5 Element, What is it?

5 element, represent 5 fundamental forces or energy which are governed production and destruction cycle which are believed to govern and regulate all activity in the universe.

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water like all of the Chinese Five Arts, the Five Element have both Yin and Yang polarity giving us a total of ten.

The 5 elements can be classified into Yin & Yang which know as the Ten Stems as they will appear on top part of the Bazi chart.:-

 * Image credit Joey Yap

1. Yang Wood - represents a great big tree 

2. Yin Wood - represents are the leaves, flowers, 
small bushes, twines and vines and grass.

3. Yang Fire - represents fire of the sun – it is bright, vibrant, warm, life-giving. 

4. Yin Fire - represents the fire of the candle 

5. Yang Earth - represents large boulders, big rocks or large stones. 

6. Yin Earth - represents soil, sand or soft earth 

7. Yang Metal - represents raw iron or a large axe. 

8. Yin Metal - represents fine jewellery, necklaces and beautiful rings. 

9. Yang Water - represents the waters of the ocean, waters of the lake or the powerful gushing waters of a river. 

10. Yin Water - represents water from rain clouds, mist, dew or frost. 

A typical Bazi Chart will have 4 pillars: hour pillar, day pillar, month pillar & year pillar. This time, imagine the BaZi pillars as a tree with roots underneath and towering leaves above. Now we have the Earthly Branches which represent the roots.

Chinese calendar expresses year, day, month and hour in terms of 5 elements by 2 Chinese characters and each character symbolises one basic element. The first character is written on top is called “heavenly stem” while the second Character written underneath is called “earthly branch”. 

There are 10 heavenly stems and 12 earthly branches and each of them symbolise an element.

* Image credit Joey Yap 

The 12 earthly branches are the following:
1. Rat - Zi (Yang Water)
2. Ox - Chou (Yin Earth)
3. Tiger - Yin (Yang Wood)
4. Rabbit - Mao (Yin Wood)
5. Dragon - Chen (Yang Earth)
6. Snake - Si (Yin Fire)
7. Horse - Wu (Yang Fire)
8. Goat - Wei (Yin Earth)
9. Monkey - Shen (Yang Metal)
10. Rooster - You (Yin Metal)
11. Dog - Xu (Yang Earth)
12. Pig - Hai (Yin Water)

Before we can put the 5 basic elements to predict destiny, we must know that there is a seasonal aspects of the 5 elements. Our earth changes according to the 4 seasons, the prosperity and strength of elements also change with this natural cycle. 

Spring is the prosperous season for wood as all plants prosper in spring. 
Summer is associated with sun and fire and this is the time fire is considered most prosperous. 
Autumn is the season when leaves fall , it is time when wood element is weak and metal which destroyed wood becomes the strongest. 
Winter, water is considered strongest element because it is associated with ice and snow.

As for the Earth element is regarded as neutral and so its presence throughout the year earth element is particularly strong during last month of each season.