In Feng Shui, Do the "Eyes" Belong to the Wood or Fire Element?

As we know, astrology aims to forecast people's fortunes and misfortunes, unavoidably touching upon health and illness. Thus, it is essential to align the Four Pillars of Destiny with the Five Elements to assess the development and condition of various bodily organs over time. This brings us to the theory that matches the Five Organs and Six Bowels with the Five Elements. For example, in traditional Chinese medicine regarding the Five Senses: "The nose corresponds to the lungs, the eyes to the liver, the lips to the spleen, the tongue to the heart, and the ears to the kidneys."

The Five Organs correspond as follows: lungs with metal, liver with wood, heart with fire, kidneys with water, and spleen with earth. Therefore, as stated in the "Yuanming Bao": "The eyes are governed by the liver, and the liver's energy shines outward," indicating "the eyes are the organ of the liver." The liver connects to the eyes, and liver ailments show in the eyes. People with liver issues may have bluish eye corners, while jaundice causes yellowing of the eyes. A startled person may develop visible veins or bruises on the nose bridge, linked to the liver. This reflects the symbiotic connection between the eyes and liver. Hence, the eyes' elemental attribute is wood.

However, astrology also classifies the eyes as belonging to fire. This is based on: "The mouth of Dui and the eyes of Li are divided in the Eight Trigrams; all illnesses can be observed here." The southern position of Li sits at the upper body, and the eyes are unique in emitting light. Therefore, regarding the Four Pillars matching, there's a saying: "the fire of Wu governs the eyes." In a person's BaZi, those with unchecked excess fire or those who favor fire but have weak fire often face eye and heart issues.

Generally, Bing fire corresponds to the eyes, and Ding fire to the heart. This has been confirmed through numerous astrological predictions and is widely acknowledged. For instance, some findings suggest individuals with Bing and Xin in their BaZi frequently experience myopia. Our own experiences show eye issues during stress or irritability, reinforcing the belief that eyes belong to the fire element.

So, do our eyes belong to fire or wood? Are these two statements inherently contradictory? Or is there a mechanism we have not fully grasped? The author believes that classifying the eyes as both wood and fire is not contradictory; both perspectives are correct. The world is complex, and the functions of human organs and systems are even more intricate. When analyzing phenomena, simplifying complex matters may sometimes lead to overlooking core truths.

For example, historical discussions on the Five Element matching of the Five Organs and Six Bowels suggested more nuanced divisions; similar to how yin and yang can break down further. Subdivisions could create at least 25 categories, potentially forming various hexagrams. Additionally, each body organ exhibits seven functions: ascending, descending, entering, exiting, exhaling, inhaling, and transforming. These interact continuously in a cycle of generation and control with other organs.

Taking the eyes as part of an organ system, they inherently represent wood, but in their function, they express as fire; wood's role in generating fire is its inherent nature, achievement, and purpose. Thus, if wood is abundant in a BaZi, it might block fire; or, if wood is weak and restricted, it indicates liver issues, leading to eye problems from insufficient wood transformation.

The root issue lies with the liver, not the "eyes"; it's liver damage reflecting as issues with the "appearance" of the eyes. Here, eyes are part of the liver system, not standalone organs. Yet, eye problems can also arise from usage, unrelated to the liver. For instance, common "myopia" may stem from excessive use or external factors, independent of liver health.

In BaZi terms, if Si or Wu conflicts with water, it can damage the fire "eyes." For example, in a BaZi chart: Bing Wu, Wu Xu, Yi Yin, Ding Chou; in 1981, Xin You, during the Ji Hai luck cycle, an accidental injury led to eye disability. This implies both wood and fire were compromised that year, with fire suffering more due to the luck cycle being in Hai, and the year's metal element causing Hai to leak, weakening the attack on wood.

Additionally, for older people, if fire is overly controlled or abundant, it might signal heart problems or lead to conditions like "presbyopia." However, the core issue is often a deficiency in essence, energy, and blood, affecting the ability to nurture vitality. In BaZi, water symbolizes essence, fire represents spirit, and wood is the intermediary. Deficient essence weakens wood; weak wood struggles to fuel fire. Hence, classifying "eyes" in the Five Elements of astrology shouldn't rigidly fix on "wood or fire" but instead be evaluated in context.

Specifically, we can summarize: qualitatively, the "eyes" belong to wood, but physically, they certainly belong to fire; invisibly, they belong to wood, but visibly, to fire; essentially, the eyes' spirit is fire, their moisture is water, and the pupil is wood. Astrologically, evaluating eye issues primarily involves fire due to BaZi's representational focus, while examining causes requires considering wood as the essence.

In reality, it concerns not only wood but also water, metal, and earth. This is due to the Five Elements' interconnection and constant transformation; they generate, control, and alter each other. Discussing fire must involve wood to fuel it, while metal can restrain wood; simultaneously, water can suppress fire, and earth can dull fire. Talking about wood requires fire to illuminate it, with an eye on metal's restraint; wood needs water for growth but fears earth suppressing water, depriving it of nourishment; yet, water can waterlog wood, causing decay, both problematic scenarios.

Thus, renowned Qing Dynasty astrologer Chen Su'an observed: "Discussing human ailments via the Five Elements has merit; however, human organs and meridians encompass all Five Elements, and a person's fate and luck might not include them all. Illness must be assessed by specific elements yet can't be wholly validated." He remarked: "Consider a day master and its pattern—robust, balanced, or harmonious suggest a healthy life, while weak, mixed, or opposing suggest illness. Observe spirit, energy, and momentum—excess or deficiency—and regard the Five Elements across pillars and cycles."

So, even in the absence of wood, it can still be created, controlled, and its spirit indicate health status. Regarding the head, eyes, hands, and feet, intuition guides us. Insisting on discussing all diseases touches upon the Five Elements in prominent medical debates." In astrology regarding eye diseases, ancient knowledge notes: "If the eyes dim, fire is restrained by water; water harming fire results in eye diseases; fire encountering water in branches may cause internal eye disorders and blindness; rising fire causing dryness can lead to baldness and blurred vision."

"When metal clashes with wood, eyes may squint or mouth droop; if Jia or Yi lacks roots, fearing Shen or You, metal integration may cause blindness; weak or dead wood results in dizziness and blurred vision; if Ji, Ri, and Xu appear, and fire lacks energy with excess water and metal, vision dims and eyes close; if fire and earth dry Gui water and Bing meets Xin, myopia may ensue, etc."

In conclusion, classifying "eyes" in the context of the Five Elements reveals the intertwined nature of wood and fire, necessitating flexibility. Fire symbolizes expression and manifestation, while wood signifies cause, root, and foundation. Their inner and outer aspects are unified and interdependent.