CONFERENCE REPORT from John Kirkwood – ‘Bubbling Spring’ Newsletter Winter 2009 July 2, 2009
Posted by Geoffrey Wilson in : Acupuncture, Articles , add a commentOne of the luminaries at the STAA Conference at the Michael Centre, Melbourne on 24th May, Geoffrey Wilson presented a spirited, interactive lecture on the Five Spirits. These are the primal energies that underpin the Five Elements. What follows is a brief summary of this insightful presentation.
Thousands of years ago, the sages of Oriental Medicine recorded their understanding of the Five Spirits. The Spirits together encompass the totality of our awareness, and both represent and support our soul’s journey through life.
When we are in touch with a Spirit, we experience its mental and physical gifts. But when we have lost touch with one (or more) of the Five Spirits, we experience the physical and psychological symptoms flowing from the loss of that Spirit. Thus our symptoms can show us which Spirit or Spirits are blocked in our lives.
Hun, the Spirit of Wood is the messenger of the soul’s purpose. It represents our greater soul’s vision of the purpose of our life, as distinct from the smaller visions of ego. If we are not in touch with this grand vision, purpose, dream or quest, it manifests as signs and symptoms in the liver, from feelings of frustration to extreme conditions such as Blazing Liver Fire and Stagnant Liver Qi.
Shen, the Spirit of Fire awakens compassion. It relates directly to heart function and to relationships. It also relates to openness to guidance from Spirit. This Spirit is impeded by sentiment, pity, and colluding sympathy. Disorders such as heart and blood flow problems, palpitations, memory loss, sleep problems, anxiety and nervousness are all symptoms that result from loss of contact with the Spirit of Fire.
Yi, the Spirit of Earth engenders manifestation. It supports transformation of life experience into ideas and intentions. What gets in the way of this is worry, obsessive thought, and self absorption. Signs and symptoms that result are eating disorders, muddled or excessive thinking, insufficient movement, over-nurturing of others to avoid the self, inability to implement ideas, and inability to assimilate, to digest, and to cope with life.
Po, the Spirit of Metal is the corporeal soul, and joins body and mind. It is the realm of the body unconscious, the storehouse of identity that is embedded in the muscles, tissues, fascia, nerves and organs of the body. Sorrow and the inability to let go impedes access to this Spirit. ‘You have to be cool with endings to be OK about the Now.’ Dysfunctions that follow from disconnection with Po are problems with the lungs, colon and skin, lumps and tumours, chronic tension, negativity towards others and psychosomatic symptoms.
Zhi, the Spirit of Water aligns purpose with will. It represents our vitality and our will. Both are drained by fear and desire, while nourishing our dedication and determination increases our connection to Zhi. Problems that arise from disconnection relate to the bladder and kidneys and to our bones.
Geoffrey presented us with one of his cases to illustrate the use and usefulness of this system. His client, a 30 year old woman suffered from PMT, dysmenorrhea, oedema and headaches. This is a case of Liver Qi Stagnation, and suggests loss of the Spirit of Wood. He offered her the perspective that her symptoms were related to loss of contact with the vision and purpose of her life. Inquiry into this then became an effective part of her treatment.
