Five Elements (五行)

The Five Elements are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth (note: 金 here means Metal, not Gold). Bazi treats them not as substances but as five phases of change, linked in two cycles below: Generation (相生), where each element feeds the next, and Overcoming (相克), where each element restrains another.

• Wood 木 Grows upward and outward — ambition, planning, and the energy of spring.
• Fire 火 Rises and spreads — passion, visibility, and the height of summer.
• Earth 土 The still center — stability, nourishment, and the turn between seasons.
• Metal 金 Cuts and refines — discipline, precision, and the harvest of autumn.
• Water 水 Flows downward and pools — wisdom, adaptability, and the rest of winter.