The 5 Elements..an overview.

The Five Elements are as follows: Water, Wood, Earth, Metal and Fire. These are used in traditional Chinese medicine in order to help with diagnoses and plot the course of dis-ease. The following is a brief overview of the Elements, more detailed information can be found in various books, most of the information for this post was taken from, ' Traditional Acupuncture - The Law of the Five Elements" by Dianne M. Connelly. Ph. D.

Each Element relates to an emotion, colour, taste, smell, body organ etc. and knowing a bit about each of the Elements can help us to broaden our view of the dis-ease we are experiencing and perhaps through this finding a route to cure.

Fire Element:

Season - Summer

Organs - Heart (Protector 11:00 - 1:00), Small Intestine (Sorter 13:00 - 15:00), Circulation/Sex (19:00 -21:00), Triple Heater (21:00 - 23:00).

Emotion - Joy, Happiness

Sound - Laughing

Taste - Bitter

Smell - Scorched

Power - Capacity for Sadness and Grief

Parts of Body - Blood Vessels (Fluid secretion: perspiration)

Orifice -  Ears

Life Aspect - Spirit

External Manifestation - Complexion

Sense Organ - Tongue

Climate - Heat

Colour - Red

Grain - Glutinous Millet

Vegetable - Coarse Greens

Fruit - Plum

Meat - Mutton/ Lamb

Number - seven

Direction - South.

 

Earth Element:

 

Season - Late/High Summer

Organs - Stomach (7:00- 9:00 , storage of tastes ), Spleen (Distributor 9:00 - 11:00)

Emotion - Sympathy (Compassion, also relationship to Mother and Mother Earth)

Sound - Sing-song

Taste - Sweet

Smell - Fragrant (sickly sweet)

Power - Capacity for Belching (obstinancy)

Parts of Body - Mouth

Orifice -  Mouth

Life Aspect - Ideas and Opinions

External Manifestation - Flesh

Sense Organ - Fluid

Climate - Dampness and Humidity

Colour - Yellow

Grain - Millet

Vegetable - Scallions

Fruit - Apricot

Meat - Beef

Number - five

Direction - Center.

 

Metal Element:

 

Season - Autumn

Organs - Lungs (Jury, Recievers of Chi 3:00 - 5:00), Large Intestine (Garbage collector 5:00 - 7:00)

Emotion - Grief also Relationship with Father

Sound - Weeping

Taste - Pungent, Spicy

Smell - Rotten

Power - Capacity to Cough (expel unwanted things)

Parts of Body - Skin and Body hair

Orifice -  Nose

Life Aspect - Spiritual Resource, is Inferior, Animal Spirit

External Manifestation - Skin and Body hair

Secretion - Mucous

Climate - Dry

Colour - White

Grain - Rice

Vegetable - Onions

Fruit - Chestnut

Meat - Horse

Number - Nine

Direction - West

 

Water Element:

 

Season - Winter

Organs - Kidneys (stores Vital Essence 17:00 - 19:00), Bladder (Eliminates fluid waste 15:00 - 17:00)

Emotion - Fear

Sound - Groaning/humming

Taste - Salt

Smell - Putrid

Power - Capacity to create trembling (movement)

Parts of Body - Bones and Bone Marrow

Orifice -  Genitals, urethra, anus

Life Aspect - Will Power and Ambition

External Manifestation - Head Hair

Sense Organ - ears

Secretion - Spittle/ saliva

Climate - Cold

Colour - Blue/ Black

Grain - Beans and Peas

Vegetable - Leeks

Fruit - Dates

Meat - Pig

Number - six

Direction - North

 

Wood Element:

 

Season - Spring

Organs - Liver (Planner 1:00 - 3:00), Gallbladder (Decision maker 23:00 - 1:00)

Emotion - Anger

Sound - Shouting

Taste - Sour

Smell - Rancid

Power - Capacity for Control

Parts of Body - Muscles and Sinews

Life Aspect - Spiritual Faculties

External Manifestation - Hands, nails and feet

Sense Organ - Eyes

Climate - Wind

Colour - Green

Grain - Wheat

Vegetable - Mallow

Fruit - Peach

Meat - Chicken/ Fowl

Number - eight

Direction - East

 

Conclusion:

The Five Elements can be a very useful tool in diagnoses of an imbalance in the system or environment and this post serves merely as an intoduction to a very complex and detailed subject. An imbalance (whether too much or too little) of any Element will influence the balance of another Element and if any Element has been out of balance for more than 2 years, one will find that the Water Element is imbalanced also.