As the seasons change, I would like to share some observations on the ancient Chinese understanding of the rhythms of nature, especially the seasons and the hours of the day, and how they affect our lives and health.

To the ancient Chinese, the idea of time was entirely based on observing nature. In particular, the rhythms of the day, the four seasons, and the celestial abode (moon, stars, planets, comets, eclipses, etc.) all had significant meaning and importance. Humanity and the universe were one, and time had an endless, repetitive quality. About time, Confucius is reported to have said, sitting by the river, “It is what passes like that, indeed, not ceasing day or night.”

 Astronomy was a very early and serious profession. The Royal courts of the various dynasties had an “Official of the Fire Star.” The Fire Star is the name of the constellation Scorpios, carved in China’s earliest astronomical records, the Oracle bones, more than 3,500 years ago. The star was symbolized by a winged phoenix (or sometimes a dragon) and associated with the Emperor.

The court astronomers, who were also astrologers, created calendars for the Emperor to safeguard his reign so that coming events could be foretold (such as natural disasters, famines, wars, weather and so forth). In this way, the Emperor might influence the events as they unfolded, avoiding blame for the catastrophes since these things reflected poorly on his “Mandate from Heaven.”

To the ancients and still today, human life was understood as being governed by predictable patterns or cycles. The most important and longest is the grand 60-year cycle. During this period, the individual’s emotional, mental and spiritual life is expressed in more minor rhythms, especially the 12-year cycle of Jupiter and the 30-year cycle of Saturn, which are important “seasons” in the individual’s life. This patterning forms the basis of modern Chinese astrology.  Understanding when life’s Qi (or energy) gets stagnant or blocked in life’s journey can give us insights into the appropriate course of action. Practically, in Chinese medicine, this might include using various forms of what I would call spirit acupuncture to harmonize the heart/mind.

 Also important were the moon phases, which had a steady ebb and flow of lunar light throughout the month. It was observed that specific changes occurred within nature and human beings during a lunar cycle. The ancient people harmonized themselves with the lunar Qi (or energy), thus helping them plant crops, treat illness, and harvest the seas and rivers using tidal patterns and so forth. For example, the drawing or loss of blood (which occurs in surgeries) on the full moon was considered inauspicious and dangerous, which could lead to unwanted complications.

 Likewise, the four seasons were critical to the early Chinese. In particular, the beginning of each season was marked by festivities linked to ordinary people’s agricultural life. Very early in the Shang Dynasty Book of History (written sometime before the 12^th century BCE), it was observed that the four meridian “stars” (Hydra, Scorpios, Aquarius and the Pleiades) marked the beginning of the seasons. These stars were seen due south at dusk on the equinox and solstice. People naturally regulated their sleep, eating habits, clothing, planting and harvesting times and so forth to the endless progression of the seasons.

Traditionally, the transitional periods of two or three weeks before the solstice and equinox were considered auspicious times for fasting, prayer, and therapy (such as acupuncture, herbs, or dietary changes) to prepare oneself for the coming season. During these times, one can prevent and treat seasonal disorders before they arise. For example, seasonal allergies (such as pollens in the springtime) can be significantly alleviated, if not entirely prevented, by treatment at the appropriate time just before the season in which they occur.

Daily life was also guided by the natural rhythms of sunrise and sunset, midday and midnight. In the local villages, temple bells and gongs marked the important hours. In the bustling cities, the hours of the day were punctuated by gongs & trumpets during the day and by the beating of drums at night. For example, the guards of the city gates would play their loud trumpets and gongs to announce the closing of the four gates at sunset.

The day was divided into twelve hours (corresponding to two of our modern hours). These hours are linked to the natural divisions of sunrise, sunset, midday and midnight. 

 Such was the fascination and need for accurate timekeeping that the Chinese invented (much earlier than in the West) various forms of mechanical timekeeping (such as the water clock) to keep track of the hours. However, more commonly at home or in the temples, the hours were marked by the burning of incense sticks that lasted almost exactly the Chinese hour. Work, sleep, rest, meals and the various activities of life were harmonized to these hours, but there was also a more profound significance to these divisions, health-related connections. The twelve hours were observed and linked to the various Organs and the Meridian Qi of the body. 

 According to Chinese medicine, the human body has twelve major organs connected to the twelve Meridians in which Qi, or vital energy, flows.  The Meridian system is a unique feature of Chinese medicine that distinguishes it from other healing systems. The ancient Inner Classic (5^th century BCE) states – “The Meridians move the Qi and Blood, regulate the Yin and Yang, moisten the tendons and the Bones, benefit the joints…. Internally, the meridians connect with the organs; externally, they connect to the body’s joints, limbs, and outer surface.” The ancients perceived a whole network of subtle three-dimensional pathways linking and regulating the various structures and Organs of the body. Furthermore, the Qi moves in a fixed circuit through the organs and meridians daily.

The twelve Organs were seen as representatives or “Officials” that embraced the mind-body. Each organ is related to an emotion, season, direction, time of day, virtue, bodily tissue and substance, sense organ, planet, taste, etc. For example, the lungs were given the image of a Judge guided by fairness (its virtue), related to the autumn, grief, tears, the direction west, and so on. All these associations are ancient observations brought together in the 5^th century BCE as a unifying theory called the Law of the Five Phases (sometimes referred to as the Five Elements).

Now, back to the twelve hours. In my book Energetic Healing: Embracing the Life Force, I have written: “Chinese medicine and modern biomedicine agree that the organs have biological rhythms. These rhythms are marked by periodic, fluctuating levels of organ activity during different times of the day. Functional or circadian rhythms have been known to Western science, especially in investigating syndromes related to rapid long-distance travel, wherein the body’s biorhythms become disturbed. Circadian means “time periods in a day” and refers to biological processes that occur regularly within a twenty-four-hour time period.

In Chinese medicine, the various biological rhythms of the organs are reflected through and harmonized by the Meridian system… I have found that this knowledge of organ rhythms can illuminate illnesses that follow predictable patterns. For example, insomnia, in which a person consistently wakes up around 3 o’clock in the morning, is usually due to an energetic blockage between the liver and lungs, while a collapse of physical and mental vitality after lunch, around 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon, is usually due to a small intestine problem.

Other associations and observations that I have noticed in my life and practice are that the longer a person stays up past 11 pm, the harder it becomes to fall asleep due to increasing gallbladder/liver energy; the best time for a bowel movement is in the early morning when it’s the large intestine time; more heart attacks occur around midday than any other time of day; the morning meal is usually the easiest to digest grains due to the stomach and spleen-pancreas influence, while the noon meal is better for complex meals as 1 pm begins the small intestine’s hour of influence. Another typical pattern is the late afternoon feeling of tiredness and collapse (often due to stress and overwork) linked to the Kidney Qi’s time of day. This is but a small sampling of the patterns that the knowledge of our biorhythms has shown us.

In practice, the knowledge of the organ clock is beneficial in choosing the optimal appropriate time for treatment, whether it be with herbs, drugs or acupuncture. 

The chart below shows the twelve-day divisions with their organ-meridian correspondences.

I hope this brief article has given insight into life’s various cycles and how one can benefit from knowing its ebbs and flows. 

For more information, please consult a traditional acupuncturist.