The five energies of the nature

Everything in the universe is changing. To live more harmoniously with natural law, it helps to have an awareness about the patterns of change. These constant alterations of life can be seen in terms of five moving energies categorized as tree, fire, soil, metal and water. A basic key to understanding the practice of feng shui is comprehending that changes in nature are brought about by these energies.

Central to Chinese thought, it was common practice to traditional peoples in the ancient world to consider these five energies as building blocks for every physical thing on earth. Furthermore, they have dozens of corresponding features which characterize all matter and the cycles of time. They help us to understand how energy moves and changes in the invisible world of vibration, which in turn governs how energy moves around our homes.

Because the strength of each energy affects the balance in an environment, knowledge of how each energy changes helps us to make appropriate adjustments in the interiors of our homes. There is a fix order to the way they move and interact within a sequence that is continuous – with no beginning and no end. One cycle of interaction is the creative cycle which is nourishing and productive: for example, water nourishes tree energy and helps wood to grow, and in turn tree energy feeds fire. Another cycle is destructive, with one energy controlling another, weakening it and acting in an antagonistic way towards it. Fire energy melts metal, and as metal is symbolic of money, fire must be brought into and used in a room with care.