As the illumination of the moon grows and recedes, ebbs and flows, rises and falls throughout its twenty eight day cycle so too does the moons influence on the body and its energetic channels and acupoints.
During the time preceding the full moon the energy in the channel systems increases in its influence and specific acupoints become stronger in their effect. As the illumination of the moon recedes toward the new or no moon phase, again acupoints within the channels change their dynamic affect on the body. This rhythmic cycle is continuous and unceasing and is called the Lunar Tidal Effect.
Just as there are twelve visible changes of the illuminated phases of the moon each month, so there are acupoints that follow that same pattern in their relative influence. Only the acupoints that correspond most with specific lunar phases are chosen in the Lunar Tidal Effect acupuncture protocol.
The twelve channels of the body have anywhere from nine to sixty-seven acupoints each depending on each channels length, breadth and depth. Of those points the most powerful on each channel exist between the elbows to the fingers or the knees to the toes and of those points there are only six that are always the most influential on each channel. These six points per channel are the places where the power of the Lunar Tidal Effect is the greatest and these are the points chosen for the Lunar Tidal Effect acupuncture protocol. As bodies of water are affected by the pull of the moon as tides, so the channels and points are likewise affected. It is interesting to note that these acupoints are named after bodies of water like well, spring, stream, river, marsh and sea.
Because the points of influence change every two-ish days, if you are receiving regular weekly or twice per week acupuncture using this protocol, the pattern of points used will rarely be the same.
In music, the twelve notes in an octave (I know it’s counter-intuitive but trust me there are) follow a pattern similar to that of the lunar cycle. With stringed instruments like the guitar and piano the changes in the notes are due to changes in the tension, length and gauge of the instruments strings. That tension is not unlike the influence that the moons gravity exerts on our channels and acupoints. In ancient times there were tonal sounds ascribed to each of the organs and their channels, these were later simplified to the ‘six tones’ but there are in fact twelve, six going up and six going down, that again follow a pattern similar to the Lunar Tidal Effect pattern. The twelve octave notes and the twelve tones in Chinese philosophy were all calculated representations of harmony. Harmony is balance and balance is what we are trying to achieve in the practice of acupuncture medicine.
In acupuncture the selection of points based on the Lunar Tidal Effect give us the most appropriate point selection possible at any specific phase of the moon in relation to our channels and those harmonious points. When activated in unison these points give us perfect ‘chords’ for that day and time. The perfect chords of lunar Tidal balance acupuncture harmonize our channels and tune our organs and tissues for a perfect balance of yin, yang, qi and blood.
There are many ways that various schools of acupuncture philosophy try to find the most harmonious combination of points for each treatment but the Lunar Tidal Effect gives us the perfect chord for every treatment every time.
For more information on the Lunar Tidal Effect and Acupuncture see my e-book in our online store https://www.atlantic-acupuncture.com/store/?model_number=Lunar-Tidal-Balance-e-book
Yours in good health,
Robert Kienitz, DTCM