Five Elements

The Five Elements, also known as Wu Xing, the Five Movements, Five Phases and Five Steps/Phases which is of in many traditional Chinese fields such as Feng Shui, astrology and traditional Chinese Medicine.

The elements are wood, fire, earth, metal and water with its productive cycle being of wood feeds fire; fire creates earth; earth bears metal; metal carries water and water nourishes wood.
But there is also the destructive side to it, wood parts earth; earth absorbs water; water quenches fire; fire melts metal and metal chops wood.

Wood in itself is associated with the colour green, plants, rectangular shapes, plants, east, Jupiter, spring. Wood is a generative energy with the phase of New Yang and the Heavenly creature being the Azure Dragon.

Fire is of the colour red, triangles, fire, light, south, Mars, and summer. An expansive energy with the phase of Full Yang and with the Heavenly creature being the Vermilion Bird.

Metal has a round shape and the colour of purple. Metal is of gold, silver, the west, Venus and autumn. Metal has New Yin and is contracting, with the Heavenly creating being the White Tiger.

Water is of a curve, water and mirrors. Of the north and of Mercury with the season of winter. Water of  Full Yin and is conserving. The Heavenly creature of this element is the Black Tortoise.

Earth is associated with yellow, squares, clay and stones, its planet being Saturn. Instead of being either north, east, south or west, earth is of the center and actually has a balance of Yin and Yang. It is a stabilizing energy and symbolizes the change of seasons every third month. The Heavenly creature of the earth is the Yellow Dragon.

In Feng Shui, the Five Elements are basic and it is said that all five of these elements are needed in our own homes and office spaces to be able to thrive and feel healthy. When one is trying to bring a certain element or elements into balance it depends not only the possessions within a house but also colours, shapes and specific images. A plant, for instance would represent the wood element, while the soil the earth element and depending on the colour of the pot it may represent another element.

When the Five Elements are within balance people are able to function at peak level, while if out of balance things such as disease, stress and depression may occur. There are of course ways to balance elements such as with mantras, phrases that are repeated.

In the Chinese Zodiac there are twelve animals and obviously takes twelves lunar years before it gets to an animal again. Some people think the whole cycle of the Chinese Zodiac is only of twelve lunar years, when it is in fact a cycle of sixty lunar years due to the five elements  being a part of it. The Five Elements are indeed within the Chinese Zodiac and it is not just the animal one is born as that’ll affect someone, but also the element they are born as.

Fun fact about elements; incense in Wicca represents air which is mainly due to the fragrant smoke created while incense burns, but some Wiccans may say incense represents fire as people will say it does within Feng Shui tradition due to the fact that incense burns.