The five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water
Published on October 22, 2026
Wood, fire, earth, metal and water – the five elements are the framework of Chinese metaphysics. They are not really substances but five phases of change: growth, peak, balance, gathering and rest. Everything – seasons, directions, colours, organs, character traits – can be assigned to them.
The nourishing cycle
Wood feeds fire, fire feeds earth (ash), earth brings forth metal, metal gathers water, water feeds wood. To strengthen an element you use the one before it: wood grows strong through water, fire through wood.
The restraining cycle
Wood penetrates earth, earth dams water, water puts out fire, fire melts metal, metal cuts wood. These relations are used for balance: an overpowering element is restrained or “drained” through the element after it – too much fire through earth, for example.
Elements in everyday life
Wood: green, plants, east. Fire: red, light, south. Earth: yellow and ochre, ceramics, centre, south-west, north-east. Metal: white and silver, metal, west, north-west. Water: blue and black, glass, north. Which elements are personally good for you is shown by your Ba Zi chart.
Frequently asked questions
Which element am I?+
Your basic element is that of your day master. The element of the birth year describes rather the colouring of the year.
Is a missing element bad?+
Not necessarily. It shows a theme that takes effort – often exactly what you grow from. Balance comes through surroundings, colours and activities.
Are the elements the same as in the West?+
No. The four Western elements (fire, water, air, earth) are a different system; wood and metal do not exist there.