The Five Elements of the Ch'i

The Five Elements of the Ch'i

Origin of the Five Elements

The five elements of the ch'i form a simple and elegant system for understanding the phases of ch'i, the basic energy underlying all life. They are based on the cosmology of yin and yang devised by Fu Hsi, a legendary sage-ruler of ancient China. As there was no written language at the time, all knowledge came from intuition and observation of the signs of heaven and the ways and processes of the earth. His theory of the five elements encompasses the means by which ch'i energy interacts within and between people and the natural environment.

The names given to the five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, symbolize more than just physical substances. The energy of wood is one of upward growth and movement. Fire, represents the energy of expansion, rising, and heat. The energy of earth is stability; firm, reliable, and dependable. Metal is the contracting and heavy energy of condensation. The characteristics of water are fluidity, gathering, and dispersing movement.

The Five Performers

Known as Wu-Hsing (the "five performers"), the literal translation of the Chinese word for element is "to go," indicating dynamic movement. Different cycles and orders of the five elements refer to various ways in which the energy phases of the ch'i can flow, transform, and interact.

The creative cycle is one of harmony and generation. It represents a positive, nurturing transformation from one phase of ch'i energy to another. Wood feeds fire that produces ashes and earth. Out of the earth comes pure metal. Metal attracts water through condensation, which in turn nurtures wood.

In the destructive order, also known as the cycle of conquest, the five elements interact in a powerful, competitive manner. Metal, like the sharp blade of an ax, cuts wood. In the same way that a growing plant absorbs nutrients from the soil, wood energy uses up the earth. Earth can absorb and contain water, as do the banks of a river or stream. Water in turn can put out fire. Metal, when heated by fire, loses its shape and begins to flow.

In addition to having specific form, color, and shape, each element is associated with a compass direction, body parts and organs, season, climate, odor, and a myriad of other characteristics. Please refer to the following chart for a partial listing of the attributes of the elements.

Attributes and Correspondences of the Five Elements

ELEMENT:	WOOD	FIRE	EARTH	METAL	WATER
CREATES	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water	Wood
DESTROYS	Earth	Metal	Water	Wood	Fire
FORM	Cylindrical	Pointed	Flat or Square	Dome or Arch	Irregular
COLOR	Green	Red	Yellow	White	Black
DIRECTION	East	South	Center	West	North
YIN ORGAN	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lungs	Kidney
YANG ORGAN	Gallbladder	Small Intestine	Stomach	Colon	Bladder
SEASON	Spring	Summer	Late Summer	Autumn	Winter
CLIMATE	Wind	Heat	Humid	Dry	Cold
TASTE	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent, Hot	Salty
EMOTION	Anger	Joy	Sympathy	Grief	Fear
SOUND	Shouting	Laughing	Singing	Weeping	Groaning
ODOR	Rancid	Scorched	Fragrant	Rotten	Putrid
SENSE	Sight	Taste	Touch	Smell	Hearing
ENERGY	Psychic	Directing	Primal	Physical	Creative
VIRTUE	Benevolence	Humility	Trust	Integrity	Wisdom

Feng Shui and the Five Elements

Feng Shui practitioners use the five elements to diagnose positive as well as destructive ch'i phase patterns, and to devise remedies for creating a desired result. While the five elements are an integral part of all schools of Feng Shui, each may use different methods and techniques.

Traditional Feng Shui

Landforms were first used to interpret the ch'i of the area. As Feng Shui moved to the flat central plains of China, practitioners added in use of the compass as well as the celestial influences. Within this approach, the energies of the site vary according to the direction it faces and the five element forms and colors it contains.

A highly sophisticated system of calculation based on person's time of birth yields a trigram and element type. The energy composition of the individual interacts with the orientation and element shape of the building and site. Objects shaped in a predominant element form or color attract and radiate the same energy as the one they resemble. If something isn't visible from the site, it is not considered to be a problem.

If a "fire" signature person were to have a house facing to the North, a water direction, this could have a very bad effect, as water has the potential to put out fire. In this situation a mirror would reflect away the harmful influence, or an intervening porcelain (earth material) statue of a Buddha could conquer the water. Another strategy would be to place a green, cylindrical object on the roof, to draw in nurturing wood energy to "feed" the fire.

The shape of the building, which gives its element type, also interacts with the predominant site characteristics. A fire shape building will benefit an earth environment (fire produces earth), although the individuals living in the building may become depleted. People living in a domed shape structure, representative of the metal element, would prosper if built in the same earth environment (earth produces metal).

Complications when using the compass school approach may come in part from the problems inherent in maintaining very different calendars for thousands of years, and then trying to convert data from one to another. Some compass school scholars and practitioners suspect that the conversion formulas typically used may be six months to a year out of sync. In addition the deviation of magnetic north from true north varies from place to place, as well as over time.

A practitioner concerned about possible inaccuracies within an already complex system may still use the same basic principles. An acupuncturist determines the varying strengths of the five elements by reading pulses along ch'i meridians. A person's behavior and mannerisms provide a means to detect the strength or weakness of specific elements. To remedy an imbalance, the element in question can be strengthened, controlled, or counteracted as required to achieve the desired result.

Professor Lin Yun's Black Sect Approach

The five element theory of Black Sect Master Professor Lin Yun is a highly useful system for using the five elements to diagnose, adjust and enhance a person's ch'i. Within Professor Lin's system, every ch'i contains each of the five elements to some degree. Observations of personality traits and behavior characteristics give a value to each element that can range from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 72. Once an assessment is made, adjustments to balance and harmonize can be made using solutions from the Black Sect Tradition. When using Professor Lin's approach, it is important to remember that a person's ch'i is a dynamic system, and that the strengths and balance of the five elements may shift in different environments.

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