The concept of the five elements[1] has penetrated deeply into different aspects of the Chinese culture. The five elements refer to the water element, fire element, earth element, mental element, and wood element. The Chinese believes that the five elements are the building blocks of the universe.

The Feng Shui master will refer to the five elements as she explains the placement of water feature in your home.

The Martial Art master will refer to the five elements to teach you the basic defense tactics.

Your Chinese friends will refer to the five elements when talking about the twelve Zodiac animal signs in the Chinese calendar. You may know that calendar year 2009 is the ox year, but do you know that 2009 is the Earth Ox[2] year? The Chinese uses the five elements to represent every year, every month, every day, and every two hours.

Wood Element

The Chinese uses Wood element to represent beginning stage. The following are some representatives of Wood element:

When referring to the four seasons, wood element means Spring.

When referring to direction, wood element means East.

When referring to human body, wood element means liver and eyes

When referring to taste, wood element means sour taste.

When referring to color, wood element means green

When referring to personality, wood element means learning ability, and kindness

Fire Element

The Chinese uses Fire element to represent expanding stage.

When referring to the four seasons, fire element means Summer.

When referring to direction, fire element means South

When referring to human body, fire element means heart, blood, and tongue

When referring to taste, fire element means bitter taste.

When referring to color, fire element means red.

When referring to personality, fire element means hot tempered, energetic, and unstable.

Since the characteristics of fire is that it burns furiously, but dies when the fuel runs out, fire element is used to represent energetic person who cannot maintain the momentum.

Earth Element

The Chinese uses Earth element to represent stable stage.

When referring to the four seasons, earth element is present in all season and refers to the changing season.

When referring to direction, earth element means central

When referring to human body, earth element means digestive system, lip, and flesh

When referring to taste, earth element means sweet taste.

When referring to color, earth element means yellow.

When referring to personality, earth element means stable but dull, tolerance, and faithful.

Metal Element

The Chinese uses Metal element to represent declining stage.

When referring to the four seasons, metal element means Autumn.

When referring to direction, metal element means West

When referring to human body, metal element means lung, skin and nose.

When referring to taste, metal element means pungent taste.

When referring to color, metal element means white.

When referring to personality, metal element means stubborn, cold (as in killing in cold blood), daring.

Water Element

The Chinese uses Water element to represent ending stage.

When referring to the four seasons, water element means Winter.

When referring to direction, water element means North

When referring to human body, water element means kidney, bones, and hair

When referring to taste, water element means salty taste.

When referring to color, water element means black.

When referring to personality, water element means wisdom, deep emotions, and calculative character.

Water element represents black color, because deep down, without the penetrating ray of the sun, the deeper water is black.

The interrelation of the five elements

The Chinese does not believe in absolute. Nothing is absolute in any way. This belief is reflected in the relationship of the five elements.

The five elements promote each other, and destruct each other as shown in the two examples below.

Water promotes the growth of wood. Wood prolongs the burning effect of fire. Fire turns wood into ashes (earth). Earth stores various metals. Metal becomes liquid (water) at high temperature.

Chopper (metal) uses to cut wood. Wood prevents soil erosion (earth). Earth absorbs water. Water puts out fire. Fire destructs metal.

How does the concept of the five elements influence you?

Let us assume that you visit a Chinese fortune-teller to ask about the suitability of your girlfriend. The fortune-teller may tell you, you are a Fire element person, and your soul mate is a Water element person, so you will suffer misery if you choose to marry. He may advice you to marry a Wood element person, so that you will achieve success in your life.

When you run a high fever, you have an overdose of fire element. In that case, you have to eat more fruits to control the fire raging in your body.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner uses this concept to diagnose your health problem, and to prescribe herbs to cure you. The Chinese describes the effect of all herbs using the five elements.

So folks, next time when you give driving direction to your house, please say use the five elements, Drive for another five miles, then go into Water direction. Watch out for the Wal-Mart, then turn Fire.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_elements_(Chinese_philosophy)

[2] http://www.wayonnet.com/fengshui_articles.aspx?aid=644&m=1