Remember the game “rock – paper – scissors”? There was actually a lot of wisdom in that simple game. It begins to describe the Elements and the nature of how they relate to one another. In Chinese Medical theory, there are Five Elements each corresponding with a Yin and a Yang organ.
Rock could be correlated to the Earth element, which would correspond to the Spleen and Stomach. Paper could be correlated to the Wood element, which would correspond to the Liver and Gall Bladder. While Scissors could be correlated to the Metal element which corresponds to the Lungs and Large Intestines
Spleen and Stomach, Liver and Gall Bladder, Lungs and Large Intestine.
The Spleen, Liver and Lungs are yin organs. They all affect blood quantity and quality while the Stomach, Gall Bladder and Large Intestine are yang organs and are all related of our ability to digest and eliminate.
The Fire and Water relationship correlates with the masculine (Fire) and feminine (Water) and the relationship between heart and kidneys. They are of key importance in both Western and Chinese medicine. The masculine in each of us is governed by the Fire principle, it relates to sexual energy and creative potential, while the feminine in us is ruled by the Water nature relating to the emotions and ruling the sexual organs and their function; they are not really separable as we all contain both these principles. Fire and Water control each other, by keeping each other in balance.
Interestingly enough, in Chinese Medical thinking, Fire and Water are the two Elements, which should never be adjusted. They can also injure or attack one another. If Water is weak, Fire can rage out of control and lead to inflammation in the body. If Water becomes too strong, it can drown the Fire, and the individual may lose his or her power to act.
Simply put, the root cause of dis-ease and ill health is found in either congenital factors, which are related to the Kidneys (Water element); and/or long-term repressed emotion, which is related to the Heart (Fire element); and/or a pathogenic factor that is ingested orally, which is related to the Stomach (Earth element); and/or a structural defect resulting from trauma and/or improper body mechanics that adversely affects the sinews, which is related to the Liver (Wood element); and/or a pathogenic factor that is inhaled or absorbed through the skin, which is related to the Lungs (Metal element).