The theory of the Five Elements, or Wu Xing, dates back as early as 300 B.C. and is used to
identify how our diet, movements, and emotions are interconnected with nature and our
environment. The elements are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood, and each element has
different corresponding characteristics, like organs, colors, flavors, emotions, and counter
emotions. Oriented in a circle, each element nurtures and depletes the following organ in what is
called the Creation Cycle; Wood burns to make fire, whose ashes decompose into earth, where
metal is born and mined, which enriches water, which nourishes trees, or wood. The Control
Cycle is the checks and balances system among the organs; Wood is cut by metal, fire is
extinguished by water, earth is penetrated by wood, metal is melted by fire, water is channeled
and contained by earth. Each element has a paramita, the Sanskrit word meaning “to go across”.
In this instance, paramitas are ways of correcting imbalances of the elements. For example, in the
Earth element, worry and anxiety are overcome by giving. In water, fear is overcome by keeping
moral precepts- do not kill, lie, steal, abuse, or intoxicate.Knowing your element type can help
you understand your feelings and reactions, and as a tool, can help guide you on the path to
personal fulfillment.
Fire: Summer, heat, red, bitter, south, yin- heart, yang- small intestine, tongue, speech, blood
vessels, joy, laughing, sweat, paramita- wisdom and concentration.
As the Lover and Protector, fire types have the immense ability to develop the deepest and most
intimate connections of love between people. They understand that this level of vulnerability
does not inherently put one at risk of betrayal, but actually fosters life-long relationships and
friendships. Excited, flirty, and enthusiastic, fire types are the source of joy, happiness, and
emotional protection of the heart. When well adapted, feelings of optimism, open heartedness,
intimacy, generosity, joy, and heart-felt expressions of love are prevalent and flowing. They like
to be the center of attention, confident in themselves when they are feeling good. When
maladapted and experiencing emotional vulnerability, they become shy and retreating. Creating
balance between excitement and the need for intimacy with deep inner calm is essential to
keeping fire types adapted.
Earth: Late summer, dampness, yellow, sweet, middle, yin- spleen/pancreas, yang- stomach,
mouth, taste, muscles, skin, worry, anxiety, singing, saliva, paramita- giving.
The mother/provider is the archetype for the earth element, representing the unconditional love
and nurturing of a mother. This element tends to be the pillar of their family or community,
creating a safe, secure, and nourishing environment. They offer their support with loving
touches, supportive words, and with stable energy, bringing emotional and physical wellness to
all. Often the empathetic ear, earth types tend to shoulder the worries of their friends and family,
setting aside their own thoughts and feelings to make space for the comforting of others. When
adapted, earth elements are centered, calm, secure, and have a sense of peaceful harmony. When
maladapted, they have less capacity to be there for others, needing their needs to be met first. They may complain, often seeking empathy or attention, needing the same support they so
readily offer to others to be returned to them. They can also easily become overly self sacrificing,
ignoring their needs to fulfill others. This can lead to anxiety, insecurity, stress, inward focus,
strong opinions, and selfish behavior. Their greatest struggle is achieving feelings of security,
contentment, and satisfaction.
Metal: Autumn, dryness, white, pungent, west, yin- lungs, yang- large intestine, nose, smell,
skin, hair, grief, melancholy, weeping, mucus, paramita- vigor.
The Alchemist, the metal archetype, feels a sense of fulfillment in identifying what makes them
unique in what they have to offer the world and themselves. They appreciate what makes other
people unique at their core, and put little value in material things as personal statements. Their
strength lies in their ability to release feelings of regret, doubt, and inappropriate grief and turn
the feelings into enhanced self worth, appreciation, respect, and strength. The adapted metal type
is able to filter out feelings of disappointment and failing, and see their personal value. It is
important for metal types to know their own self worth, and they strive to maintain that feeling
through any obstacle or hardship that challenges them. When adapted, metal types can be
flexible, but become rigid or distant when maladapted.
Water: Winter, cold, black, salty, north, yin- kidneys, yang- bladder, ears, hearing, bones, fear,
groaning, urine, paramita- keeping moral precepts.
Water types possess characteristics of perseverance, the ability to overcome obstacles, strong
will, tremendous personal power, and the wisdom on how to use these characteristics. Associated
with the archetype The Sage, water type people carry with them a deep sense of how to turn
feelings of fear and doubt into wisdom and trust. The unknown and unknowable parts of life
encourage water types to observe the experiences of past generations and apply their teachings to
help them navigate through life. Their strength lies in understanding when to take a step back
and conserve energy, and when to release the immense power of water energy stored within.
When adapted, their feelings of trust are strong, outweighing fear, but when maladapted, fear
controls their life. Energetically, water is the deepest part of the system, nourishing roots,
providing life, and encouraging forward momentum. Closely associated with hormones like
cortisol, DHEA, thyroid hormone, testosterone, and estrogen, interactions with day to day
experiences change as hormonal levels change. Water is the root of all life, for without water, we
can not thrive or function.
Wood: Spring, wind, green, sour, east, yin- liver, yang- gallbladder, eyes, sight, tendons, sinew,anger, impatience, shouting, tears, visionary, warrior, paramita- patience.
When adapted, wood type people are visionaries, fiercely independent and deeply driven to
achieve everything they plan for their future. They like to do things their own way, and thrive
when they can creatively maneuver obstacles and challenges on their path to success. To help
achieve their goals, they are organized, self directed planners and list makers. When maladapted,
they need guidance and direction from someone with authority to stay on the right path.
Wood types are also sensitive, often upset by injustices in their own life or in the world around
them. Feelings of frustration, resentment, aggression, and anger are often experienced as a result,
but these feelings also bring out the warrior archetype. When adapted, the warrior side
encourages taking action and making changes, ultimately regaining a sense of control over their
unpredictable world. To combat feelings of frustration and anger, patience and forgiveness are
virtues that wood types should reflect on so they do not become too maladapted. Most
maladaptive behaviors and emotions come from feeling a lack of control in their life, and the
visionary side brings them back to their life path and goals. It is important for adapted wood
types to make clear and healthy decisions, have a good sense of direction in life, have hope for
the future, create and achieve goals, be creative, be organized and efficient, implement changes,
and process feelings of anger and frustration in a healthy way.
The five element archetypes represent the basic nature of an individual. While one person may identify wholly with one element, someone else may feel like they are caught in the interplay between elements. This is a very simple version of a complex system. Whether you are fire, earth, metal, water, or wood, knowing your element alignment, how you think, feel, process, and interact with the world can help you understand yourself on a deeper level. We all strive for personal harmony, and knowing the specifics of how you operate can only make things easier on the path there.
References
Healing with Whole Foods- Paul Pitchford
https://dantianhealth.com.au/five-
elements/#:~:text=The%20five%20elements%20are%20wood,when%20in%20health%20or%20
illness.
https://www.healthline.com/health/mind-body/what-are-the-five-elements#what-it-is
Power of the Five Elements- Charles A. Moss
https://www.thomsontcm.sg/articles/the-metal-element-in-tcm/