THE FIVE ELEMENTS

As already mentioned, the five elements are another important aspect of chi and therefore feng shui. The five elements are wood, metal, fire, water and earth. Many different oriental philosophies and medical practices are based upon the essential structure of the five elements. Each element confers certain characteristics upon the nature and personality of the individual and, in addition, there are typical associations when it comes to attitudes, occupations, likes and dislikes. It is actually considered beneficial to have some of each elements in your overall personality as this confers a balance to the individual and it is useful when it comes to the application of feng shui. These elements are not related in any way to the astrology studied and practiced in the west; they are essentially all part of makeup of the character of an individual.

Individuals are considered to have some part of each element in their makeup, but the particular characteristics of one element are shown more strongly than the others and dominate the overall disposition.