Jeff Harris MD, ©2005
"Polar meridians" are 12 hours apart on the 24-hour cycle. Both meridians of a "polar pair" share certain characteristics with one another and in other ways are polar opposites. Spleen and Triple Warmer are polar meridians. They are opposite one another on the 24-hour cycle. Both govern the immune system and both are radiant circuits, yet they oppose one another in many of their actions. If Triple Warmer Meridian is overcharged, Spleen Meridian is undercharged, and vice versa. Spleen Meridian is at its maximum flow from 9 to 11 a.m.; for Triple Warmer, it is from 9 to 11 p.m. They are like the shores on opposite sides of the ocean. When one is at high tide, the other is at low tide.
To understand a meridian that is involved in an energy medicine treatment, you always want to be aware of its polar meridian (as well as the meridians involved in its control cycle – the inner arrows on the 5-element diagram above – and its flow cycle – the clockwise circle on the 5-element diagram).
An interesting way to view all of these relationships is to simultaneously consider the 24 hour Meridian Wheel and the 5-Element Wheel. Notice the following:
- a yin meridian is always 12 hours apart from a yang meridian
- metal and water meridians are polar meridians
- wood and fire meridians from the “left side” of fire (as drawn above) are polar meridians
- earth and fire meridians from the “right side” of fire (as drawn above) are polar meridians
You may find that it is easy to remember the polar meridians by visualizing their relationship on the 5-element wheel.