The Five Elements

Five Element theory probably originated in China around 500 BC. It provides us with a broad conceptual model with which we can describe and interpret our world.

	Season	Environment	Yin Organ	Yang Organ	Direction	Taste	Sense Organ	Body Tissue	Emotion
Metal	Autumn	Dry	Lung	Large Intestine	West	Pungent	Nose	Skin, Body Hair	Grief
Water	Winter	Cold	Kidney	Bladder	North	Salty	Ears	Bones, Nails	Fear
Wood	Spring	Wind	Liver	Gall Bladder	East	Sour	Eyes	Tendons	Anger
Fire	Summer	Heat	Heart	Small Intestine	South	Bitter	Tongue	Vessels	Joy
Earth	Late Summer	Damp	Spleen	Stomach	Centre	Sweet	Eyes	Muscles	Anxiety

More specifically, the theory describes cyclical relationships between phenomena or objects according to the properties that each phenomenon or object displays. The Five Elements are symbolic representations of movements, phenomena or objects and can be applied macrocosmically to the universe, or microcosmically to an individual. The Elements describe everything in terms of the cycle between Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. Each of these elements has correspondences to seasons, sounds, emotions, body tissue, organs and so on (as shown in the correspondence table). The cycles

The Five Elements also relate to each other in terms of cycles or phases. In a balanced environment, there are two cycles that work harmoniously.

The creation cycle

This is shown in the diagram by the arrows forming a circle through the elements. The creation cycle says that Metal creates Water which creates Wood which creates Fire which creates Earth which creates Metal. Various metaphors exist to explain this cycle (for example water droplets can form on a metal surface so we can say Metal creates Water in the form of condensation, Water is necessary for trees to grow thus it creates Wood, Wood is burned to create Fire and so creates ash which becomes Earth from which we mine Metal). Another way to think about the creation cycle is in terms of movement — as each movement exhausts its potential, it must transform into a different movement to avoid stagnation.

The controlling cycle

The controlling cycle exists to ensure that no element gets out of hand (in the diagram, this is shown by the crisscrossing arrows inside the circle). So Metal controls Wood, Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water, Water controls Fire and Fire controls Metal. Again metaphors exist to explain this (a Metal axe chops trees or Wood, the roots of the trees or Wood bind the Earth, the Earth contains and controls lakes or Water, Water quenches Fire which is used to help shape Metal).