What are the similarities or differences between Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern neo-pagan practices?

What are the similarities or differences between Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern neo-pagan practices?

The Chinese elemental system is made up of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, called ‘Wu’, and found in the book Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine, (pg. 29), my first real introduction to Chinese medicine save a Qigong course I took many years ago taught by a former psychiatric nurse turned acupuncturist. From there, arose my interest in studying traditional Chinese medicine, to help mentally ill people, and those with 22q. Each element has characteristics. In neo-paganism, starting from the East, we have Air, Fire, South, Water, West, and Earth in the North. But if you cast a circle clockwise, and counter clockwise, the circle is Earth, Water, Fire, Air. In TCM though, water moistens, fire flares up, wood is growing straight, metal causes transformation and change, with an astringent effect while Earth gives birth to all things.

The Wood element corresponds to the liver, the fire element to heart, the earth element to the spleen, the metal element to the lungs, and water is linked to the kidneys. Like in neo-paganism, there is a graphic on pg. 33, which shows everything interrelated, while being superimposed on a pentacle, down to the circle. TCM does provide answers for us all.

Works Cited

Xinnong, Cheng, Bing Zhu, and Hongcai Wang, Basic Theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine. International Acupuncture Textbooks, China Beijing International Acupuncture Training Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, People’s Military Medical Press. 2010.