How the patterns of life force energy, or Chi, and the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine resonate with the seasons and interconnect with human nature.
By Spencer Rouse
There are many different aspects to the subtle, but vital life force that is present in and around us everywhere. It’s called Chi (a.k.a. Prana, as well as other names in other cultures), and it is the free-flowing energy that we absorb from the air as we breathe and from the food and water that we eat and drink. This energy moves through our physical and subtle bodies using passageways called meridians. To put it simply, when Chi is free-flowing and balanced, there is health. When it is sluggish or stagnant and unbalanced, there are disturbed conditions, even disease, within the physical and subtle bodies.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes five Elements that make up the five basic aspects of Chi: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal (or Air). Nature is the source of metaphors for describing life energy, and the following quick comparison will help you understand the essence of these Five Elements:
Water
The keywords for the element Water are fluid and flow. The colors are blue and black. Think of the phrase, “I feel blue.” Or the deep blue sea. Blue skies. Having “the blues.” The season is Winter, and it symbolizes the energy necessary to conserve one’s resources and economize on the expenditure of personal energy. Adaptability is a key characteristic. The negative emotion associated with Water is fear, which can be thought of as holding onto, rather than a flow and letting go of things that we feel anxious about. If energy is flowing well, we can experience life like the flow of a river. If it is not flowing well, we can feel dammed up or inundated. Water represents intelligence and wisdom, flexibility, softness and pliancy. However, an excess can create difficulties in sticking to a plan. Water also can become overwhelming when it rages in a tsunami or rises mercilessly in a flood. A positive emotion associated with Water is calmness.
Wood
Visualize a lovely, vibrant tree. It is rooted, flexible, yielding to the wind (Air), yet strong and durable. The season associated with Wood energy is Spring. New beginnings. New growth. The color is green. Wood energy is associated with creativity of all kinds. It “births” new ideas and the setting of goals. Another quality of Wood is leadership and the ability to formulate a plan, implement it, and take charge until completion. With deficient Wood energy, we might feel stagnant, with a lack of creativity. Patience and altruism are positive aspects connected to Wood energy. A negative one is anger.
Fire
Dynamic, moving, full of vitality, love, creating warmth and light. This is Fire. To be “on fire” is to be excited about life. To be “all fired up” is to be propelled by enthusiasm about something. The sun is Fire, the life-giver. The season is Summer. Luxurious growth. The color is red. Under Fire energy, projects ripen and come to fruition. Joy and happiness are positive aspects of Fire energy. Hate can be a negative expression.
Earth
Earth is the ground beneath our feet, the connection we have with the world in which we live and the entire universe. We receive our nourishment, support, and life from Mother Earth. Earth energy represents fertility, stability, the core of what is essential. Cycles of life are within her jurisdiction. Earth is special among all the elements because it is the center from which the other four arise, and they are in constant relationship with Earth. The season is Indian Summer. Yellow is the color. When a person’s Earth energy is out of balance, there is a disruption of cycles and the natural flow. Instability, lack of physical or environmental balance, and even homelessness can be symptoms. Being insecure with self and depending upon someone else to provide stability can be negative expressions of Earth energy. An emotion associated with Earth is compassion. Other positive qualities are patience, thoughtfulness, practicality and hard work.
Metal
Metal may give impressions of being cold and hard, not life-giving or nourishing in any human way, but it is important to look deeper. The minerals of the earth provide richness to the soil in which food is grown. Ores provide fuel for heat. Other materials are used for structural strength. There are gems for beauty and scientific processes. Metal conducts electricity and wires connect many things. The season is Autumn and a period of transition. The color is white. Within our own energies, it is a time for pulling together all of one’s resources for harvesting, just as this is true in nature. Consolidation and strengths become clear, as well as fragmentation and weaknesses. A positive emotion corresponding to Metal is courage. A negative one is grief.
This is a brief introduction to a complex study of the seasons and the elements of TCM, but even something this simple strongly suggests that there are patterns in nature that are interconnected with human emotions, health, diet, movement and more. Deeper work reveals many interesting correspondences, some unexpected, but most are deeply revealing.
Spencer Rouse has been a professional psychic and intuitive reader, energy healer, life coach, and lecture/workshop facilitator for more than 20 years, working one-on-one in counseling sessions, in groups, and at psychic fairs and other events. She works primarily through the gifts of claircognizance—an inner knowing—and clairsentience—the ability to sense information through feelings and emotions. Spencer also connects with the different layers of the human energy field (the aura) using color and sound to help balance and invigorate life force energy. Visit her online at http://www.SpencerRouse.com or email www.PsychicSpencer.com.