Orient with Stars, Sun, Moon & Animal Totems

Spiritual Axis (Ling Shu) 76 plots the movement of protective qi (wei qi) around the channels, as the sun moves through each of the star mansions.

It tells us that wei qi circulates 25 times around the yang channels by day, and another 25 times through the yin organs by night, totalling 50 circulations in one day and night. As wei qi circulates through the daytime’s yang, the sun travels through 14 star mansions. As this light yang qi circulates through the night-time’s yin, the sun travels through another 14 mansions. The yang sun and yang wei qi, travelling through 28 star mansions and 50 circulations respectively, constitute one Heavenly circuit of one day and night. 50 ÷ 28 = approximately one time and eight tenths, i.e. 1.8 circulations through channel-organs per each star mansion.

Whilst the Canon of Difficulties (Nan Jing) tells us that wei is the rough-fast qi protecting and warming us from outside of channels on skin surface, this Ling Shu 76 orients wei qi with the sun and stars. This Heavenly yang qi, or virtue (de), is thus our protective shield, which shines from our channel-organs like an aura. Therefore, if our night’s yin sleep and day’s yang activity harmonise, we balance between Heaven and Earth.

If wei’s yang qi can remain submerged deep down in the yin, warming and protecting organs at night, then it is able to vitally arise into eyes – arise into eyes at sunrise. After a peaceful sleep, this yang qi scatters into the acute angles in eyes at Bright Eyes Bl 1, to then descend down both tai yang channels of bladder and small intestine, significantly arriving into tip of little toe and small finger’s outside tip, i.e. their well hollows (points). Well hollows, wei qi and tai yang all share the same very light superficial yang nature, which has an affinity with light in sky. Eyes, being the most yang part of our body, connect us to solar qi and star virtue (de).

If celestially attuned, our wei qi brilliantly arises into Bright Eyes as an inner sunrise, which goes up into head, then down nape of neck, through tai yang channels, into well hollows, arriving (at) Yin Bl 67 and Lesser Marsh SI 1. After tai yang, yang qi shines down the shao yang of gallbladder and triple heater, then the yang ming of stomach and large intestine. After doing 25 circulations around all these three yang channels, following solar qi through 14 star mansions, yang ming’s large intestine sinks back into kidneys, if indeed we let go of the day’s mental-emotional charge. Ling Shu 76 refers to a connection between the hand palms and the foot ‘hearts’ (soles). This connection seems to be made when doing tai chi’s ‘needle at sea bottom’ move.

That which awakens wei qi at sunrise, or just before, is the yang motility (yang qiao) channel, from the eight extraordinaries. Yang qiao activates (opens) at Extending Channel Bl 62 and flows up into Bright Eyes Bl 1 and Wind Pond GB 20 to awaken eyes and brain into sharp yet wide focus. Just as yang qiao awakens wei qi at sunrise, so also yin qiao quietens it down at sunset. Yin qiao activates at Shining Sea Ki 6 to also flow up into Bright Eyes Bl 1. After wei qi sinks back into the kidney channel at sunset, it flows through the kidney organ, then heart organ, lung organ, liver organ, spleen organ, and back to the kidney organ, for 25 circulations, following solar qi through another 14 star mansions.

Whereas the sun travels through all 28 star mansions to complete one day and night, so also the moon travels through them, over a 28-day month. Mathematically symmetrical, 4×7 days = a 28-day month; 4 weeks ×13 months = a 52-week year.

‘Rat-horse (zi-wu), rabbit-rooster’ refers to the four cardinal directions in the 12 branches, which constitute the Chinese Clock/Compass. As a clock, rat↔horse orients with 11-1am and 11-1pm, and rabbit↔rooster with 7-9am and 7-9 pm. As a compass, rat↔horse orients with the longitude of north↔south, whilst rabbit↔rooster orients with the latitude of east↔west.