魄

• Corporeal Soul: The //yin// aspect of human animation, rooted in the physical frame, viscera, and instinctive drives. As an "animating force," it refers to the spirit that animates the flesh rather than the anatomical body itself.
• Fortitude and Terror: Used to describe psychological states; a stable //pò// manifests as courage or physical grit ("vigor"), while a scattered or departing //pò// indicates extreme terror or a collapse of resolve.
• Astronomy: The dark or waning portion of the moon, reflecting its association with //yin//.

• 魂 (hún) vs. 魄 (pò): Operates in binary opposition to //hún// (the ethereal/yang soul associated with mind and breath).
• 力 (lì) vs. 魄 (pò): While both may relate to strength, //lì// is muscular strength, whereas //pò// is the metaphysical drive behind physical action.

• Tang-period reading: *pæk
• Fanqie: 他各, 普伯

• The presence of the 鬼 (ghost) radical situates the term within a metaphysical or supernatural framework, even when used to denote "vigor" or "fortitude."

// When appearing as part of the compound 魂魄 (//hún-pò*), it generally refers to the soul in its entirety.

// When //pò* appears alone, the text is typically emphasizing grounded, instinctive, or decaying aspects of existence.