysmenorrhea, impotence, hernia, metrorrhagia and metrostaxis
Emaciation due to general deficiency, lassitude, insomnia
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 stagnation, 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 conditions resulting in general fatigue or lassitude, acute abdominal pain with vomiting and diarrhea, low-grade fever, heavy sensation in the body, palpitations, fullness in the abdomen, loss of appetite, copious urine, constipation or loose stools, fullness in the chest, nausea, vomiting, little thirst, dizziness, and stickiness in the mouth. Typical d include acute hepatitis, acute pancreatitis, acute cholecystitis, acute gastric inflammation, and early or late-stage cirrhosis of the liver.
Internal organ stagnant damp patterns are caused by:
- excess consumption of alcohol, greasy, fried, spicy, salty and sweet foods
- excess consumption of cold or raw foods
- long-term emotional upset or anger
- exterior dampness invading the digestive organs
- long-term physical, mental, or emotional stress
- weak digestion
Internal dampness can lead to phlegm. Dampness primarily affects the organs below the diaphragm. Phlegm affects the lungs and heart.
Lung phlegm conditions include bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia, and pulmonary abscess. There are two patterns of lung phlegm. 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 dampness.
Heart phlegm 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, sticky taste in the mouth, insomnia, coarse breathing, dream-disturbed sleep, easily startled, alternating depression & confusion, crying & laughing without reason, aphasia, depression, and schizophrenia,
As you can see many of the signs and symptoms of dampness and phlegm 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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