Elements & Personalities
Water
Direction - North
Shape - Wave
Colors - Dark blues & black
Water corresponds with winter, north, cold, salty, blue/black, deep, wisdom, potency, listening, courage, conserving resources, storage, organic shapes.
Water Element is the color blue. Its season is winter (December 22 – March 4). The weather is cold. It is associated with the sense of sight and its body organ is the kidney. Its taste is salty. Its emotion is fear.
Positive water is a wave or moving current. Negative water is still or ebbing. Active or yang water pushes forward relentlessly and is a fearsome force to be reckoned with. Negative water is a gentle rain or dew that nurtures and seeps into the soil. The positive can destroy and the negative nourish.
People born in the year dominated by the water element have a better than average ability to communicate and to advance their ideas by influencing the thoughts of others. Others people’s minds are the vessels which help carry the Water Element person’s creative ideas into positive action. They are basically ruled by sympathetic vibrations and convey their feelings and emotions to the best degree that their native animal sign (ox, sheep, tiger…) will permit.
They have a knack for noticing things that will become important and can accurately gauge future potentials. They set things into orbit they desire by prodding others and utilizing their talents and resources. However, they know how to be unobtrusive in their persistence and will not make others feel they are being imposed upon. In this manner, like their element water, they will be able to wear away the strongest rocks of opposition by their silent but unceasing efforts. Because these people would rather infiltrate than dominate, they will know how, when and whom to approach about any given subject. They have the talent for making people desire what they desire, thus achieving their goals and assure but direct way. They like to propel instead of compel others into motion.
Because of their awareness and flexibility, they are fluid like their element. In their negatives states, such people tend to be too conciliatory and will take the easiest route open to them. At their worst they will be inconsistent and passive and lean too much on others for support. Thus, they sabotage their basic abilities. To succeed they must be more assertive and use their immense power of persuasion to turn their plans into reality. Others would be wise to be guided by their intuitions.
Wood
Direction - East, Southeast.
Shape - Upward columns.
Color - Medium tones of blue, green & teal.
Wood corresponds to spring, green, wind, birth, plants and flowers, vision, clear perception, creativity, developing goals, willpower, birth & upward columns.
Wood Element color is green. The season is spring (March 5 – May 16). Its weather is windy. It is associated with the sense of smell and its body organ is the liver. Its taste is sour. Its emotion is anger.
The positive stem of wood is the fir tree. The negative is bamboo. Firs and pine trees are green all year round. While the passive, delicate and graceful bamboo is dormant in the winter but still pliable and adaptable with a surprising resilience and strength. Positive wood is also symbolized by live branches. Negative wood is symbolized by the lumbar to build things. Seeds are considered negative and flowers are positive. Each stem dominates one end of the life cycle of constant growth and renewal.
People born under the auspices of a wood year value their ethics. They have high morals and a good deal of self confidence. They know the intrinsic value of things. Their interests are wide and varied. Expansive and cooperative by nature, they like to do things on a grand scale. Wood natives possess executive personalities because they can apportion and separate matters into the correct categories and work orders. Their progressiveness and generosity enable them to take on large projects, long term or sizable developments or pro-longed scientific studies – definitely not one man ventures.
They have the ability to convince others to join forces with them. They branch out rapidly and diversify into as many fields as possible, being people who advocate constant growth and renewal. They know how to share whatever rewards they reap by these collective efforts with all who justly deserve a piece of the corporate pie. Their innate good-will and compassionate understanding of how others think and operate will enable them to rise to fortunate positions. Wood personalities will find support and finances whenever & wherever they need them, because others will have faith in their ability to turn information & ideas into profit.
Their primary shortcoming is a tendency to bite off more than they can chew and thereby push things to the breaking point. Often, they may not be able to finish what they start if they spread their resources to thin. At such times, their plans could turn sour or they may drift from one project to another without achieving any satisfactory results.
Fire
Direction - South
Colors - Reds & pinks
Fire corresponds with summer, yang, red, warmth, joy, compassion, laughter, passion, partnership, maturity, vitality, growth, angles & points.
The colors of the Fire Element are red & pink. Its season is summer (May 17 – July 28 ) and the weather is hot. Fire is associated with the sense of touch. The Fire Element body organ is the heart. Its taste is bitter. Its emotion is joy & laughter.
The positive or active stem of the element is the forest fire or lava flow spewing from a volcanic eruption. The negative or passive stem is the fire from a stove used for cooking or the flame of a lamp giving beneficial light. The active side is spontaneous and hard to control. The passive is easily directed to serve our needs. However, it is wise to remember that there is a very small difference between the two. A lamp (passive) that is tipped over can easily become a (positive) forest fire. There is always the need to maintain that delicate balance in the yin & yang of every element.
Persons born in the year ruled by fire element will display above average qualities of leadership. They are decisive and sure of themselves with a natural capacity to motivate people and bring ideas to fruition. Fire people tend to be more positive and aggressive than others of their particular sign (horse, dog, water, dragon…). Hence, we can say that a Fire Horse is more aggressive than a Water Horse. Loving adventure and innovation, fire personalities readily adopt bright new ideas and try to dominate others with their creativity and originality. They do not fear risk and like to keep on the move and forge new trails. Danger may even be exciting. The higher the stakes, the more they are motivated.
They are the doers – given to dynamic action and speech. However, they must keep a tight reign on their emotions as their forceful ambitions may make them inconsiderate and impatient when their wishes are not gratified quickly. The more a fire person tries to achieve his ends by force or violence, the more he will encounter opposition and danger.
If a fire person learns to hear others out before leaping into action and is able to sympathize with the views of fellow workers, he has the pre-requisites to be a winner of the highest caliber. No one can exceed the fire person’s intense drive, but the fire person must learn to curb his impulsiveness. Often, they are too outspoken for their own good and they only realize that a little courtesy and diplomacy may go a long way, when it is too late.
Like the element (Fire) of their year, they constantly draw others to their warmth and brilliance and they will benefit all those who seek their company. But fire persons can also turn destructive when they are angry, and can cause irreparable damage when they fail to control or direct their energies properly.
Earth
Direction - Center, northwest & southwest
Shape - rectangles & squares
Colors - Yellow & earthtones
Earth corresponds with Indian summer, center, yellow, ripe, sweet, still, dry, nourishment, thoughtfulness, service, grounding, balance, introspection, transformation, rectangles & squares.
Earth Element color is yellow. Its season is end of summer or “Indian Summer” (July 29 – October 9) and its weather is humid. Earth is associated with the sense of taste and its body organ is the spleen. Its taste is sweet. Its emotion is sweet & sympathy.
A hill or mountain is the active or positive side of earth element. A valley is the passive or negative aspect. Raised ground is aggressive. Depressions in the landscape and lower areas bring the opposite result. Positive, is up-hill & passive, is downhill. Hills are useful as look-out points but are subject to the fury of the winds & weather. The valleys or other lower areas are suitable for raising crops because they are protected and water can accumulate in them to nourish plant life.
Those born under the Earth Element are more concerned with functional and practical aspirations. They have an excellent ability of deduction and prefer solid, reliable pursuits. Blessed with foresight and a talent for organization, they are effective planners and administrators. They put whatever available resources they have to optimum use. They are wise and prudent with finances. Intelligent and objective, they can direct others towards realizing attainable and well plotted goals.
Earth persons like to keep things in perspective and are conservative by nature. They will seldom exaggerate their findings, calculations or expectations. They will give you the true undiluted picture of any situation without “re-touching”, modifications or frills. When they are negative, their most common shortcomings will be the lack of imagination, be overly protective with a pessimistic outlook. However, they can be expected to shoulder their responsibilities admirably and discipline themselves. These dependable and solid citizens are the pillars of our community.
Metal
Direction - West
Shape - Domes & arches
Colors - White, off-white & silver
Metal corresponds with autumn, west, white/silver, inspiration, communication, acknowledgment, respect, to prune, harvest, structure, domes & arches.
Metal Elements color is white. Its season is autumn (October 10 – December 21). Its weather is dry. It is associated with the sense of hearing and its body organ is the lung. Positive metal is yang or the active part. It can be identified as a sword which can cause bodily harm, or the surgeon’s knife which must cut to heal. Its taste is pungent. Its emotion is worry & grief.
Negative metal is the yin or passive side. It can be represented by a cooking pot, metal container, gong or musical instrument, jewelry, work of art, or any rounded metallic shape that is neither pointed nor sharp (like a weapon).
People born in the year controlled by the metal element will be as rigid and resolute in expression as their particular signs (horse, monkey, rooster…) permit. They are guided by strong feelings and will pursue their objectives with great intensity and little hesitation period. Sustained by their convictions, they are capable of prolonged effort to get what they want. They are very success-oriented and determined.
These persons are not easily swayed or influenced to change a course once they have decided on it, even by hardships, drawbacks and initial failures. Whatever constancy and perseverance their native lunar signs contain will be greatly enhanced by the metal element. But they do have trouble letting go when situations become unfeasible and they can be unreasonably stubborn about their fixations.
They prefer to handle their problems alone and will not appreciate interference or unsolicited assistance. They map out their own destinies, clear their own paths and set their own goals without outside help.
Although they may appear inflexible and coldly self-reliant, persons ruled by metal can conduct electricity. Their strong impulses and generative powers will be felt by everyone they come in contact with, thereby bringing about changes and transformation they desire.
They have strong monetary and accumulative instincts and will use these traits to insist on having their own way. Often, they are unbending and opinionated and will break off a good relationship because others do not heed their wishes or conform to their will.
