Dry and Damp (Zao Shi)

The earth's own weather

Where the previous chapter treats the season, this one treats the ground: whether the chart's soil is parched or waterlogged. A damp chart needs drying and a dry one needs moistening, and both fail in the same way if pushed further in their own direction. The two chapters together cover the conditions under which any remedy can work at all — before asking which element is useful, ask whether the chart can grow anything.