Yang Wood and Fire: Yin Earth, Metal and Water

This 5 Element assessment results show a relative balance in all the elements; as in not an extreme variance for any particular one. 

Wood is the Yang Element; Fire is the next dominant element.

Yin is Earth, Water and Metal.

Wood is intuition, knowledge, inspiration and action.  When wood is in balance we will trust the process.

Wood consumes Earth, which is indicative in the totals shared above.  Too much wood can be Type A personality; a lot of things happening but not enough gain; lots of work not enough pay.

Fire is the emotional element; it is communication (words), touch, life, spark, excitement.  This is connected to Fame and Reputation or Community.  It is defined as Integrity, true to self and how we are viewed by others.

The results of the assessment show that there is plenty of wood to keep the fire burning and Fire creates Earth, yet in this instance Earth is the lowest or most yin of the elements.

It may be possible that you are full of ambition, lots of great ideas and are inspired to share.  You can communicate effectively, your ideas spark interest and yet the seeds of your inspiration may not have enough Earth in order to sprout, take root and begin to grow.

In any garden there are times when you have to control the growth.  Culling weeds or runts from your plantings.  Perhaps it may serve you to look at your "garden or forest", stand in a place of observation and see what you can nourish to truly take root and harvest and preserve the others for another planting cycle?  

Adding Metal:
The element of Metal is used to control Wood as a Dominant Element.  (Metal cuts Wood.)

Too little Metal can impact one’s ability to focus, stay on task, lack determination thru procrastination, forgetting, and avoidance. 

The ability to generate many ideas, however, needing to cull the forest in order for those ideas to take root in the Earth.

• What could you let go of in order to allow yourself to focus your intentions more specifically?
•  Are there concepts, ideas or things in your world that can be blended together to create a more solid root structure?
• What seeds have you planted that need more room to grow?
•  What branches could be pruned?

The I Ching teaches us that Metal is the element associated with Children and Creativity; the essence being “Joy”.

• How could you cultivate Joy in your life right now?
•  How could you “lighten up”?
• What would it feel like if you could infuse your life overall with joy?

Highlight with Earth and Fire Elements:

All seeds have their own germination period.  I invite you to consider all the great things you intend to plant, nurture and harvest.  Then consider the possibility that all the seeds do not necessarily have to planted all at once.  

Perhaps you can find a rhythm in clearing the soil, plant specific seeds, nurture and intend to harvest.  

Find your ground, stand in your garden.

Too little Fire can be a feeling of being separate from, lots of flame but not a lot of heat.  Just as above, metaphorically speaking, you may benefit from concentrating your efforts on stoking less number of fires rather than have many individual matches lit and expect the same radiant heat.

The element of water helps to refine.  “Going with the Flow”.  “Trusting the flow of life.” If the garden is too dense the plants can not thrive in rationing the water.

Suggested Affirmation:

Yang Earth and Fire; Yin Wood, Metal and Water

Yang Earth and Fire; Yin Wood, Metal and Water Observations.

This is in response to a reader's quiz submission.

Thank you!

Earth is your Yang Element, what you show on the outside.

Fire is the compliment Yang Element, supporting your creation of Earth.

Your Internal Yin elements are Metal, Water and Wood.

Strong Earth indicates that you are practical, stable, grounded in the here and now.  While the assessment total in relation to the other elements may suggest that you may have and to take on too much responsibility, feelings of getting stuck, not moving forward, rather a feeling of being anchored or weighed down.

In the I Ching; Earth is the Element associated with the Love & Relationship area of the Bagua.

Known as the receptive; being able to take something in.  The receptive Earth.

Keyword is Devotion; between love partners and within self.

In order to balance out the dominance of Earth, I invite you to add Wood.  Wood consumes Earth.

Wood is intuition, knowledge, inspiration, active, awake & alert.  It embodies openmindness, ability to trust, ability to accept guidance, to take reasonable risks, to try new activities.

Too little wood can keep us “small” or not branching out.

Health & Family’s element is Wood.  The I Ching associates: arousing, thunder & shock.  The best reaction to shock is laughter; Despite being shocked by a thunderclap life goes on.  Shock is a movement to transformation.

What can or is stimulating transformation in your life? 

What seeds can you plant and nurture in Health – Body, Mind, Spirit?

What can you “unearth” about your relationships; to self and to others?

Is there a new way at looking at your relationships?

What can you cultivate in your life?

Highlight with Metal & Water

Metal is the mental and intellectual.  It is the element of both strength and endurance; as well it can be made malleable. 

Metal is excavated from Earth.  To little metal can be procrastination, avoidance, forgetting.  I invite you to consider releasing some of the Earth’s burden of responsibilities to lighten the anchor. 

What area of your life are you holding on to things that others may help support you?

What could you delegate?

Water is the source of life, it is the tapping into the soul, spirit, trusting in the flow of life.  This could be an invitation to “dive” into something. To feel more fluid, to nourish growth.

An Affirmation for you…

Pop Quiz - Finding Your Element

How does one know which element is your Yin or your Yang?

Which of the 5 elements are primary in YOU: Wood, Fire, Water, Metal or Earth.

If you are up for a pop quiz continue reading.

Please accept this as an invitation for you to email me your totals from each part of the quiz, from which I will provide you my observations and interpretations.

Score each question on a scale of 1 to 5.

• 1 being the least likely
• 2 being sometimes likely
• 3 being occasionally but not characteristic
• 4 being frequently
• 5 being most always

Part One: ___Are you a natural born initator?

___Do you act assertively & confidently?

___Do you resist authority figures?

___Do you find that people and activities move to slowly for you?

___Do you like struggling against all odds, proving yourself to others?

___Are you always doing something or going somewhere?

___Do you have high blood pressure?

___So you strongly resist giving in to a compromise?

___Do you always want to be first and best?

___Does confinement and sitting quietly drive you crazy?

___Do you get frequent muscle cramps?

___Do you like to make all the rules and then break them?

___Do you pioneer new trails wherever you go?

___Do your nails alternate between hard & thick and dry & brittle?

___Are you impatient with people who seem to have no direction in life?

___Do you strongly resist showing vulnerability?

___Do you love speed and adventure?

___Have you ever had tendonitis?

___Do you manipulate situations to get what you want?

___Is it difficult for you to control your anger?

___Do you find any kind of restraint insufferable?

___Do you do your best work under pressure?

___Are you considered moody?

___Is your personal freedom a supreme value in your life?

Part One Total_________

Part Two:

___Are you highly motivated to seek the divine?

___Are you charismatic?

___Do you have heart problems?

___Do you have an extreme aversion to pain?

___Do you love drama, performing and being in the spotlight?

___Are you often spontaneous?

___Do you get sores on your tongue or around your mouth?

___Can't say no to anyone?

___Do you tend to be more emotionally intense than your friends?

___Have you ever had a speech impediment?

___Do you love to give your opinion?

___Do you fear separation above all else?

___Are you clever on your feet?

___Do you desire personal fulfillment more than almost anything?

___Do your cheeks turn red easily?

___Could you be described as extravagant?

___Are you bright and scintillating at social gatherings?

___Do you have eczema or other skin eruptions?

___Do you enjoy talking during most activities?

___Do you have trouble with boundaries in relationships?

___Is the need for intimacy and merging a strong motivation for you?

___Do you suffer from anxiety or insomnia?

___Are you mostly optimistic and enthusiastic about life?

___Are you strongly empathetic?

Part Two Total_____

Part Three:

___Do you see yourself as a service oriented person?

___Are you working on being more self-reliant?

___Do your friends often use you as a negotiator?

___Is bloating and water retention a problem?

___Do you struggle with inertia and feel "stuck" sometimes?

___Does nurturing come easy to you?

___Do you like to be in charge but not in the spotlight?

___Does your need to be accommodating sometimes result in conformity?

___Is a need to belong strong in you?

___Do you suffer with muscle tenderness?

___Do you regard loyalty as one of the most important traits in a person?

___Are you conservative in your thinking?

___Are you the family member or friend who knows what's going on in everyone's lives?

___Do you suffer with swollen glands and other lymphatic disorders?

___Would you like things to be more predictable?

___Do you tend to be overly protective?

___Do unrealistic expectations leave you disappointed much of the time?

___Do you try to be all things to all people?

___Have you recently gained weight?

___Are you considered a worrier?

___Do you feel you haven't been recognized for your efforts?

___Are you prone to obsessive thoughts and actions?

___Are you the family member or friend who remembers everyone's birthday?

___Are you regarded as the peacemaker by friends and family?

Part 3 Total__________

Part Four:

___Do you hold righteousness and virtue in high regard?

___Are rituals important to you?

___Is chaos your enemy?

___Do you have stiff joints and muscles?

___Do you have no time for nonsense?

___Do you hold very precise standards?

___Are you very sensitive to temperature?

___Is clarity and agreement important to you?

___Are you a law and order person?

___Is your skin or hair really dry?

___Are you considered a perfectionist?

___Do you fear intimacy?

___Do you have a strong artistic sense or an eye for good design?

___Does carelessness in others drive you up the wall?

___Are you considered cool, dispassionate and distant?

___Are reason and high principles your guiding light?

___Are you considered a little too strict and nit picky?

___Do you have elegant or refined tastes?

___Is social involvement on the bottom of your list of things to do?

___Do you have sinus problems?

___Does your high level of self control drive your spontaneous friends crazy?

___Do you know best?

___Is it difficult for you to experience or release powerful emotions?

___Are you good at providing structure and boundaries for others?

Part 4 Total__________

Part Five:

___Would you describe yourself as introspective?

___Is the search for truth a prime motivator in your life?

___Do you have a very strong sex drive?

___Are you highly creative, imaginative and original?

___Do you dislike superficiality more than anything?

___Do you pride yourself on being self-contained and self sufficient?

___Is rapid deterioration of teeth or gums a problem?

___Do you seek the deep mystery in everything?

___Do you suffer with frequent backaches?

___Do you occasionally catch yourself being tactless or thoughtless?

___Do you have a very penetrating and critical mind?

___Do you hate waste and conserve everything?

___Is the desire to stick to it one of your strongest virtues?

___Do you have hardening of the arteries?

___Is it difficult for you to share your things with others?

___Do you suffer from a feeling of chronic isolation?

___Are you afraid of losing yourself in others?

___Are you considered enigmatic and eccentric by your friends?

___Do you often feel misunderstood?

___Are you awkward in social situations?

___Do you resist conformity?

___Do you have kidney or bladder problems?

___Are your hands and feet likely to be cold?

___Do you have remarkable powers of concentration?

Part 5 Total__________

Summary: Part One is your WOOD Score

Part Two is your FIRE Score

Part Three is your EARTH Score

Part Four is your METAL Score

Part Five is your WATER Score I invite you to email me your summary with the totals from each part of the quiz, from which I will provide you my observations and interpretations.

Metal - Its Elemental Dear Bagua

The fifth element in Feng Shui is Metal.

Metal embodies the intellect and the mental aspect in our life.  It can be defined as our ability to focus, be quick, be determined, be sharp, clear communication and deep intellectual clarity.  Metaphors such as "mind like a steel trap" and "razor sharp mind" convey this definition.

The material itself is can be noted as our human signature, in that we take it from the earth and manipulate it into various forms.  Metal can be dramatic and strong, think sculpture, jewellery and buildings. And can be the epitome of strength and endurance, think granite and marble. 

Too much metal can 

• leave us unable to compromise
• inability to change course even when it makes sense
• brittle
• sharp tongues
• being weak or over processed
• have trouble connecting
• lack flexibility
• over analysis

Too little metal can be

• procrastination
• avoidance
• spineless
• forgetting
• forgetful
• unable to stick to your own integrity.

Metal cuts wood; Metal holds water; Metal consumes earth.

To lessen Metal you can add Fire as it melts metal.

Metal as a structural commodity in our life is, like all of the other elements, needing balance.

Out of Earth, Wood, Fire, Water and Metal.  How would you number these in order from greatest element in your life to least in your life?

Which of these elements would you like to nourish?

Which of these would you like to control?

Water - Its Elemental Dear Bagua

How would you describe your favorite body of water? 

How would the water be moving or is it still?

Would it be deep or shallow?

Would it be calm or energetic?

Off the top of your head, what water metaphor could you use to describe your life at this moment? 

Does that metaphor match your ideal Flow in your life?

Water is an essential ingredient in our life.  Literally.  Our bodies are composed of 50-75% of water.  We can live without food but we can not sustain our life without water.  

Water is the source of Life, it is connecting to spirit and spirituality.  It is the Flow of life.

When we have to much water energy in our lives we can 

• lack form
• overwhelm ourselves and others
• tidal waves of emotion; flooding
• unprocessed stuff
• feel wishy washy

When we have too little...

• anxiety
• like we've lost the/our flow
• lost connection to our Higher Power
• lack synchronicity
• dehydrated, dry and combustible.

Momentum would also be a great way to describe Flow. That feeling of being in the groove.  

Where in your life are things not going with the flow?

Where have you sprung a leak?

What could you add to your life or let go of in order to improve your momentum?

We can unclog our flow by letting go of things that seem to be holding us back.  It could be letting go of literal things, people, relationships, thoughts, clutter and even the simple act of deep breathing can help to release energy to get your flow back on. 

What parts of your life are going with the most perfect flow?

What can you learn from those tributaries and apply to the areas that need some help?

I believe that we could associate multiple metaphors of water to describe our lives.  Your ideal career pace may look completely opposite from what you want your home life to feel like.

The magic is finding the Balance that suits you best.

The Emotional Oil & Water

Grief can arrive like the rolling in of black clouds before a storm.

Grief can make your brain feel stuffy like a full blown head cold.

Grief can make your physical body feel as if you are walking through mud.

Grief can contract your emotions so tight you feel like you are waiting for the bomb to blow.

Grief feeds on and morphs into the very monsters hiding in the closet or under the bed.  

Grief sensitizes us to ourselves and others.
Grief is the great lecturer on the past;
Grief is the shoulda, coulda, woulda.
Grief is the judge and the jury;
and given permission grief can be the jailer.

Grief is the darkness.

Grief does to you anything it wants...if you allow it.

So what now................(Inhale Peace)

I choose Gratitude (Exhale Love)

I choose Lovingkindness.

The days leading up to the memorial date were not filled with Lovingkindness.  Nope they sure were not.

I was channelling the power of anger and depression.  The uninvited flashback moments of 4 years ago running through my  mind.  The details as crystal clear as if it were all happening in present moment.  I could feel it in my body, I could smell it, I could taste it.  I could hear the question, "Why?" being asked by myself and others.  I was generating a vortex full of wrath and fury fueled with sadness and loss.  I was feeling "without".

Then, I would look at my daughters and the storm would pause, the turbulence would sigh with dismay at losing momentum.

The morning of the memorial day I woke up feeling lighter.  Feeling partly cloudy rather than imminent storm.  I asked the girls what happy story they were thinking of about their Dad.  I saw their father in their faces.  I invited private flashback moments of their births, of stories of our lives with him.  And I began to feel gratitude. I was feeling "with". 

Not gratitude for him not being here, but gratitude for him giving us what we had with him in our lives.  Reflection.

Over a comfort food breakfast we shared stories.  Nurture

Looking around our ecosystem and feeling Blessed.  Gratitude.

Choosing kindness over bitterness.  Community.

Inhaling Peace and Exhaling Love.  Love.

Went out for lunch and shared laughter and fellowship.  Joy.

Reminded myself that I am supported.  Spirit.

Allowed myself to let go.  Flow

The mixing of Gratitude with Grief is like trying to blend oil and water.  

Grief being the oil at the top not allowing the water (Gratitude or Peace) to mix in.  You can shake the jar as long and hard as you want and in the end the oil will always float to the top.  

We can not change the physical properties of oil and water, however what we can do is change our perspective.  Perhaps the oil is the Gratitude and the water is the grief?  Its possible, if we allow it.

Everyone has their own process in coping with and moving through grief. And as each year passes I'd love to say that it gets easier; however what I will say is that it gets different.

I consciously choose to be open to what is possible.  Grief can rise to the top on any given day.  

I'm not looking to close the door on grief for myself or my daughters, I am however always open to creatively approaching this memorial day or any other day that grief appears. 

I'm grateful.  I'm grateful to be here to hug my girls, to love my girls and send love to everyone who has lost.

Its safe and okay to be sad and miss our Dads,

Its safe and okay to love and miss our Dads,

All is well.

Inhale Love,

Exhale Peace

and repeat.

Wood You? - Its Elemental Dear Bagua

If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?  I'm not sure.  However if a palm frond falls off your palm tree and hits the neighbor's garage it most definitely makes a sound.

I've had the pleasure of being in the garden on 2 occasions in the last month to hear the cracking and subsequent whoosh and crash of a 2 metre frond drop.  This morning as I looked up at my tree I was struck with something, perhaps you can relate.

Isn't it fascinating that plant life just does what it does?  Right now in the Southern Hemisphere I see new leaves opening on my trees, my lawn is covered in clover, my citrus trees are nearly done producing and the palm is dropping the seed branch which I think is Australia's version of snow.

The tree never questions its process, it just goes with its rhythm.  All it wants to be is a tree.  

You don't see the orange tree trying to emulate the bamboo, or the bamboo trying to be a hedge.  Plant life does its thing, its the plant its intended to be.

The element of wood in Feng Shui is that of growth.  Plant life of all kind have a foundation of roots to support the growth above the earth.  Just like in our literal life we sometimes need to cut or prune to allow new growth, or to clear so that growth is not stunted or all consuming.

Wood is 

• intuition, 
• it is what you see and what your don't see; as in the plant/tree reaches out above the earth while the roots are hidden in the earth therefore it holds trust; 
• its an element of new growth, new skills, new projects. 
• Wood embodies expansion.
• trees have branches; our brains can branch out
• trees have seeds; seeds are knowledge
• the color green.

Wood is in Balance when we can trust the process and take reasonable risks; while open to guidance and open minded.

Too much wood can leave us feeling encumbered, and we can not keep up.

Taking to much on and consuming to much of the Earth.  We need to bring in the metal element to cut the wood.

Too little wood may be felt when we are not branching out; when we are keeping ourselves small. We need water in order to nourish Wood.

I invite you to consider where you are nurturing yourself for growth in all ways.  Physically, mentally and emotional nurturing to grow your tree of life.