Five Element Characteristics

The five elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood balance one another and their characteristics are helpful in determining patterns of health and disease.  I have already discussed the emotions, the yin (zang) organs and the yang (fu) organs that are associated with each element.  For example, Earth is associated with the emotion of worry and preoccupation as well as the (yin) spleen and the (yang) stomach.  A patient who has excess worry may become less interested in food or vomit after eating.

The elements have specific directions and colors associated with them and can help a feng shui specialist balance and create harmony in a living or working space.  However, our focus continues to be balancing the health of a patient.  The additional characteristics of the elements that provide health care guidance will be discussed today.

FIRE

Season = SUMMER  Climate = HEAT

Orifice = TONGUE  Tissue = VASCULAR SYSTEM  Sense = SPEECH

Emotion = JOY

Yin Organ = HEART  Yang Organ = SMALL INTESTINE

EARTH

Season = LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL  Climate = DAMP

Orifice = MOUTH  Tissue = MUSCLES  Sense= TASTE

Emotion = WORRY

Yin Organ = SPLEEN  Yang Organ = STOMACH

METAL

Season = FALL  Climate = DRY

Orifice = NOSE  Tissue = SKIN/COAT  Sense = SMELL

Emotion = GRIEF

Yin Organ = LUNG  Yang Organ = LARGE INTESTINE

WATER

Season = WINTER  Climate = COLD

Orifice = EARS  Tissue = BONES  Sense - HEARING

Emotion = FEAR

Yin Organ = KIDNEY  Yang Organ = URINARY BLADDER

WOOD

Season = SPRING  Climate = WIND

Orifice = EYES  Tissue = TENDONS and LIGAMENTS  Sense = VISION

Emotion = ANGER

Yin Organ = LIVER  Yang Organ = GALL BLADDER