: Five Elements

I wrote this piece a few years ago and posted it on another site. For me it was just a fun piece to write, but I’ve been told it is a great way for beginners and advanced feng shui practitioners alike to get a visual they can relate to in understanding the mysterious Five Elements.

Five Elements and the Wizard of Oz

In Feng Shui the Five Elements are used to bring a balance in our lives. Usually this means having a balance of all five elements of Fire, Water, Metal, Wood and Earth in our living spaces. But first, let’s understand the Five Elements. L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard Oz illustrates this delightfully! In this tale you can see balanced and imbalanced examples of the five elements.

Cast

Fire: The Wizard
Water: The Cowardly Lion
Metal: The Tin Man
Wood: The Scarecrow
Earth: Dorothy

Fire is about taking action. The Wizard is not in balance when we first encounter him. He portrays himself as a firey ball. but he is all talk and no action. When he is revealed as a fake, he steps up to the plate as a real leader and initiator and in so doing, he finds a new sense of direction and purpose for his life.

Water is about emotions and the Cowardly Lion is a very fearful and sensitive creature who cries at the drop of a hat. The Wizard gives the Lion a medal for bravery and the Lion finds his courage. While keeping his sensitivite nature he is much more composed emotionally after he get’s his medal for bravery.

Metal is about rational thought, organization and intellectual powers. In an imbalanced state, someone who has too much metal energy (as the Tin man believes) lacks compassion and depth of emotion: he is rigid and has no heart. At the end of the story, The Wizard gives him a heart, and a testimonial which increases his capacity to both give and receive love.

Wood is about growth, flexibility and productivity. In the beginning the Scarecrow is so flexible he can hardly stand up. He also believes he has no brains, and judging by what happens when he loses his straw stuffing, we see that he does indeed lack substance. The Wizard gives him a diploma and as soon as he believes in himself, he grows substantially and becomes ‘smart.’

Earth is nurturing and supportive. Dorothy’s story is about feeling un-nurtured and taken for granted. In her inner journey and interactions with the other characters/elements she learns how to nurture others and through this, recognizes something of her own value, hence the famous line “there’s no place like home.” She comes to rely much more on her inner recources to give her stability and value.