What are the Five Elements (五行)?
The Five Elements (五行 / Wu Xing) — Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), and Water (水) — are the five categories the Chinese tradition uses to describe everything in nature. In Bazi (八字), your Four Pillars are read through these five elements.
The elements are not literal substances; they are five kinds of movement and energy. Wood grows, Fire rises, Earth stabilizes, Metal contracts, Water flows — and each of your Ten Souls (十神) is defined by how these elements relate to one another.
The generating and controlling cycles
Two cycles govern the elements. In the generating cycle (相生), Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth (ash), Earth bears Metal, Metal carries Water, and Water nourishes Wood. In the controlling cycle (相克), Wood breaks Earth, Earth dams Water, Water quenches Fire, Fire melts Metal, and Metal cuts Wood. Your chart's balance is read through these two cycles.
| Element | 中文 | Nature | Qualities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | 木 | Growth | Expansion, initiative, flexibility |
| Fire | 火 | Rising | Passion, expression, warmth |
| Earth | 土 | Stability | Groundedness, nurture, reliability |
| Metal | 金 | Contraction | Discipline, precision, decisiveness |
| Water | 水 | Flowing | Adaptability, wisdom, depth |
Frequently asked
No. They are five categories of movement and energy, not physical substances. They describe how different qualities interact.
Each Ten Soul is defined by the element relationship between a stem and your Day Master — for example, whether your element generates or controls another.
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