December 21st, 2012, "Winter Solstice", the 4th small Winter season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Winter Solstice" arrives on December 21st, 7:11pm China time zone (+8). That is 6:11 am Eastern Time (-5) on December 21st.


    Celestial longitude: 270 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

     As you are reading this, you know the world didn't end.

December 7th, 2012. "Heavy Snow", the 3rd small winter season arrives

 In 2012, the season of "Heavy Snow" arrives on December 7th, 1:18 am China time zone (+8). That is 12:18 pm Eastern Time (-5) on December 6th .
    
    Celestial longitude: 255 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

November 22nd, 2012, "Light Snow", the 2nd small winter season arrives

    Happy Thanksgiving.
    
    In 2012, the season of "Light Snow" arrives on November 22nd, 5:50 am China time zone (+8). That is 4:50 pm Eastern Time (-5) on November 21st .
    
    Celestial longitude: 240 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

    This is when we enter the last energetic section of this year, please go back to this article to have a quick memory-refreshing read about the energy pattern of 2012.

Excerpt from "Huang Di Nei Jing" about winter health preservation

    The following text is excerpted from <<Huang Di Nei Jing>>-"Su Wen", Chapter 2 : "Si Qi Tiao Shen Da Lun". Although it is short, it covers the core spirits of how to live healthily in the winter season.

"冬三月，此謂閉藏，水冰地坼，無擾乎陽，早臥晚起，必待日光，使志若伏若匿，若有私意，若已有得，去寒就溫，無泄皮膚使氣亟奪，此冬氣之應養藏之道也。逆之則傷腎，春為痿厥，奉生者少。"

    Directly translated as:
   
    "...The three months of winter, they are mean to be covered and concealed, water is frozen and earth is torn, do not disturb the Yang energy, go to bed early and get up late, must wait for the sunshine, keep the mind and spirit inside the heart comfortably, like keeping your private treasures you acquired,  stay away from cold and stay warm, keep the skin closed and covered well to protect the Yang energy from leaking out, this is the way of hiding and storing in the winter. If disobey the kidney energy will be harmed and it will not be able to provide energy foundation for spring, there will be tendons related disease and the directions of energy flow will  not be right, very little energy for birth will be provided..."

The key words of winter are "hide and store".  The word "winter", in Chinese "冬”, also means "the end". After going through the previous three seasons, many plants will fade and die for the winter, and animals will either hibernate or migrate.  Human as the "lord of creations" can actively modify the environment and living condition to survive the winter. Besides wearing warm clothes, heating up the house, "hide and store" also means to avoid being overactive and going outside too often. 

"...do not disturb the Yang energy.." is the goal and basic requirement of winter health preservation. Yang energy in general is the force of life activities, and in order to preserve it, we need to follow these rules :

"...go to bed early and get up late, must wait for the sunshine...". Go to bed early to avoid the cold energy of night, get up later and wait for sunshine to warm of the cold air from the night before going out for activities. 

"...keep the mind and spirit inside the heart comfortably, like keeping your private treasures you acquired...". This is the suggestion from the mental and spiritual perspective. The purpose is the same, to keep and protect the Yang energy. Mental and spiritual activities all consume energy, that's why this statement is brought up to emphasize the importance of cultivating the mind and spirit and its possible impact to the physical body.

When you "...stay away from cold and stay warm...", also "...keep the skin closed and covered well to protect the Yang energy from leaking out...". Here, "keep the skin closed and covered", has two meanings - wear proper clothes, and do not sweat too much or too often.  I have mentioned in many articles about sweating being a way of releasing or losing the Yang energy. This brings up an old article I had about my opinions towards exercise in the winter. Every individual is different, I speak for the majority. The bottom line is, find out what type of the health condition do you have before looking for exercises to do.  

"...If disobey the kidney energy will be harmed and it will not be able to provide energy foundation for spring...". Kidney is the winter organ and its energy character is "concealing and storing" the primordial and acquired energy. If the Yang energy is disturbed or harmed in the winter it will affect the kidney system first. Without good energy storage in the winter, the kidney system will not be able to provide the vital energy for the body to "birth" again in the spring. If this happens, then: 

"... there will be tendons related disease and the directions of energy flow will not be right...". Liver is the spring organ and liver is the "son" of kidney. When the liver system does not receive enough energy from the kidney system it will affect the tendon system (liver is the organ that is in "charge" of the body tendon system). Symptoms can include weakness of tendons and muscle, and impotence. "the directions of energy flow will not be right" generally refers to symptoms of body temperature imbalance or circulation issues, such as cold hands and feet, hot flush, or even fever and flu caused by harmful heat.

November 6th/7th, 2012, "winter commences", the 1st small Winter season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Winter Commences" arrives on November 7th, 8:25 am China time zone (+8). That is 7:25 pm Eastern Time (-5) on November 6th .
    
    Celestial longitude: 225 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

    No additional information at this moment.

October 23rd, 2012, "Hoar Frost", the 6th/last small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Hoar Frost" arrives on October 23rd. Celestial longitude: 210 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

    No additional information at this moment.

October 8th, 2012, "Cold Dew", the 5th small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "cold dew" arrives on October 8th,same as last year. Celestial longitude: 195 degree. For most of the seasonal information please read this article.

    For readers from where I am (WNY area), we have had a unusual warm autumn so far, which is nice as it appears but not ideal for our energy to withdraw and store for the winter. The warm weather mainly causes 2 major health (energy) issue to the body:
    1. It makes us sweat too much. Sweat is the the body fluid that connects with the heart system energy, over-sweat cause dryness to the body system. When the real dry cold comes, our body may not have enough good moisture to balance it. 
    Solution: Eat and drink sour, like seasonal fruits, juice and food that are in white color. Try not to exercise too much to over sweat. But meanwhile do not go the other extreme by using air conditioner or fan. Stay balanced, but towards the cool side.

    2. Liver system energy being over active. Spring-like wind and energy directly activate the liver energy, which is totally the opposite energy we need in this season. This can cause symptoms like shoulders and neck tension and pain, high blood pressure, headache, digestion issue, irritability, or other emotional discomfort. 
    Solution: Eat less spicy food, again, stay on the sour side and add some sweet as well. Cultivate the emotional condition, avoid argument with others and try to understand the aggressive attitude of the others. 

    For other readers, if your area is also being warmer than usual, you can apply the rules above as well. If the weather pattern seems to be normal, simply follow the seasonal tips.

September 22nd, 2012, "Autumn Equinox", the 4th small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Autumn Equinox" arrives on September 22nd. Celestial longitude: 180 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from the past year.

    

    Here are some additional information:
    

    Regarding autumn being the season of "balance", and Autumn Equinox is in the center of the season. So keep yourself "balanced" is the general goal, which includes eating/drinking, physical activities and mental/emotional condition.
    

    Scientific researches show that the ideal blood PH level is 7.35-7.45. If the number is off too much it may cause many health issues. This is when eating and drinking becomes important. A good combination sometimes is more important than what the food is. In general, vegetables and most the fruits are alkaline, and meat, dairy, grain products are acid. So make sure you have both to maintain a good balance of the blood PH level.

    Second, maintain a good balance between active and resting. We've all learnt that life is active, but rarely do we emphasize that life requires good rest as well. And we should call that “active rest”, meaning we choose to rest, not being forced. Traditional Chinese believe in general 30 percent activity and 70 percent resting is the ideal combination for the body. Physical exercise trains our physical body. It will improve our oxygen intake, lungs capacity, increase blood circulation, digestion system movement and metabolism, to reach the goal of making our body strong and healthy. Meanwhile, active resting, or cultivating, trains our body essence, energy and spirits. When our body and mind are totally relaxed, our blood and energy volume will increase, and this is the ideal condition for our body to do self-healing. 

    Finally, working on maintain a good psychological balance. This is always easier said than done. Everyone will have pressure and things to worry about. We may not be able to change things that bring us problem, but we can work on solve and react to it differently. Imbalanced emotional forces can directly affect our organs and health condition.(Regarding the 7 emotions being pathogenic factors according to "Huang Di Nei Jing") The rule of thumb is still to keep a opened mind, learn to see things from different perspectives. As a healthy mind will support a healthy body, and the healthy body will bring more healthy emotions.

September 7th, 2012, "White Dews", the 3rd small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "White Dews" arrives on September 7th. Celestial longitude: 165 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.


    Here are some additional information:

    Besides dryness, coldness is also arriving with this season. Coldness has the force of contracting and stagnating, so when our body is affected by coldness, our blood will becomes heavier, sluggish, and flows slower. It will be harder for our heart to run the blood of these conditions, plus the blood vessels shrink and become stiffer when cold and this just add more burden to the heart. Combines with the dryness, our body dehydrated easy and this will make the blood even thicker, and that’s why this is also a high season for stroke, heart and circulatory diseases. If coldness is the main cause of these diseases in this small season, then here are couple suggestions to avoid it. First of all, do not suddenly exit from a warm or hot place into the cold. If you need to go out make sure to wear the right clothes. Also, try not to go out right after having a meal. Because after eating, more blood will flow to the digestion system and leaves less blood in the liver and heart system. Plus the intestines are absorbing much nutrient materials at the moment and that will make the blood thicker as well.

Regarding the 7 emotions being pathogenic factors according to "Huang Di Nei Jing"

    Over a year ago I had an article called "How over-thinking can make you sick", that was a touch of how TCM sees emotions affect physical body. Actually there are at least 5 emotions listed in <<Huang Di Nei Jing>> that are believed to have different health impact to different organ system. Chen Wuze (1131-1189) from Song dynasty added 2 more to the system and it became the 7 emotion system we are still using today. Modern medical sciences including psychology does realize the mind-body connections but ancient Chinese had it specified, and that makes it easy for us to use this connection to heal ourselves and even others, or at least, prevent. 

    The 7 emotions are 喜(happy)、怒(anger)、憂(worry)、思(anxiety)、悲(sad)、恐(fear)、惊(shock/surprise). A emotionless person is not a real human being, so healthy person will have these emotions indeed, but when they become dominating in a way and not resolvable they will start to harm the body. 


    How the 7 emotions being pathogenic factor is generally viewed and practiced in 4 major aspects:

    1.Major causes are usually external stimulation. Different from virus or bacteria which usually invade the body through skin, mouth or blood, emotions are our reactions to external stimulation. Proper emotion releases will not harm the body but help the body to balance itself instead. But these are extreme or unusual reactions we are talking about that affect the organs to cause imbalance between Yin-Yang-Blood-energy systems. Unfortunately in most cases we do not have control over these external stimulation, but through proper training and learning we do have control of how do we react to these stimulation.

    2.Different emotion affects different Yin-organ directly. The theory of this topic is very detailed and complicated because it has been worked on by people from one generation after another through centuries. Here we will only talk about the specified emotion-organ connections.

• 怒(anger):Connected with the liver. Anger raises the liver energy and rushes it to the head. Too much anger will keep the energy hanging at the rib cage area and harms the liver. Since liver is the blood reservoir, when liver is harmed so will be the blood system. Others symptoms include high blood pressure, stuffed-chest, red eye, headache, stomachache, fainting or even stroke. 
• 喜(happy): Connected with the heart. Good amount of happiness will smooth the energy and blood flow, ease the tension and keep the body healthy. But too much "happy" will make the "mind" less stable or make a person hard to concentrate on oneself, sometimes even shows craziness. Because the Heart hosts the "mind" or "spirit", when the "mind" or "spirit" leaves the Heart, it will harm the physical heart system. Other symptoms may include weakness, hyperhidrosis, lack of concentration, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, breathing difficulty and fainting.
• 思(anxiety): Connected with the spleen. Too much anxiety and concern make the Qi flow at the spleen stagnate. Spleen in TCM is a unique term and it contains many body functions such as digestion, immune system, blood and metabolism. Common symptoms include  indigestion and loss of appetite, bloated belly, loose stool, palpitation，irregular menstruation, insomnia and forgetfulness.
• 憂(worry)、悲(sad): Connected with the lungs. Too much worry and sadness with make the lungs area circulation slow and accumulated, thus cause upper-energizer malfunction. Without good oxygen intake from the lungs the entire body will feel tired and powerless. Other symptoms include breathing hardness, chest pain and other breathing related symptoms.
• 恐(fear):Connected with the kidneys. It makes the Qi drop lower and the blood will follow. Too much fear consumes the essence in the kidneys, or make the essence "leaks" out of the kidneys because they lose the ability of hold them in place. And since kidneys are connected with bone system, urinating and sexual ability, fear will also affect these functions. Other symptoms include pallor, dizziness, urinary and fecal inconvenience, and miscarriage. 
• 惊(shock/surprise): Connected with the heart and gallbladder. A surprise can be a good surprise (such as winning a lottery), or bad surprise (such as being scared or hearing a shocking news). Either way, this emotion makes our Qi flow "chaotic”, causes strong impacts to the "mind" and harms the heart ultimately. Common results can be temporary loss of speech, mindlessness, lack of responses and even heart attack.  

    Although the emotion-organ connection is specified, do not rigidly think that one emotion can only affect one organ. Because human body is a organic whole system and emotional actives are often mixed and interchangeable. In general, all emotions will affect the heart in a way, because heart is the "emperor" organ in the system and that is where “spirit” resides. 

    3. Emotional impact and fluctuation can aggravate the condition and worsen the state of illnesses. But on the other hand, if the patient adjusts the emotional condition it can also bring the body condition closer to its original balanced state and heal itself.  This is why when we working on heal the body we also must consider the mental and emotional condition of the patients. And this is apparently the practical aspect of this body-mind theory.

    4. In conclusion, the 7 emotions are human's basic mental activities and one of the pathogenic factors.  Understanding the detailed body-mind connections can help us to prevent many illnesses by cultivating the mind. Like <<Huang Di Nei Jing>> emphasized, "Give the heart good care, keep it peaceful, void and empty; Allow the true Qi runs on its original way; Protect and hold the energy and spirit; How can one possibly get sick anymore? ( 恬惔虛無，真氣從之；精神內守，病安從來 ?)" Also, if we also apply the 5-element theory into this method, by balancing the extreme emotion impact from its counter element,  as a good support to help patients to recover from certain physical condition much more effectively. 

August 23rd, 2012. "The End of Heat", the 2nd small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "The End of Heat" arrives on August 23rd,same as last year. Celestial longitude: 150 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information:

    Take good care of your skin. Because of the dryness our skin loses good moisture easy thus can cause skin discomfort, aging or even disease. Take foods that are moisturizing in nature such as sesame, honey, white wood fungus, and certain dairy products. Make sure to hydrate your body as well by drink enough water, plus drinking a cup of very light salty water in the morning. Choose the right skincare product for your own skin condition, wash it through and carefully. After all, go to bed early and get enough sleep as this is the easiest and effective way of skin caring.

          This is a transitional season from heat to cool in nature, so is human Yin-Yang energy. We need to adjust our daily life schedule. The first thing needs to be adjusted is sleep, and we have mentioned that go to bed and get up early is the basic rule of autumn sleeping. TCM considers sleep-wake is a Yin-Yang, static-dynamic unified condition of body function. It is a view and perspective of the body-mind relation as well.

First, changes from day to night determine human’s sleep-wake function. The nature exists in the changes of Yin and Yang, and day-night change represents it in a way. Day time is Yang and night time is Yin. Human as part of the nature, their energy follows this change, as the Yang energy being the wake, and Yin energy affects the sleep. Therefore the original human life is to follow the nature, get up when sunrise and go to sleep with sundown.

Second, the physiological basis of sleep is termed as Ying-Wei energy operation. “Ying Qi”, or nutritive energy runs inside of the arteries and veins, and “Wei Qi”, or defensive energy runs outside to protect. According to <<Huang Di Nei Jing>>, the defensive energy affects sleep the most. When the defensive energy runs with and to the Yin energy, we will fall asleep and when it runs towards or to Yang energy, we will be awake.

    Third, TCM considers our sleep and wake is also directed by the “mind” or “Shen” in TCM term. When the “Shen” is resting, so is our body, or vice versa. Therefore, emotion and mental activities from day time affects sleep, as we know, one major cause of insomnia is mental or emotional pressure or tension.

Excerpt from "Huang Di Nei Jing" about autumn health preservation

    The following text is excerpted from <<Huang Di Nei Jing>>-"Su Wen", Chapter 2 : "Si Qi Tiao Shen Da Lun". Although it is short, it covers the core spirits of how to live healthily in the autumn season.


    "...秋三月，此謂容平，天氣以急，地氣以明，早臥早起，與雞俱興，使志安寧，以緩秋刑，收斂神氣，使秋氣平，無外其志，使肺氣清，此秋氣之應養收之道也，逆之則傷肺，冬為飱泄，奉藏者少。..."


Directly translated as:


    "...The three months of autumn, they are mean to be peaceful and calm, the sky is high and the wind is rushing, the earth is cool and dry,go to bed early and get up early, follow the rooster's life schedule, in order to keep the conscious stable and safe, and soften the autumn harsh energy, withdraw the emotion and mind to fit into the calmness of the autumn energy, do not express the ideas and thoughts too much, to keep the lungs energy clear and cool, this is way of withdrawing and collecting in the autumn, if disobey it will harm the lungs energy and not able to provide energy foundation for the winter, there will be digestion related health issues, little energy can be stored..."


    The key words for autumn are "withdraw and collect". Like farming, with good planting in the spring and growing in the summer, there will be good harvesting in the autumn. But an autumn without harvest is sad, and that is a ill emotion. Just like one person's life, if one didn't study hard as a student, didn't work hard as an adult, when one becomes older nothing will be achieved, and that will be a sad senior life, not "peaceful and calm".
    
    But the good news here is, even if you have missed couple harvesting autumn seasons, if you start now to respect and follow the rules of nature, you can still prepare yourself for the coming years and reestablish a healthy life style.
    
    After a hot summer filled with activities, Yin energy becomes stronger and Yang energy starts to withdraw. We say "preserve the Yang energy in spring and summer, and preserve the Yin energy in autumn and winter". But how to preserve the Yin and Yang? In general, to preserve and nourish the Yang energy, we shall allow our Yang energy to move outward and express in spring and summer by doing more physical activities, resting less and sweating more, because sweating is one of the signs of strong Yang energy. But when autumn and winter come, we shall do the opposite by resting more, doing less physical and mental activities and sweating less. As sweat is transformed from Yin fluid, it is part of our body essence. Sweating less will preserve the Yang energy, meanwhile nourishing the Yin essence. 


    "...go to bed early and get up early, follow the rooster's life schedule...": Roosters follow the Yin-Yang energy transition accurately. This line teaches us to change our daily schedule by go to bed and get up early, in order to preserve the Yin energy. Here we recommend to go to bed no later by 10pm local time if possible, and get up when the sun rises. 

    ”...soften the autumn harsh energy, withdraw the emotion and mind to fit into the calmness of the autumn energy...": Autumn is a very emotional season as the nature will be moving toward a less alive and more "depressing" condition. If we do not keep our mind calm and smooth, we would be easily affected by the nature. So the point of this advice is to teach us how to protect our mental and psychological condition in the autumn.

    “...if disobey it will harm the lungs energy ...": since lungs is the seasonal organ of the autumn, and lungs has the nature of metal, it likes to be "cool and clear". We must follow the rules of "withdrawing the Yang and preserving the Yin" to nourish to lungs. If disobey this rule, the harsh autumn energy may harm the lungs and then cause more health issues that are related to the lungs, especially respiratory illnesses.  

    "...not able to provide energy foundation for the winter, there will be digestion related health issues, little energy can be stored...": if we do not follow the rules of autumn to withdraw and move the Yang energy inward, then we will not have enough Yang energy to protect us from the cold, process the food we eat or generate energy for our system.

August 7th, 2012. "Beginning of Autumn", the 1st small Autumn season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Beginning of Autumn" arrives on August 7th. Celestial longitude: 135 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

   There is no additional information for this small season at this moment.

July 7th, and July 22nd, 2012. "Light Heat" and "Severe Heat", the 5th and 6th small Summer season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Light Heat" arrives on July 7th. Celestial longitude: 105 degree. The season of "Severe Heat" arrives on July 22nd. Celestial longitude: 120 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information:  


    Speaking of drinking water, we do it every day and it seems to be too simple and even hasty. Good thing is that there have been more and more researches and discussion done on this topic. TCM always has opinions about how to and what to drink. Here are some tips for these couple hottest seasons:

1. Drink boiled cool or warm water. TCM advocates boiled warm water since ancient times and modern research results had also shown that boiled water has better structure (physical and chemical) for human body cells to absorb compares “raw” water. 
2. Plain water is the best drink in general. Everyone can drink plain water. Most people can also drink tea to take advantages of its health benefit. But different tea affects the body differently, so finding the right type of tea for you is as important. Juices also provide good amount of water for the body, but commercial juice products sometimes contains additives that are harmful. 
3. Temperature. If you have read enough of my writing then you know I’m all about warmer water. I do share this theory with people around me as well, but sometimes people just wondering what the actual temperature of warm water is. It is a tricky question because, again, everyone’s body condition is different so there is no fixed answer for it. Scientifically, or theoretically, for normal body condition the good temperature range is between 10-30 ℃. 
4. Salty water. When sweating too much, it is helpful to drink some light salty water. Commercial sports are usually salty is for the same reason, but again, additives can bring negative effects in a long run, it is always safer just drink you “homemade” salty water. 
5. Varieties. If you go to the water or drink sections of a supermarket, you always wonder, “What are the differences?” Well, I do the same so I’m not able to tell you exactly. But what I do recommend is drink various types of water or drink. Just like food, water from different source provides different energy force to the body, and we are working on creating a balance in our system.

June 21st, 2012. "Summer Solstice", the 4th small Summer season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Summer Solstice" arrives on June 21st. Celestial longitude: 90 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.



    Here are some additional information:

    In TCM the Spleen-Stomach system is actually quite different from the Western medicine spleen-stomach system. Basically, the TCM spleen-stomach refers to the entire digestion system and spleen is related to body dampness the most. During the humid summer season, the spleen can be easily harmed. So during the rainy summer season we need to take extra care of the spleen system. The spleen-stomach system is considered as the “mother earth” for our energy system. After born, human’s life activities depends on how well does the spleen-stomach system process and transport the food and essence. Everyone was born differently, some are stronger than others. But if one takes care the spleen-stomach system well, one can still be as strong and lives a healthy life. For teenagers who are growing fast, eat more meat will help the system becomes stronger, but for seniors, massage the belly area (around navel area) works better. If you feel nauseous and have bad appetite in the hot days usually it’s because the spleen system is harmed by internal dampness. Mint and ginger root are the food remedies to go with, plus all kinds of beans. And again, spleen-stomach system likes to stay warm, but summer time most people would treat it in the opposite way. This is a common mistake we make. Try to stay on the warmer side, meaning if you have lots cold, you need to more heat to balance it.

    Since Yang energy reaches its highest level in this season, our body is affected in that way as well. Hypertension is one of the issues. There are too many information we can find about hypertension, here we will just share several simple tips from the TCM perspective: 

1. Avoid heavy physical activates and do not drink alcohol at noon time. Take a short nap and meditate if possible. 
2. Make sure to hydrate the body. We sweat more in the summer and this will make our blood thicker and flow slower. So make sure to drink good amount of water. 
3. Adjust your medication accordingly. Since the external temperature is high, our blood vessels sometimes expand and lower the blood pressure somehow. Also, when sweat we will lose more electrolyte. Many factors may change your needs for the dosage. Make sure to consult with your physician if you sense any difference. 
4. Sleep well. Try to follow a regular life schedule and make sure your mind and body rest enough. Remember noon and midnight is are the most important sleeping time.

June 5th, 2012. "Grain in Ear", the 3rd small Summer season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Grain Fills" arrives on June 5th. Celestial longitude: 75 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information: 


    As the temperature and humidity keeps increasing, chances of people getting infectious diseases increases as well. In Chinese traditions, starting from this small season into the next 30 days is called “the hundred-poison month”. Some insects, especially mosquito start to become more active, along with the humidity and heat, people gets infected much easier. Although it sounds serious, the ways to avoid get it is not hard. First, maintain good personal hygiene. Make sure to take shower in time, change clothes often and clean the living area well. Second, eat light food and sleep well. Eat light and fresh food to give your body a clean and active condition; sleep well to make sure our immune system is in good shape. 

    During this humid and hot season, many of us, either actively or passively, tend to use air conditioner quite often. Air conditioner no doubt was one of the greatest human inventions, but just like everything that exists, if there is one side, there must be another side. Many health problems are also directly or indirectly caused by using air conditioner. But the true cause of our health problem is actually the decline of some our body mechanisms. As we have mentioned, spring and summer are the seasons to nourish our Yang energy, which will “surface” to skin level during summer seasons. Air conditioner creates a unnatural cold environment that will suppress and harm our surfaced Yang energy thus cause many internal issues such as cold, skin diseases, joint pain and digestion issues. TCM sees “air conditioner syndrome” being the result of harmful cold invades the body system. Therefore the way of treating it is very clear and simple, that is to remove the cold from the skin level and dampness from the internal organ system. 

    Here we recommend a very simple and effective food remedy, fresh ginger root tea (drink). Ginger root is known for its functions of sweating, removing cold, warming the stomach and detoxing. If you use or have to use air conditioner very often, make this drink by simply slicing the ginger root into small pieces and steeping them with boiled hot water. You can also add a little bit of brown sugar or honey. With this drink you will feel heated and start to sweat, but this is the process of both the internal virus and cold being removed. When you have a cold or stomach issue you can also use this drink as the food remedy.But please remember, although it is a nice drink itself, the best time to drink it is morning or before noon time, drink much less or not at all in the afternoon and evening, especially before you go to bed. Also if you surfers from joint or muscle pain, you can make a bigger portion of this drink but use a warm towel to apply externally to the painful area. After all, the basic rule is to try to use less air conditioner possible.“A cool mind makes a cool body” is the ancient saying. Maintain a balance emotional condition is just as effective as a nice breeze of cool air.

May 20th, 2012. "Grain Fills", the 2nd small Summer season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Grain Fills" arrives on May 20th. Celestial longitude: 60 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information:

    As the heart (pericardium) being the seasonal organ, summer time is the season to nourish the heart system. The taste of the heart system is bitterness. In the hot summer days, bitter taste can enter and balance the heart system. In TCM this is known as “lowering the heart fire with bitterness”. When the heart system is cooled down in the summer, our entire body will feel right. This is the general rule but since bitter foods are usually cold in nature as well, so they are not recommended for those who has stomach issue (especially cold related).

    We love raw and cold food or drink in the summer as they make us feel cooled down and comfortable. But during early summer time as the weather and temperature has not stabilized yet, too much raw and cold will harm the digestion system and cause many related symptoms, especially for children and seniors. However, if we learn more about them and take them in the right way, these food and drink will then benefit us. First we need to know what are “raw” and “cold”. In general foods and drinks that are not cooked on fire are “raw”, such as fruit, vegetable, raw fish, raw meat and mineral water. Foods and drinks that have been stored in the refrigerator for a while, they are “cold” when being taken out of the refrigerator, such as leftover food, ice cream, cold drinks and yogurt. Here are some general tips about these foods and drinks.

1. Young children should not take “cold”, but some “raw” is ok. Young children are high in Yang energy, this strong Yang energy can help children to process the “raw” food without harming the digestion system. But “cold” food holds more cold energy therefore the chance of the cold staying inside the system and harm the spleen and liver system is higher. But if after heavy outdoor activity then take some “cold” drink or food is ok as the cold will be released with the sweat. 
2. One common mistake we often make is to drink “cold” during meal. It feels refreshing but internally it will lower the temperature of the stomach. Low temperature cause reduction of the stomach acid secretion and this can cause digestion related issues like bloating and chronic stomach diseases. Also, as the acid level decrease, more bacteria can survive then enters the intestinal system and cause diarrhea, typhoid and enteritis.

May 5th, 2012. "Beginning of Summer", the 1st small Summer season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Beginning of Summer" arrives on May 5th. Celestial longitude: 45 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information: 

    
    During fall and winter seasons we have talked about nourishing the YIN energy, when comes to spring and summer we will focus on how to nourish the YANG energy. The 3 summer months of the year have the strongest YANG energy, if we take advantage of these months we will receive stronger result, especially for those who suffer from cold and dampness related symptoms. Ancient wisdoms taught us that during summer we should NOT “loathe” the sun. No one really loathe the sun but today we do lots of thing to avoid it such as use air conditioner all the time, intensively usage of sun blocker, drink and eat cold, and sleep in the cold. Moderation is always the rule of thumb, enjoy the sun and heat doesn’t mean you have to be burned and have heat stroke. Simply try to use less air conditioner, especially in the car and bedroom (the 2 places where you have more control of). Also eat and drink less ice cold stuff. Sunlight is the ultimate source of YANG energy, and the best time to be in the sun is morning time around 9-10 o’clock when the temperature is mild and the oxygen level is high. So during this time go to the park or forest, facing the sun doing some aerobic exercise will be ideal.

    
    During noontime and midnight hours, our body’s YIN and YANG energy is doing the transition. The best thing we can do to NOT bother the transition is sleep. During summer time, as the heart being the main organ and its hour being 11am to 1 pm, a noontime nap becomes more important. Having a good noon nap not only will help us avoid the harmful noon heat, also recover us from the fatigue. Summer time the day is longer than night and people tends to go to bed much later and not have enough sleep. In order to increase the resting time for our body, a noon nap is necessary, especially for seniors who often have less deep sleep at night. On the other hand, 1pm to 3pm are usually the hottest time of the day. Too many activities during the hottest hours can cause harm on general body energy which can result in symptoms like dizziness, chest pain, heart-throb, dry mouth, nauseous and even fainting. Noon nap can pull us away from this heat and also ease the drossiness and fatigue caused by lunch. Here are some simple tips regarding noon nap: 

1. In general 30 minutes to 1 hour is the proper time for noon nap. A long nap can instead make people more tired and even increase the risk of stroke for some people. It can also affect our biological clock and lower the regular night sleep quality.
2. Do not lay down right after lunch. This will interfere with the digestion process and cause blood pressure drop or low blood supply in the brain. The correct way is to rest or slowly walk for 10 minutes after lunch then go take the nap. 
3. When we sweat more our blood becomes thicker and this is the predetermined condition for many symptoms. Make sure to hydrate your body well and avoid draught and damp cold area.

April 20th, 2012. "Corn Rain ", the 6th small Spring season arrives

    In 2012, the season of "Corn Rain " arrives on April 20th. Celestial longitude: 30 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.

    Here are some additional information:

    
    Again, as liver-gall bladder system being the organ system of the season, many symptoms are related to its condition. We have talked about the nature of the liver is “grow and express”, but the universal energy of this final spring season is usually very unstable. Caused by the quick switch between cold and heat or sun and rain, the liver system has to work hard to adjust itself in order to fit in. But due to many factors in life, especially emotional factors, our liver system often gets disturbed therefore interfered with its “grow and express” activates. When this happens, many liver system related symptoms will occur. Here we will just talk about more about depression. Like all the plants will grow with the spring energy, human energy shall be the same. However, when liver energy is “trapped” or “blocked” for whatever reason, it’s like a tree is being covered by a huge glass jar, many physical and mental symptoms will show. Depression is one the most common ones. TCM will treat depression through healing the liver’s “grow and express” function. Besides using herb or medications, here are some tips we can use in daily live to help ourselves with or at least prevent depression:

1. Look far. Literally, look into space or as far as possible. Sounds simple but as liver system opens at the eyes, adjust the eye can affect the liver system. We feel relaxed and refreshed when we do this, and this is the feeling when our liver energy is being “stretched” as well. 
2. Comb hair. Liver meridian energy ends at the very top of the head and all other Yang meridians also pass the head area. TCM call the head as “the meeting area of hundred Yangs”. Combing the hair often, using wooden comb or just your figures, is one of the oldest health preservation method in Chinese traditions. This simple activity can stimulate the meridians, increase the blood and energy flow, prevent common cold, brighten the eyes, improve sleeping quality and of course help the liver energy to function better. 
3. The figure tips. The very tips of all fingers are called “shi xuan” (ten dispersing points) in TCM. In acupuncture they are used in acute or emergency situations like restore consciousness (especially from heat stroke), epilepsy (excess wind type), coma and high fever. But by stimulating them often can also adjust our physical and mental energy flow, and release the “trapped” energy in our system 

    Back to the nature, in early spring seasons (Spring commences and Rain water) most of the health issues are often caused by wind and cold; In the middle spring (Insects awaken and Spring equinox) recurrence of old chronic is the main issue; Being the ending of the spring seasons, this is the season when people often catch cold that caused by heat and wind. Under warm and damp condition, many factors that can cause illness are being very active. Most diseases in this season are acute and heat-related, such as encephalitis and pneumonia. Everyone remembers SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which was related to high dampness and heat condition according to TCM) in the year of 2003, and this was the season when it was at its most severe stage. So during this season we need to be cautious about catching heat and wind related cold. Mint or chrysanthemum tea are the easiest food remedies and if possible, burdock root is one of the best vegetable we can take in this season.

April 4th, 2012. "Clear and Bright", the 5th small Spring season arrives

      In 2012, the season of "Clear and Bright" arrives on April 4th. Celestial longitude: 15 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.
    
      Here are some additional information:
      
     The name "clear and bright" is a description of the energy appearance of the universe in this season, as the "sky is clear" and the "earth is bright".To Human body, “Heaven is Clear” refers to the upper section of the body, or “upper Jiao” which includes Lungs and heart. “Earth is Bright” refers to the middle section of the body, or “middle Jiao” which includes stomach and spleen. So it tells us that during this season we need keep the lungs and heart “clear”, and the stomach and spleen “bright” to fit into the season. Here the word “bright” in Chinese it also indicates “balance”.
      
      In this “Balanced” season, to eat in balance is another key. There are many ways to be “balanced” in eating; here we will just talk about the different tastes. According to TCM theory, most food can be categorized into 5 major tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy (hot), and salty. These 5 tastes are also connected with the 5 elements and 5 major organ systems in human. In general:

Taste:	Hot Spicy (tree)	Salty (fire)	Sweet (earth)	Sour (metal)	Bitter   (water)
Organ system:	Liver-Gall bladder	Heart-Small intestines	Stomach-Spleen	Lungs-Large intestines	Kidneys-Bladder
Nature:	Dispersing	Softening	Slacking	Contracting	Solidifying
Imbalance can cause:	Skin gets thick and wrinkled, peeling lips	Dry skin, skin hair loss	Bone pain, hair loss, loosened tooth	Cramp, dry skin, nail degeneration	Blood stagnation, chest pain, breathing hardness, bad face color

These tastes do not necessarily “add” or “reduce” anything from the system, they work more in an energetic balancing way. It is recommended to have all these 5 tastes in your daily diet, this way you really don’t need to worry about them as they will balance each other’s force and provide positive effects in your system. But depends on the individual’s condition, geographic location and time of the year, the balance of the 5 tastes need to be adjusted in order to fit into the condition better.
    
    As the weather starts to get better, people start to do more outdoor activities. Indeed this is right time to go out and enjoy what the nature is offering. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Avoid wind and cold. The increase of rain add more humidity to the air, and since the temperature is not high enough yet, without proper rest or protection, those who are low in energy level may still catch cold or get joints pain and arthritis symptoms.
2. Be aware of allergy symptoms. This is the high pollen season. Enjoying the blooming is nice, but some flowers do release some harmful material. So be aware of how you react to different area and weather, and avoid them. 
3. Pay attention to the weather changes. Spring weather is like baby’s face, it is unstable and it changes quickly. Before going out, check the weather and bring extra clothes or umbrella just in case. If you do get caught in the rain, take a hot shower and drink hot water as soon as possible.

March 20th, 2012. "Spring equinox ", the 4th small Spring season arrives

      In 2012, the season of “Spring equinox" arrives on March 20th. Celestial longitude: 0 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this article from last year.
    
      Here are some additional information:

      This small season is the balanced season, but after this season when the balance starts to shift, much old health issue we had in the past may appear again. Why is that? Because as we have been talking about, Yang energy started to move outward when spring started, and now it has reached the very middle point, where half is outside and half is inside. As Yang energy keeps moving outward there may be “traffic jam” during this process. When energy flow is “jammed” at where you have had problems before, they show up again. Like traffic jam during rush hours, this is the “rush season” for our body. So how to direct the “traffic” is the key. Here liver has to come to place again not only because it is the organ for the season, also liver is in charge of “catharsis” function of the body. So to make sure liver functions right is the key to the healthy flow of blood and energy. Here are some tips for a healthy liver:

1. Maintain a balanced emotional state. Here we are talking about moderation. Meaning when you are angry we let the anger out but not causing damage; when you are happy you laugh but don’t laugh like you have lost your mind; when you are sad you can cry but don’t faint. No matter which emotion, it can all be harmful when it passes the limitation. 
2. More fresh and lite food rather than heavy and rich food. Liver in color is green, so green color foods enter liver system. After the winter nourishing, our system is high in nutrients but also high in “waste”. Using fresh green foods to cleanse the liver system before we try to nourish the liver is necessary. 
3. Moderation in working and playing. Too much “movements” will harm the body, but too little will slow down the energy and blood flow. Again, moderation is the key to keep our body and energy in balance. Liver system is also connected with the eyes, and spring season is also a high season for eye related issues. So make sure do not over use your eyes and sleep right. When you take care of your eyes, the livers get a “break” from it, so it is also a way to nourish the liver system. 
4. Take a slow after meal. Liver is also an important organ for digestion. People with liver system issues usually have digestion issue as well. So take a walk after meal, especially dinner, will not only help the liver system with digesting, also help with smooth the mood and emotions.

March 5th, 2012. "Insects awaken", the 3rd small Spring season arrives

      In 2012, the season of "Insects awaken" arrives on March 5th. Celestial longitude: 345 degree. For some of the seasonal information please read this (part 1) and this (part 2) article from last year.
    
      Here are some additional information:



      Being the organs of the Spring, the liver-gall bladder system is always the major topic. During this small season, the liver Yang-energy will rise, but relatively the liver Yin-essence is low. Spring is a windy season (and 2012 is a windy year!), and wind affects liver energy strongly. Therefore, those who have high blood pressure may experience some up and down during this season. Make sure to avoid 4 emotions - anger, tension, worrying and depression, since they can worsen the symptom. On the other hand, since liver system is becoming more active, it may harm the liver yin-essence and causes symptoms like dizziness, weakness, back pain and sore muscle. Drink less alcohol but more warm water or some Goji berry. Also, TCM believes heavy usage of eyes also hurts the liver. So for those who are always on the computer or paper, make sure rest your eyes and sleep right.

      Some other liver system related symptoms include lower rib pain, dry eyes, top part of the head pain, bitterness in the mouth, excessive burping, diarrhea, cramp, and some allergy. However, spring being a high season for liver system issues; it is also the best time period to take care the liver system. Because when all liver issues can be seen, we can better treat them. To adjust the liver system, on one hand we need to nourish it to make it strong, but on the other hand we also need to make sure it’s clean, smooth and free of stagnation. Those who always overuse their body and brain spend lots of blood and energy, which is stored in the liver. These people need to focus on nourishing the liver. Eat more food like dry fruits and greens but avoid too much sweet especially artificial ones. For those who experience “heat in the liver” symptoms like acne, low heat tolerance and sweet easy, or long menstrual period for women should focus on cleaning and cool down the liver “fire”. Avoid smoking, drinking, heavy food, and the best remedy, again, is chrysanthemum tea. Chrysanthemum carries the energy of autumn and it is the perfect energy to balance the excessive liver “fire”.

      Spring is a lively season, but some people feel often sleepy and tired. This is known as the “Spring sleepiness” and in general it’s because the blood which was used for supplying the brain is sent out to the skin level therefore cause blood and oxygen shortage in the brain. This is a normal symptom. But if it lasts too long or becomes too serious, it may be a sign of energy imbalance. Several tips to treat it:

1. Touch: Use cold water to wash the face or flavored toothpaste to brush the teeth in order to stimulate the senses; 
2. Vision: Add more colorful items and decorations, or some plants in your room and office. When sleepy, stand up and move them around; 
3. Taste: Eat a little bit sour or spicy snacks, or drink tea or coffee. But do not go over; 
4. Smell: Smell some herbal or aroma oil can help boost your energy as well. 

      I have mentioned pear during the autumn seasons, but pear is also well-known for its benefit in this particular small season. Since this is a season when Yang (heat) starts to grow faster, many people are not able to adjust their body condition to match the change. Symptoms like dryness, sore and itchy throat are very common. Pear is cool and sweet in nature, it nourishes the Yin energy, moisturize the lungs and cool down the harmful heat. And it can be eaten in many ways include raw, steamed, juiced, baked or boiled. Raw pear can ease the symptoms related to upper respiratory tract and lungs such as dry, itchy, sore throat, and constipation. Pear juice lowers the body heat and nourishes the Yin essence. Add some honey to it will heal chronic dry cough that caused by excessive heat in the lungs. But since it is cool and sweet in nature, there are also restrictions. Tips: 

1. Those who are low tolerance in cold food should eat less; 
2. Pear is also high in tartaric acid so those who has acid reflux should eat less; 
3. Do not eat before going to bed; 
4. People who feel cold often should eat it cooked; 
5. Pear is high in sugar for diabetic patient; 
6. Use less sweet pear as remedy for helping stop coughing and dissolving mucus. 

      Our Yang energy is like a new born baby at this moment and it requires extra delicate care. Physical exercise is recommended but only mild ones like walking, hiking, jogging and Tai Chi. Also, flying kite is known as a very proper activity in the spring season.

Energy pattern analysis for 2012 according to "Huangdi Neijing" and how to act accordingly Pt.2

    The 6 Sections:

    Section 1, January 21^st – March 20^th : “First section, Zai Quan (second half year energy) energy moves away, air is warm, grass turns green early, people catch cold and virus, fever, headache, nauseous and vomiting, and some myocutanous.”

    Since the guest energy “old fire” supports the main energy “tree”, the main weather pattern of this section is considered as normal. But under influence of the year and the half year energy, the harmful wind energy is strong, and people tend to catch cold that brought by the wind. As liver system being over and spleen system gets weak, in general reduce some sour taste but add more sweet. Also reduce hot and spicy in your food to prevent internal heat. Instead eat more cool food like pear, orange, radish and water chestnut.

    Section 2, March 20^th – May 20^th : “Second section, cold comes back, people feels sad, grass gets frost, heat is held internally, people’s energy is trapped inside and cannot let it out.”

    Although it may sounds serious, but with the main year energy being “tree”, then the irregular pattern will be somewhat adjusted by itself. Although there will be some cold days comes back during this section, the main direct is normal as the weather gets warmer. But still, since the heart system (fire) being over heated, body essences will be harmed. People feels irritating as there are too much in their mind, thus cause issues like chest full and pain, insomnia, constipation, painful urinating, gum and teeth bleeding, nose bleeding, and dry mouth. To let the heat out, the best way is to lower the heat in the heart and smooth out the spleen system. Eat more salty food but reduce sweet. Drink enough warm water and do proper physical exercises. And very important and obvious, do not take off thick clothes too soon since the weather may surprise you.

    Section 3, May 20^th – July 22^nd : “Third section, Si Tian energy (first half year energy) starts to show its power, more cold comes, lot of rain, people catch external cold, but cannot release internal heat, lower body swells, heart burns and hard to breath, if not treated in time it may lead to death.”

    It is summer time but the heat may not seem to be as enough as it should be. Since the internal body heat is blocked by unusual external cold, it may be combined with body fluid and flow to the lower body, symptoms like hemorrhoid and swollen legs may appears. Also since the heat is held in the heart system, there will also be symptoms like irritation, dry mouth, over sweat, short breath, drossiness and fainting. The heat is in the Triple Energizer (San Jiao) system instead of one single organ, so the entire body may be overheated. Take advantage of the seasonal fruit like watermelon, drink enough warm water to help the skin open better and release the internal heat. Eat more bitter but reduce salty.

    Section 4, July 22^nd – September 22nd : “The fourth section, the wind mixed with the wet, the earth gets more rain, everything will grow to its max, people gets more heat but gets weak, muscle gets weak especially feet and legs, also diarrhea and dysentery.”

    The main weather pattern for the section is normal, and the weather becomes cooler with reasonable amount of rain. This may a bumper crop year, but people may get symptoms caused by wet-heat such as cold-heat feeling, body and head feels heavy, sleepiness, stuffy chest and stomach, nauseous, dry mouth but don’t want to drink water and joint pains. Make sure keep the air in the house fresh and flowing by using less air conditioner but opens windows more. This will help to remove the harmful wetness around us. Eat less sweet but more sour. And because of the internal heat, people tends to drink and eat more cold thus cause diarrhea. So it is still safer and heather to stay with warm drinks.

    Section 5, September 22^nd – November 22^nd : “Fifth section, Yang energy comes back, tree and grass grow more and harvest, people feels comfortable.“

    This sounds like the smoothest section of the year. The most serious issues we can get are dryness related symptoms like coughing, sore throat, light fever, sweat less, dry lips and mouth, craving for water and bad sleep. Taking all the fruits you can get for the season (seasonal fruit) because this is the time. With a better appetite and strong stomach energy, you are ready and able to take them to moisturize the body. But avoid strong sour food and eat more bitter instead to balance the system in general. Keeping the bowel movement smooth is the key.

    Section 6, November 22^nd – January 21^st, 2013 : “The last section, the Zai Quan energy (second half year energy) starts to show its force, strong wet force arrives, cold moisture air in the sky surrounds the earth, many open area are fogy and cloudy with less or no sunlight, people feels sad or even hopeless, if there is strong cold wind arrives, for those who are pregnant may not be able to deliver the baby alive.”

    Another scary picture we see here. The weather may be harsh with too much snow or rain, plus the cold-dampness. Under this energy pattern, people catch cold easy, also there may be muscle sore and pain, bad digestion, diarrhea, hernia, running nose, coughing, chest pain, headache and heavy body, lower back pain, joint pain, bloated belly, and vomiting. Although looks bad, but if there is Yin, then there must be Yang. To prevent all these, the basic rule is to keep the body warm inside out, meaning more clothes and more hot water, in order to balance the “cold water” energy and support the fire (heart energy). Because no one likes too much fogy and cloudy days in the winter, we can always do the best to adjust the physical body to bring a good mood as well. Eat some warm food (winter food remedy) such as lamb and beef, because winter is also the good time to nourish the body. But eat less salty but a little bit more bitter.

    In conclusion, section 1, 2 and 4 have normal weather energy pattern, but 3, 5 and 6 have unusual patterns. Combines with the main and half years energy, the main energy forces of 2012 are wind, cold and wet.

                                                                                                       

    So far I have done my awful interpretation from the ancient text for you. Please use your own wisdom to understand and utilize it. Here I also want to share something I have found interesting. It’s another analysis according to the energy pattern and the 9-star theory but more in the Yi Ching, Chinese astrology and Feng Shui aspect. I do NOT have enough knowledge about these but I can still try my best to do another awful translation. If you are interested, please continue:

South East Tree Wind, gallbladder. 5-yellow	South Fire, heart 1-white	South West Earth, spleen 3-jade green
East Water, liver 4-green	Center Earth, spleen 6-white	West Metal, lung 8-white
North East Mountain, stomach 9-purple	North Water, kidneys 2-black	North West Metal, large intestine 7-red

    Don’t worry if you don’t understand the chart, I put it here just as a fact. Here are the descriptions:

1. 1-white star represent frost and snow, it’s at the position of Fire. This indicates the south (fire) is threatened by water hazard. In human body this shows as strong heat-dampness inside, in the nature it indicates the flood in the south.
2. 2-black star represents the sickness. It lands north (kidneys). This may indicates 1, sickness in the north. 2, and it is caused by weak earth (spleen-stomach). 3, the root is in kidney and bladder system, and 4, related to body fluid or blood.
3. 3-jade green star represent the thunder or shakes. It moves to south west (Yin Earth) this year. It might indicate earthquake in the south west but with no other strong evidence to support this guess. Also this might indicates movement in earth-wood business but again it is just a guess. This is a very uncertain star so we can only go and see.
4. 4-green star represents the wind. It lands east where wind is already strong. Looks like there may be wind damage to the east. Here the “east” we talk about is a bigger term, not necessarily the east in one country or area.
5. 5-yellow star represents earth and disaster. It lands south east and indicates possible disaster in that direction of the earth. It can appear as earthquake, flood or fire depends on the other factors. But in general, any disaster on the earth is all somehow related to wind.
6. 6-white star represent water, it’s in the center. And the center represent the earth, and water invades earth may indicates water is overpowering the earth. OR, it can also mean the central earth is holding up the water like a dam. Since other factors shows 2012 has strong wind and water energy, more likely we may see the water overpowering the earth. If the dam cannot hold the water anymore, then we are looking at some dyke breaching or mud sliding. And next year (2013) this may be more severe.
7. 7-red star represents gun powder and metal, military, wars or fight. It lands in North West this year. We are hoping the best that it won’t show as war in that direction. But when history moves, we must follow.
8. 8-white star represents supports. It is a good star and lands in the west this year. In China (since this theory is based on the location of central China) it shows as the government starts to develop the west more and it is going strong. But are we also going to see more development in that direction in general?
9. 9-purple star represents the economy in a way. It reaches the north east this year. But in human body it represents the digestion system (stomach and intestine). When too much energy reaches the digestion system it may appears to be stuffed and accumulated. As a healer I personally want to remind everyone this may be MIS-diagnosed as tumor or even cancer. So, stay calm and look at yourself as a whole system.

    By now I have competed what I want to share. Again, these information are not necessarily correct and you should definitely NOT make them become the reason of worrying. Human has been part of the universe for years, diseases and disasters are simply part of life. Stay centered and balance, use your own internal universe to balance the external change.