The Five Elements
Supplemental information to "Fusion of the Five Elements"
An understanding of some of the dynamics of the five elements, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (plus some personal interpretation), can greatly assist your feeling for - and skill with - your own internal organ energies.
A note on the "organs". When an organ (say, the "kidneys") is referred to in TCM, this is most often not a reference to just that one organ, but a reference to the whole element (in the kidney's case, "water") - to the entire energetic stratum of the body (including specific organs, tissue, dynamic) to which that element refers - according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. For instance, "kidneys" could be used to refer to all of following: the kidneys, urinary bladder, constitutional & sexual energy, bones, marrow, and the dynamic of that whole layer of the body. All of those, as one thing: the water element.
A Note on metaphors, and emotions.
The real gold, in working with the five elements, is to get a direct connection with your own energies. To get a feel for, an understanding of, and a skill for working with, the actual substances and dynamics in your body.
The metaphors (water, wood, fire, earth, metal) are only starting pointers to the actual dynamics. They are not an exact fit for what’s going on in your body and, if used too liberally, they can be misleading. Don’t contort your bodily dynamics to mis-fit some conceptual framework.
Use the metaphors only so much as they lead you to, and enhance, working with the actual dynamics. They are starting blocks. Spend more time in the direct experience and study of your own body; that’s where it’s at.
You’ll find, also, that the emotions’ relationships to the organs are not always as singular as presented in "Fusion of the Five Elements I" (and in other sources). Sometimes they’re right on, other times your internals won’t exactly fit the model. For instance, often an emotion plays across various organs / elements. My point is, as much as the model helps you, that’s great - but don’t let the model obscure direct observation of your own internals.
Sometimes a Chinese Medical study of how an organ energy functions will enlighten you on how the classic emotion is involved with an organ. Well rounded study, experience, and time, leads to a deeper and more flexible understanding.
Essays
Understanding the Organs through the Creation Cycle
Activating the Elements through Meditation
Associated Tissue Layers and Zang Fu organ pairs
The Zang Fu Pulsing meditation at the end of this essay is very important for connecting and harmonizing upper and lower consciousness, emotions.
From HT-USA Discussion site post #7236 Title - Earth Forces, Animals: Fusion and Kan & Li ConFUSED
Michael Winn's cautions and commentary on the latter formulas in Chia's Fusion 1 book. Particularly the mis-placement of pearl-shooting within Fusion.
SHEN THEORY
Shen theory says that there are multiple consciousnesses within a single person. Some people associate these with the different organs (which is why the topic is here, in the "five elements" section). Personally, I feel that the multiple shen are aligned with the different energetic centers, and their associated nerve plexuses and endocrine glands. Taoist systems tend to use a simple three-center system: wisdom, love, and power - which are the three areas of consciousness that people feel most easily and thus are a good place to start.
Center-based Shen Theory: HT-USA Thread #26252
A posted thread at HT-USA discussion site, regarding nurturing a sense of "me-ness", "I-consciousness", in the lower centers. This assists alchemy immensely, and is a foundation-remedy / preventative-against the various kinds of disconnect that can occur between the "upper consciousness" and the libido.
Center-based Shen Theory: TTB's Pick-up Ethics thread
NOTE
The organ meridians and acupoints are a major part of the classical body of knowledge regarding the elements and are, obviously, beyond the scope of this website. If you're the kind of person that will be interested in cultivation for the rest of your life, consider that it'd be worth while to gain familiarity with Chinese medical meridians and acupoints.