GGSFS Reader Part 3 the Five Elements

8/12/2019 GGSFS Reader Part 3 the Five Elements

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..........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
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The Five Elements: The Attributes Of Change

From "The Teachings of Immortals Chung and L," the Immortal L Tung-Pin

addresses the immortal Chungli Ch'uan. ~The Tao of Health, Longevity, andImmortality, Translated by Eva Wong:

L 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."




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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 thisseason 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 togive 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."




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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 thattime, and beyond, seek-out all

that you can find on this

fascinating theory; gather

together differing perspectives

and most importantly, feel

your waythrough. 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.




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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 ofprocessor flow.

The Five Element Cycles Of Time

CYCLE Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

DAY

YEAR

LIFE PROCESS

OF A PLANT

LIFE PROCESS

OF A HUMAN

Morning Noon Afternoon Evening Midnight

Spring Summer

Transition

between seasons/

Late Summer

Autumn Winter

Bud and

SproutFlower Fruit

Wilt and

DecaySeed

YouthPeak of

lifeMaturity Old Age Womb

The expressions fivephases,and fivemovementshave been used, as well as five

elements, to describe the process of these five states of change. Many early

translators settled on the five elementsas 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




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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 Fire Earth Metal Water

Chinese

Name

Movement of

energy

Direction

Temperature

Weather

Mu Huo Tu Chin Shui

Upwardgrowth

RadiatingOutward

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




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The Five Element Cycles

Element

The 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

WoodMetal cuts Wood

Wood feeds the

flames of Fire

Earth reduces the

power of Fire

Water extinguishes

Fire

Fire burnsproducing Earth

The mining of

Metals weakens theEarth

Wood absorbs

nutrients from theEarth.

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




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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




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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




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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

ElementEnhanced

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




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Five Element Family Relationships:

ElementEnhanced

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




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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 formand space around you. Look for fingerprints in the




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shape, color, texture, direction, sensation, taste, smell, and other aspects of formin 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 aresnapshots, 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 isgenerally 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.




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Fire:

Fire increases the pulse of woods 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 intothe 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,




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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 themetalscythe thatharvests the bounty of the earth, by cutting the fireripened

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 thehoned 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"




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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 dominantcourse 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.




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Five Element Characteristics

Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

Chinese

Name

Virtue

Quality

Emotion

when

balanced

Emotion

when

unbalanced

Occupation

Activities

Mu Huo Tu 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,

impatienceAnxiety Worry Grief Fear

education,

writing,

publishing,

selling or

producingherbal

products,

start-ups,

innovation,

gardening,

sales,

marketing,

architecture

performing,

public &

motivationalspeaking,

spiritual

studies,

electricity,

media, acting,

comedian

politics,

teaching, real

estate, humanresources,

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



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GGSFS Reader Part 3 the Five Elements