14. Earth – key resonances
Chapter contents
Earth as a symbol105
The Earth Element in nature105
The Earth Element in life106
The Earth Element in relation to the other Elements107
The key Earth resonances107
The supporting Earth resonances111
Earth as a symbol
The character for Earth
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The Chinese character for Earth is tu. This character is composed of two horizontal lines and one vertical line. The top horizontal line represents the surface soil and the second line the subsoil. The vertical line represents all things that are produced by the Earth (Weiger, 1965, lesson 81A). The character therefore represents the two key qualities of Earth – nourishment and stability.
The Earth Element in nature
The Earth as a provider
Seeds lie in the soil, seemingly inert, throughout the winter. In the spring they start to burst forth and grow and by the summer the plants are in full bloom. In late summer farmers harvest their crops. This is the time when Europeans hold the Harvest Festival and people traditionally give thanks for the products of the earth.
Caring for the earth
If the seeds are of high quality, the weather favourable and the soil well prepared and nourished, then the earth bears many fruits and people feast on them. In order that the fruits of the earth are nourishing and of high quality, the soil needs to be fertile. At one time farmers worked with nature and respected the needs of the earth. For instance, they would regularly allow the land to rest by alternating the crops and by leaving some fields to lie fallow. Farmers would also nourish the soil using natural compost derived from animal and vegetable waste products that were fed back into the earth. This would create a continuing ecological cycle and allow the soil to feed us with wholesome and nutritious crops.
Recently, however, many farmers under pressures of productivity have strained the capacity of the earth by poisoning the soil with chemical fertilisers, not returning compost to nourish it and not allowing it to rest by lying fallow. The earth becomes less fertile and the harvested crops are of a less nourishing standard, sometimes toxic with pesticides. Although the earth is a provider, it also needs to be cared for.
Storing food and energy
Foods are harvested in one season, often to be used in a later season. Our ancestors developed many ways of preserving grains and fruits so that the produce of the harvest could be spread over time. Several points on the Stomach and Spleen channels refer to this process. Stomach 14, Storehouse, and St 4, Earth Granary, are examples. Storehouses and granaries indicate that the function of Earth includes the storage of nourishment.
The Earth Element in life
An imbalanced Earth Element can also create famine. This can be a physical one with the Earth Organs unable to transform our food into nourishing qi. The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ is only a partial truth. ‘You are what you make of what you eat’ is more accurate. When the Earth Element struggles to transform food into flesh and qi, people may feel tired and suffer from a wide range of physical symptoms.
The famine can also be on a mental or spirit level. Can we concentrate or remember what we have heard or read? Can we bring the projects of our life into harvest, give and receive support from others and raise our children? We may have difficulty ‘reaping a harvest’ in our lives and never feel that what we have put into our lives has borne fruit. Chronic feelings of dissatisfaction often afflict Earth CFs. Being unable to reap on the level of mind and spirit can be as important as any physical symptoms.
Humans stand ‘between Heaven and Earth’
Humans stand ‘between Heaven and Earth’. Our head should be in the heavens so that we can take in the ‘heavenly’ qi and our feet on the earth so that we can be grounded and stable.
An earthquake or tremor is one of the few times when the earth is not stable beneath us. It induces strong feelings of shock and insecurity. After an experience of an earthquake it can take a long time to recover equilibrium and feel balanced again. When people have an imbalance in their Earth Element they can easily feel unstable in a way that is similar to the instability aroused when there is an earthquake.
People may also feel insecure and unsafe inside for many other reasons. The Earth Element may be too dry, in which case it may be crumbling and cracking or feeling as if it is collapsing. At the other extreme the Earth may have become waterlogged, making us ‘damp’ and as if we are muddy inside. Damp can make us feel heavy in our bodies and we may have difficulty thinking clearly or wanting to move.
The Earth as our mother
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The Earth Element is often compared to a mother. The character tu di is often used in this respect (see Weiger, 1965, lessons 81A (tu) and 107B (di)). This character often represents the Earth when it is coupled with Heaven. It signifies the soil on which plants grow, but also the ability of the earth to be like a mother (Larre and Rochat de la Vallée, 2004, p. 20).
The mother and nurturing
Like the earth itself, our mothers or main carers provide us with support and security when we are young. Over time, and especially in the context of a family, we learn how to care for others and to care for ourselves.
In the womb we are connected to our mother via the umbilical cord which is attached at the physical centre of the body. When the cord is cut we are put to the breast and our mother nourishes us with her milk. After we have been weaned our mother helps to connect us to the world and we gradually learn to have our own identity. In the best situation our mother feeds, supports and loves us unconditionally. She also gives us tactile comfort by holding and caressing us. By taking in nourishment from our mother we gain stability. We slowly make the transition from dependence to independence.
If a person is born as an Earth CF the relationship with the mother may be affected. The Earth CF may be less able to receive nourishment and care from the mother. This can make a balanced relationship between the mother and the child more difficult.
The Earth Element in relation to the other Elements
The Earth Element interacts with the other Elements through the sheng and ke cycles (see Chapter 2, this volume).
Earth is the mother of Metal
Along the sheng cycle Earth hardens to create Metal. The metal lying within the earth is often compared to trace minerals that give the soil extra quality and richness. When patients have signs and symptoms associated with the Metal Element this may be caused by imbalance in the Earth Element, the mother. For example, chest problems and/or asthma can be caused by an Earth imbalance. If the Earth is the original cause, treating it will benefit the person more permanently whilst treating the Metal will have only a temporary effect.
Fire is the mother of Earth
When a fire burns ashes are left and these become part of the Earth. Patients with obvious Earth symptoms such as digestive complaints or a sense of insecurity may have developed these because the Fire, the mother, was out of balance. The practitioner may treat the mother to assist the child and give it more stability.
Wood controls Earth
The most common situation occurring between Wood and Earth is one of Wood over-controlling the Earth. When Wood invades Earth in this way it can cause many symptoms including a churning feeling in the stomach, indigestion and/or nausea. By calming the Wood and strengthening the Earth, the Wood settles and the balance returns to normal.
Earth controls Water
If a river has burst its banks or is flowing too rapidly, the situation can be rectified by damming the river up with earth. In patients the Earth may not control the body fluids and the water, causing symptoms of ‘dampness’ and oedema. This can cause signs and symptoms physically, mentally and spiritually and patients may complain of feeling heavy, tired, listless, muzzy-headed and demotivated.
The Earth in the centre
As well as being situated between the Fire and Metal Elements in the sheng cycle, the Earth Element is sometimes placed in a central position between all the other Elements. Su WenChapter 4 states that, ‘The central region is the Earth’ (Larre and Rochat de la Vallée, 2004, p. 16).
In its central position the Earth is the pivot for all of the other Elements which encircle and spin around it. It is a place of stability within the body, mind and spirit. From this stable anchor, change and growth can take place. Our food can be transformed and processed by the Stomach and Spleen and turned into qi that nourishes the body, mind and spirit.
The key Earth resonances (Table 14.1)
The colour for Earth is yellow
| Colour | Yellow |
| Sound | Singing |
| Emotion | Sympathy |
| Odour | Fragrant |
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Su WenChapter 10 states that, ‘Yellow corresponds to the Spleen’ (Anonymous, 1979a, p. 27). The Chinese word for yellow is huang.
The colour in nature
In China the colour ‘yellow’ is associated more with the colour of soil or ploughed earth than, for example, the colour of a lemon. The Yellow River is called the Huang He and to many Chinese people huang is always associated with the colour of this river. The Yellow River is famous for silting up and the efforts both to unblock and rechannel the flow are thought to provide a conceptual background for understanding the flow of qi in the body and the need to guide and unblock it (Xinghua and Baron, 2001, pp. 12–15). Other examples of yellow in nature are the colour of millet and a field of grain ripe for harvesting.
The facial colour
When a person’s Earth Element is imbalanced it will manifest as a yellow or earthy colour on the face. Yellow indicating that the Earth is out of balance will be seen beside or under the eyes. It may vary in colour from a bright yellow to the muddier, earthy yellow. 1
The sound for Earth is singing
The character for singing
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The character for singing is chang. This character is made up of two radicals. The first, kou, represents a mouth and the second, chang, represents splendour or glory (Weiger, 1965, lesson 72A (kou) and lesson 73A (chang)). Together this can be translated as ‘splendour emanating from the mouth’.
Singing
The singing voice tone occurs naturally when we sing a lullaby with a child in our arms, or when we try to soothe an anxious or distressed animal or person. It might also occur when we are holding a baby, speaking to someone who is ill, or supporting a work colleague who is going through a difficult time. When this voice tone consistently occurs out of context it indicates an Earth imbalance.
The voice tone of singing
The singing voice has an increased variation in pitch. The voice goes up and down in pitch more frequently and to a greater extreme than normal. One way to detect a singing voice tone is to imagine a situation where you might use it. For example, a child has been hurt through no fault of her own. She is now resting comfortably, but in some pain and has been confined to bed. She is going to miss her best friend’s birthday party and is very disappointed. In your mind, say to her, ‘I am so sorry. You’re a poor old thing.’ Your voice will naturally become more singing than usual.
The norm of singing
Some languages and dialects naturally have a singing tone. This is especially true of the accents of country people more than town-dwellers. Welsh people, for example, have very sing-song voices. Many Welsh people also sing a lot and they probably have more choirs per head of population than in any other country. When assessing the voice of someone from Wales, it is useful to have a norm based on other Welsh people. Within Welsh speakers, there will be those who sing more and have a singing tone out of context. The norms against which the practitioner measures the speaker will have to take the norms of the language and culture into consideration.
The odour for Earth is fragrant
The character for fragrant
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The Chinese character for fragrant is xiang (Weiger, 1965, lessons 73 or 121I). This character can be translated as an agreeable savour or odour of fermented grain or the odour of fermented millet.
This is probably the most ineptly named odour. ‘Fragrant’ is usually applied to flowers and is thought to be pleasing, but this odour is usually a less than pleasing smell. It is cloying, sickly-sweet and with a tendency to linger in the nostrils and the room.
The emotion for Earth is over-thinking, worry and/or sympathy
The character for worry or over-thinking
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Si is one of the emotions associated with the Earth Element. This is sometimes translated as over-thinking or obsessive thought, and can also be called preoccupation, rumination or cogitation. Weiger (1965, lesson 40A) says of this character, ‘When one is thinking, the vital fluid of the Heart ascends to the brain’. Si is sometimes combined with lu as in si lu, where lu means to meditate (Weiger, 1965, lesson 40A for si lu).
The character for si consists of a brain with the Heart radical below it. It demonstrates the nature of thinking – which the Chinese believed required the brain to be in communication with the Heart. If the Heart/brain connection is lost, the images of the mind do not constitute focused thinking. There is a difference between directed, purposeful thought and random images floating through the mind. When the connection between the brain and the Heart is lost, thoughts can become obsessive and repetitive. Su WenChapter 39 states, ‘When there is obsessive thought, the qi is knotted’ (Larre and Rochat de la Vallée, 1996, p. 159).
It is not that worry produces intense movements of qi as do the emotions of fear, anger, joy and grief. In this sense si does not truly describe an emotion.
Sympathy
Another emotion commonly associated with the Earth Element is sympathy. Although this is not mentioned in Chinese texts, J. R. Worsley observed that this emotion becomes affected when people have an imbalanced Earth Element. This is an innovation in Chinese medicine in Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. It is a significant contribution to an understanding of the Five Elements.
There are two directions for sympathy, giving it and receiving it. Both the ability to give sympathy and the ability to receive it are related to Earth. When Earth is in relative balance, both of these, the giving and the receiving, are smooth and function appropriately.
What is the core emotion for Earth?
As with the other Elements there are emotions or feelings that are natural, appropriate and resonate with the Element. It is not so easy to label Earth’s core emotion. ‘Worry’, ‘over-thinking’ and ‘concern’ describe an aspect of Earth’s dysfunction, but they do not touch the heart of the Earth emotion. J. R. Worsley introduced the term sympathy, which is as good a word as we have in English.
It helps to consider the context of sympathy. It comes out of mankind’s social nature. Although there are odd exceptions, humans cannot or do not live alone. Individuals belong to various communities, for example, families, tribes, groups of friends, neighbourhoods, gangs, fans of a sports team, the team itself, work colleagues, professional associations, committee members, citizens of a country, and so on.
People within a group have either common aims and/or an emotional bond. These bonds increase the person’s awareness of others’ welfare and can stimulate mutual support. Support can range from physical help to verbal and non-verbal acknowledgement of another’s predicament. Slightly different ‘feelings’ are associated with giving and receiving ‘sympathy’. But both are resonant with a person’s Earth Element.
These feelings are more easily understood by going back to our first dependence, the relationship to our mother or initial carer. Babies who are never held or touched can die. Our early receiving of ‘sympathy’ is being held and fed. In the mother there is a natural urge to hold, feed and care for. As we get older, the nature of sympathy or support changes, reflecting our varying degrees of dependence and independence. One challenge is to maintain a balance between being independent and allowing ourselves to be cared for when appropriate. Another challenge is to maintain a balance between caring for ourselves and being sensitive to the needs of others.
Sympathy at different ages
It is useful to consider how the nature of appropriate sympathy or support changes with age. When a 4-year-old falls and scrapes a knee, the sympathy expressed by the mother will probably involve both attention to the injury and some physical comfort. For example, the mother may find out if it’s serious and ask if it needs a bandage or plaster. She may also kiss it better, sit her child on her lap and/or give her or him a hug.
When an adult complains about a hard day at work with an even worse prospect tomorrow, another adult does not behave like the mother. Instead, they give some acknowledgement, for example, ‘Yes, this sounds like a difficult time for you.’ If the feeling is authentic and heartfelt the voice tone and facial expression will be congruent. Sometimes a hug and a cuddle may well be appreciated. The naturalness of what the mother does seems obvious. What the acknowledgement does for the adult is similar and also different. For adults, the net result is that the burden is somewhat eased and they often feel better knowing that someone appreciates their situation.
A writer, on the subject of emotions, describes a feeling he had at 15 when he was welcomed into a rock band. He had various descriptions, but, in short, it was a ‘feeling of acceptance, of belonging, of being valued by a group of people whom I was proud to call my friends’. He later discovered that the Japanese had a word for this which he says is ‘comfort in another person’s complete acceptance’. He also refers to the original Chinese character, a breast on which the baby suckled. This suggests a feeling that is based early on in the act of suckling and that evolves and exists in a different form, as we grow older (see Evans, 2002, pp. 1–3).
As the child grows up two abilities arise. One is knowing how to give support, that is, expressing it at the right level. People do not usually put a 35-year-old on their laps and say ‘There, there, it will be all right.’ The other is for people to create a balance between getting support and giving it to others. Only taking or only giving does not indicate a balanced Earth.
The varieties and extremes of ‘sympathy’
What happens when the natural flow of giving and receiving sympathy is not supported by a balanced Earth? The four most obvious patterns are:
1 excessively wanting sympathy and support
2 rejecting any help, support or sympathy from others
3 excessively feeling and giving sympathy
4 being untouched by others’ distress.
These indicate an imbalanced Earth
Excessively craving sympathy and support
This pattern is not being able to truly receive sympathy in such a way as to satisfy the person. The way in which patients tell the practitioner about their symptoms is an excellent time to observe this aspect of a person. Sometimes, when the Earth qi is weak, food can appear in the stools undigested or not transformed. Similarly, a person can take in sympathy, but does not appreciate or benefit from it. It is similar to being given a box of chocolates and eating one after another and then, looking down at the empty box, wondering where they all went.
It is this lack of deep satisfaction that characterises this pattern. The person is often perceived as ‘needy’ owing to their compulsion to seek support and care from others. Their response to what they feel as others’ lack of consideration and sympathy can be anger, withdrawal, agitation or depression.
Rejecting sympathy
There are times and situations when it is normal to accept support or sympathy from others. Some Earth CFs find it difficult to accept sympathy. They might, for example, complain about their situation, but when they are given sympathy they decline it by denying that they complained or readjusting the information so their situation does not sound so bad. Other people do this because receiving care and sympathy was outside their experience as a child. They might feel the neediness but unconsciously feel that it is a sign of weakness. Thus, when given sympathy or support, they feel the need for it but in response they feel a stronger need to deny the neediness and behave as if they are independent. This is probably more common with men, but also occurs in women.
This pattern is often easy to miss. It is usually necessary for the practitioner to give sympathy and see if it evokes discomfort in the patient. Many people can take or leave sympathy, but when this pattern is marked, sympathy will provoke an awkwardness in the patient.
Excessively expressing sympathy
A common pattern demonstrated by Earth CFs is to be overly sympathetic. An example is people who are always looking after others, especially when their own needs are not being met. As C. S. Lewis wittily wrote about a character ‘She is the sort of woman who lives for others – you can always tell the others by their hunted expression.’ (The Screwtape Letters).
People with this tendency often find others’ distress almost unbearable. The idea that their children or other family members are unhappy is often a source of great concern, frustration or sadness. Sad movies, the idea of cruelty to animals or the harsh fact of world poverty and famine are examples of situations that evoke intense feelings in such people.
This is not to suggest that caring for others is pathological. There are many situations in life when offering sympathy or assistance to others truly ‘meets the needs of the situation’. It is pathological when people need to care a lot for others and especially if they do not care appropriately for themselves.
The stereotype of the Jewish mother illustrates a combination. She is excessively caring so as to be smothering (‘eat an extra portion, you need it’) and at the same time she puts out a very strong ‘poor me, no one really cares’ message.
An Earth CF was on a postgraduate training course. She disappeared every lunchtime and came back a few minutes late for the afternoon session. When asked about this she said that she was seeing patients who she was unable to accommodate in the evenings. It turned out that she worked 70+ hours a week, frequently didn’t charge, and rarely had time for lunch or a proper evening meal. When asked what would happen if she didn’t do her caring with such fervour she said she thought ‘the whole world would collapse’.
Being untouched by others’ distress
This pattern is most common in people who reject sympathy themselves. When other people are in need of some support or care, for example when ill, it evokes little feeling of sympathy in the person. It can even induce slight feelings of contempt or disdain. In extreme cases they are completely unmoved by suffering, especially if it is a consequence of the sufferer’s own behaviour.
This hardening is characteristic. Whereas people who crave sympathy or who care a great deal for others can usually be described as tending to be ‘soft’, the hardness of those who reject sympathy and feel little for others is often striking.
Summary
Worry, over-thinking and over-concern are definitely part of the pathology associated with the Earth Element. We find, however, that sympathy and its variations also describe the normal and pathological emotional expressions that resonate with the Earth Element. In practice there is a range of words associated with the emotions of this Element (Table 14.2).
| Worry | Obsession, over-thinking, fixation, fretfulness, angst, over-concern, insecurity |
| Sympathy | Over-concern, over-supportive, needy, over-condolence, commiseration |
| Lack of sympathy | Unsympathetic, uncaring |
The supporting Earth resonances
These resonances are considerably less important than the ‘key’ resonances given above. They can often be used to indicate that a person’s Earth Element is imbalanced but they do not necessarily point to it being the person’s CF (Table 14.3).
| Season | Late summer |
| Power | Harvest |
| Climate | Dampness/humidity |
| Sense Organ/Orifice | Mouth |
| Tissues and body parts | Muscles and flesh |
| Generates | Fat |
| Taste | Sweet |
The season for Earth is late summer
The character for late summer
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The character for late summer is chang xia (Weiger, 1965, lessons 113A and 160D). This character represents abundant long hair tied back by hand. This is an image of luxurious growth, suggesting that this time of year is when the harvest can be taken.
Late summer
As stated above, Earth is sometimes located in the centre of the other Elements but usually it takes its place in the sheng cycle between Fire and Metal. The latter arrangement is used by Five Element acupuncturists. It comes after the peak of high summer and before the leaves drop in autumn. This season is very marked in Northern China but in some countries it barely exists. The actual times will vary from country to country, but the growth of most plants has peaked and the harvesting of grains and fruits is taking place. (For example in Southern England, where the authors live, it usually starts in mid August and finishes in early October.)
What is most striking about this season is the sense of time standing still. The peak of yang is over and the days are getting shorter but the leaves are still on the trees and the weather can still be extremely warm. The melancholia of autumn is yet to begin. It is a time when yin and yang are finely balanced.
The power for Earth is harvest
The character for harvest
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The character for harvest is shou. This character is made up of two radicals. The first represents tangled or creeping plants, and the second the right hand. By extension this might be translated as a hand picking the crops when they are fully grown (Weiger, 1965, lessons 45B and 43B).
Harvest
This is the time of year when crops come to fruition. At one time the harvest also meant carefully storing the crops so that there was a plentiful supply throughout the winter. If there had been adverse weather conditions there might have been no harvest. Nowadays we would import more food from other countries but at one time this would have led to a famine and not enough food for the winter months. At this time of year people traditionally gave thanks for an abundant harvest.
Practitioners might consider if their patients are reaping a harvest. For example are they gaining the benefits from eating good quality food. They may also ask whether they have psychologically benefited from what they have experienced. Does their study go into their mind and bear fruit? Can they transform what they take in into thoughts or ideas or whatever will be useful? Are they satisfied with what they have received or are they still hungry for more?
The climate of Earth is dampness or humidity
The character for dampness
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The Chinese character for dampness is shi (Weiger, 1965, lessons 125A and 92E).
Humidity and dampness both refer to the atmosphere where there is a higher degree of moisture than normal. When people have ‘Damp’ then their body has a higher than appropriate degree of fluids. They may have oedema, a bloated abdomen or a muzzy feeling in the head. Like a humid atmosphere outside, they have too much moisture on the inside.
There is a relationship between good quality Earth and the occurrence of Damp. Earth transforms and, as it transforms, food and drink are moved and fluids distributed. When the Earth is weak, the transformation process is weak and fluids can accumulate.
One diagnostic consequence is that people with deficient Earth Elements usually dislike damp or humid weather. Too much Damp on the inside makes them more likely to complain about the excess damp on the outside. Such people are susceptible to joint pain, aching muscles, headaches or lethargy that is worsened by damp or humidity.
It is useful to ask patients how they respond to damp or humid weather. If they ‘hate’ it, then this suggests that their Earth is imbalanced.
In Chinese medicine, certain foods are classified as ‘damp-forming’. Dairy products, all greasy foods and alcohol increase the damp in the body. Thus it becomes important to check a patient’s food intake. The Earth cannot be expected to deal with an abnormal balance of foods that cause us to retain fluids. In the same way, in a location where the rain is excessive and the run-off from the soil poor, the earth becomes too sodden to grow many crops.
A practitioner had been struggling to help an Earth CF, who also had Damp. Progress had been slow, but in the process of a consultation the patient mentioned keeping the windows open during the winter. When asked why, she said that the walls of her flat were so wet that it was better to be cold and get them somewhat drier than it was to be warm. Her practitioner responded by encouraging her to buy a de-humidifier. Ultimately she changed her living situation.
The sense organ/orifice for Earth
The character for the mouth
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The character for the mouth is kou (Weiger, 1965, lesson 72A).
The mouth and taste
The sense organ of Earth is that of taste and the orifice is the mouth. That the mouth and taste resonate with Earth is not surprising. The sustenance of the Earth enters our mouth and its taste is crucial. Taste guides what we eat. Unfortunately, people today are guided by many factors other than taste. The ability to taste foods for their freshness, nutritional value and relevance for oneself is often limited. Ling ShuChapter 17 says:
The energy of the Spleen is in connection with the mouth, when the Spleen is healthy, the mouth is able to absorb nourishment normally.
(Anonymous, 1979a, Chapter 17)
If the Earth Element is healthy, people have a good sense of taste. If it is weak, people may lose their taste, have a sticky taste in the mouth or have difficulties with digestion.
The colour of the lips should be bright, red and moist. It is a poor sign when the lips are dry, dull and of a pale colour. Saliva should not be excessive or deficient. None of these confirms a CF diagnosis, but they do suggest some weakness of the Earth Element.
The tissues and body parts for Earth are muscles and flesh
The character for muscles and flesh
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The character for muscles and flesh is ji rou (Weiger, 1965, lessons 65A (jou), 20A (ji) and 65A (ju)).
The muscles and flesh
The quality and function of the muscles and flesh depend on the qi of the Earth Element. Poor muscle tissue will indicate a weakness of the Earth Element. Lumps and swelling under the skin indicate poor transformation and thus a weakness of Earth.
The practitioner can feel the flesh for its smooth consistency in order to gauge the efficiency of the Stomach and Spleen’s transformation process. This will give some insight into the balance of the patient’s Earth Element, though it may not be the CF.
Earth generates fat
Fat is said to be generated by flesh. Excess fat, which sometimes occurs in lumps under the skin, is interpreted in Chinese medicine as Damp or as Phlegm, which is a thicker form of Damp. So any excess fat on the body suggests some weakness of the Earth. There are other weaknesses that might lead to fat, but imbalance in the Earth Element is one major one.
The taste for Earth is sweet
The character for sweet
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The character for sweet is kan (Weiger, 1965, lesson 73B). This character literally means ‘the sweetness of something held in the mouth’.
In Su Wen it states that, ‘The Earth produces sweet flavours’ (Veith, 1972, p. 119). Most people associate the sweet taste with the strong sugary taste of sweets, candies, cakes, chocolate and other foods commonly eaten in the West. The sweet flavour described by Chinese medicine is pre-white sugar and is a more subtle flavour. The sweet taste is found in many different foods – rice, carrots, corn, chicken, cabbage, pumpkin and peanuts – to name a few. In the herbal ‘materia medicas’ of Chinese herbal medicine, the sweet taste is said to have a strengthening effect on the body.
Sweet is also the predominant taste of breast milk. It is the sole nourishment for babies in the first few months of their life and enables them to grow strong and healthy. If people eat a balanced amount of this subtle taste it will, like breast milk, be strengthening to their qi.
Many people do not stop at eating a small amount of this flavour, however, and start to crave it in large quantities. Eating too much sweet food will weaken the Earth Element and the Stomach and Spleen. Weakness of the Stomach and Spleen in turn creates a stronger craving for the sweet taste. A vicious cycle is produced. Often, the more depleted the Earth becomes the more we crave sweetness and the Stomach and Spleen correspondingly become even more deficient.
Summary
1 Along the sheng cycle Earth is the mother of Metal and Fire is the mother of Earth. Across the ke cycle Earth controls Water and Wood controls Earth.
2 A diagnosis of an Earth CF is made primarily by observation of a yellow facial colour, a singing voice, a fragrant odour and imbalance in the emotion of sympathy.
3 Worry and a lack of caring support are detrimental to the Earth Element.
4 When the Earth Element is imbalanced, the following tendencies arise:
• excessively wanting sympathy and support
• rejecting any help, support or sympathy from others
• excessively feeling and giving sympathy
• being untouched by others’ distress
5 Other resonances include the season of late summer, humidity, the mouth, muscles and flesh, fat, the power of harvest and the sweet taste
