Element Qualities

FIRE

Fire gives us the ability to give and receive love and warmth. It allows us to interact appropriately with each other. An imbalance in fire may represent as a person who finds difficulty in mixing with others, especially strangers, or someone who finds it hard to open up emotionally to someone close. Their joy and sense of fun may be high one moment and flat and difficult to lift a short while later. They tend to be easily hurt and are sensitive to comments and actions (they will remember these and still feel the hurt for years). Many fire types find it hard to be the centre of attention and may get nervous and anxious just at the thought of it, while others would relish the prospect and may actively try too hard to be popular and liked.
Key associations:
Colour red or lack of red
Voice is flat/monotone (lack of joy)
Odour is scorched
Emotion is joy or lack of joy

Season is summer
Organs are Heart and Small Intestine or
Pericardium and Triple Burner

EARTH

Earth gives us the ability to nurture and sustain ourselves and others. It allows us to give help and sympathy to others and also to receive this ourselves. An imbalance in earth may manifest as an awkwardness, discomfort or inability to give help and sympathy to others. Others may try to actively induce sympathy to nourish their earth. Failure in this area may result in ‘comfort eating’ and weight problems. Conversely, some earth types may give too much to others and forget to nourish themselves. Excess worry can manifest and many earth types will have clear ‘worry’ lines on their forehead. Worry can also manifest as over-thinking and obsessiveness.
Key associations:
Colour yellow
Voice is sing
Odour is fragrant
Emotion is sympathy or worry
Season is late summer (harvest)
Organs are Spleen and stomach

METAL

Metal gives us the ability to feel self worth and to value others. It gives us a sense of quality and the ability to see beyond ourselves. It also gives us the ability to move on from things that have come to an end. An imbalance in metal may manifest as a lack of self esteem. The individual may never feel that they have achieved or that what they have done is of any value or quality. They may also fail to see this in others and fail to give due respect and praise. Metal types may struggle to move on from losses, be it the death of a person or pet or the loss of a way of life. The feelings of grief will be great but not always expressed.
Key associations:
Colour white
Voice is weep
Odour is rotten
Emotion is grief
Season is Autumn
Organs are Lung and Large Intestine

WATER

Water gives us adaptability and will power. It gives us the ability to pause and assess. An imbalance in water may represent as a person with no drive or determination, just drifting along, not necessarily without aim, but without the inner strength to persist. Conversely, they may be excessively driven and determined. Water types may not be able to adapt to situations and this may manifest as unsuredness. Many water types build in coping mechanisms, but these can be undone by unfamiliar situations and their fear will become more observable. Some will become excessively safety conscious and/or controlling to try to insure that nothing unexpected can happen.
Key associations:
Colour dark blue/black
Voice is groan
Odour is putrid
Emotion is fear
Season is Winter
Organs are Kidney and Bladder

WOOD

Wood gives us the power of birth, growth and renewal. It allows us to move forward with dynamism, determination and vision - the ability to plan ahead. An imbalance in wood may manifest as someone who is stuck in a rut, unable to diversify and develop. This can lead to frustration and anger. Like old wood they may be inflexible and unable to change. They may become fussy, rigid and excessively organised and planned. They may seem overly direct and over bearing and loud and not take on board others feelings or opinions. They may often see things as right or wrong and no in-between and this can lead to a heightened sense of justice or injustice. Conversely a wood type may be very messy, unplanned and with no structure or direction.
Key associations:
Colour green
Voice is loud and/or clipped
Odour is rancid
Emotion is anger
Season is Spring
Organs are Liver and Gall Bladder