5 element theory (seasonal)

The oriental 5 element theory sees that the seasons (they see that we have 5 seasons in the year – summer, late summer, autumn, winter and spring) are energetic transformations, which are constantly changing and merging from one thing into another and are interrelated, rather than 5 different things.

And they also see that different seasons can be seen to correspond with different elements which create a cycle of elements which influence each other.

The cycle is:

Wood burns to make Fire whose ashes decompose into Earth where Metals are burned and mined and enrich Water, which nourishes the tree (wood).

So each of these elements relates to a particular season:

Wood is ascending and twisting – The Spring
Fire is expansion – The Summer
Earth is just being – The Late Summer
Metal is contracting – The Autumn
Water is flow – The Winter

A tree is a great example of this theory:

In summer the tree fills out, greens and blooms. In late summer it remains like this and looks beautiful, enjoying its bounty. In autumn it loses its finery and drops its leaves. In winter the leaves are gone and below the bark and the earth, its sap flows. In spring once again the sap rises and the branches twist and reach toward the sky.

5 element theory for our organs