Introduction to the Heavenly Stems & Earthly Branches

This introduction to Stems and Branches (aka Five Movements and Six Energies, wuyun liuqi 五運六氣) contextualizes the foundations of practice. We will look at the world of space and time, in terms of Five and Six, so as to open a door onto an ordered universe and constant cosmos, which follows natural laws that can be determined. By understanding the cyclical nature of time and space we start to learn about Stems and Branches, which are the thread that weaves together many aspects of Chinese thought. We will look at the relationship between Stems and space, and their role as the foundation of wuxing 五行 Five Phases. This will extend our understanding of the interactions between zangfu 臟腑 organs and open the door to a discussion of practical applications. We also explore the relationship between the Branches and time, the resonances of the Chinese clock, and how it relates to the seasons and human lifespan. Additionally we look into earlier Heaven (xiantian 先天) to later Heaven (houtian 後天), how that relates to space and time, and discuss the role of the ‘organs with name but no form’ that are so key to the function of the Ministerial Fire. Additionally we explore how the channels not only circulate qi in the body, but act as the interface between our interior world and the environment. All this gives us a deeper understanding of the universal cycles of time and how these are mirrored in the channels in the body.