The fifth season

Western calendars count four seasons. Chinese medicine counts five. And the one most people miss — Late Summer — may be the most important of all.

Late Summer is the brief, golden pause between summer's peak and autumn's descent. It belongs to the Earth element and governs the Spleen and Stomach — the organ systems responsible for transforming food into energy, for nourishment in every sense of the word, and for the stability of thought itself. If spring is about beginning and summer about expansion, Late Summer is about center. It is the still point around which all other seasons turn.

The Earth element is the mother. In the five-element cycle, Earth occupies the centre — not as one season among equals, but as the ground that every transition passes through. Each time the seasons change, we briefly return to Earth. This is why the Spleen is so critical to overall health in Chinese medicine: it is the foundation upon which everything else rests. When the Earth is strong, digestion is efficient, energy is steady, and the mind is clear and grounded. When it weakens, everything begins to wobble.

Spleen Qi deficiency is one of the most common patterns seen in modern clinical practice. The symptoms are so widespread that most people accept them as normal: fatigue after eating, bloating, loose stools, difficulty concentrating, a tendency to worry or overthink, and a persistent feeling of heaviness in the limbs. These are not random. They are the Spleen struggling to do its job — to transform what you take in (food, information, experience) into something usable.

The flavour of Earth is sweet — not the processed sweetness of refined sugar, but the natural, nourishing sweetness of root vegetables, cooked grains, and ripe fruit. Foods that are warm, cooked, and easy to digest support the Spleen. Raw, cold, and excessively damp foods burden it. This is why Traditional Chinese Medicine rarely recommends cold smoothies, raw salads, or ice water — not because these foods are inherently bad, but because they ask a weakened Spleen to work harder than it needs to.

Our Ground oxymel was formulated for exactly this season and this organ system. Ashwagandha — a rasayana herb from the Ayurvedic tradition — rebuilds deep reserves and supports the body's stress response. Amla (Indian gooseberry) is one of the highest natural sources of vitamin C and supports healthy digestion. Kiwi provides enzymes that aid the breakdown of food. Together, steeped in raw apple cider vinegar and raw honey, they create a preparation that nourishes the Earth element from the ground up.

The practice of Late Summer is deceptively simple: nourish yourself well. Eat warm, cooked foods. Chew thoroughly. Rest after meals instead of rushing back to your desk. Spend time in your kitchen — cooking is an Earth element activity, a way of transforming raw material into sustenance. And when worry begins to spiral, come back to the body. Feel your feet on the ground. The Earth is always there, waiting to hold you.