Wood Phase (Mù 木) — Growth, Expansion, Spring

Mù (木) is the first stirring of yang qi within the Wu Xing cycle, governing the direction East and the season of Spring. In the shēng (generative) sequence, Wood is born from Water and feeds Fire; in the kè (overcoming) sequence, Wood parts Earth. The Dao De Jing (Chapter 76) identifies the supple and yielding with life itself — Wood's nature is to bend without breaking, to push upward through resistance by persistence rather than force. The Huangdi Neijing associates Wood with the Liver organ-system and the emotion of expansive anger, the energetic thrust that initiates all movement.

Cross-Tradition Resonances