HI
I remark some people shows an interest for the chinese system. Here are a few tips based on my sifu notes and internet.
First, The image used to explain the cycles as daid in the ite is a pentagram in a circle. Logic after all, 5 elements, 5 points to visualise. Following is the basic used in their system (wonderful door, 8 characters, 6 yom, tai seuil, fong seuil/, yi king, etc... To help I will use the term elements although I prefer 5 flows.
The association
All objects, phenomena, physical or mental may be classified under one of the 5 elements. In other worlds all things in the universe are suitably associated with their proper elements in accordance with certain basic rules. Of course, based on more than 2000 years of experiences.
The birth cycle :
Wood givers birth to fire, fire to earth, earth to metal, metal to water, water to wood.
Or if you prefer, rub together wood makes fire, what is left after fire is cinder (earth), from inside earth we got metal mineral, melted metal becomes water, water help plants to grow.
The conquest cycle :
Wood conqer earth, earth water, water fire, fire metal, metal wood.
Or f you prefer, wood piece through earth, earth makes impure water, water extinguish fire, fire melt metal, an axe in metal cut wood.
The law of balance
As you guessed, some people will wrongly conclude if all is balanced nothing move since opposite forces are equal therefore cancelling each other. But it’s a wrong conclusion because each element has its own time / season. Each have a season where naturally it is stronger than the rest. Nothing is stagnant. The equilibrium here is in the cycle as a wheel and may look like a close system . O course post natal chi will flow continuously with the cycle but if there is a leak (due to aging normal or faster), cycle keep on with less energy. Which one will be depleted first and how will it affect back the other elements? Can we replenish and make the cycle strong as when we were born and even stronger ?
The law of equivalence
It states that associates falling under the same elements may be substituted or replaced without affecting the operation of the fore going laws. Confining to the associates enumerated above, instead of saying wood gives birth to fire, by virtue of this law, one can say wood gives birth to heart, spring gives birth to summer, spring gives birth to the heart, spring gives birth to bitter, sour gives birth to bitter, sour gives birth to the heart and so on
The reverse birth or weakening/exhaustion cycle
Is is Reverse birth as injury.
Metal give birth tp water but too plentifu water, metal sinks at the bottom
Water give birth wood, but too mutch wood and water shrinks
Wood give birth fire, but too mutch fire, all wood burns
Fire give birth earth but too mutch earth choke fire
Earth give birth to metal but too mutch thin earth.
When too weak, no help, you have to follow bandit
Too strong metal will exercise pressure on liver (wood) and heart (fire)
Weak metal meet fire and will melt to disappear completely
Sayin it in other way, too many kids weaken the mother
Suppression cycle
As there is anti or reverse birth cycle, there is one for the straight lines or conquer cycle.
The concept is simple, if wood tree is too strong, the axe in metal break. Imagine (marvel comics) that you try to burn adamantium. Fire will exhaust himself to melt it and exhaust all combustible (wood)
Practical training
The elements have a direction :
north = water, fire = south, east = wood, metal = west, earth is 18 days before the feast starting of spring, starting of… but its strongest direction is naturally south-west (fire gives birth to earth)
We are in spring time which is wood . Wood is green, is liver is east. So face east to inhale green forces and send it to the liver, making the liver shiny . This is one of basic breathing technic for inhaling chi, replenishing the liver. As taoist often we visualise a virgin kid naked or clothed in the color of element that gulp the energy in its stomach. Why they choose a girl is probably because the organ are yin. But You may be moder and use chakra image, lotus plant opening up to get energy, a opning door of a box, your choice, closing the mouth or the box imply to keep energy inside of you , often done as hold or not then exhale.
There is a sound assigned to the element that can be used too. Here is cantonese HEUI , in french sound like heuil, closer is hhh pronounced ,u as but and il as YL of the rtr. Prononciation differ in mandarin or cantonese. Important to know is for the following, I have no idea if it is for corruption, but sound must be vibrate softly close to whispering and not to the full exhale as when we vibrate. The sound is used to get rid of grey/dullness in liver so if if it is too strong as sound or exhale too mutch, good chi goes with the bad. Check mantak chia for the variant of the sound. Of course logical magic for me is protect, purify, clean (out garbage), replenish/nourish, goal. Remember Fusion of 5 elements of mantakchia, green dragon protect the direction by facing the ennemy out and when it replenish it face us sending the energy y its mouth. (you now know the reason of letters and symbols pointing out or in inside magical circle. Of course if done by outside people you understand it could mean stopping enclosing and repel interaction with what is inside as goetia sigil, all depends the intent).
Being in wood time, what is the best to eat ? Wood is already at its strongest time, you cannot take sour in excess or too much salty (water). Consequences as i remember will be in the following season. Earth being attacked you need reinforcement : more earth (sweet, funny is is time of chocolate) more fire (bitter, burned taste, yes time for outside barbecue). Since metal attack wood, spicy could be used too but not recommended since it reinforce water that gives birth to wood.
On solstice and equinox, it is the peak of strength of an element therefore on 21st you must meditate more But if you use the 24 feast of the 10000 year calendar as reference the date of equinox/solstice may differ from a few days of 21st, this year it was the 20th or march. As Sifu said, do not waste the opportunity, do both days of meditation
The elements are represented in 12 terrestrial branches, 12 timing. Meditation is best at rat hour (beginning of yang, 11 pm to 1 am) particularly at winter sosltice. Breathing training is best at rabbit hour 5-7 ( he never said it but it corresponds to peak of wood element, wood is wind)
You now have seen the concept of linking the association. There is more to it. If the article pass, and there is interest I will be glad to share.
But THE GREAT QUESTION is do we have something similar with westernize element based on greek and vedic stuff : akasha/spirit, air, fire, water, earth . Placing them in this circle of birth and using the pentagram concept feel weird. After all fire vs earth, earth vs air ,air vs water, water vs akasha, akasha vs fire seems incorrect. But Still vs moving (earth vs air), could make sense, the rest ?. More Investigation could be interessant, particularly to apply elemental magic. But if memomries serve well, western magic says akasha is followed by fire then water then air (combine of them) and finally the world is manifested (earth). Remember the concept nordic : void, then fire appear first, then water (due to licking/ friction/heat of the cow on ice) then ...
Hope the article is not too long.
Five Elements (五行) in Chinese Metaphysics - Imperial Harvest
Elemental Phases of Natural Energy - (qimatters.com)
≡ Chinese Five Elements Theory 101 in Easy Tables & Lists (adducation.info)
mantak chia books, my personal notes
I remark some people shows an interest for the chinese system. Here are a few tips based on my sifu notes and internet.
First, The image used to explain the cycles as daid in the ite is a pentagram in a circle. Logic after all, 5 elements, 5 points to visualise. Following is the basic used in their system (wonderful door, 8 characters, 6 yom, tai seuil, fong seuil/, yi king, etc... To help I will use the term elements although I prefer 5 flows.
The association
All objects, phenomena, physical or mental may be classified under one of the 5 elements. In other worlds all things in the universe are suitably associated with their proper elements in accordance with certain basic rules. Of course, based on more than 2000 years of experiences.
The birth cycle :
Wood givers birth to fire, fire to earth, earth to metal, metal to water, water to wood.
Or if you prefer, rub together wood makes fire, what is left after fire is cinder (earth), from inside earth we got metal mineral, melted metal becomes water, water help plants to grow.
The conquest cycle :
Wood conqer earth, earth water, water fire, fire metal, metal wood.
Or f you prefer, wood piece through earth, earth makes impure water, water extinguish fire, fire melt metal, an axe in metal cut wood.
The law of balance
As you guessed, some people will wrongly conclude if all is balanced nothing move since opposite forces are equal therefore cancelling each other. But it’s a wrong conclusion because each element has its own time / season. Each have a season where naturally it is stronger than the rest. Nothing is stagnant. The equilibrium here is in the cycle as a wheel and may look like a close system . O course post natal chi will flow continuously with the cycle but if there is a leak (due to aging normal or faster), cycle keep on with less energy. Which one will be depleted first and how will it affect back the other elements? Can we replenish and make the cycle strong as when we were born and even stronger ?
The law of equivalence
It states that associates falling under the same elements may be substituted or replaced without affecting the operation of the fore going laws. Confining to the associates enumerated above, instead of saying wood gives birth to fire, by virtue of this law, one can say wood gives birth to heart, spring gives birth to summer, spring gives birth to the heart, spring gives birth to bitter, sour gives birth to bitter, sour gives birth to the heart and so on
The reverse birth or weakening/exhaustion cycle
Is is Reverse birth as injury.
Metal give birth tp water but too plentifu water, metal sinks at the bottom
Water give birth wood, but too mutch wood and water shrinks
Wood give birth fire, but too mutch fire, all wood burns
Fire give birth earth but too mutch earth choke fire
Earth give birth to metal but too mutch thin earth.
When too weak, no help, you have to follow bandit
Too strong metal will exercise pressure on liver (wood) and heart (fire)
Weak metal meet fire and will melt to disappear completely
Sayin it in other way, too many kids weaken the mother
Suppression cycle
As there is anti or reverse birth cycle, there is one for the straight lines or conquer cycle.
The concept is simple, if wood tree is too strong, the axe in metal break. Imagine (marvel comics) that you try to burn adamantium. Fire will exhaust himself to melt it and exhaust all combustible (wood)
Practical training
The elements have a direction :
north = water, fire = south, east = wood, metal = west, earth is 18 days before the feast starting of spring, starting of… but its strongest direction is naturally south-west (fire gives birth to earth)
We are in spring time which is wood . Wood is green, is liver is east. So face east to inhale green forces and send it to the liver, making the liver shiny . This is one of basic breathing technic for inhaling chi, replenishing the liver. As taoist often we visualise a virgin kid naked or clothed in the color of element that gulp the energy in its stomach. Why they choose a girl is probably because the organ are yin. But You may be moder and use chakra image, lotus plant opening up to get energy, a opning door of a box, your choice, closing the mouth or the box imply to keep energy inside of you , often done as hold or not then exhale.
There is a sound assigned to the element that can be used too. Here is cantonese HEUI , in french sound like heuil, closer is hhh pronounced ,u as but and il as YL of the rtr. Prononciation differ in mandarin or cantonese. Important to know is for the following, I have no idea if it is for corruption, but sound must be vibrate softly close to whispering and not to the full exhale as when we vibrate. The sound is used to get rid of grey/dullness in liver so if if it is too strong as sound or exhale too mutch, good chi goes with the bad. Check mantak chia for the variant of the sound. Of course logical magic for me is protect, purify, clean (out garbage), replenish/nourish, goal. Remember Fusion of 5 elements of mantakchia, green dragon protect the direction by facing the ennemy out and when it replenish it face us sending the energy y its mouth. (you now know the reason of letters and symbols pointing out or in inside magical circle. Of course if done by outside people you understand it could mean stopping enclosing and repel interaction with what is inside as goetia sigil, all depends the intent).
Being in wood time, what is the best to eat ? Wood is already at its strongest time, you cannot take sour in excess or too much salty (water). Consequences as i remember will be in the following season. Earth being attacked you need reinforcement : more earth (sweet, funny is is time of chocolate) more fire (bitter, burned taste, yes time for outside barbecue). Since metal attack wood, spicy could be used too but not recommended since it reinforce water that gives birth to wood.
On solstice and equinox, it is the peak of strength of an element therefore on 21st you must meditate more But if you use the 24 feast of the 10000 year calendar as reference the date of equinox/solstice may differ from a few days of 21st, this year it was the 20th or march. As Sifu said, do not waste the opportunity, do both days of meditation
The elements are represented in 12 terrestrial branches, 12 timing. Meditation is best at rat hour (beginning of yang, 11 pm to 1 am) particularly at winter sosltice. Breathing training is best at rabbit hour 5-7 ( he never said it but it corresponds to peak of wood element, wood is wind)
You now have seen the concept of linking the association. There is more to it. If the article pass, and there is interest I will be glad to share.
But THE GREAT QUESTION is do we have something similar with westernize element based on greek and vedic stuff : akasha/spirit, air, fire, water, earth . Placing them in this circle of birth and using the pentagram concept feel weird. After all fire vs earth, earth vs air ,air vs water, water vs akasha, akasha vs fire seems incorrect. But Still vs moving (earth vs air), could make sense, the rest ?. More Investigation could be interessant, particularly to apply elemental magic. But if memomries serve well, western magic says akasha is followed by fire then water then air (combine of them) and finally the world is manifested (earth). Remember the concept nordic : void, then fire appear first, then water (due to licking/ friction/heat of the cow on ice) then ...
Hope the article is not too long.
Five Elements (五行) in Chinese Metaphysics - Imperial Harvest
Elemental Phases of Natural Energy - (qimatters.com)
≡ Chinese Five Elements Theory 101 in Easy Tables & Lists (adducation.info)
mantak chia books, my personal notes
