Element Correspondences
Asessing an individual's health and susceptibility to dis-ease through the elemental make-up of their whole being is the basis of many health systems throughout the world.
In the Vedic traditions of India (V) dating from several thousand years BC, the elemental make-up of the world is seen to emerge of out the element of Ether or Akasha, giving rise to Fire Earth, Air and Water. The theory behind this system forms the basis of the chakra system, yoga and several energy-based healing skills.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are said to be five elements: Fire Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. These are seen as co-dependent and the relationships between any two elements can be supportive, diminishing or mutually antagonistic. The theory behind this system is the basis of acupuncture, acupressure and shiatsu.
In Europe the Greek philosopher and doctor Empedocles, (490-430BC) stated that the four elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water were seen to be the source of 'love and hate and above all, diseases'. The correspondences to these elements closely match those of Vedic Traditions.
Where one element is predominant or lacking a person, they exhibit particular characteristics in their behaviour and outlook. Both the positive and negative traits are often evident, side by side. Disruption or disease within an individual, often brings about an increase in the negative traits of their personal elemental balance.
Look at all the correspondences and the postive or negative of any trait identified. Please use the information below to identify which element best matches your needs, whether that is to deal with something or to work towards achieving a goal and then return to the database and click onto 'Element' in Box 1 and enter the element you have found into Box 2 and click on 'Search'.
In the Vedic traditions of India (V) dating from several thousand years BC, the elemental make-up of the world is seen to emerge of out the element of Ether or Akasha, giving rise to Fire Earth, Air and Water. The theory behind this system forms the basis of the chakra system, yoga and several energy-based healing skills.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are said to be five elements: Fire Earth, Metal, Water and Wood. These are seen as co-dependent and the relationships between any two elements can be supportive, diminishing or mutually antagonistic. The theory behind this system is the basis of acupuncture, acupressure and shiatsu.
In Europe the Greek philosopher and doctor Empedocles, (490-430BC) stated that the four elements, Fire, Earth, Air and Water were seen to be the source of 'love and hate and above all, diseases'. The correspondences to these elements closely match those of Vedic Traditions.
Where one element is predominant or lacking a person, they exhibit particular characteristics in their behaviour and outlook. Both the positive and negative traits are often evident, side by side. Disruption or disease within an individual, often brings about an increase in the negative traits of their personal elemental balance.
Look at all the correspondences and the postive or negative of any trait identified. Please use the information below to identify which element best matches your needs, whether that is to deal with something or to work towards achieving a goal and then return to the database and click onto 'Element' in Box 1 and enter the element you have found into Box 2 and click on 'Search'.
Fire (TCM)
| Colour: | red |
| Season: | summer |
| Sense Organ: | tongue |
| Emotion: | +ve: joy, happiness, expressive, energetic, changeable, inspiring -ve: aggressive, lacks confidence, worries, restless, ambitious |
| Body Orifice: | ears |
| Body part: | blood vessels |
| Capacity: | sadness |
| Life Aspect: | spirit |
| Meridians/Times of the Day: | Heart (11am-1pm), Small Intestine (1-3pm) Circulation/sex (7-9pm); Triple warmer (9-11pm) |
Fire (V)
| Colour: | red |
| Chakra: | solar plexus |
| Emotion: | +ve: enthusiasm, confidence, idealism, innovative, ambition -ve: anger, arrogance, bitter, selfish, reckless, self-indulgent, irritable |
| Body Function: | digestion |
| Sense: | sight |
| Characteristics: | +ve: enabling, forgiving, inspiring -ve: controlling, short-tempered, selfish |
Earth (TCM)
| Colour: | yellow |
| Season: | late summer |
| Sense Organ: | mouth |
| Emotion: | +ve: sympathy, steady, honest, reliable, loyal, logical -ve: stubborn, lonely, acquisitive, self-seeking, demanding |
| Body Orifice: | mouth |
| Body part: | flesh |
| Capacity: | belching |
| Life Aspect: | ideas |
| Meridians/Times of the Day: | Spleen (9-11am); Stomach (7-9am) |
Earth (V)
| Colour: | yellow |
| Chakra: | root |
| Emotion: | +ve: courage, refined, secure, reliable, traditional -ve: obstinate, fearful, lazy, acquisitive, perfectionist, insecure |
| Body Function: | structure, stability |
| Sense: | smell |
| Characteristics: | +ve: ability to complete, grounded, spiritual -ve: stuck, dull, ineffective |
Metal (TCM)
| Colour: | white |
| Season: | autumn |
| Sense Organ: | nose |
| Emotion: | +ve: faithful, helpful, disciplined, organised, self-reliant -ve: grief, nervous, destructive, oversensitive, self-preserving, rigid |
| Body Orifice: | nose |
| Body part: | skin and body hair |
| Capacity: | cough |
| Life Aspect: | animal-self |
| Meridians/Times of the Day: | Lung (3-5am); Large Intestine (5-7am) |
Water (TCM)
| Colour: | blue, dark blue, black |
| Season: | winter |
| Sense Organ: | ears |
| Emotion: | +ve: resourceful, honest, sensual, brave, dreamy, creative -ve: fear, phobia, sly, self-serving, cowardly, secretive, pessimistic |
| Body Orifice: | anus, genitals |
| Body part: | head hair |
| Capacity: | trembling to create release |
| Life Aspect: | willpower |
| Meridians/Times of the Day: | Kidney (5-7pm); Bladder (3-5pm) |
Water(V)
| Colour: | orange, white |
| Chakra: | sacral |
| Emotion: | +ve: passion, clarity, caution, sensitive, loving -ve: jealousy, loneliness, fantasy, stubborn, possessive |
| Body Function: | reproduction, fluid transport (blood, lymph) |
| Sense: | taste |
| Characteristics: | +ve:creative, flowing, release, warm -ve: compulsive, obsessive, unwilling to change |
Wood (TCM)
| Colour: | green |
| Season: | spring |
| Sense Organ: | eyes |
| Emotion: | +ve: steady, sympathetic, gentle, helpful, logical, tough -ve: anger, competitive, perfectionist, impatient |
| Body Orifice: | eyes |
| Body part: | nails, hands, feet |
| Capacity: | control |
| Life Aspect: | spiritual faculties |
| Meridians/Times of the Day: | Liver (1-3am); Gallbladder 11pm-1am) |
Air(V)
| Colour: | green |
| Chakra: | heart |
| Emotion: | +ve: compassion, co-operative, inventive, optimistic -ve: greed, impulsive, distant, excitable,easily distracted |
| Body Function: | breathing, nerves, immunity |
| Sense: | touch |
| Characteristics: | +ve: honest, humorous, independent, practical -ve: judgemental,impatient, intolerant, frustrated |
Ether [Akasha](V)
| Colour: | blue |
| Chakra: | throat |
| Emotion: | +ve: joy, capacity to hold space for others to develop and grow -ve: grief, isolated, lack of awareness of others |
| Body Function: | ability to swallow, subtle energy flows & communication |
| Sense: | hearing |
| Characteristics: | +ve: expressive, silence, self-exploration -ve: controlling, manipulative, over zealous |