reader 3 the five elements - golden gate feng shui school · 2010. 10. 11. · ~”the tao of...

..........The Five Elements: The Attributes Of Change! 2...................................................................Wu Xing: the five attributes of change! 4

.................................................................................................................Wu Xing! 5

...............................The Five Element Cycles Of Time! 5

Direction, Movement, And Climate Conditions ...........................Associated With The Five Elements! 6

.............................................The Five Element Cycles! 7

........................The Five Element Interrelationships! 10

.........................Five Element Family Relationships:! 11

Effective Use Of The Five Elements And Their .....................................................................Symbols.! 13

.............................................................................................The Five Processes! 13

....................................Five Element Characteristics! 18

Professional Certification Program Reader part 3

©2010 Golden Gate School of Feng Shui www.ggsfs.com 415.945.8899 page 1 of 18

http://www.ggsfs.comhttp://www.ggsfs.com

The Five Elements: The Attributes Of Change

From "The Teachings of Immortals Chung and Lü," the Immortal Lü Tung-Pin addresses the immortal Chungli Ch'uan. ~”The Tao of Health, Longevity, and

Immortality,” Translated by Eva Wong:

Lü asks:

"The vapors of the five viscera are metal, wood, water, fire and earth; the positions of

the five elements are east, west, south, north and center, respectively. How do they create and complete each other? Do they interact at specific times? When should

they be gathered? I'd like to hear what you have to say about these things."




Chung replies:

"From the Great Tao comes the sky and earth. When sky and earth divided the five emperors emerged. The green emperor of the East is the ruler of spring. During this season yang rises within yin and

gives birth to the ten thousand things. The red emperor of the South is the ruler of summer. During this season yang rises

within yang and makes the ten thousand things grow. The white emperor of the West is the ruler of autumn. During this

season yin rises within yang and directs all things to complete their course of

development. The black emperor of the North is the ruler of winter. During this

season yin rises within yin and makes all things decay and die. In the ninety days of

a season, eighteen days are set aside in each season [for the yellow emperor]. In

spring the yellow emperor in the center assists the green emperor to give birth to all things. In summer he encourages the red emperor to help things grow. In autumn he helps the white emperor to let things

mature. In winter he supports the black emperor to ensure that all things are at rest. The five emperors each rule seventy-two days. Together they rule the three hundred and sixty days of the year;

together they help the sky and the earth follow the principles of Tao."




Wu Xing: the five attributes of change

The eight immortals were purported to have lived for hundreds of years, transforming body, and mind by practicing a form of Taoist inner alchemy based on the phases, and interrelations of the five elements. Your study of the five elements is perhaps the most profound subject you will encounter on your journey with feng shui. You could spend many lifetimes in pursuit of the mystery, and secrets of the five phases. Some have. The passage above is an excerpt from a conversation between two men who were born almost eight hundred years apart.

In this introduction to the five elements we will explore the practical application of the five element theory as it relates to form school feng shui, and your work as a feng shui practitioner. The five elements will be the filter through which you view all situations; a guide in your work, and in your life.

It is true that experience is the best teacher. When you can successfully apply a working knowledge of the five elements to personal and professional situations, the layers of meaning will open up and reveal the pearl of wisdom that it contains. Until that time, and beyond, seek-out all that you can find on this fascinating theory; gather together differing perspectives and most importantly, feel your way through. Allow yourself to experience the five elements in your everyday life. Get to know them personally. Lao Tsu writes, “Knowledge studies others, wisdom is self-known.”

!"#$%"&

' !"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#

$%"&

()

*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#

$%"&'

'+*,-)*.&'

''+*,-)*.&'''''+*,-)*.&'''

''+*,-)*.&'

''''+

*,-)*.&'''




Wu Xing

What we now term "the five elements" is a translation of the Chinese expression Wu Xing. Wu Xing has been shortened from a longer phrase which, loosely translated, means: The five qualities of chi which cycle through time, or dominate at reoccurring intervals. For example: the cycles of, spring to winter, and birth to death have continued, uninterrupted throughout the ages. Wu means five. Xing does not have a direct translation, but is understood as movement or course. In context, Xing indicates the nature of process or flow.

The Five Element Cycles Of Time

CYCLE Wood 木 Fire 火 Earth 土 Metal 金 Water 水

DAY

YEAR

LIFE PROCESS OF A PLANT

LIFE PROCESS OF A HUMAN

Morning Noon Afternoon Evening Midnight

Spring SummerTransition

between seasons/ Late Summer

Autumn Winter

Bud and Sprout Flower Fruit

Wilt and Decay Seed

Youth Peak of life

Maturity Old Age Womb

The expressions five phases, and five movements have been used, as well as five elements, to describe the process of these five states of change. Many early translators settled on the five elements as a title, and this has caused some confusion, and misinterpretation among beginning students of Chinese philosophy.

Often, the phrase "the five elements" is taken literally to mean that the "elements" are static states of matter. But this isn't a complete understanding of this theory. While matter can experience, and demonstrate the five elements, these are only associations made to describe the diverse forms that these energies embody during various stages




of transformation. In fact, all states of matter are a composite of all five elements, manifesting in a particular phase of development (or procession). This is why we must speak in terms of tendencies, and associations when discussing the five elements.

All of the five phases emanate from yin and yang. Just as yin and yang are inseparable, the five elements are also mutually inclusive. They do not exist in the same way as the four elements of ancient Greek philosophy. Like yin and yang, they do not really exist at all. Each one of these "elements" occurs in varying degrees of one in relationship to the others. In order to understand their interaction, and to determine if the relationship is harmonious or discordant, we use these cyclical sequences of interrelation.

Direction, Movement, And Climate Conditions

Associated With The Five Elements

Wood 木 Fire 火 Earth 土 Metal 金 Water 水

Chinese Name

Movement of energy

Direction

Temperature

Weather

Mu Huo T’u Chin Shui

Upward growth

Radiating Outward

Downward, Stability

Contracting, Inward

Flexible, Flowing thru

East South Center West North

Warm Hot Damp Dry Cold

Windy Hot and dry ThunderCool and

dryRain and

Snow




The Five Element Cycles

ElementThe Productive

Cycle(parent to child)

The Reducing Cycle

(child to parent)

The Controlling Cycle (grandparent

to grandchild)

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Water nurtures small plants which

grow into Wood

Fire consumes Wood Metal cuts Wood

Wood feeds the flames of Fire

Earth reduces the power of Fire

Water extinguishes Fire

Fire burns producing Earth

The mining of Metals weakens the

Earth

Wood absorbs nutrients from the

Earth.

Earth is condensed into Metal

A Water-like liquid state reduces the

value of Metal.Fire melts Metal

Metal is melted into a liquid, like Water

Wood consumes Water for

nourishment

Earth absorbs Water




The Producing Cycle: (also called the generation, nourishing, parent, and creative cycle) will strengthen the element.

• Wood strengthens fire

• Fire strengthens earth

• Earth strengthens metal

• Metal strengthens water

• Water strengthens wood

The Reducing Cycle: (also called the draining, and weakening cycle) will reduce the strength of the element.

• Wood reduces water

• Water reduces metal

• Metal reduces earth

• Earth reduces fire

• Fire reduces wood

!"

#$%&'()

!"#$%&'()

!"#$%&'()

!"#$%&'()

!"#$

%&'()

!"#$%&'()*+,-

*.*/#

!"#$%"&

' !"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#

$%"&

!"#$%#&'()*+(,(-#




The Controlling Cycle: (also known as the destruction cycle) will dominate the element.

• Wood controls earth

• Earth controls water

• Water controls fire

• Fire controls metal

• Metal controls wood

A COMPOSITE OF THE FIVE ELEMENT CYCLES

!"#$%&'!(&))*'+

%,%)#

!"#$%'(!!!"

#$%'(!!!!!"#$%'(!!!!!"

#$%'(!

!!!!"

#$%&#'(!!!

!"#$%"&

' !"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#$%"&

!"#

$%"&

()

*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#$%"&'

()*#

$%"&'

'+*,-)*.&'

''+*,-)*.&'''''+*,-)*.&'''

''+*,-)*.&'

''''+

*,-)*

.&'''




In order to better understand how the five elements interact, we can imagine them in terms of familial relationships. In the producing cycle of the five elements their

successive relationships are: self, child, grandchild, grandparent, parent.

The Five Element Interrelationships

Element Enhanced by (parent)

Weakened by (child)

Dominated by (grand-

parent)

Reduced by (grandchild)

Supported by (self & siblings)

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Water Fire Metal Earth Wood

Wood Earth Water Metal Fire

Fire Metal Wood Water Earth

Earth Water Fire Wood Metal

Metal Wood Earth Fire Water




Five Element Family Relationships:

Element Enhanced by (parent)

Weakened by (child)

Dominated by (grand-

parent)

Reduced by (grand-child)

Supported by (self & siblings)

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Water Fire Metal Earth Wood

Wood Earth Water Metal Fire

Fire Metal Wood Water Earth

Earth Water Fire Wood Metal

Metal Wood Earth Fire Water

When we imagine how these elements might interact based on this familial symbology, we can draw certain conclusions. When wood is the self, we find these dynamics:

• Wood, when encountering Wood relates to its sibling, and is supported.

• Wood, when encountering Fire, gives to its offspring and is weakened.

• Wood, when encountering Earth, must maintain a watchful eye on its grandchild and its strength is reduced.

• Wood, when encountering Metal, is kept in check by its grandparent and has little strength of its own.

• Wood when encountering water is given nourishment by its parent, and is strengthened




Use the five element interrelationships chart to apply this analogy to each element, beginning with Wood, as in the chart below.

Five Element Family Member Influence (Wood is the self):

Element as related to Wood Family Relationship Dynamic of Relationship

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Wood is the self, and

siblings

Wood is supported by

wood

Fire is the child of wood Wood is weakened by fire

Earth is the grandchild of

woodWood is reduced by earth

Metal is the grandparent

of wood

Wood is dominated by

metal

Water is the parent of

wood

Wood is strengthened by

water




Effective Use Of The Five Elements And Their

Symbols.

The Five Processes

The Shoo King ("Historical Classic") a text compiled around 400 BCE, and attributed in part to Confucius, tells of "The Great Plan" a nine fold plan to reorder the five elements after they had been inadvertently thrown into disarray. From "The Imperial Guide to Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology" Thomas F. Aylward paraphrases the translation by Legge when speaking of the first in the nine "divisions" of "The Great Plan:”

"The first [division] is the Five Processes. One is called water. Two is called fire. Three is called wood. Four is called metal. Five is called earth. Water is

said to wet downwardly. Fire is said to burn upwardly. Wood is said to be crooked and to be straight. Metal is said to comply and to constrain. Earth

undergoes planting and harvesting. Wetting downwardly produces saltiness. Burning upwardly produces bitterness. Being crooked and being straight produces sourness. Complying and constraining produces peppery heat.

Planting and harvesting produces sweetness."

Farmers understand that “every spring is the child of winter.” Life abides, and moves on to the next phase of the cycle. We are like buds of spring, that do not remember the icy embrace of winter when we awake. We are all a part of the grand procession of life on earth. Our own self-awareness is elusive, and (unless cultivated) happens in the flash of a moment. It is difficult to remain aware of our individual process as it is unfolding, because we are a character in the show. Flashes of awareness occur when we experience the moment from a place of broader perspective, as a farmer perceives the seasons.

The well of feng shui is much deeper than holistic interior design. Having an astute conversation with your surroundings begins by noticing the fingerprints, and signatures of the five elements in the form and space around you. Look for fingerprints in the




shape, color, texture, direction, sensation, taste, smell, and other aspects of form in the environment.

It is important for you to become well acquainted with the five elements. They will become the lens through which you view your work, and if you go far enough, your world. Gaining an understanding of this transformative theory will take practice before you reach a full realization of its implications. But you can begin to use the associations of these symbols now, in a dynamic way, to better understand, and fine tune your analysis of the sites you are evaluating.

In the following section you will be introduced to defining characteristics of the five elements. While these fingerprints may reveal many qualities of each element, they are in no way absolute descriptions. These are snapshots, intended to give you an idea of how these elements appear in the environment; how they move, how they interrelate, and what traces they leave in the phenomenal world.

Wood:

Wood is the birth of spring, and the child of water. It is yang

within yin. It is the promise that the decay of winter will be renewed with the breath of spring. It is innocence, youthful folly and extreme openness. Wood is potential, the bud before the bloom. It is awakening, and spontaneity. It is expansion in the five phases of change.

Wood is associated with qualities of wind: it is hidden but experiential. It is also connected to the verticalness of growth, and the upward motion of flight. It is seen in the green of new plants, and originates in the East. It is the dawn. The element wood is like a forest, wood type people tend to be tall and thin. It governs the gallbladder (yang wood organ) and liver (yin wood organ). It is the element associated with the tiger and the rabbit in Chinese astrology.

The wood aesthetic is minimalistic, clean, and simplified. A wood shaped building is generally narrow, and vertical. Extreme wood buildings (like the skyscraper) imply a division within them, and create a hierarchy among the levels. This is often reflected in the layout, and politics of many high-rise office buildings. Wood is also seen in column and pillar shapes. A light house or watchtower is also a wood-like structure.




Fire:

Fire increases the pulse of wood’s potentiality. It is the child of wood, the natural intelligence of innocence. It is supported by wood. It is yang within yang. Fire is the swift acceleration into the bursting of summer. It is the unfurled blossom, and the ripe fruit. It is stimulation. It is the vigor of raw power. It is lightning speed. Fire is associated with spiritual qualities and alchemy. It is transformation, inspiration and joy. It represents the intellect. It is the clinging flame. It radiates outwardly, connecting and relating.

Fire originates in the South, and is hot, and energizing like the sun. It governs the small intestine (yang fire organ), and the heart (yin fire organ). It is seen in the red blood of humans and animals, and is associated with artwork in which animals, and humans are depicted. It is also correlated to animal prints, and skins. It is the element associated with the snake, and the horse in Chinese astrology.

Fire is found in pyramidal shapes. The fire aesthetic is seen in the high, vaulted ceilings of Greco-Roman chapels, the spires of Gothic cathedrals, and the steeples of Christian churches. The architecture of these spaces is designed to make you feel small, and it works. The overwhelming urge to be silent, and reverent upon walking into a cathedral, is a function of the form of the architecture. Fire is the ecstatic “spiritual experience,” religious or moral purification is sometimes referred to as a “trial by fire.” It is the peak of life. Fire people are full of life and ideas, and must be careful of burnout.

Earth:

Earth is the phase of manifestation. All form is earth, it is the ten thousand things of the material world. Earth(form) is desire (fire) and innocence (wood) taking shape. Form (earth) is on its way to formlessness, which ironically gives it a fluid nature. However it is stability in the midst of transformation, the constancy of change. It is an axis, passing through the revolving cycle of the other four elements, like the axis of our own Earth.

The tilt of our Earth's axis gives it an elliptical orbit, and creates the possibility of the weather we experience as seasons. This is the function of the earth phase of the five elements as well. Earth has no season of its own; it cycles between the seasons,




connecting one to the other. It represents the continuity of life, and the wisdom of our ancestors.

Earth is a gathering, downward moving energy that displays the least amount of motion. It is grounded and solidifying. It is the late afternoon, and represents middle age in the phases of the life cycle. It is yin within yang. Earth is the center. It governs the stomach (yang earth organ), and the spleen (yin earth organ). Earth is carried by the ox, dragon, sheep, and dog in Chinese astrology.

The shape associated with earth is low and horizontal. It can be seen in square shapes and low domes, as well. It has a large, heaviness about about it. Earth is found in stone, concrete and ceramics. It is seen in the terra cotta, and yellow of clay. The colors of the painted desert were applied with the brush of earth. The earth aesthetic is traditional. Earth buildings have flat roofs or squat dome shapes like yurts. Earth furniture is low to the ground. Earth buildings are durable, and reliable, but have little momentum or creative spark. Earth buildings are well suited for yin purposes like warehouses, and storage buildings.

Metal:

Metal is the precious child of earth. When forged by fire, it becomes beautiful jewelry, and makes useful tools, but one must dig deep in the earth to find it. This is the jewel in the lotus if you will. It is the time of autumn. It is the metal scythe that harvests the bounty of the earth, by cutting the fire ripened wood, that is nourished by water. Metal governs the large intestine (yang metal organ), and the Lungs (yin metal organ). It is associated with the rooster, and the monkey in Chinese astrology.

On a mundane level, metal is the editing stage of the five phases. The quality of metal energy is modesty and maturity. It is retirement and old age. Metal represents authority, and heaven. It is symbolized by the setting sun in the West. It is yang within yin. Metal is a contracting energy, an inward movement. It is refinement. It is the honed sharpness of a samurai's sword. Most Chinese art uses a metal like finesse in its process. Metal is found in the focused concentration of study and projects that require precise attention to detail.

The shape of metal is circular like a coin. It is also found in arched shapes as well, and larger domed buildings. It is the element of commerce. For example: the "iron roads"




or railways ushered in a whole era of trade, and altered the way goods were exchanged, as well as the way business was conducted. Metal is found in the shape of domed roofs which cap many banks. Buildings of authority, like capital buildings are usually domed, and caped in a reflective gold-like metal, announcing their power and prestige.

The metal aesthetic is revealed in some modern design. White, silver, and other metallic tones all have metal qualities. As a building material, an over use of metal itself is not recommended, as chi cannot flow through it. Metal beds are especially ill advised. Metal also amplifies electromagnetic fields, so placing metal objects near electronics is cautioned against.

Water:

The image of water is that of the ocean at midnight. It is yin within yin. It is profound, secret and deeper than we can fathom. The movement of water can be flowing or sinking. Water is tenacity, and a returning to the unknown (it is always seeking a path back to its source). Water is a solvent, returning the solute to a condition of dissolution. It is the end of life, and the progenitor of limitless possibility. Water is the inherent truth that is hidden below the surface. Water is wisdom. It is the conclusion of the intellectual process of metal.

Water is the still of winter, and the cold winds of the North. In the body, water governs the bladder (yang water organ), and kidneys (yin water organ). In the landscape it is associated with curving pathways, low undulating hills, and of course bodies of water. All heavily saturated colors become water, but it is mostly revealed in black, blues, and some blueish greens as well. Water takes the shape of the vessel it fills, but we can find its signature in wavy, and irregular shapes, as seen in the Sidney Opera house.

Water also rules communication. For the ancient Chinese, waterways were a primary means of travel, and connection to distant places. Today, roadways are our dominant course of travel, and roads are now associated with the water element. In the home, water is revealed in glass, fountains (actual water), meandering lines, and some reflective surfaces (these can also be metal, or become a form of sha chi known as the scales of the dragon) Be mindful that you are doubling what is reflected. Water is carried by the pig, and the rat in Chinese astrology.




Five Element Characteristics

Wood 木 Fire 火 Earth 土 Metal 金 Water 水

Chinese Name

Virtue

Quality

Emotion when

balanced

Emotion when

unbalanced

Occupation

Activities

Mu Huo T’u Chin Shui

Benevolence Wisdom Empathy Integrity Tenacity

Growth, youth, A surge of

energy dispersing

Joy, Passion and

Inspiration

Faith, An idea beginning to take shape; transform-

ation

Problem solving, Focus,

Meditation

Flexible, Enduring, Hidden, Secret

Refreshing sense of humor

Happiness, inspiration

Empathy, Emotional balance

Sharp wit; Positive attitude

Courage, Tenacity

Anger, impatience

Anxiety Worry Grief Fear

education, writing,

publishing, selling or producing

herbal products, start-ups,

innovation, gardening,

sales, marketing, architecture

performing, public &

motivational speaking, spiritual studies,

electricity, media, acting,

comedian

politics, teaching, real estate, human

resources, health care, healing arts, ceramics, farming,

management, government

photography, metalwork,

financial advisor, banking, physics, military,

sciences, auto industry, jewelry,

corporate, research

communica-tion

transportation, divination, astrology, lecturing,

intuitive arts, travel, radio, music, water recreations



reader 3 the five elements - golden gate feng shui school · 2010. 10. 11. · ~”the tao of...

Documents