Five Elements Theory

The Five Elements theory posits wood, fire, earth, metal, and water as the five fundamental energies in nature. Each represents different properties and functions. It describes interactions and relationships between all natural phenomena. In TCM, five elements theory is applied to explain the mutual interactions of internal organs.

Five Element Associations

	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
Zang Organs	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lung	Kidney
Fu Organs	Gallbladder	Small intestine	Stomach	Large intestine	Urinary bladder
Sense	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose	Ears
Tissue	Sinews	Vessels	Muscles	Skin	Bones
Fluid	Tears	Sweat	Thick Saliva	Phlegm	Saliva
Taste	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Pungent	Salty
Emotion	Anger	Joy	Worry	Grief	Fear
Sound	Shouting	Laughing	Singing	Crying	Groaning
Stage	Birth	Growth	Ripening	Harvest	Storage
Season	Spring	Summer	-	Fall	Winter
Climate	Wind	Heat	Dampness	Dryness	Cold
Direction	East	South	Center	West	North
Color	Green	Red	Yellow	White	Black

Inter-Relationship of Five Elements

The Five Elements are dynamic: they create, control, and constantly interact with each other. Disturbances in the harmoniously coordination of elements can give rise to disease.

Generating

Each element generates another element, like the mother gives birth to and nurtures the child.

Fire (Heart) generates Earth (Spleen).
Earth (Spleen) generates Metal (Lung).
Metal (Lung) generates Water (Kidney).
Water (Kidney) generates Wood (Liver).
Wood (Liver) generates Fire (Heart) .

Controlling

Each element controls and is controlled by another element, creating a system of checks and balances. Ideally, this system guarantees that one element will not over-dominate another element for any lengthy period.

Fire (Heart) controls Metal (Lung).
Metal (Lung) controls Wood (Liver).
Wood (Liver) controls Earth (Spleen).
Earth controls (Spleen) Water (Kidney).
Water (Kidney) controls Fire (Heart).