In this lecture, we explore Wood through my own translations of the Huangdi Neijing and other classical texts, moving from the wider patterns of the cosmos into the natural world and the human body. Rather than treating the Five Phases as a list of separate correspondences, we look at how these relationships emerge from a shared quality of qi, expressed in different ways across Heaven, Earth and humanity.

Wood is the Phase of spring, the East and the moment when life begins to emerge into view. Its quality is expressed in the capacity to bend and straighten, to grow, to move and to respond to changing circumstances. Wind is central to this picture: it can nurture and bring life, but it can also disrupt and transform. Understanding these qualities offers a different perspective on both the natural world and the movement of qi within the body.

We then explore the Liver and Gallbladder within the classical hierarchy of the organs. The Liver, described in the Neijing as the General of the Army, assesses circumstances, makes plans and ensures the free flow of qi, blood and emotions. The Gallbladder brings these plans into action through judgement, determination and decisive movement. Together, their relationship reveals two complementary aspects of Wood: the flexible, expansive movement of the Liver and the focused force of the Gallbladder.

The lecture also examines the Liver’s relationship with blood, sinews, nails, eyes and the Hun (ethereal soul), alongside the role of the Gallbladder in beginnings and the initiation of movement. We consider how these classical ideas illuminate the functions of Wood, its potential imbalances and the ways in which patterns associated with Wind may manifest in the body.

Finally, we explore the relationship between Wood and the sour taste, considering how the classical texts connect flavour, the organs and the wider qualities of qi.