The Five Elements (五行)

The Five Elements (五行 — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are the building blocks of a BaZi chart. Your eight characters each belong to one element, and their balance reveals your constitution:

• Wood (木): growth, kindness, creativity.
• Fire (火): passion, visibility, expression.
• Earth (土): stability, trust, mediation.
• Metal (金): structure, justice, decisiveness.
• Water (水): wisdom, adaptability, communication.

The elements interact in two cycles: generating (Wood→Fire→Earth→Metal→Water→Wood) and controlling (Wood→Earth→Water→Fire→Metal→Wood). A balanced chart has all five present; an imbalanced chart leans heavily on one or two.