The Five Elements or Wu Xing — Meaning, Formation, Content, History, and Application

The Five Elements, also named Wu Xing (or Wuxing) or Five Phases, including Wood, Fire, Metal, Water, and Earth, constitute the essence of ancient Chinese Philosophy and Cosmology.

It defines the nature and attributes of everything in the universe, including its movements.

Furthermore, it encapsulates the fundamental theories regarding how ancient Chinese perceived the world.

Throughout history, it has found widespread use in various traditional cultural fields, including astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, naming practices, food culture, Feng Shui, and more.

The Five Elements in Chinese Culture, Picture from RayRenault.

How Are the Five Elements Formed

Meaning and Symbolism of the Five Elements

Generating and Restraining Cycles

Origin and Development in History

The Five Elements in Chinese Astrology and Calendar

Application of Five Elements Theory in Chinese Medicine and Food Therapy

Utilization of The Five Elements in Names

Five Elements in Feng Shui Culture

Divination and Five Elements Theory

How Are the Five Elements Formed

Taiji

In ancient Chinese Cosmology, the whole universe was believed to be undifferentiated and the oneness.

This is Taiji, the beginning of the cosmos.

Yin and Yang

Gradually, the movement of Taiji evolves the Yin and Yang.

Yin is about contracting energy, which is downward, passive, dark, accumulated, introverted, feminine, and quiet.

Yang is about releasing energy, representing upward active, bright, expand, exocentric, masculine, and lively.

Everything in the world has both Yin and Yang sides; they are in constant motion and mutual transformation.

Four Images

The motion of Yin and Yang, then, generates the Four Images.

The Four Images, Lesser Yang - Greater Yang - Lesser Yin - Great Yin, can be:

Spring - Summer - Autumn - Winter

Birth - Grow - Old - Die

Wood - Fire - Metal - Water

East - South - West - North

Five Elements

All lives are born out of and would return to the earth; four seasons change under the Moon and the Sun.

So, the Moon and the Sun constitute a Taiji, which contains both Yin and Yang; it corresponds to the earth on the ground.

Then the Five Elements or Wuxing are formed.

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

Five Elements Meaning and Symbolism

The Five Elements Theory is a philosophical term in ancient Chinese culture that defines the nature and attributes of everything in the universe and its movements.

The Wood, Fire, Metal, Water, and Earth are five specific representatives, or symbols, of the Five Phases.

Wood: growth, development, extension;

Fire: hotness, upward, bright;

Metal: convergence, concretion, solid;

Water: cold, downward, circulate, nourish;

Earth: mild, placid, neutralization.

Generating and Restraining Cycles of the Five Elements

The only permanent thing is changing.

Therefore, all the elements in the universe are in constant motion, which constituents interactions between the elements.

They can create or overcome one another.

Inter Generating of the Five Elements

Wood → Fire: branches can create fire

Fire → Earth: burnt ashes become earth

Earth → Metal: metal ores are formed inside the earth

Metal → Water: melted metal will be liquid

Water → Wood: water nourishes wooden plant

Inter Restraining of the Five Elements

Metal ⌦ Wood: metal tools can cut off plants

Wood ⌦ Earth: roots of trees grow inside of the earth and prevent soil erosion

Earth ⌦ Water: dykes and dams can stop the flood

Water ⌦ Fire: water can put out a fire

Fire ⌦ Metal: fire melts metal into liquid

Origin of the Yin Yang and Five Elements Theory in History

It’s entirely possible that Ancient Chinese Cosmology was more of collective intelligence.

However, some famous kings are related to the invention of the Yin Yang and Five Elements Theory.

Fu Xi, an honorable king from around 5000 years ago, used to observe the universe, trying to figure out a general rule.

Soon, he got two pictograms (named He Tu Luo Shu) from mythical creatures, from which he concluded Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Eight Diagrams (or Bagua).

The theory was mentioned in the Book of Documents and the Book of Changes.

These two ancient books were written and preserved in some old royal places and then compiled by Confucius (551 BC — 479 BC).

Later, the Wuxing theory was formed by the great philosopher Zou Yan (about 324 BC — 250 BC) and further developed and matured in the Han Dynasty (202 BC — 220 AD).

Five Elements in Chinese Astrology and Calendar

In ancient Chinese Astrology, the moon is Yin, while the sun is Yang.

The Wuxing corresponds to five great stars: Jupiter (wood), Mars (fire), Saturn (earth), Venus (metal), and Mercury (water).

According to the Inter Generating Order (Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water), each of these five stars shows up for 72 days in the Arctic sky in turn, which corresponds to the changing of the seasons on the Earth.

Meanwhile, based on the movement of the five stars (moving toward the earth is Yang while moving away is Yin), ancient Chinese created the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches System to record and count in the Traditional Chinese Calendar.

Movement of Five Planets correspond to the Five Elements

Five Elements in Chinese Medicine and Food Therapy

A human's body is considered a complete cycle, containing a whole Yin Yang and Wuxing.

People's organ systems, emotions, and food correspond to specific elements based on their different attributes.

Emotion and diet may influence specific organs with the same attributes, hence one's health condition.

Therefore, the Balance of Yin and Yang and the Neutralization of the Five Elements are the essences of Chinese Medicine and Food Therapy.

Wood: Spring — Eye, Liver, Gallbladder — Anger — Sour — Green Colored Food

Fire: Summer — Tongue, Heart, Small Intestine — Happy — Bitter — Red Colored Food

Earth: Long Summer — Mouth, Spleen, Stomach — Think — Sweet — Yellow Colored Food

Metal: Autumn — Nose, Lung, Large Intestine — Sad — Spicy — White Colored Food

Water: Winter — Ear, Kidney, Bladder — Fear — Salty — Black Colored Food

Take “Wood” for instance: in spring, or when someone’s eye, liver, or gallbladder feels uncomfortable, or for irritable people, it’s good to eat sour flavor or green-colored food.

The Five Elements in Naming

Nowadays, many Chinese parents still would name their babies based on the theory.

Since the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are the counting system of the Chinese Calendar, based on a person’s birth year, month, date, and hour, one’s elements’ attributes can be calculated.

Parents would name their child using Chinese characters with the baby’s most minor attribute elements to gain balance.

For instance, if someone has no or few Elements of Fire, their name can use Chinese Characters that contain the Fire part.

Also, people can use the Inter Generating relationship to name their child; the father or mother’s attribute can generate the baby’s attribute.

For instance, if the father has the most Element of Water, his child can use Chinese Characters that contain the Wood (water generates wood) part.

These two principles also apply to naming a company or choosing a place with a good name to live in.

Five Elements in Feng Shui Culture

In Chinese geomancy, known as Feng Shui Culture, every person has their attribute of certain elements, and so does every house or apartment.

Wood: East — 3rd or 8th Floor — Cyan

Fire: South — 2nd or 7th Floor — Red

Earth: Middle — 5th or 10th Floor — Yellow

Metal: West — 4th or 9th Floor — White

Water: North — 1st or 6th Floor — Black

The color and material of the inside decorations also have attributes elements. For instance, green plants should go to the east, the fish tank should be better placed in the north, etc.

According to the energy flow in Generating and Restraining Theory, one's living place could bring good luck or restrain personal development and daily life.

Click to Read More About Feng Shui

Divination and Five Elements Theory

Throughout Chinese history, there have been several ways to predict someone’s future or to pray for blessings from ancestors or celestial beings; the Yin Yang and Wuxing are one of the most fundamental theories.

Nowadays, fortune telling, using someone’s time of birth and attribute of elements, is still quite popular in China.