The Expression of the Liu Qi (Six Qi) In the Southern Hemisphere

The Wu Yun Liu Qi (the Five Periods and Six Qi) theory from chapters 66-71 and chapter 74 in the Huangdi Nei Jing is intrinsic to the expression of life in the northern hemisphere.

The theory is the result of ancient Chinese sages closely observing the movements of the Sun and Moon, as well as the rotation of the Big Dipper. They used the North Star, or Pole Star, as a constant reference point, recognizing that each position of the Big Dipper's handle corresponded to different seasons and seasonal changes on Earth. By observing and recording phenomena occurring in the sky, on Earth, and within all living beings—including themselves, their communities, their animals, and their crops—the sages confirmed that unique Qi characteristics emerged on a cyclical basis each year, season, month, and day. These observations are the basis of the 60-year Sexagenary calendar.

The sky was divided into five directions: East, South, West, North, and Center, with each direction representing a distinct season and climate. They observed that as the handle of the Big Dipper moved through the sky, the seasons would manifest and change on Earth on a consistent annual basis. The Eastern direction signifies Spring and a presence of wind; in the South, it denotes Summer and ample heat; in the Center, it indicates late Summer with humidity; in the West, it marks Autumn and a dry climate; and finally, North, signifies Winter and the natural cold.

In the sky, these elements appear as climatic phenomena, while on Earth, they take on distinct forms: Wind represents Wood, Heat symbolizes Fire, Damp corresponds to Earth, Dryness signifies Metal, and Cold corresponds to Water and each element is linked to a season as follows:

Northern Hemisphere

Direction	Season	Climate	Form on Earth
East	Spring	Wind	Wood
South	Summer	Heat	Fire
Center	Late-Summer	Dampness	Earth
West	Autumn	Dryness	Metal
North	Winter	Cold	Water

So, what about the southern hemisphere?

There are a couple of key component changes:

            North represents Summer, Heat, and the Fire element

            South represents Winter, Cold, and the Water element

Southern Hemisphere

Direction	Season	Climate	Form on Earth
East	Spring	Wind	Wood
North	Summer	Heat	Fire
Center	Late-Summer	Dampness	Earth
West	Autumn	Dryness	Metal
South	Winter	Cold	Water

And then, of course, the timing of the seasons is opposite. Using the Great Cold and Great Heat Solar Terms as reference points, we know that in the southern hemisphere, the Great Cold occurs on or around July 20^th, and the Great Heat occurs on or around January 20^th of each year. (This is the opposite of what happens in the northern hemisphere.)

In the Six Qi (Liu Qi) theory, the first qi period for a year begins at the Great Cold and lasts for approximately 60 days. Applying this theory to the southern hemisphere, we now have a calendar for the Six Qi periods for a 12-month period as follows:

First Qi Period	July 21st through September 20th
Second Qi Period	September 21st through November 20th
Third Qi Period	November 21st through January 20th (Great Heat Solar Term)
Fourth Qi Period	January 21st  through March 20th
Fifth Qi Period	March 21st through May 20th
Sixth Qi Period	May 21st through July 20th (Great Cold Solar Term)

The dates above correspond to the natural order of the seasons:

First Qi Period	Jueyin	Wind	Early Spring into Spring
Second Qi Period	Shaoyin	Heat	Spring into early Summer
Third Qi Period	Shaoyang	Fire	Summer
Fourth Qi Period	Taiyin	Dampness	Late Summer
Fifth Qi Period	Yangming	Dryness	Autumn
Sixth Qi Period	Taiyang	Cold	Winter

With this established order, the next layer is knowing the Guest Qi for each of the Six Periods. The order of the Guest Qi for any given year is determined by the Earthly Branch for the year, which for 2025 is the sixth Branch, Si or Snake. From the Huangdi Nei Jing we learn the order of the Guest Qi for Snake years is as follows:

Host	Guest
Jueyin (Spring, Wind)	Taiyang (Cold)
Shaoyin (early Summer) Heat	Jueyin (Wind)
Shaoyang (Summer, Fire)	Shaoyin (Heat)
Taiyin (late Summer, Damp)	Taiyin (Damp)
Yangming (Autumn, Dryness)	Shaoyang (Fire)
Taiyang (Winter, Cold)	Yangming (Dryness)

As of the writing of this article (July 14^th), the southern hemisphere is close to the end of the Sixth Qi period from the previous cycle, the Jia Chen (Wood Dragon) year. The Guest Qi for this period is Taiyin (Dampness), which has led to a wetter and in some places colder winter. Moving into late July and the very early Spring period, the cold will linger due to the Guest Qi of Taiyang (Cold) for the first Qi Period.

Click here to learn more about the Qi Periods and their manifestation in the southern hemisphere.