The five elements are associated to five phases of changes in human life. Each phase remains active for 2x7 years (women) or 2x8 years (men) and represents a defined level of development. The five phases are: birth, growth, ripening, decay and death.
The five phases of changes reflecting life in the old days in China
| Corrsponding to | Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water |
| Weather | Wind | Lightning | Thunder | Dew | Rain |
| Form | Pliable | Pointed | Round | Angular | Flat |
| State | Folks | Things | Sovereign | Minister | Essence |
| Change | Birth | Growth | Change | Harvest | Storing |
| Magical animal | Dragon | Phoenix | Unicorn | Tiger | Turtle |
| Human | Behaviour | Sight | Thought | Speech | Hearing |
| Sovereign | Relaxed | Enlighted | Caring | Strong | Calm |
| Ministries | Farming | Army | Economy | Justice | Handcraft |
| Punishment I (Song era) | Light beating | Strong beating | Temporary exile | Lifelong exile | Death |
| Virtue | Kindness | Decency | Loyalty | Sense of duty | Knowledge |
| Interdictions | No killing | No sensual desires | No talking nonsense | No stealing | No drinking |
| Happiness | Long life | Virtuousness | Health | Richness | Peaceful death |
| Poisons | Millipede | Snake | Toad | Spider | Scorpion |
| Punishment II (Zhou era) | Mutilation | Branding on the forehead | Castration | Cutting off the nose | Death |
| Character I | Practical, creative, courageous | Lively, spontaneous, talkative | Steady, grounded, reliable, conservative | Achievement-oriented, acquisition-oriented | Contemplative, mindful, profound |
| Tool | Compasses | Ruler | Plumbline | Set-square | Balance |
| Character II | Attitude | Imagination | Intelligenz | Eloquence | Attention |
| Behaviour | Objective | Well educated | Prudent | Lively | Calm |
| Metals | Plumb and tin | Copper | Gold | Silver | Iron |
| Five classical books in the Han era | Yi Jing – the book of changes | Li Ji – the book of rites | Shi Jing – the book of songs | Chun Qiu – the annals of spring and autumn | Shu Jing – the book of records |
| Five relationships | Older and younger brother | Sovereign and subordinate | Friend and friend | Father and son | Husband and wife |
Nevertheless, the five elements are related to each other and are interacting.
| Generating | Relationship |
| Wood creates Fire | Wood is the mother of Fire and the father of Earth |
| Fire creates Earth | Fire is the mother of Earth and the father of Metal |
| Earth creates Metal | Earth is the mother of Metal and the father of Water |
| Metal creates Water | Metal is the mother of Water and the father of Wood |
| Water creates Wood | Water is the mother of Wood and the father of Fire |
Each element is created by another (mother – child relationship) and controlled by a different one (father – child relationship), which means that each element can increase or diminish another element, for example excessive sadness (metal) can be controlled / reduced by joy (fire).
Basic rules:
1 – Wood generates Fire, but is destroyed by Metal.
2 – Fire generates Earth, but is destroyed by Water.
3 – Earth generates Metal, but is destroyed by Wood.
4 – Metal generates Water, but is destroyed by Fire.
5 – Water generates Wood, but is destroyed by Earth.
Restrictions:
1 – Wood is created by Water, but too much Water washes away the Wood.
2 – Fire is created by Wood, but too much Wood generates conflagration.
3 – Earth is created by Fire, but too much Fire dries out the Earth.
4 – Metal is created by Earth, but too much Earth submerges the Metal.
5 – Water is created by Metal, but too much Metal pollutes the Water.
1 – Wood create the Fire, but too much Fire burns the Wood.
2 – Fire creates the Earth, but too much Earth extinguishes the Fire.
3 – Earth creates the Metal, but too much Metal weakens the Earth.
4 – Metal creates the Water, but too much Water makes the Metal sink.
5 – Water creates the Wood, but too much Wood absorbs the Water.
1 – Wood pushes the Earth, but too much Earth breaks the Wood.
2 – Fire melts the Metal, but too muchMetal extinguishes the Fire.
3 – Earth absorbs the Water, but too much Water washes away the Earth.
4 – Metal cuts Wood, but too much hard Wood breaks the Metal.
5 – Water extinguishes the Fire, but too much Fire boils the Water.
1 – Soft Wood is easily broken by Metal.
2 – Hard Wood is made flexible by Fire.
1 – Small Fire is easily extinguished by Water.
2 – Strong Fire is constrained by Earth.
1 – Soft Earth is easily broken up by Wood.
2 – Hard Earth is losened by Metal.
1 – Soft Metal is easily melted by Fire.
2 – Hard Metal is ground even with Water.
1 – Not enough Water is easily absorbed by the Earth.
2 – Abundance of Water is made useable by Wood.