As we discussed in Chapter 3 (The Core of Health), Oriental Medicine suggests that life is generated and maintained by the harmony and balance between two primordial elements: Fire and Water. One reason that acupuncture and moxibustion are effective is that these techniques are methods that affect the balance between fire and water—moxibustion affects fire, and acupuncture water.
Oriental Medicine posits the existence of five primordial elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements emerge in physical reality as the result of the interactions of the two fundamental poles of the universe: Yin and Yang.
The five elements have either generative or controlling properties with respect to one another. In the order of the generative cycle, the five elements can be ordered thus: Water-Wood-Fire -Earth-Metal, and returning to Water. In terms of the controlling cycle, the five elements can be ordered as follows: Metal-Wood-Earth-Water-Fire, and returning to Metal.
For example, water nourishes growth of a tree (wood); wood generates fire; fire creates ashes that turn to earth; and earth over time produces metal (ores). Conversely, metal cuts wood; wood controls the earth (tree roots); earth blocks the flow of water; water can extinguish fire; and fire melts metal.
In this chain of relationships, acupuncture has the characteristics of Metal while moxibustion represents Wood. In the generative cycle, Metal can increase Water energy while Wood can increase Fire energy. Depending upon the duration, direction, and intensity of the treatment, one can either relieve an overflowing condition or notify the missing element. Read more Prof Ilchi Lee’s notes.