Some thoughts on Earth deficiency

According to the five elements, if Earth is deficient then Wood over-controls and is excess. Water is excess as it is under-controlled. Metal doesn’t receive proper nourishment from Earth and Fire is drained by the deficient Earth. 

Earth is the matrix and web within which all qi moves around. If the web is weak, the qi moves too easily through it. To understand this more easily, think about the difference between dropping a weight through water and dropping it through the air. It falls much more heavily through the air and does more damage when it hits. The same weight through water falls slowly and gently settles on the bottom. Wood rises through the web of Earth and Metal descends through the same. 

Wood qi rises without resistance. We see heat and excess qi in the head in the form of headaches and rashes in the chest and head.

Metal qi falls without resistance. When Earth is deficient, we can see a thickening of the Earth web which can lead to constipation. The metal Qi has trouble descending through the thickening and the bowels are obstructed. As the Earth yang gets more deficient, the web may weaken and break up, at which point the Metal Qi falls downward without resistance and we see explosive diarrhea.

Water is not controlled properly by spleen. Think of the Earth qi as the baffles and honeycombs holding the water in place. When the Earth Qi is weak, the Water falls downward in the body to it’s natural place near the earth (earth/man/heaven). We see edema and swelling in the four limbs. The transportation and transformation of fluids in the body is Earth holding Water in it’s proper place. 

Image courtesy of Jenny Downing