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First Ring: The Ten Heavenly Stems govern the days.

The Huanzhou (Circle Flow) diagram consists of four rings. The first ring uses the ten characters of the Heavenly Stems to analyze the Five Movements and Six Qi (Wu Yun Liu Qi) of the Earth, dividing them into Five Yin and Five Yang. The Five Yin correspond respectively to the Five Zang organs, and the Five Yang correspond respectively to the Six Fu organs (among which the Sanjiao is a Fu organ named "Lonely Fu"). On Jia days, Yang Wood corresponds to the Gallbladder Fu; on Yi days, Yin Wood corresponds to the Liver Zang; on Bing days, Yang Fire corresponds to the Small Intestine; on Ding days, Yin Fire corresponds to the Heart; Wu corresponds to the Stomach (Yang Earth); Ji corresponds to the Spleen (Yin Earth); Geng and Xin (Metal) correspond to the Large Intestine and Lung respectively; Ren and Gui (Water) correspond to the Kidney and Bladder respectively. The Lonely Fu, Sanjiao, has no corresponding organ to combine with; it is the Official of Dredging (Juedu zhi guan) and is attached to the Bladder. This constitutes the general division of the ten Heavenly Stems in the first ring.

Second Ring: Acupoint Flow and Injection (Liu Zhu).

Third Ring: Determining Time by Stems and Branches.

The second and third rings subdivide one day into twelve Shichen (two-hour periods), starting from Zi and ending at Hai. They are topped with the ten characters of the Heavenly Stems. Over ten days, there are one hundred and twenty Shichen. The Earthly Branches are used ten times, and the Heavenly Stems are used twelve times. On Jia and Ji days, both start from Jia-Zi hour; on Yi and Geng days, both start from Bing-Zi hour; on Bing and Xin days, they start from Wu-Zi hour; on Ding and Ren days, they start from Geng-Zi hour; on Wu and Gui days, they start from Ren-Zi hour. Following this order, on Jia days, among the twelve Shichen, the one where Jia reappears is Xu hour; therefore, the Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin (GB45) of the Gallbladder meridian is opened. Jia is Yang Wood, and the Gallbladder Fu also belongs to Yang Wood. On Gui days, among the twelve Shichen, the one where Gui reappears is Hai hour; therefore, the Jing-Well acupoint Yongquan (KI1) of the Kidney meridian is opened. Gui is Yin Water, and the Kidney Zang also belongs to Yin Water. One might ask: Gui day lacks ten Shichen; why does the Kidney meridian not open at Chou hour but shifts to Hai hour? This is because the Kidney governs Water and is the root of life in the human body, emphasizing the generation of Wood. If it cannot flow-inject (Zhuan Zhu) on Jia day, it would merely flow without injecting, which does not conform to the principle of Yin-Yang mutual generation. By analogy, on Yi days at Yi-You hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Dazhun (LR1) of the Liver meridian is opened. Yi is Yin Wood, and the Liver also belongs to Yin Zang within Wood. On Bing days at Bing-Shen hour, and on Ding days at Ding-Wei hour, for Yang Fire and Yin Fire, the Jing-Well acupoints Shaoze (SI1) of the Small Intestine and Shaochong (HT9) of the Heart are opened respectively. On Wu days at Wu-Wu hour, and on Ji days at Ji-Si hour, the Jing-Well acupoints Lidui (ST45) of the Stomach and Yinbai (SP1) of the Spleen are opened respectively. Wu is Yang Earth, and Ji is Yin Earth. On Geng days at Chen hour, Shangyang (LI1) is opened; on Xin days at Mao hour, Shaoshang (LU11) is opened. The Large Intestine belongs to Yang Metal, and the Lung Zang belongs to Yin Metal. Ren is Yang Water; at Ren-Yin hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Zhiyin (BL67) of the Bladder water-Fu is opened. It flows-injects to Ren-Zi hour on Gui day. When Ren reappears, it completes a great cycle of ten days. Jing-Well acupoints are generally marked in red to indicate the starting point of the daily prosperous Qi main acupoints. Guo (pass-through) acupoints are also written in red, as they are the Shu-Stream acupoints of the respective Zang or Yuan-Source acupoints of the respective Fu, differing from regular flow-injection. What is called "Liu" (Flow)? On Yang days, opening Yang hours and Yang acupoints, following the sequence of mutual generation, still flowing within Yang days and Yang hours is called "Liu". What is called "Zhu" (Injection)? If acupoints taken during Yang days and Yang hours are insufficient, one turns to inject and take acupoints from Yin days' Yang hours; conversely, if acupoints taken during Yin days and Yin hours are insufficient, one turns to inject and take acupoints from Yang days' Yin hours. Both are called "Zhu". "Liu" and "Zhu" are different; "Zhu" and "Guo" are different. At the end of Yang days, Qi enters the Sanjiao; at the end of Yin days, Blood returns to the Pericardium (Baoluo). The principle of taking acupoints involves taking those that "generate me" or those that "I generate", and these differ. Let us analyze Jia day as an example. On Jia day at Xu hour, the Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin of the Gallbladder is opened. Before this hour, during the five Yin hours of You, Wei, Si, Mao, and Chou, the listed Yin acupoints of the Zang organs—Zhongchong (PC9), ChiZe (LU5), ShangQiu (SP5), ShenMen (HT7), and Xingjian (LR2)—all come via Zhuan Zhu (flow-injection) from the previous Gui Yin day, according to the sequence of Wood generating Fire, Fire generating Earth, Earth generating Metal, and Metal generating Water. On Jia day, when Jia reappears at Xu hour, only the single acupoint Qiaoyin is opened. Jia is a Yang day, opening Yang hours; Hai is a Yin hour and is not taken. Instead, it flows-injects to Bing-Zi Yang hour on Yi day, opening the Ying-Spring acupoint QianGu (SI3) of the Small Intestine. Because Jia Gallbladder belongs to Wood, and Bing Small Intestine belongs to Fire, the Gallbladder opens the first acupoint, then flows to the second acupoint of the Small Intestine; this is Wood generating Fire. The Yang Jing-Well acupoint Qiaoyin belongs to Metal, and the Yang Ying-Spring acupoint QianGu belongs to Water, reflecting the meaning of Metal generating Water. It then injects further to Wu-Yin hour on Yi day, opening the Shu-Stream acupoint XianGu (ST41) of the Stomach. Small Intestine is Horse Fire, and Stomach belongs to Earth; this is Fire generating Earth. It also passes through the acupoint QiuXu (GB40). Because each of the six Fu organs has six specific acupoints, including one extra Yuan-Source acupoint, it exceeds the scope of Five Elements mutual generation. Therefore, it passes through the Shu-Stream position, tracing back to its origin, inheriting the lineage from Qiaoyin, passing through here, and listed in the lower position, because it does not belong to the regular meridians of Five Elements mutual generation. A red character "Guo" (Pass) is written to indicate it has a source. At Geng-Chen hour on Yi day, attention is given to the Yang-Xi (LI5) acupoint of the Large Intestine; at Ren-Wu hour, to the Wei-Zhong (BL40) acupoint of the Bladder. Speaking of their Fu organs, Large Intestine belongs to Metal, and Bladder belongs to Water; Metal generates Water. Speaking of their acupoints, Yang Meridian Fire acupoints and Yang Meridian Earth acupoints also follow Fire generating Earth. Finally, at Jia-Shen hour, the Ying-Spring acupoint Ye-Men (TE2) of the Sanjiao is listed again. Because Sanjiao is the Lonely Fu and has no specific place among the six Fu organs, it is listed last among the opening acupoints of each Fu. Only one Ying-Spring acupoint is taken because Yang Ying-Spring is a Water acupoint, and Gallbladder is a Wood Fu; Water can generate Wood. Jia day starts at Xu hour and ends at Shen hour on Yi day, totaling eleven Shichen. Each of the six Fu organs opens one acupoint. Gallbladder occupies the main position and passes through one extra Yuan-Source acupoint, totaling seven acupoints. This is the detailed principle of Jia day flow-injection. For the remaining nine days, the circle flow-injection applies: each Zang organ has five specific acupoints, and each Fu organ has six specific acupoints. Fu organs are Yang, Zang organs are Yin. Yang Jing-Well acupoints belong to Metal, Yin Jing-Well acupoints belong to Wood. All follow the sequence of mutual generation for flow-injection and rotation. Fu organs pass through one Yuan-Source acupoint; Zang organs use Shu-Stream acupoints instead of Yuan-Source to pass through. The final acupoint: on Yang days, Qi enters the Sanjiao, taking that which "generates me"; on Yin days, Blood returns to the Pericardium, taking that which "I generate". These are all detailed in the preceding diagram, visible at a glance, so no further elaboration is needed.

Fourth Ring: Interlacing of Same-Origin Pairs.

There are ten Heavenly Stem characters and twelve Earthly Branch characters. One day has twelve Shichen. Five days have sixty Shichen, and ten days have one hundred and twenty Shichen. The twelve Earthly Branch characters are used once per day, five times over five days, and ten times over ten days. They are used in combination with the ten Heavenly Stem characters. In the sixty Shichen of five days, the Earthly Branches are used five times, while the Heavenly Stems should be used six times. The Jia-Zi small cycle: every five days constitutes one Hou (ten-day period segment), and on the sixth day, a new Jia-Zi hour begins, just like the start of a day. This illustrates the meaning of "One and Six share the same origin" and "Jia and Ji share the same origin." Jia days and Ji days: one is odd and one is even; one is Yin and one is Yang. Although the Day Stems' Yin-Yang nature differs, the Hour Stems and Branches are completely identical. Therefore, the acupoints for flow-injection on Jia days are interlaced and listed under the Hour Stems and Branches of Ji days; the acupoints for flow-injection on Ji days are interlaced and listed under the Hour Stems and Branches of Jia days. By analogy, Two and Seven correspond to Yi-Geng; Three and Eight to Bing-Xin; Four and Nine to Ding-Ren; Five and Ten to Wu-Gui. All are same-origin pairs of one Yin and one Yang. Therefore, for the flow-injection acupoints, except for one "Guo" (pass-through) acupoint which does not interlace, all others mutually interlace and are listed in the lower ring. They are taken according to the time, and their efficacy is the same.