Metal (wuxing)

Fourth of five elements of the Wuxing

"Metal (element)" redirects here. For other, see metal (disambiguation).

Classical elements

Hellenistic

Air

Water

Aether

Fire

Earth

Hinduism / Jainism / Buddhism

Vayu

Akasha

Agni

Prithvi

Chinese

Wood (木)

Water (水)

Fire (火)

Metal (金)

Earth (土)

Japanese

Wind (風)

Water (水)

Void (空)

Fire (火)

Earth (地)

European alchemy

Air

Water

Fire

Aether

Earth

Sulphur

Mercury

Salt

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In Chinese philosophy, metal or gold (Chinese: 金; pinyin: jīn) is one of the five concepts that conform the wuxing. It is the return or the declining stage, and is associated with the west, dusk, autumn, loss, grief, and the White Tiger. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Metal is the lesser yin symbol of Yinyang character, its motion is going inwards and its energy is contracting. It is also related to lungs, the large intestine, noses, and skin. The archetypal metals are silver or gold.

## Attributes

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In Chinese Taoism and traditional Chinese medical theory and thought, some attributes of Metal are firmness, rigidity, focus, integrity, and quality. The metal person when excessive is controlling, cutoff and arrogant, set in their ways as metal can become very rigid. They are self-reliant and resilient and prefer to handle their problems alone. The metal person is also intelligent, business-oriented, and good at organization and stability. However, the metal person can also appreciate luxury and enjoy the good things in life. The metal person has strong impulses and generative powers that they can use to change and transform those who come into contact with them, just like metal can conduct electricity. The well-balanced metal person is calm, humble and honest as well as a good person with a focused mind.

## Astrology

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In Chinese astrology, metal is included in the 10 heavenly stems (the five elements in their yin and yang forms), which combine with the 12 Earthly Branches (or Chinese signs of the zodiac), to form the 60-year cycle. Yang metal years end in 0 (e.g. 1980), while Yin years end in 1 (e.g. 1981). Metal governs the Chinese zodiac signs Monkey and Rooster. The planet Venus is associated with metal because it is white in color (the Chinese color of death), and can be seen in the west as the evening star.[1]

## Cycle of Wu Xing

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In the regenerative cycle of the Wu Xing, earth engenders Metal as "all metal has to be extracted from the earth in which it resides"; Metal begets water as from the mountain tops flowed the water from the source.

In the conquest cycle, fire overcomes metal as love melts the coldest heart or "can only be melted and forged" by flame or heat; Metal adds minerals to wood for it to grow healthy and straight or overcomes wood as the metal axe is able to topple the tallest tree.[2]

However, the Cycle of Wu Xing also states that excessive volumes of wood may defeat small volumes of metal, Wood by excessively wanting to grow undermines its integrity and becomes a weed and not a tree or as an axe would be broken or dulled after trying to chop down a forest.

## References

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1. ^ Wolfram Eberhard, A Dictionary of Chinese Symbols, pp238-9, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1986
2. ^ Theodora Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Astrology, pp. xxix – xxx, Souvenir Press, London, 2005

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Wuxing

* Fire
* Water
* Wood
* Metal
* Earth
* Days of the Week

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