The 5 Elements
In many traditional Chinese theory field, matters and its developmental movement stage can be classified into the Wu Xing (Chinese: 五行; pinyin: wǔxíng), or the Five Movements, Five Phases or Five Steps/Stages, traditionally translated as Five Elements.
The Wu Xing are chiefly an ancient mnemonic device for systems with 5 stages; hence the preferred translation of “movements”, “phases” or “steps” over “elements”, and Mu is Tree rather than Wood.
The movements are:
- Tree, traditionally Wood (Chinese: 木, pinyin: mù)
- Fire (Chinese: 火, pinyin: huǒ)
- Earth (Chinese: 土, pinyin: tǔ)
- Metal (Chinese: 金, pinyin: jīn)
- Water (Chinese: 水, pinyin: shuǐ)
The system of five phases was used for describing interactions and relationships between phenomena. It was employed as a device in many fields of early Chinese thought, including seemingly disparate fields such as geomancy or Feng shui, astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, music, military strategy and martial arts.
According to Wu Xing theory, the structure of the cosmos mirrors the five elements. Each “element” has a complex series of associations with different aspects of nature, as can be seen in the following table. In the ancient Chinese form of geomancy known as Feng Shui (trans wind-water) practitioners all based their art and system on the five elements (Wu Xing). All of these elements are represented within the Bagua. Associated with these elements are colors, seasons and shapes; all of which are interacting with each other.
Based on a particular directional energy flow from one element to the next, the interaction can be expansive, destructive, or exhaustive. With proper knowledge of such aspect of energy flow will enable the Feng Shui practitioner to apply certain cures or rearrangement of energy in a way they believe to be beneficial for the receiver of the Feng Shui “Treatment.”
