Five Elements Theory is a Chinese philosophy used to describe interactions and relationships between things. The five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water — are believed to be the fundamental elements of everything in the universe between which interactions occur.
- Chinese: 五行 Wǔ Xing /woo sshing/ 'Five Actions'
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- History of Five Elements Theory
- Associations of the Five Elements
- Interactions Between the Five Elements
- Know Your Zodiac Sign and Your Elements
- Five Elements Analysis for Zodiac
- How to Make Good Luck Using Five Elements Theory
The History of Five Elements Theory
Five Elements Theory first appeared during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC). It became widespread: mostly used in Chinese medicine, philosophy, fengshui, fortune-telling, and martial arts.
Associations of the Five Elements
Each element has its own characteristics and associations with different aspect of nature, such as direction, season, color, shape, and so on. See the tables below.
Fengshui Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | East | South | Center | West | North |
| Season | Spring | Summer | change of seasons (last month of each season) | Autumn | Winter |
| Climate | Windy | Hot | Damp | Dry | Cold |
| Color | Green | Red | Yellow | White | Black |
| Shape | Rectangular | Angular | Square | Round | Undulating |
Astrology Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planets | Jupiter | Mars | Saturn | Venus | Mercury |
| Heavenly Creatures | Azure Dragon（青龙） | Vermilion Bird (朱雀) | Yellow Dragon (黄龙) | White Tiger (白虎) | Black Tortoise (玄武) |
| Heavenly Stems | 1st (Jia 甲), 2nd (Yi 乙) | 3rd (Bing 丙), 4th (Ding丁) | 5th (Wu 戊), 6th (Ji 己) | 7th (Geng 庚), 8th (Xin 辛) | 9th (Ren 壬), 10th (Gui 癸) |
| Virtue | Benevolence | Propriety | Fidelity/ Honesty | Righteousness | Wisdom |
| Represents | Creativity, luxuriance, blooming, and flourishing | Enthusiasm and passion | Nurturing, stability, and security | Ambition, determination, progress, and persistence | Aptitude, brightness, agile mind, and mental strength |
Chinese Medicine Associations
| Characteristic | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Sour | Bitter | Sweet | Spicy | Salty |
| Sensory Organs | Eyes | Tongue | Mouth | Nose | Ear |
Interactions Between the Five Elements
Five Element Theory asserts that the world changes according to the five elements' generating or overcoming relationships. Generating and overcoming are the complementary processes — the yin and yang — of Five Element Theory.
Generating processes promote development, while overcoming processes control development. By promoting and restraining, systems are harmonized and balance is maintained.
Generating Interactions
The generating interactions of the five elements are like the conception, gestation, birth, and nurture relationship between a mother and a baby. Such element pairs are deeply attached, and together imply success and luck.
The five generating interactions are fueling, forming, containing, carrying, and feeding:
- Wood fuels fire.
- Fire forms earth (volcanoes, ash, etc.).
- Earth contains metal.
- Metal carries water (buckets, pipes, etc.).
- Water feeds wood (trees, plants, etc.).
Overcoming Interactions
The overcoming interactions of the five elements are like the acts of hostility between two sides in a war.
The five overcoming interactions are melting, penetrating, separating, absorbing, and quenching:
- Fire melts metal
- Metal penetrates wood (chopping, sawing, drilling, nailing, screwing).
- Wood separates earth (tree roots breaking up soil/rock).
- Earth absorbs water.
- Water quenches fire.
Five Elements Theory and the Chinese Zodiac
Everybody belongs to one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and a 12-year cycle according to the year in which they were born. One of the five elements is associated with each of the Chinese zodiac signs and 12-year cycles.
Chinese astrology asserts that personality and luck are determined by both zodiac sign (element) and 12-year cycle element, while life force (or qi) is determined by birth date and time. Use the zodiac calculator to find your Chinese zodiac sign and element.
The Fixed Elements of Each Chinese Zodiac Sign
In Chinese astrology, each of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs is associated with one of the five elements, which is known as the fixed element of the sign:
| Fixed Element | Chinese Zodiac Sign |
|---|---|
| Wood | Tiger, Rabbit |
| Fire | Snake, Horse |
| Earth | Ox, Dragon, Goat, Dog |
| Metal | Monkey, Rooster |
| Water | Pig, Rat |
The allocation is because elements and signs are associated with months of the traditional Chinese solar calendar. Each element has a season, except Earth, which marks seasonal change, and is associate with the end month of each season.
Five Elements Analysis for Zodiac
- Five Elements Analysis for Rat
- Five Elements Analysis for Ox
- Five Elements Analysis for Tiger
- Five Elements Analysis for Rabbit
- Five Elements Analysis for Dragon
- Five Elements Analysis for Snake
- Five Elements Analysis for Horse
- Five Elements Analysis for Goat
- Five Elements Analysis for Monkey
- Five Elements Analysis for Rooster
- Five Elements Analysis for Dog
- Five Elements Analysis for Pig
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 4– | Mar 6– | Apr 5– | May 5– | Jun 5– | Jul 6– | Aug 7– | Sep 8– | Oct 8– | Nov 7– | Dec 7– | Jan 6– |
| Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake | Horse | Goat | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig | Rat | Ox |
| Wood | Wood | Earth | Fire | Fire | Earth | Metal | Metal | Earth | Water | Water | Earth |
The 12-Year Cycles of the Five Elements
Each zodiac sign also has an element according to the 12-year cycle of the birth year. Each 12-year cycle starts with a year of the Rat:
| Element | 12-Year Cycle | 12-Year Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | 1924–35 | 1984–95 |
| Fire | 1936–47 | 1996–2007 |
| Earth | 1948–59 | 2008–19 |
| Metal | 1960–71 | 2020–31 |
| Water | 1972–83 | 2032–43 |
So 2021 is a Metal year by element cycle and by sign (2021 is a Ox year).
The five elements combined with the 12 zodiac signs produce a sixty-year cycle: e.g. an Earth Dog recurs once every 60 years.
A person's characteristics are said to be determined both by the fixed element of their zodiac sign and the element of the 12-year cycle they were born in. E.g., a Metal Dog (born in 1970) has a personality with aspects associate with both Metal (12-year-cycle element) and Earth (fixed element).
How to Make Good Luck Using Five Elements Theory
Five Elements Theory is the most important part of Fengshui Theory. According to ancient Chinese philosophy, good fengshui will bring good luck. The qi energy of every direction is said to be ruled by one of the five elements. So aligning one's life with the qi should bring good luck and smooth all obstacles.
First you should find the fixed element (lucky element) of your sign, and then find the direction of your element's energy from the Fengshui Associations table above. Then make use of both the energy direction and the color of your lucky element to enhance your luck.
Example Using the Zodiac Tiger
Your sign is the Tiger, so your lucky element is Wood. Wood energy is in the east, so facing east can bring you good luck. It can enhance your wealth, health and longevity. The color associated with the Wood element is green, so you can decorate the east of your house green, or put a green plant in the east, to bring yourself good luck.
According to the generating cycle of the five elements, Water generates Wood, so you can also add some Water element in the east to enhance your good luck. For example, you could put a fish tank filled with water in the east of your house.
However you should avoid putting the Metal element in the east, according to the overcoming cycle of the five elements. Likewise avoid putting the Fire element in the east, as it will consume the energy of Wood.