Five Seasons when do the start and when do they end

There is a chart of the five element correspondences on our five element theory and applications page that discusses the general relationships.

Now as for specifics, most of Chinese Medicine is a system of relative relationships. So looking at the theory in too linear of a fashion such as the summer is from 1 May to 1 Aug, or whatever, misses most of the value of these relationships. This is even more important with climate change as there will be continuing non-standard seasons and fluctuating influences on ourselves and nature as a whole.

More plainly, summer is the general aspects of summer which you could in valid clinical ways experience even working in hot factory, for example, even during the winter. Or a cool, rainy and damp “summer” would have more of the implications of the earth element, or spleen as far as how that influences us. I could go on, but hopefully that makes some sense. In short, don’t try to turn anything in Chinese Medicine into a linear model.

In one aspect and in this part of the globe, yes. But, again, remember it’s not linear - so using it as a clinically valid tool requires tailoring to the situation of the individual to get appropriate results. The persons local environment (i.e. their home, their work, their diet even, etc.) is also an “environment” just as the larger global “environment” is - so they all have their “seasons” so to speak.