The Gifts of the Five Seasons
A Study of the Five Elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water
Introduction:The Blessing of the Seasons:
As part of learning how to survive on planet Earth, our ancestors observed how the lifecycle of plants and the food they provide, is dependent on the weather and therefore the cycle of the seasons. In the majority of climates, the seasons consist of spring, summer, late summer, or harvest time, autumn, and winter. We have been taught that the reason there is life on this planet is that there is water and an atmosphere with oxygen. But what always strikes me as a miracle is the fact that there is only life because the seasons allow for the growth cycle of plants, from seed to fruit, producing the food all creatures depend on.
The miracle of the existence of the seasons at all: Furthermore, it is quite awe-inspiring to realize that our seasons are only created by the fact that our planet is in its orbit around the sun 94.2 million miles away on one hand and the mere 23-degree tilt of the earth’s axis on the other. In relationship to the distance of the planet from the sun, this minute difference in distance from its rays in the northern and southern hemispheres results in just enough temperature differences to create summer and winter. This difference is enough to allow plants to go through their stages of growth, produce fruit and thus to provide food for all life forms that depend on such sustenance. We have all witnessed that any drastic change in such temperatures has resulted in devastating droughts or frosts, destroying crops, and creating food shortages. Changes in weather patterns, and climate change, affect the harvests and the availability of the food we all depend.
The Season’s Phases/Their Elements: The ancient Taoists studied the annual changes in the patterns of nature created by the seasons. In each season, they observed distinct characteristics of nature’s lifeforce which they called “Wu Hsing” or “Five Elements.” Sometimes “Wu Hsing” was also translated as “Five Phases,” hinting at the fact that the same energy or lifeforce is present in each season only changing the characteristics of the lifeforce to accommodate for the various stages of the plant’s growth cycle: germination and growth in spring, blossoming and fertilization in summer, fruition and harvest in late summer, decay and reduction in autumn, and hibernation and restoration in winter. They named these five phases manifesting in the five seasons the Five Elements, represented by the Elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
The Five Elements In Us:When we embark on the journey of studying the Five Elements in nature around us, we will discover patterns or natural laws and learn how to best align ourselves with these forces in order to be in harmony with them.Studying nature in this way, the Taoists observed that these characteristics, which manifest in the seasonal stages of growth of the plant extend to all lifeforms, plants, animals as well as humans. Therefore, much like in the plants, the Five Elements and their attributes can be observed in us, in our activities, our behaviors, desires, thinking, emotions, and our speech, in short, in our personalities, in our inner nature.
A deeper study of their characteristics: So let us now take some time to learn the characteristics and forces of each Element by examining them in their season. This will help us understand the nature and essence of each Element, since during their corresponding season and the corresponding stage of the growth cycle of the plant, certain attributes become apparent. We could say, each of the Five Elements is taking center stage during its corresponding season.
With Spring: Spring brings us new growth, the construction of the plant. In the animal kingdom, we observe the construction of nests. In our lives we find ourselves planning new projects, and implementing ideas and visions we have. The proverbial spring cleaning then is to make room for them.
The Blossoming and Harvest of Summer: In summer everything comes to blossom, the animals are pairing up and mating and we as well, tend to want to socialize more, being with the people we love. The Late Summer brings us the harvest, the animals have produced a new generation, and we as well can enjoy the fruits of our labor for the year.
The Letting Go of Autumn: In autumn the trees teach us about letting go of the old and unnecessary, showing us the need to purge.
The Winter Rest and Conservation of Energies: The Winter weather brings snow and rain, filling the reservoirs, aquifers, and snowcaps, the water resources for the coming year. Such conditions force us to slow down, conserve our energy and rest, and thus restore our physical and mental resources.
The seasons of our inner life: By becoming aware of these phases in Nature all around us and how they correspond to similar phases in our inner life, grasping her various attributes, and then following her Natural Laws, we can learn to live in harmony with her.
We Are One 