The five elementsLesson 3 of 5 · Reading · 18 min

Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water

The five elements are five "movements", not five materials. Each is linked to a season, a zang organ, a fu organ, an emotion and a flavour.

Generating cycle (sheng)

Wood generates Fire, Fire Earth, Earth Metal, Metal Water, Water Wood.

Controlling cycle (ke)

Wood controls Earth, Earth Water, Water Fire, Fire Metal, Metal Wood.

Clinical use

• Prolonged anger (Wood) harms the Spleen (Earth)
• To strengthen the Lung (Metal), tonify the Spleen (Earth, the mother of Metal)