Spring and Wood: Rooted in Vision, Reaching for light
Navigating the emotional cycles of the Wood element.
In Acupuncture theory, Spring is linked to the element of Wood. Together, they are associated with the Liver, Gall Bladder, the eyes, and the part of us that dreams and lives beyond the physical body (the Hun).
Spring brings energy, vision, and a potent sense of potential. Just as shoots push through the soil and buds burst on the trees, the Wood element within us is driven by growth, renewal, and the possibility of brighter days. People with a strong Wood element are often the ones who lean into the suffering of the world and want to help. Through the link to the eyes, Woods possess a clarity of vision, a moral map of how things should be.
Like all elements in this system, Wood has an emotional continuum that runs from righteous anger to hopelessness. When we examine our challenging emotions, we often find they point to an unmet need. In the case of Wood, this need is to feel brave; to feel they can make a difference.
Vicious Cycles and Emotional Traps
However, as we are human, this beautiful drive can tie us in knots.
Because they see what needs to be done clearly, Woods often feel responsible and assume leadership. They plan, and they press on, even against the odds. But they may also forget that others are involved, with their own timing, needs, and limitations. This creates what Brene Brown calls stealth expectations for our intrepid Woods; unspoken assumptions about how things should unfold.
When others don’t follow the script, reality doesn’t match the internal blueprint or life begins to resist their direction, Woods can become frustrated, angry and stuck, sometimes blaming others for the way things turn out. With their indomitable resolve, Woods then tend to push even harder, compacting the problem, when a more skilful approach might be to pull back.
Disappointment creeps in through the side door. If change feels perpetually out of reach, that anger can collapse into hopelessness.
What begins as righteous action becomes a feeling of futility.
“Maybe I can’t make a difference after all.”
The Deeper Cultural Pattern
This emotional pattern is made worse by the world we live in.
The current worldview assumes a perpetual spring. Growth, action and individual control are idolised… We’ve been taught to believe we can know and control everything, that the world works like a machine. The internet, for all its gifts, has reinforced this illusion. Uncertainty becomes a problem to be solved.
It is no wonder those driven souls amongst us believe that if they find the right information and ideas, and work really hard, they can fix anything…
But the world isn’t a machine. It’s alive. It’s interconnected. It’s always changing. It is affected by what we do to it and it is sensitive… It adapts. Like a forest ecosystem. It has cycles of birth, growth, death and decay. Changing it is messy and contingent on everything else that is happening.
Moving Toward Balance
To begin to move beyond this emotional trap, we need to appreciate that despite our best-laid plans, much of our sense of control is an illusion. To lead with skill requires the flexibility to respond to a changing world, to be ready to learn from others, to recalibrate and to grow around obstacles. Wood, and the growth it represents, thrive on adaptability, forward momentum and connection.
“A tree that is unbending is easily broken.” Tao Te Ching
The noble qualities of Wood: compassion and Viriya (a Pali word often translated as “energy” or “finding joy in the noble”) offer a path out of our stuckness.
Self-compassion can soften the edges of frustration and help us accept that we can’t always get things ‘right’.
Compassion for others helps Woods appreciate that multiple perspectives are invaluable if change is to be truly just. It also helps them learn to relax their expectations and to move forward with others, not just ahead of them.
And interestingly, the stress that Wood-types often thrive on, which is itself a form of viriya, also triggers the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone. This means that even during times of stress, there’s an invitation to connect. To find joy in the noble together, through sharing the vision, the load and the control.
So this Spring, if you’re feeling frustrated or hopeless, ask yourself:
- Have I tried to carry too much alone?
- Have I expected others to know my plan without telling them?
- Have I made space for softness and relaxation?
Wood is a beautiful force, not just for growth, but for inclusion, for fairness, and for noble joy. Let it stretch, let it bend, and let it grow collaboratively. It will show you how to adapt to whatever comes.
Acupuncture and the Wood Element: Regaining Balance
When Wood is out of balance, we may experience physical tension, eye strain, headaches, irritability, digestive issues, or PMS. Emotionally, we may swing between frustration and defeat, or feel stuck in our own righteous fury.
Acupuncture works by unblocking stagnant energy and restoring harmony. For Wood, this means helping us move from rigidity to flow, from anger to wise action, from despair to adaptable, collective hope.
If you are curious about how acupuncture can support your Wood energy, feel free to book a session through the link below.
And if you’d like to explore more about Five Element Theory, Buddhism, and emotional resilience through the seasons, sign up to my mailing list for updates on courses and events.
References
Brown, B., (2021) Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience. 1st edition ed. London: Vermilion.
Feng, G.-F. and English, J., (1975) Tao Te Ching: Lao Tsu. [online] London: Phoenix Books. Available at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tao-Te-Ching/dp/B003T73CVK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QXHZE5OPVQ6A&keywords=tao+te+ching+gia-fu+feng&qid=1646076985&s=books&sprefix=tao+te+ching+gia-fu+feng%2Cstripbooks%2C127&sr=1-1 [Accessed 28 Feb. 2022].
How to make stress your friend. (1378306783) Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend [Accessed 8 Apr. 2022].
