The Five Energy Needs

The Five Elements Philosophy is an observation of natural rhythms, cycles and energy flow. It is called the five ELEMENTs because it begins with the basic essences of nature, fire, earth, metal (mineral), water, and wood.

A basic nature observation is the shift of seasons. Fire is associated with summer, earth with late summer, the time of harvest, metal with fall, water with winter, and wood with spring.

Earth: The energy of attraction

Attraction = a characteristic or quality that provides pleasure. Attract = tending to cause to approach or unite…by appealing to the emotions or senses, by stimulating interest, or by exciting admiration.

This is the energy of “I am important and valuable.” If you need this energy, you will notice a “backing away” in your relationships. You might feel lonely or alone, and wonder why people don’t call or visit. You might feel like you have to initiate every interaction, and possibly feel like a burden or annoyance to others.

Increasing this energy begins with speaking highly of yourself, to yourself…and then to others. If you aren’t sure of your value, begin by interviewing your best friends, asking why the heck they like you, love you, and value you. We have an intermittent ritual at our dinner table, called “what do you like about me.”

When you observe your value, speak your value. Speak up where you let others dominate the conversation, sharing your value based opinion, belief, and experience. Do your best to avoid low value communication, such as self criticism (making you wrong) or gossip (typically making someone wrong). Do your best to enter conversations with communication from your highest values, such as consideration, love, or peacefulness.  Converse 5% more about your talents, wisdom, and successfulness.

Speak of the amazing and unique features and attributes of your life and its parts. Maybe it is intimidating to speak of your service value…start with other people and things. Tell the detailed story of your amazing and unique partner or child. Paint every detail and value of her as if writing a story that will move others to be more of themselves. Tell the detailed story of your amazing and unique golf club, pen, or favorite restaurant. This is NOT selling…but it sells like crazy. If you speak of the tremendous value of your pen, and do it well, I will want one.

If you researched your pen, street light or anything about and around you, you will find an amazing and unique story. This is the energy of telling that story.

This is the energy of gravitation, just like the earth. The earth literally draws you toward her. If you are important and valuable, the people around you want to be around you more. Because they find value in you, they also want to provide value to you. They want to give and serve, and you grant them that privilege and pay them with appreciation. Think of how many times you have said, “no, thanks, that is ok, I can do it myself.” Never do that again…that is repulsion…the opposite of attraction.

Welcome every approach, and show appreciation for every opportunity to let people help you.

The five elements philosophy is practical. Without knowing anything about the history or studying the application, you can connect to the essence just through common knowledge. Fire and summer are hot, energetic, alive, colorful…it is easy to see the passion and desire attributes of fire. Water and winter are cold, still, and dark…it is easy to see the patience and flexibility attributes of water.

That is the beauty of the five elements…it is based on common observations, and then applied to all cycles of nature, using the same characteristics and attributes.

The development of an individual passes through these elements many times. An egg resting in the ovary is the essence of water…as it is released into a fallopian tube, it is sprouting from rest, the essence of wood….we won’t get into the fire essence to keep this G rated…and the earth essence is harvest…the birth…which is followed by the essence of metal…reflection, richness, and relaxation.

Once a child is born, the emotional needs become the primary goal. Here are the goals of each element emotionally, how it develops naturally, and what experiences impact the health of each energy (which associates with organ health also).

Fire element: A healthy fire energy allows a person to give and receive love in many relationships,

appropriately and confidently. This element is developed through inclusion and acceptance. Experiences of feeling rejected, abandoned or unloved create imbalance in this element and lead to challenges in developing and maintaining relationships.

Earth element: A healthy earth energy allows a person to give and receive emotional support and nurturing.

It is formed largely by the relationship to mother, or the primary caregiver. Experiences of a lack of bonding or lack of support or care lead to imbalances, resulting in a continued need to seek support or nourishment throughout their life (always looking for someone to take care of them).

Metal element: A healthy metal energy allows a person to take in the richness of life, feel that they have purpose and meaning, and process loss…

(grief/sadness) and move onward in life. This element is developed through validation (you are OK/normal) and the father relationship. Experiences of not receiving validation create imbalance and leave the person seeking recognition and approval in life.

Water element: A healthy water energy allows a person to assess risks and use good judgment in making decisions.

It is formed through reassurance in the face of fear as a child. Experiences of fear without acknowledgement or reassurance or projected fear (over-protection) lead to imbalances and a life of “bad decisions,” which can include a fear of worst case possibility in routine aspects of life.

Wood element: A healthy wood energy allows a person to have a clear vision of their path and the patience to allow it to unfold.

This element is developed by clear rules and structure as a child. Experiences of unclear boundaries leaves a person struggling with their own boundaries and a seeking of power and needing to be right or correct.

When emotional development has been affected with imbalance, there are characteristic observations that can be made in life experiences, particularly with relationships.

FIRE: You will know you need the energy of the fire essence when you observe a lack of appreciation for your efforts, being taken for granted, or being blamed for others problems. This experience indicates that this energy is weakened, and needs the energy described below.

EARTH: You will know you need the energy of the earth essence when you observe a “backing away” in your relationships, leaving you feeling alone and unsupported.

METAL: You know you need the energy of the metal essence when you observe immaturity or selfishness in the people around you.

WATER: You know you need the energy of water essence when you observe feeling disappointed or betrayed by others.

WOOD: You know you need the energy of wood essence when you observe bossiness, overbearing, disrespect, or abuse from others.