If the channel you study is Liver (wood), the mother is Water (Kidney) and the child is Fire (Heart). Ke: Wood controls Earth (Spleen). Open the sheets and the clock; do not mix this frame with Masunaga hara.

Generation and control cycles across the twelve meridians. A shiatsu and TCM study frame, not a diagnosis.
Study cycles: generating (sheng) outer ring, controlling (ke) inner chords.
Note the element of the channel you are studying. Each zang–fu pair shares a phase.
Read the correspondences (season, tissue, emotion, spirit) as a frame, not as a symptom.
Follow sheng (mother–child) and ke (grandparent–grandchild) to see neighbours. Then open the element sheet.
Study reference · Wu Xing
Mother generates child: wood feeds fire, fire leaves earth, earth yields metal, metal gathers water, water nourishes wood.
In educational clinic: if the child is empty, look to the mother; if the mother is in excess, the child may flare. Study nomenclature only.
Grandparent controls grandchild: it keeps the cycle in its bed. The wheel chords are this pentagram.
If control fails, the grandchild overflows; if control is excessive, the grandchild sinks. Always read with the channel, never in isolation.
The pair most used in class: Liver–Gallbladder. Follow mother, child and control before opening the clock.
If the channel you study is Liver (wood), the mother is Water (Kidney) and the child is Fire (Heart). Ke: Wood controls Earth (Spleen). Open the sheets and the clock; do not mix this frame with Masunaga hara.
Classroom material: season, climate, taste, zang–fu and spirit. Tap a header to open the sheet.
| Correspondence | 木Mù · Wood | 火Huǒ · Fire | 土Tǔ · Earth | 金Jīn · Metal | 水Shuǐ · Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Spring | Summer | Late summer | Autumn | Winter |
| Climate | Wind | Heat | Dampness | Dryness | Cold |
| Colour | Green / blue-green | Red | Yellow / ochre | White / light grey | Black / deep blue |
| Taste | Sour | Bitter | Sweet | Pungent | Salty |
| Direction | East | South | Centre | West | North |
| Zang (yin) | Liver (Gan) | Heart (Xin) · Pericardium (Xin Bao) | Spleen (Pi) | Lung (Fei) | Kidney (Shen) |
| Fu (yang) | Gallbladder (Dan) | Small intestine (Xiao Chang) · Triple Energizer (San Jiao) | Stomach (Wei) | Large intestine (Da Chang) | Bladder (Pang Guang) |
| Associated spirit | Hun — ethereal soul, vision & planning | Shen — clarity, presence and inner dialogue | Yi — thought, working memory and intention | Po — corporeal soul, breath rhythm and boundaries | Zhi — will, reserve and depth |
| Emotion | Anger / assertiveness | Joy / restlessness | Worry / empathy | Grief / letting go | Fear / caution |
| Tissue | Sinews & ligaments | Blood vessels | Muscles & flesh | Skin & body hair | Bones & marrow |
| Sense | Sight | Speech / tongue | Taste / mouth | Smell / nose | Hearing |
| Movement | Rising & expanding | Blooming & radiating | Centring & transforming | Descending & condensing | Storing & flowing |
Twelve primary channels grouped by phase. Ren and Du have no element: they are extraordinary vessels.
Liver (Gan) · Gallbladder (Dan)
Heart (Xin) · Pericardium (Xin Bao) · Small intestine (Xiao Chang) · Triple Energizer (San Jiao)
Spleen (Pi) · Stomach (Wei)
Lung (Fei) · Large intestine (Da Chang)
Kidney (Shen) · Bladder (Pang Guang)
What a professional crosses with Wu Xing on Meridiania.