- The Theory of the 5 Elements

Everything that has been created, the macrocosm and the microcosm, has been achieved by the effect of the five elements. Speaking about elements we speak about the principles of elements as they will be described below and not about the elements themselves. They can be regarded as five fundamental energies interconnected, interacting at both megascale and microscale. In the Chinese system, these five patterns are represented as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, forming the foundation of the Five Elements theory.

Esoteric systems from various cultures, such as the Chinese system, the Indian system, and Hermeticism, each offer unique perspectives on the mysteries of existence and personal transformation. For a parallel between these three systems read the article A parallel between the main esoteric systems.

The theory of five elements explains how things are connected according to the principle of Cause and Effect. They are in continuous dynamics and the most important relations between them are the generation (nourishing, growing) and control (restrains the energy) which will be described below.

The main principle of all metaphysical sciences is to always act in such a manner to bring balance between the energies, generation, and restriction of different elements. This is very important for the normal transformation of the five elements.

Each element has two opposite polarities called Yin and Yang. A few positive and a few negative characteristics can briefly describe each polar element. The resulting ten polar elements are also used to define people's characteristics.

To see how and in what proportion the energies of these elements affect your life in a particular way, it is enough to enter your date and time of birth in the BaZi Advisor Profiler.

The principles of elements

Wood principle: growing, strength, and flexibility

Fire principle: passion, dynamism, and expansivity

Earth principle: balance, patience, and stability

Metal principle: competence, control, and determination

Water principle: wisdom, introspection, and flexibility

Interactions between elements

There are three possible types of interactions between the 5 elements, each one generating a cycle as follows:

Production cycle

The first element is wood which burning generates fire which consumes and produces earth (ash) which the metal is extracted from and produces water by condensation which nurtures wood and the cycle is now completed

Consuming cycle

Wood is consuming the water which is nourishing it. By rusting it is consuming the metal which weakens the earth after extraction, this one is consuming fire which also consumes wood for burning. This cycle, also called the destruction cycle, is the reverse of the producing one.

Controlling cycle

The controlling cycle manifests as follows: wood stabilizes the earth which determines the water banks which in turn extinguishes the fire which is melting the metal that cut the wood.

An element is reinforced by the same element (support) or the element that produces it, it is weakened (consuming its energy) by the actions of controlling an element or producing an element, and it is annihilated by the element that is controlling it.

The interactions described above between elements are only the basic ones. Later on, during the Ba Zi study on this blog, we'll see how the interactions are influenced by the strength of elements (we'll also introduce this concept in the chapter Day Master, Elements Strength, And Favorability). We can learn about your Day Master, the strength of its element, and which are elements favorable to you on the Profile Analysis page, after introducing your birth date.

The five elements in Ba Zi

Chinese metaphysics tries to explain everything starting from the principles of the 5 elements. In the Destiny Chart, we look for harmony. Either lack or excess of elements is not desirable.

An ideal Destiny Chart is one where all the elements are present and there is balance and harmony between them. Neither the absence nor the excess of an element are desirable. Generally, when an element is missing from a chart, the individual's affinity with all the matters and people related to that element is non-existent.

In Ba Zi, there are 6 levels of strength: dead, trapped, weak, strong, prosperous, and prosperous (+).

The strengths of the elements are computed starting with the Day Master element, in a rather complicated manner, but they are primarily determined by the Season of Birth. The Season of the chart refers to the month of birth, and whether the month falls within the spring, summer, autumn, or winter seasons.

Example: During the spring season the Wood is prosperous because it is the season when nature becomes green again. The Wood produces very active Fire which then is considered strong. The wood is produced by the Water which in this case is consumed in excess and becomes weak. It controls the Earth and being prosperous the Earth is too strongly controlled and becomes dead. The wood is controlled by the Metal but in this case, it is too strong to be controlled and the Metal becomes trapped.

The favorability is determined according to the Day Master computed strength. A weak Day Master needs to be strengthened, a strong one needs to be weakened and a prosperous one needs to be controlled. The elements doing this are considered favorable and the others unfavorable. Based on the weakening, strengthening, and controlling cycles we determine which these elements are.

When an Element is strong and of good quality, the attributes, traits, and qualities associated with that element will exhibit themselves prominently in the person's actions, thoughts, and personality and the individual will utilize these attributes, traits, and qualities more frequently.

Are you curious about your Day Master and what are your favorable elements? Go to the page Profile Analysis and find out!