what is five elements in fengshui and their relationship
The Five Elements: The Ancient View of the Universe
The ancient Chinese used five fundamental substances to explain the origin of all things in the universe. The concept of the Five Elements (Wu Xing) includes at least the following three key ideas:
1. All things in the universe are composed of five basic substances:
Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.
2. Everything in the universe can be categorized according to the properties of these five elements.
Different phenomena, materials, or even people can be classified as having the nature of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth.
3. These five fundamental substances are not static — they are constantly interacting, generating, and overcoming one another to maintain balance.
The dynamic relationship between the elements is what sustains harmony in the natural world.
The Relationships Between the Five Elements
When we talk about the relationships between the Five Elements, most people immediately think of generation (sheng) and control (ke). These two cycles are the core mechanisms that maintain the balance of all things.
Today, let’s briefly explore the basic logic of the Generating and Controlling cycles
1. The Generating Cycle (相生)
"Generating" means supporting, nourishing, and enhancing. It describes how one element promotes the growth and development of another.
The generating relationships are as follows:
Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water.
This forms a continuous, nurturing cycle.
There’s also a simple way to remember this:
-
Water moistens Wood, helping it grow.
-
Wood fuels Fire, making it flourish.
-
Fire burns into ash, forming Earth.
-
Earth accumulates and produces Metal.
-
Metal condenses to generate Water.
2. The Controlling Cycle (相克)
The controlling relationships are:
Water controls Fire, Fire controls Metal, Metal controls Wood, Wood controls Earth, Earth controls Water.
This forms a balancing cycle of restriction.
You can remember this with a simple logic as well:
-
Water can extinguish Fire.
-
Fire can melt Metal.
-
Metal can cut Wood.
-
Wood can break through Earth.
-
Earth can block or absorb Water.
Summary: Yin-Yang and Systems Thinking
By understanding the generating and controlling cycles of the Five Elements, we can see how Yin and Yang represent the idea of opposing yet unified forces, while the Five Elements embody one of the earliest forms of systems thinking in Chinese philosophy.