The theory of Zi Wu Liu Zhu
The theory of Zi Wu Liu Zu was first written down by He Ryoyu. Later his work was annotated by Yan Ming Guan in the 12th century.
In Zi Wu Liu Zhu the natural phenomena such as the movement of celestial bodies like the sun and the moon, the arrival and departure of the seasons, beginning and end of the day and the eb and flow of the tides are described.
Zi Wu Liu Zhu, literally meaning Midnight-Noon Ebb-Flow, explains what medical workers had recognized through the ages, namely that continuous and repetitive cycles in nature occur according to regular patterns.
Zi and Wu
Zi (midnight) and Wu (noon) reflect the cycle of growth and decline of Yin and Yang. Starting at Zi (Midnight) during the first bihourly period (23 pm-1 am) the Yin reaches it’s maximum and the Yang is at it’s minimum. After that Yin is declining and Yang is increasing.
At Wu (Noon) during the 7th bihourly period (11 am-13 am) the Yang reaches it’s maximum and the Yin is at it’s minimum. From there Yang is declining and Yin is increasing till the end of the daily cycle. Now a new 24-hour cycle starts all over again. The Zi Wu Liu Zu-cycle is reflected in the cyclical movements of physiological functions in the body.
Liu and Zhu
Liu (ebb) anf Zhu (flow) are based on the gathering and dissipating of water of the tides. This reflects the cyclic circulation of Qi and Blood in the meridians and explains that the physiological functions of the body follow a daily rhythm and different other natural timecycles.
Zi Wu Liu Zhu: Cyclical flow of Qi and Blood through the meridians
| Branch | Channel | ZangFu | Period | |
| 子時 | Zi shi | Foot Shao Yang channel | Gallbladder | 23:00-01:00 |
| 丑時 | Chou shi | Foot Jue Yin channel | Liver | 01:00-03:00 |
| 寅時 | Yin shi | Hand Tai Yin channel | Lung | 03:00-05:00 |
| 卯時 | Mao shi | Hand Yang Ming channel | Large Intestine | 05:00-07:00 |
| 辰時 | Chen shi | Foot Yang Ming channel | Stomach | 07:00-09:00 |
| 巳時 | Si shi | Foot Tai Yin channel | Spleen | 09:00-11:00 |
| 午時 | Wu shi | Hand Shao Yin channel | Heart | 11:00-13:00 |
| 未時 | Wei shi | Hand Tai Yang channel | Small Intestine | 13:00-15:00 |
| 申時 | Shen shi | Foot Tai Yang channel | Urinary Bladder | 15:00-17:00 |
| 酉時 | You shi | Foot Shao Yin channel | Kidney | 17:00-19:00 |
| 戌時 | Xu shi | Hand Jue Yin channel | Pericardium | 19:00-21:00 |
| 亥時 | Hai shi | Hand Shao Yang channel | Triple Burner | 21:00-23:00 |
In chronoacupuncture the Zi Wu Liu Zu is used to determine the meridian that is open at a certain moment in time according to the ancient method of Na Zi Fa.
