Correlative Cosmology in Chinese Medicine:

The 12 Organ Systems and their Relationship to

the 12 Months of the Year,
the 24 Seasonal Nodes (jieqi), and the 72 Material Manifestations
(wuhou)

Collated and translated from the Yizhou shu (Document of Zhou, fl. 3rd century)
and a variety of Han and pre-Han dynasty texts

by Heiner Fruehauf

1st Month Lichun 立春 • Dongfeng jiedong 東風解凍

(Beginning of Spring) (The East Wind Liberates From Icy
正月 Shackles)
(315°) • Zhechong shi zhen 蟄蟲始振
(February 4/5) (Hibernating Insects Begin to Stir)
• Yu shang bing 魚上冰
(Fish Rise Up to the Ice)
LUNG Yushui 雨水 • Ta ji yu 獺祭魚
(Rain Water) (Otters Sacrifice Fish)
• Hongyan lai 鴻雁來
(330°) (Swan Geese Appear)
• Caomu mengdong 草木萌動
(Vegetation Sprouts)

2nd Month Jingzhe 驚蟄 • Tao shi hua 桃始華

(Awakening of Insects) (Peach Trees Begin to Blossom)
二月 • Canggeng ming 倉庚鳴
(345°) (Orioles Sing)
(March 5/6) • Ying hua wei jiu 鷹化爲鳩
(Hawks Transform Into Cuckoos)
• Xuanniao zhi 玄鳥至
LARGE Chunfen 春分 (Swallows Arrive)
INTESTINE (Spring Equinox) • Lei nai fasheng 雷乃發聲
(Thunder Starts Resounding)
(0°) • Shi dian 始電
(Beginning of Lightning)

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3rd Qingming 清明 • Tong shi hua 桐始華

Month (Clear and Bright) (Tung Trees Begin to Blossom)
• Tianshu hua wei ru 田鼠化為鴽
三月 (15°) (Field Voles Transform Into Quails)
• Hong shi jian 虹始見
(April 4/5) (Rainbows Begin to Appear)
• Ping shi sheng 萍始生
Guyu 穀雨 (Duckweed Begins to Grow)
STOMACH (Grain Rain) • Mingjiu fu qi yu 鳴鳩拂其羽
(Cockoos Flutter Their Wings)
(30°) • Daisheng jiang yu sang 戴勝降于桑
(Hoopoes Land on Mulberry Trees)

4th Lixia 立夏 • Louguo ming 螻蟈鳴

Month (Beginning of Summer) (Mole Crickets Croon)
• Qiuyin chu 蚯蚓出
四月 (45°) (Earthworms Emerge)
• Wanggua sheng 王瓜生
(May 5/5) (Snake Gourds Grow)
• Kucai xiu 苦菜秀
Xiaoman 小滿 (Sow Thistles Are in Seed)
SPLEEN (Minor Fullness) • Micao si 靡草死
(Shepherd’s Purses Expire)
(60°) • Xiaoshu zhi 小暑至 (麥秋至)
(Minor Summer Heat Arrives)

5th Mangzhong 芒種 • Tanglang sheng 螳螂生

Month (Bearded Grain) (Praying Mantises Are Born)
• Ju shi ming 鵙始鳴
五月 (75°) (Shrikes Begin to Sing)
• Fanshe wusheng 反舌無聲
(June 5/6) (Mocking Birds Cease to Vocalize)
• Lujiao jie 鹿角解
Xiazhi 夏至 (Deer Shed Their Horns)
HEART (Summer Solstice) • Tiao shi ming 蜩 (蟬) 始鳴
(Cicadas Begin to Sing)
(90°) • Banxia sheng 半夏生
(Pinellia Grows)

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6th Month Xiaoshu 小暑 • Wenfeng zhi 溫風（始）至

(Minor Heat) (Sultry Winds Arrive)
六月 • Xishuai ju bi 蟋蟀居壁
(105°) (Crickets Take Up Residence in Walls)
(July 7/8) • Ying nai xuexi 鷹乃學習
(Young Hawks Learn How to Fly)
• Fucao hua wei ying 腐草化為螢
SMALL Dashu 大暑 (Decaying Grass Transforms Into Fire
INTESTINE (Major Heat) Flies)
• Tu run ru shu 土潤溽暑
(120°) (The Earth Lies Wet Beneath Sweltering
Heat)
• Dayu shixing 大雨時行
(Heavy Rain Falls Intermittently)

7th Month Liqiu 立秋 • Liangfeng zhi 涼風至

(Beginning of Autumn) (Cool Winds Arrive)
七月 • Bailu jiang 白露降
(135) (White Dew Descends)
(August 7/8) • Hanchan ming 寒蟬鳴
(Autumn Crickets Sing)
• Ying nai ji niao 鷹乃祭鳥
BLADDER Chushu 處暑 (Hawks Start to Sacrifice Birds)
(End of Heat) • Tiandi shi su 天地始肅
(Heaven and Earth Become Austere)
(150°) • He nai deng 禾乃登
(Rice Plants Are Harvested and Presented
as Offering)

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8th Month Bailu 白露 • Hongyan lai 鴻雁來

(White Dew) (Swan Geese Pass Through)
八月 • Xuanniao gui 玄鳥歸
(165°) (Swallows Go Back)
(September 7/8) • Qunniao yangxiu 群鳥養羞
(Flocks of Birds Stockpile Morsels)
• Lei shi shousheng 雷始收聲
KIDNEY Qiufen 秋分 (Thunder Begins to Retract Its Sound)
(Autumn Equinox) • Zhechong pei hu 蟄蟲培戶
(Hibernating Insects Reinforce Their
(180°) Shelters)
• Shui shi he 水始涸
(Water Begins to Dry Up)

9th Month Hanlu 寒露 • Hongyan lai bin 鴻雁來賓

(Cold Dew) (Swan Geese Come and Stay)
九月 • Jue ru dashui wei ge 爵入大水爲蛤
(195°) (Siskins Dive Into the Watery Abyss to
(October 8/9) Become Clams)
• Ju you huanghua 菊有黃華
(Chrysanthemums Display Yellow
PERICARDIUM Shuangjiang 霜降 Flowers)
(Hoarfrost Descends) • Chai nai ji shou 犲乃祭獸
(Dholes Start to Sacrifice Beasts)
(210°) • Caomu huangluo 草木黃落
(Vegetation Withers and Defoliates)
• Zhechong xianfu 蟄蟲咸附
(Hibernating Insects Stop Up Their
Burrows)

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10th Month Lidong 立冬 • Shui shi bing 水始冰

(Beginning of Winter) (Water Begins to Freeze)
十月 • Di shi dong 地始凍
(225°) (Earth Begins to Harden)
(November 7/8) • Zhi ru dashui wei shen 雉入大水為蜃
(Pheasants Dive Into the Watery Abyss to
Become Giant Clams)
TRIPLE Xiaoxue 小雪 • Hong cang bujian 虹藏不見
WARMER (Minor Snow) (Rainbows Stay Hidden and Out of Sight)
• Tianqi shangteng, diqi xiajiang
(240°) 天氣上騰，地氣下降
(Heavenly Qi Ascends, Earthly Qi
Descends)
• Bisai er cheng dong 閉塞而成冬
(All is Shut Up and Has Reached Its
Wintry End)

11th Month Daxue 大雪 • Hedan bu ming 鶡旦不鳴

(Major Snow) (Spangled Drongos Cease to Sing)
十一月 • Hu shi jiao 虎始交
(255°) (Tigers Begin to Couple)
(December 7/8) • Li tingsheng 荔挺生
(Water Irises Grow)
• Qiuyin jie 蚯蚓結
GALL- Dongzhi 冬至 (Earthworms Congeal)
BLADDER (Winter Solstice) • Mijiao jie麋角解
(Moose Deer Shed Their Horns)
(270°) • Shuiquan dong 水泉動
(Aquifers Churn)

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12th Month Xiaohan 小寒 • Yan bei xiang 雁北向

(Minor Cold) (Geese Head North)
十二月 • Que shi chao 鵲始巢
(285°) (Magpies Begin Nest-Building)
(January 5/6) • Zhi shi gou 雉始雊
(Ring-necked Pheasants Begin to Crow)
• Ji shi ru 雞始乳
LIVER Dahan 大寒 (Hens Begin to Breed)
(Major Cold) • Zhiniao liji 鷙鳥厲疾
(Birds of Prey Act Fierce and Swift)
(300°) • Shuize fujian 水澤腹堅
(Rivers and Lakes Are Frozen Within)

Copyright 2009
©
Heiner Fruehauf

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