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Water Element

The Water Element is correlated with winter. This is the darkest and coldest time of the year, when activity in the plant kingdom occurs only deep in the roots. In the individual, the Water Element represents energetic reserves, the will to survive, courage, our ability to procreate, movement, and flow, self-actualization, willpower, trust and faith. The organ systems are the bladder, kidney, bones, and endocrine system. When out of balance, the Water Element corresponds to fear and a struggle for survival, a lack of reserves and deep fatigue, reduced sexuality, timidity, and a lack of trust in life and other people. The physical symptoms include fatigue and exhaustion, all disorders of the urinary tract, infertility, hypertension, all endocrine disorders, lumbar syndromes, ankylosing spondylitis, and dental pathology.
TABLE 1 The 12 Officials and their descriptive names
Element
Organ/Official
Descriptive Name
Fire Heart Supreme Controller
Fire Small Intestine Official in control of transforming matter and separating pure from impure
Water Bladder Controller of the storage of water
Water Kidney Controller of water
Fire Pericardium Heart protector and circulation/sex official
Fire Triple Energizer Official of balance and harmony
Wood Gallbladder Official of decision making and wise judgment
Wood Liver Controller of planning
Metal Lung Controller of receiving pure qi from the heavens
Metal Colon Controller of drainage and dregs
Earth Stomach Official in control of rotting and ripening
Earth Spleen Controller of transport