Soil is more than one of the Five Phases. It occupies the centre, the place between the seasons and directions, and the pivot around which the other Phases can be understood. But what does this central position mean for the human body?

In this recorded lecture, Deborah Woolf explores the cosmological foundations of Soil through her own translations of the Huangdi Neijing and other classical material. Beginning with the relationship between Heaven, Earth and humanity, she examines Soil as the place of transformation, nourishment and the continual maintenance of life.

We explore the classical understanding of the centre as the meeting point of ascending and descending movements, and the Spleen and Stomach as the organs responsible for transforming and transporting nourishment. Food and drink do not simply supply the body with material: through the processes of transformation, their essences become part of us, maintaining our qi, blood, fluids and physical form.

The lecture examines the complementary qualities of the Spleen and Stomach, including their relationships with Dampness and Dryness, the ascending and descending movements of qi, and the transformation of pure and turbid substances. We also consider Soil’s place between the Heart and Kidneys, and the relationship between our inherited constitution and the nourishment that sustains us throughout life.

Beyond digestion, we explore the Spleen’s relationship with the flesh, the four limbs, the blood and the lips, as well as the classical understanding of yi — often translated as intention or thought. These connections reveal Soil as a central point of relationship between physical nourishment, mental activity and the maintenance of our whole being.