Why is the Liver in charge of Fright?

This is why the Liver is in charge of fright! It moves within the quiet of the interior, within the Jue
yin, from where it can act quickly to changes in the diverse environments of the internal and
external landscape, from where, as the General, it mobilises the bodys defenses. While the Wei
Qi moves forcefully and robustly on the exterior, the General moves deep within the interior,
within Jue Yin, employing strategies, dredging the channels and clearing the pathways to ensure
the smooth, uninterrupted flow of qi and blood.

Thus, In order to fight or flee, the legs can only move or the hands grasp when the blood arrives,
and this is the function of the Liver's treasuring the blood and Nourishing the sinews, while at the
same time maintaining free flow, for fright will scatter the Qi, and the Liver will immediately
respond to that disorderly movement in the same way that the sheep dog described by Woodley
immediately responded to bring him back to the orderly group by nipping him at the heels.

Also, The Systematic classic of Acupuncture and moxibustion has this take on the question.

The Su Wen says: The sound of the liver is shouting, its manner of pathological change
is gripping, and its emotion is anger. Anger injures the liver. The Jiu Iun (Ninefold
V~lurne)~ and the Su Wen both say: The merger of essence and qi in the liver leads
to worry.
This can be explained as follows: liver vacuity leads to fright, while repletion leads to
anger. Anger if not appeased quickly also engenders worry and restriction. There are
interrelationships between the liver and kidney, the liver and spleen, and the liver and
lung. The spleen is earth and the other four viscera receive their nourishment from
it. Therefore, fright develops within the liverbut takes shape in the kidney, and worry
develops within the spleen but takes shape in the liver. The liver is connected to the
gallbladder and the gallbladder is the bowel of the central essence (zhong jing). The
kidney treasures the essence and thus anger and fright are akin to one another. Once
either of these has gone too far, this leads to injury of both viscera. The two classics
seem to contradict each other, but in the final analysis, practically speaking, they are
the same.


Why is Wood always First?

This is the Sixty Third difficult question posed in the Nan Jing: ( Paul Unschuld translation )

The sixty-third difficult issue: (1) The Ten Changes states: The [sequence of holes
located on the
streams associated with the body's] five depots and six palaces, [including] "brooks,"
["rapids,"
"streams," and] "confluences," is always preceded by a "well." Why is that?

(2) It is like this. The "wells" are [associated
with] the eastern regions and with spring. [That
is the season when] all things come to life,
when all the chi [insects start to] move, when
the chui1 [insects start to] breathe, when the
chan [insects start to] fly, and when the juan
[insects start to] wriggle. All things that must
come to life will come to life in spring. (3)
Hence the counting of the [seasons of the] year
begins with spring, and the counting of the
days 2 begins with chia. Hence the "wells"
constitute the begin [in the sequence of holes on
the streams associated with the five depots and
six palaces].


In Chapter 2 of Su Wen, it states:

Huang Di said, The three months of the spring season bring forth the renewal of all
things in nature. It is the time of Birth. This is when Heaven and Earth are
reborn..This is because spring is the season of the liver,