Springtime and the Wood Element
Chinese medicine often speaks of the influence that each season has on life. Each season has a unique set of qualities that effect the way we feel, eat, rest and work. The spring time is the season of wood. Wood can be seen as a physical and tangible entity, as is the case with trees and plants, but it can also be seen as a symbolic representation of the qualities and characteristics that wood exemplifies.
Many people enjoy the spring season because it is a time of new beginnings. It is the time when the rest and solitude of winter give way to action and fresh ideas. This is demonstrated by the wood element. When a seed sprouts, or a perennial plant begins to put up new shoots, we see the potential energy of wood become manifest. Each day as I walk through our gardens, I marvel at the noticeable changes that occur over a short time. I am particularly enamored with the bamboo; it’s new shoots seem to grow right before my eyes. This demonstrates the power of the wood element to create change and movement.