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Richard WickesMartial Artist, Author, specialist topic Energy Arts. ArchivesNo Archives CategoriesA Weakness in Chinese Five Element TheoryFirstly, I am not saying the theory is wrong at all. My point might be better made with the proposition, that the universal applicability of the elements offers is bit hidden by the popularity of modern symbols that veil its practicality and flexibility in the Pentagon. I am assuming you know the five element and their correspondences as well as the ten stems.
TCM represents the five elements as a pentagon. I don’t believe we can understand how these elements actually work in a natural way, until we observe the spiraling, reversing dynamic of smoke, water, flames etc. The cross model is more illustrative, in my opinion. Can I refer you to an example that underlines my point as a short video made by the European Space Agency (https://youtu.be/iObt7QI9lOU?si=kaI3uFrJCl9vBo8V). In the Five Element theory, we have a theory of change, creation and control that really works very well for many aspects of life. This is important because it suggest a way to intervene in the system to get changes. This makes it interesting. That it is universally applicable makes it super-interesting. My hypothesis is that the 5 element is as thee original cross shaped symbol makes most sense in relation to walking (行) in Chinese. This may be who it is called the 5行, and not the 5 相, which is the name used for the different influences and cycles. My theory for the five elements is great for the single step forwards but as we all know stepping is dynamic. What was the front leg, the fire leg soon becomes water. The left right, backwards and forwards motion constantly changing conflicting, creating and controlling. This means we have a map of orientation, forward fire, backward water, centre earth, left metal, right wood. What is actually happening dynamically in the body is very complex. 
Each leg stepping in the fire direction send the “Fire” up into the body in a synchronized gearing of the yang aspect of the element. Does it also discharge inner Fire into the earth? The same time we can consider this process. Just for now I am looking at it on the Fire-Water axis.
The splitting quality of earth rises in us in the centre while the coiling aspect sinks. The rear leg has the spiralling quality rising and the atomizing gentle water quality sinking. If that is the case we have a perfect representation of six of the ten stems, especially emphasized in Feng Shui and BaZi.
Again, this is just a snapshot, and I believe much more is going on energetically. Of course Yin fire will rise, as Yang fire sinks. They are a duality not a binary.
Extrapolating this theory like so, each organ fills with the element. Thinking of each person as containing five elements also orients their energy. This makes the five elements a living, breathing, ebbing, flowing, dynamic multidimensional thinking. This also highlights the importance and complexity of 5 Element analysis. In theory we should be able to analyse someone’s five elements by the way they live, by the way they talk, and of course by the way they walk. If you want to see how I explain the nuances of the five elements, not just as a metaphysical model, but as way to see the world, I think you’d enjoy my book. (https://a.co/d/0eTuqFod). For a consultation go to Wickesway.com. |
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