Five phases of change
Let's take a closer look at the 5 phases of change. What is the concept behind them and how is it applied?
Contents
Concept of the 5 phases of change
In traditional Chinese science, the five phases of transformation are a concept that explains various aspects of nature and the universe. It is a metaphysical theory that is used not only in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but also in Chinese climatology (Bazi Suanming - often mistakenly referred to as Chinese astrology), geomancy (Feng Shui) and other scientific fields.
Description of the 5 phases of change
The 5 phases of transformation describe the manifestations of matter that occur on earth. Initially conceived only as a description of nature, the 5 phases of transformation were later given a biological and physiological meaning within medicine and traditional Chinese science.
Operating principle of the 5 phases of change
The theory of the 5 phases of change states that five fundamental phenomena in nature have been divided into the elements wood, fire, earth, metal and water, which are linked to each other by different principles of action.
The five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water) are the expression of the five phases of change, which are used to describe energy states. However, this is not a description of rigid states, but of phases that merge into each other and produce each other cyclically, which are constantly in motion and influence each other.
These include:
a) direct effect between the 5 phases of change:
- Mutual generation
- Overcoming each other
b) indirect effect between the 5 phases of transformation:
- Mutual control
- Mutual lifting
- Mutual injury
In the case of the direct effect between the 5 phases of change, the following two types are distinguished:
1) Generate reciprocity
- Wood creates fire
- Fire creates earth
- Earth produces metal
- Metal produces water
- Water produces wood
2) Overcome mutuality:
- Wood overcomes earth
- Earth overcomes water
- Water overcomes fire
- Fire overcomes metal
- Metal overcomes wood
In the case of the indirect effect between the 5 phases of change, the following 3 types are distinguished:
1) Mutual control:
- Wood controls water by overcoming the earth
- Earth controls fire by overcoming water
- Water controls metal by overcoming fire
- Fire controls wood by overcoming the metal
- Metal controls earth by overcoming wood
2) Mutual lifting
- Earth cancels out the overcoming effect of fire on metal, because fire creates earth and earth creates metal.
- Metal cancels out the overcoming effect of earth over water, because earth creates metal and metal creates water.
- Water cancels out the overcoming effect of metal on wood, because metal produces water and water produces wood.
- Wood cancels out the overcoming effect of water over fire, because water produces wood and wood produces fire.
- Fire cancels out the overcoming effect of wood on earth, because wood creates fire and fire creates earth.
3) Mutual injury:
If the transformation phase to be overcome is too strong or too weak, the overcoming vector is reversed and becomes an opposing vector of injury:
- Fire hurts water
- Water hurts earth
- Earth hurts wood
- Wood hurts metal
- Metal hurts fire
Assignment of the 5 phases of change
The following general classifications are given to the 5 phases of change:
- Wood corresponds to the east and spring
- Fire corresponds to the south and summer
- Metal corresponds to the west and the fall
- Water corresponds to the north and winter
- Earth corresponds to the middle and the last 18/19 days of each season.
Note: A detailed assignment can be found in the article 5 elements and for each element in a separate amount.
To summarize... the Five Elements are part of a cyclical system in which they generate or control each other and can also transform themselves. These cycles are described as follows: "nourishment cycle" or "generation cycle", "weakening cycle" or "overcoming cycle", "control cycle" and "weakening cycle".
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the 5 phases of transformation are used to analyze health and illness, restore balance in the body and develop treatment strategies.
Im Bazi Suanming werden die 5 Wandlungsphasen verwendet, um die Elemente Konstellation einer Person zu bestimmen, Ungleichgewichte zu finden die durch die entsprechenden Balance Elemente ausgeglichen und somit harmonisiert werden können.Â
In Feng Shui, the 5 elements are used to determine measures that collect the Qi - the life energy or vital force - and thereby increase the well-being of the people in the room / environment. It is applied to the design of spaces (such as living spaces, gardens, parks, public buildings, cities, etc.) in accordance with the principles of Qi, Yin & Yang and the 5 elements.
In the 5 element diet, the 5 phases of transformation are used to strengthen the Qi by passing it on in the nourishment cycle and to enrich and vitalize the functional circle of the last element with refined Qi. This is made possible by cooking in the circle of the elements, with each ingredient in the nourishment cycle being added to the dish.
Finding the balance, achieving equilibrium is the key to health and well-being in all Chinese techniques.
The 5 phases of transformation are therefore of fundamental importance in all areas of Chinese culture and traditional Chinese science, such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Chinese climatology (Bazi Suanming) and geomancy (Feng Shui) and life-prolonging techniques such as nutrition according to the 5 elements.
