Five Elements
From Barbelith
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Chinese Five Element Theory
Check out the in-depth Barbelith discussion. (http://www.barbelith.com/topic/5886)
Instead of the more familiar four elements in Western esotericism -- air, water, fire, earth -- in Asia, there are five: earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Each element has an "opposite" and each functions as a "support" for another. Traditional charts of these relations show a pentagram (of opposition) inside a circle (of supports).
"Forward, backward, to the left side, to the right side, and center are called metal, wood, water, fire and earth, respectively." - Master Chang San-Feng, from a text dated circa 1600 CE, as quoted on this tai chi chuan page (http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/powers13.htm).
And here's a nice discussion (http://www.eng.taoism.org.hk/daoist-beliefs/yin-yang&supreme-ultimate/pg2-3-3b.asp) of the five elements in regard to the yin-yang duality (how do we get five natures from two forces?), the five organ systems in Traditional Chinese Medicine and, indirectly, the ethical significance of each element.
Earth
Calm, nurturing -- supports/condenses into metal, but consumes water.
Direction: the center.
Flavor: Sweet, which affects the spleen.
Earth is inert but nourishing, providing the harvest.
Metal
Dense, cool -- supports/eventually melts into water, but cuts down wood.
Direction: forward.
Flavor: Acridity (umami?), which affects the lungs.
Metal is an agent of transformation and refinement, just as blades are reshaped and sharpened and metal tools are remade and perfected over time. In many other ways, it's useful to think of "metal" in this system as being more like ice.
Water
Mobile, centered -- supports/sprouts into wood, but extinguishes fire.
Direction: left.
Flavor: Salty, affecting the kidneys.
In opposition to Fire, Water moves downward, penetrating the Earth and giving birth. In this system, it's a fertilizing agent.
Wood
Vibrant, expanding -- supports/gives fuel to fire, but consumes earth.
Direction: backward.
Flavor: Sour, which enters the liver.
Wood is associated with morality and the ability to discern truth from falsehoods, since trees grow straight up and down.
Fire
Energetic, destructive -- supports/leaves behind earth, but melts metal.
Direction: right.
Flavor: Bitterness, which enters the heart.
Fire rises up into the heavens, an agent of ascension and energy.
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