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The five elements (Chinese: 五行 Wu Xing) is an idea in Taoism. Unlike the greek four elements, they have a cycle connecting them all. There is a generative cycle and a destructive cycle. The destructive cycle is seen as giving bad luck and the generative cycle is seen as giving good luck.
The five agents are traditionally associated with the classical planets Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn in ancient Chinese astronomy and astrology, which spread through out East Asia, reflecting the seven-day planetary order (Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, Earth).
The generative cycle is:
- Wood feeds Fire (by burning)
- Fire makes Earth (lava, ash, molten lava, etc)
- Earth makes Metal (mining for metal)
- Metal carries Water (buckets, water vapour condenses onto metal)
- Water feeds Wood (trees)
The destructive cycle is:
- Wood grasps Earth (sticks falling on the ground, roots of trees preventing soil erosion)
- Earth contains water (sea, ocean, riverbank, etc)
- Water stops Fire
- Fire melts Metal
- Metal chops Wood (metal axes)