The Five Phases

The Five Phases are essentially an ancient memory aid in many traditional Chinese fields. The system of five phases was used for describing interactions and relationships between phenomena. It was employed as a device in many fields of early Chinese thought, including seemingly disparate fields such as geomancy or Feng Shui, astrology, traditional Chinese medicine, music, military strategy and martial arts.

The five phrases are:

• Water
• Wood
• Fire
• Earth
• Metal

Produce

The common memory jogs, which help to remind in what order the phases are:

• Wood feeds Fire;
• Fire creates Earth (ash);
• Earth bears Metal;
• Metal carries Water (as in a bucket or tap, or water condenses on metal);
• Water nourishes Wood.

Control

• Wood absorbs Water;
• Water rusts Metal;
• Metal breaks up Earth;
• Earth smothers Fire;
• Fire burns Wood.

Weaken

• Wood parts Earth (such as roots) （or Trees can prevent soil erosion );
• Earth absorbs (or muddies) Water (or Earth dam control the water);
• Water quenches Fire;
• Fire melts Metal;
• Metal chops Wood.