The Five Feng Shui Elements and Their Characteristics

?by: Jakob Jelling

Feng shui handles five main elements in order to achieve harmony and balance in any space. These five feng shui elements are: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Each one of them has its own characteristics and properties, and we will detail them in the following lines.

According to Chinese traditions, everything is constantly changing and interacting and that happens through these five main elements. Feng shui traditional knowledge and all its guidelines are based on these five feng shui elements. Therefore, when wishing to harmonize a place according to feng shui, these elements must be properly employed according to their characteristics and effects.

One first feng shui element is wood, which has the Chinese name of Mu. Wood represents innovation, creativity and birth, and it is a sociable element. This element corresponds to the color green and the east direction. By placing this element at a strategic spot in any space, you would be adding all of which it represents.

Another feng shui element is fire, called Huo in China. Fire symbolizes and brings activity, enthusiasm and energy to the places where it can be found. It is a warm element that must be treated with measure since too much of it can destroy what surrounds it. Fire is represented by the color red and direction south, and symbolizes the puberty years.

A next element is earth or Tu in Chinese. This feng shui element symbolizes stability, patience and honesty. It is a methodic element that can also become demanding, and is ideal for everything that is related with real estate and inheritances. Earth is symbolized by color yellow and is representative of the early youth years.

Metal or Jin in Chinese is another main feng shui element. It represents success in businesses and harvesting. It can also represent a knife or cutting metal and be destructive through it. White and gold are the colors that symbolize it, and its direction is west. This feng shui element symbolizes the adult years of human life.

One last element is water, called Shui in Chinese. It has a very important role among feng shui elements, and actually the name feng shui contains its name in it, meaning water and wind. Water mainly represents communications and traveling. But it also represents learning, arts and media. Water is elemental for living, not only for humans but also animals and plants. It can be quiet or violent. This element is represented by the color black and direction north, and symbolizes the old human years.