Wood is the symbol of the equilibrium of development, energy, strength, movement. The energy of wood is young and ever-changing. Wood is the element of innovation and beginning. The freshness of wood is the freshness of starting something anew. Like a child approaching life with the enthusiasm of knowledge. In the human body, wood is expressed by the entire muscle and tendon system; conversely, in our emotional and energy sphere, it is expressed in growth potentials, courage, the natural desire to rebel against constraint, in growing up freely following one’s instincts. The image that is most associated to the wood element is a tree stretching towards the sky, its roots firmly into the ground. A flexible tree, bending to the force of the wind, though well anchored to the ground. Like a person being born, growing up and then taking roots, flexible and strong, season after season.

The special power of fire is to be found in a person’s enthusiasm and harmony, bringing about deep joy expressed by a lively and limpid spirit. With its glowing and vital nature, fire is a source of warmth and light, it is reminiscent of life. It is a passionate energy housed in our heart, which enables us to enjoy life and thanks to which we can communicate the emotional intensities within us. Fire means sun, light, heat, blood. It brings joyfulness and light-heartedness. The spirit of a young man who, immersed in the flow of life, avidly breathes it in.

The earth is the harmonising and balancing element par excellence. It is the centre of our life, our efforts, our achievements, our need to take some time off and not to be out of breath, so that calmness and wisdom can pervade us. Thus, we shall find a balance between what we have done and what we are still expected to do. This element represents maturity, which confers to the individual a conscious and relaxed decision-making ability. As many cultures define it, Mother Earth represents stability, for our feet stand on it, but it is also a source of nourishment and life. The Earth can be related to fertility, fecundity and plenitude. The Earth means awareness. It manifests itself within us through our flesh, cells and their life cycle, also thanks to the lymphatic fluid which, with its slowness, enables us to lead a life full of enthusiasm, while being ready to rely on its steady and careful progress. It is a safe haven for adults who, after a troubled journey, take a rest while waiting for a new cycle, maybe slower but surely more conscious and balanced.

The metal element is characterized by an inward movement of energy and is the expression of density and compactness. It is perceived as a cold, hard, sharp-edged element. In nature, it is represented by minerals which are the very essence of the earth. The movement of metal takes shape in the individual through its analytic ability, common sense, detachment from superfluous things and the synthesis of thought. Metal confers to human beings the ability to focus their attention on everything that is more subtle and perceivable, less concrete and more essential. In the human body it manifests itself through the oxygenating action of the skin in combination with the lungs, which take from the environment everything that is useful for survival while eliminating superfluous things. Furthermore, it is like a person who, after maturity, approaches senescence with detachment to preserve the emotional wealth acquired throughout his/her life, and enjoy the good memories.

The water element contains the basic energy, the vital essence of a human being. It epitomizes calmness, tranquillity, and rest. It expresses fluidity; it takes the shape of any container holding it if it is still, and follows the banks that canalize it when it is flowing. It can be violent, but also calm and docile; it can quench thirst and restore strength after physical exercise, but it can even cause harm if we do not protect ourselves against its force. Water is a vital principle in our body; the entire story of our lives is preserved in the memory of water and when cells age, the drying up of fluids drains our lives. Because life takes form in water and any absence of the latter leads to a transformation into incorporeal essence. Water is to be found in all of our districts, but its utmost expression materializes in the skeletal system, the structure supporting all segments of the body as well as the portion containing it. And in the final cycle of life, bones are the last barrier by means of which human beings defend themselves from exhaustion.