Five Element Theory

During the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) a theory was introduced in China as to how things in the world relate to each other. It starts with the Creation cycle. From Fire the Earth was created. From Earth comes Metal. Off of Metal runs the Water . Water makes Wood grow. Wood makes Fire burn. They go in a specific order and one creates the next – The Creation Cycle. The element that comes before is referred to as the Parent and the one after is the Child. The Parent nurtures the Child and the Child steals from the Parent. Before the Parent (or two back from the Child) is the Grandparent. In Chinese culture the Grandparents raise the Children. They are the disciplinarians of the Child. This leads to the Control cycle. Fire melts Metal. Metal chops down Wood. Wood grows through Earth. Earth makes the banks that the Water flows in. Water puts out Fire.

So the really cool part is how each of these elements is associated with many different things and the relationships and cycles still hold. Below is a chart showing a few of the associations. Because you tend to have inherent weakness within your personality type, by understanding this you can live your life nurturing your weaknesses to the best of your ability.