When discussing the “Five Elements,” people naturally associate it with Yin-Yang, the Eight Trigrams, and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, categorizing them into divination, physiognomy, and feng shui, leading some to consider it superstition. In fact, the theory of the Five Elements is far from being limited to divination and feng shui; it is a science, a summary of the ancient sages’ understanding and practice of the natural world, and an important component of Chinese culture. It has been more widely applied in Yin-Yang techniques and has been greatly developed by feng shui practitioners. The theory is both profound and simple, permeating various aspects of our social life and nature, and we often encounter it unknowingly, making it necessary to discuss it.
I. The Significance of the Five Elements.
The “Five Elements” refers to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, which are not only five basic substances but also five fundamental elements, and can be seen as five phenomena or five forms. During the reign of King You of Zhou, a historian named Bo stated: “Using Earth with Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, mixed to create hundreds of things.” Ancient Chinese sages viewed the Five Elements as the fundamental elements that constitute all things, from celestial bodies to humans and animals, all are composed of the Five Elements. This philosophical basis for explaining the origin of all things through the Five Elements is a materialistic view, as it acknowledges the primacy of matter. Modern science has also proven this point; according to the latest atomic weight table from the United Nations, the 112 elements discovered (some say more) cannot escape the categories of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
The theory of the Five Elements has significantly influenced various fields of natural science in ancient China, especially ancient astronomy, chemistry, and medicine. Its influence on ancient astronomy is mainly reflected in the theory of cosmic generation and celestial evolution; its impact on ancient chemistry is primarily seen in alchemy; and its influence on ancient medicine far exceeds that of other disciplines, forming the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory. Additionally, it has played an important role in the formation and development of ancient Chinese mathematics, physics, and agricultural science theories. Of course, the idea that “the Five Elements constitute all things, thus all things must possess the essence of the Five Elements” guides fortune-tellers in using the Five Elements to explain the laws of life’s origin, growth, and demise, which they utilize effectively.
II. The Origin of the Five Elements
The origin of the Five Elements thought is very early, but initially, it was not connected with the equally ancient “I Ching” and the theories of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. In the ancient “Five Classics” (i.e., “Book of Songs,” “Book of Documents,” “Rites of Zhou,” “I Ching,” “Spring and Autumn”), it is only briefly mentioned in the “Book of Documents”—the “Hong Fan” chapter, while other classics do not mention it at all.
In modern times, scholars who generally doubt Chinese culture believe that the Five Elements were fabricated by people of the Han Dynasty, or at least after the Qin and Han periods, which is quite biased. In fact, as early as the Warring States period, a person from Qi named Zou Yan combined the theories of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang to explain the changes of all things in the world, forming a school of thought—Yin-Yang School, which was one of the hundred schools of thought at that time. Zou Yan was quite influential, with a high level of scholarship, and was much more respected than Mencius at that time. As recorded in “Mencius Meets King Hui of Liang”: “The king said: Old man, you have traveled a thousand miles, will you bring any benefit to our country?” King Hui of Liang spoke dismissively of Mencius. However, when Zou Yan arrived in Qi or other states, he was treated very differently, with high-ranking officials and even the king personally welcoming him as a distinguished guest, akin to how world-renowned figures or UN delegations are received today.
Some scholars believe that the culture of the “I Ching” is the development of the Central Plains culture in ancient times, particularly in the regions of Shanxi and Henan. In ancient times, writing and language were not unified, unlike the states after the Qin and Han periods, where each region and ethnic group had its own culture. For example, south of the Yangtze River, there was the culture of Chu; Confucius inherited the cultural system of Lu; and Daoist culture inherited the cultural system of Qi. The culture of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements can be said to be older than the culture of the “I Ching,” possibly originating from the lower Yellow River region, akin to the culture of the Yellow Emperor and Fuxi. It was only after the Han Dynasty that the culture of the Five Elements gradually integrated with the “I Ching” and the theories of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and was applied in practice, mainly by feng shui practitioners and geomancers.
III. The Content of the Five Elements
When we talk about the “Five Elements,” we must first clarify what “Element” means. In fact, “Element” does not mean walking, as some people understand, but represents movement, that is, “kinetic energy.” The greatest interrelationship in the universe lies in this kinetic energy. This kinetic energy has five forms, represented by Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Although they are the most basic substances that make up the universe, we cannot simply understand the Five Elements as the five substances themselves; they are actually five symbols. The so-called “Metal” is not just gold, “Wood” is not merely trees or timber, “Water” is not just the water in a cup or rivers and seas, “Fire” is not just the fire we see daily, and “Earth” is not just the soil in fields; each represents a very broad content. Here, we will explain the five symbols within the scope of the Earth.
First, “Fire” represents all forms of heat energy, including solar energy, coal, oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy. From the moment the Earth was formed in the solar system, it possessed immense heat energy. Although the Earth has cooled and energy has transformed, the heat energy contained in the molten rock deep within the Earth remains the largest energy reserve on our planet. When the day comes that the shallow coal, gas, and oil are exhausted, humanity may still aim for the powerful heat energy deep within the Earth.
“Earth” represents the Earth itself; it is a carrier that supports Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, playing a stabilizing and maintaining role. Anything that can support and solidify others and can transform into something else can be understood as “Earth.” In the orientation of the Five Elements, the East is Wood, the West is Metal, the South is Fire, the North is Water, and the center is Earth, which is the gathering function. The reason why the highest institution of a country is called the “Central” is probably due to this function.
“Metal” represents solidity, hardness, and sharpness; anything that is solid and firm is “Metal.” In ancient times, there was no scientific classification, and anything with solid characteristics was represented by the character for Metal. In the material world, all metals and metallic compounds can be considered “Metal.”
“Water” represents fluidity and the continuous flow of all non-combustible fluids, such as rivers, lakes, seas, ice, snow, air, gas, clouds, rain, and humidity, are regarded as “Water.”
“Wood” represents life, vitality, and the source of life, encompassing all plants and animals in nature. It is an upward force, full of energy and vitality.
IV. The Generating and Overcoming of the Five Elements
The reason people refer to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth as the “Five Elements” is that these five things or five types of substances are in constant motion, undergoing mutual changes and influences. There are collisions and balances among them, both contradictions and unity, which is the relationship of “mutual generation and mutual overcoming.” The relationship of mutual generation and overcoming among the Five Elements is the foundation of all things in the universe.
The law of mutual generation: Mutual generation means mutual nurturing, promoting, and developing. Because of the mutual generation relationship, the Five Elements continue to move and transform. That is: Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth.
The law of mutual overcoming: Mutual overcoming means mutual restraint, overcoming, and restriction, that is: Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, Fire overcomes Metal, Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth.
In the mutual generation relationship of the Five Elements, any one element has both “nurturing me” and “I nurture” aspects; the one that nurtures me is the “parent,” and I nurture is the “child,” which is the “parent-child relationship.” In the mutual overcoming relationship, any one element has both “I overcome” and “overcome me” aspects; the one I overcome is what I can defeat, and the one that overcomes me is what I cannot defeat, which is the relationship of “defeated” and “undefeated.”
Additionally, there are relationships of “mutual multiplication” and “mutual insult.” Mutual multiplication refers to excessive mutual overcoming; mutual insult, also known as “reverse overcoming,” refers to the situation where one party that could originally overcome is instead overcome by the other, which is the opposite of mutual overcoming.
The relationship between mutual overcoming and mutual generation is intrinsically connected and follows certain rules, that is: The one that nurtures me must overcome what I generate, and the one that overcomes me must be the one that generates me. The one I overcome must be the one that I have generated. In simple terms, it is the “grandfather” overcoming the “grandson”; for example, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, so Metal overcomes Wood.
How to understand the mutual generation relationship? Let’s start from the formation of the Earth: At the beginning of the Earth’s formation, it should have been a fiery ball, and due to its orbital position, the surface gradually cooled and solidified, with heat gradually retreating to the depths of the Earth, forming the crust, mantle, and core. The crust formed the surface (of course, this is a long process), which is Fire generating Earth; the crust and surface, during their formation and movement, created rich metallic minerals, which is Earth generating Metal; the metals on Earth mostly exist in the form of compounds and mixtures. In the early Earth, these compounds and mixtures interacted, changed, and acted upon each other, under the influence of the sun and other factors, leading to a murky state on the Earth’s surface, forming the atmosphere, which contained a vast amount of water vapor, resulting in continuous heavy rain, thus forming the water on Earth, which is Metal generating Water; with water, life emerged, and with the cooperation of sunlight, slowly, life appeared on Earth, evolving over a long time into a rich and colorful biosphere, which is Water generating Wood; a large number of plants and animals, during the intense movements of the crust, gradually formed coal, oil, and other thermal energy sources, and living organisms themselves are also a source of fire, which is Wood generating Fire (the above is derived from scientific literature). Another example: In our country, the west is high and the east is low, and most metal mines are found in the west (consistent with the idea of Metal in the west), which is Earth generating Metal; while most rivers in our country originate in the west, which is Metal generating beautiful water; almost all rivers flow towards the east, making the east vibrant, which is Water generating Wood (consistent with the idea of Wood in the east); the agricultural products produced here provide energy for human survival, which is Wood generating Fire; and all the fire produces ash, thus the Five Elements are so marvelous!
So, what about the mutual overcoming relationship? It is not difficult to understand that Water overcomes Fire; Fire overcomes Metal, as any metal, no matter how hard, will melt under high temperatures; in fact, true gold also fears fire, as it has a melting point; Metal overcomes Wood, as all plants and animals can be dealt with using metal tools. For example, wrapping a tree trunk with iron wire will cause it to die within a few years; Wood overcomes Earth, as the most effective way to combat desertification is to plant grass and trees. Human activities affect surface changes, such as soil compaction and land desertification; Earth overcomes Water, as water is formless and shapeless, being a fluid, while Earth can solidify its shape, such as building dams on rivers to turn flowing water into still lakes, or a cup can give water a shape, and Earth can also change the direction of water flow, as seen in the Three Gorges Project controlling the flow of the Yangtze River, which demonstrates the power of overcoming.
The various forms of the Five Elements do not exist in isolation; they are interdependent, mutually restrictive, and mutually influential. You exist within me, and I exist within you, just like a tree growing in the soil, absorbing moisture, containing metallic elements, and being combustible.
V. The Five Element Characteristics of Humans
The theory of the Five Elements, based on the explanation of the natural world, has gradually been applied to humans themselves, organically combining human life characteristics with the characteristics of the Five Elements, forming the Five Element personality traits of individuals. Interestingly, the method commonly used internationally to assess personality is based on interpersonal attitudes and individual psychological qualities, categorizing personality into five types: A, B, C, D, and E. Each personality trait corresponds closely with the characteristics of the Five Elements, which is not a coincidence but has a certain inevitability.
“Metal”—self-centered, decisive in action, somewhat rigid, impatient, firm, uncompromising, independent, and self-reliant, with potential for success.“Fire”—adventurous, ambitious, confident, innovative, decisive and strong in action, energetic, with leadership abilities but lacking patience.“Water”—good at coordination and negotiation, persuasive, submissive, passive, dependent, empathetic, humble but indecisive, relatively flexible and sensitive.“Earth”—stable, conservative, slow, rigid, lacking imagination, objective, realistic, cautious, risk-averse, self-cultivating, career-oriented, steadfast, and organized.“Wood”—open-minded, progressive, cooperative, wise and reliable, serious and fair, generous, and understanding.
The Five Element attributes of humans can be further subdivided, with each form divided into six types, totaling 30 forms. They are then matched with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, changing every two years, and a complete cycle every 60 years (a Jiazi year). The arrangement is as follows:
Metal in the Sea (Jiazi, Yichou), Fire in the Furnace (Bingyin, Dingmao), Wood in the Great Forest (Wuchan, Jisi),
Earth by the Roadside (Gengwu, Xinwei), Metal at the Sword’s Edge (Renshen, Guiyou), Fire on the Mountain Top (Jiaxu, Yihai).
Water in the Stream (Bingzi, Dingchou), Earth on the City Wall (Wuyin, Jimao), Metal in the White Wax (Gengchen, Xinsi),
Wood in the Willow (Renwu, Guiwei), Water in the Spring (Jiashen, Yiyou), Earth on the Roof (Bingxu, Dinghai).
Fire in the Thunder (Wuzi, Jichou), Wood in the Pine and Cypress (Gengyin, Xinyin), Water in the Long Stream (Renzhen, Guisi),
Metal in the Sand (Jiawu, Yiwai), Fire below the Mountain (Bingshen, Dingyou), Wood on the Flat Ground (Wuxu, Jihai).
Earth on the Wall (Gengzi, Xinchou), Metal in the Gold Leaf (Renyin, Guiyin), Fire in the Buddha Lamp (Jiachen, Disi),
Water in the Milky Way (Bingwu, Dingwei), Earth in the Great Post (Wushen, Jiyou), Metal in the Hairpin (Gengxu, Xinhai).
Wood in the Mulberry (Renzi, Guichou), Water in the Great Stream (Jiaoyin, Yimao), Earth in the Sand (Bingchen, Disi),
Fire in the Sky (Wuwu, Jiyou), Wood in the Pomegranate (Gengshen, Xinyou), Water in the Great Sea (Renzhu, Guihai).
The above arrangement follows certain rules, which can be discerned with careful observation. Each two lines form a cycle, five cycles make a Jiazi, and each cycle has four attributes, with the last attribute not appearing in the next cycle, reappearing in the following cycle, following the order of Metal, Earth, Water, Wood, and Fire. To aid memory, the following mnemonic is provided:“Metal in the Sea, Fire in the Furnace, Wood in the Great Forest, Earth by the Roadside, Metal at the Sword’s Edge, Fire on the Mountain Top. Water in the Stream, Earth on the City Wall, Metal in the White Wax, Wood in the Willow, Water in the Spring, Earth on the Roof. Fire in the Thunder, Wood in the Pine and Cypress, Water in the Long Stream, Metal in the Sand, Fire below the Mountain, Wood on the Flat Ground. Earth on the Wall, Metal in the Gold Leaf, Fire in the Buddha Lamp, Water in the Milky Way, Earth in the Great Post, Metal in the Hairpin. Wood in the Mulberry, Water in the Great Stream, Earth in the Sand, Fire in the Sky, Wood in the Pomegranate, Water in the Great Sea.” By correlating this mnemonic with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, one can determine the Five Element attributes of any given year. The correspondence between the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and the years is also simple; the year 1924 was a Jiazi year, and the cycle continued until 1983, marking one complete Jiazi cycle. The year 1984 again marked a Jiazi year, continuing until 2044 for another new cycle, which is easy to grasp. Once these are remembered, one can know each person’s specific Five Element attributes without needing to consult books.