The Five Phases (Wu Xing)

The ancient Chinese monitored with great interest that which occurred in nature and compared and contrasted those observations with that which manifests in our surroundings, our bodies and in our lives. Over time, the experience and knowledge accumulated led to the principle of the 5 phases.

The Five Phases, or Wu Xing, consists of metal, wood, water, fire and earth. They represent the different manifestations of qi. Literally, "wu" means five and "xing" means phase or type. The word "xing" also means movement in Chinese.

The keyword here is "xing" or phase. It is the movement, transformation, and interaction of each of these 5 phases that are studied, not the element itself.

The five phases, or wu xing, is frequently refered to as the Five Elements. This is probably because their names are similar to the Greek classical elements (air, water, earth and fire). However, this often leads one to have a wrong concept of the five phases. The "elements" of the five phases were understood by the Chinese as different types of energy in a state of constant interaction and flux with one another, rather than the Western notion of different kinds of material.

The principle of the five phases is the backbone of feng shui. Feng shui is all about enhancing positive qi and correcting negative qi. So a good understanding of the various states of qi and how they interact is fundamental to the practice of feng shui.

The Five Types of Qi

Each phase of qi has its own unique character. When qi manifests in the form of matter, its color and shape will also tell us which of the 5 phases it belongs.