The Earth Element Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) embraces a fivefold concept: the Five Element or Five Phase Theory. It explains a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types. One of those phenomena is the personality type for each of the five elements. To summarize the Earth element personality in one word, it’s nurturing.

We all tend to be one predominant personality type from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. But no one is one hundred percent one type alone. And each element type manifests an in-balance and out-of-balance (maladapted) personality.

Describing this or any other element type is not all black and white. Sometimes we’re in balance and sometimes we’re out of balance in our type. This imbalance often stems from childhood occurrences that impacted us in an indelible way.

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Key Points About the Earth Element Personality

You could very well be an Earth element personality or type if the year of your birth ends in the number 8 or 9.

• Yellow years (the yang color of Earth) end in the number 8.

• Ochre or deep gold years (the yin color of Earth) end in the number 9.

Even if you don’t have an Earth element personality, you can be in or out of balance with the Earth element throughout the year.

This especially occurs when we enter any of the four 18-day transition periods between the four major seasons of TCM. We call these periods bridging the four major seasons Earth.

Earth is when the energies of yin and yang come into balance before one of them begins to dominate the other.

In TCM’s understanding of Earth:

• Earth provides a home for Metal.

• Earth controls Water by forming river banks.

• Fire forms ground for Earth.

• Wood controls Earth through its ability to mold Earth into a dam, for example.

Pay attention to the attributes of Earth and keep yourself in balance with them.

If you’re an Earth element personality and you experience imbalance with Earth, you can get back into balance relatively quickly. Do it primarily by understanding the Earth element and how it correlates to your Earth element personality. Then adapt yourself to live harmoniously with it. (This article will give you insights on how to do balance your Earth element personality.)

Earth is the element of harvest, abundance, nourishment, fertility, and the mother and child relationship. Earth balances and epitomizes the changes of seasons.

So an Earth element personality will be all about nurturing, abundance, change and helping to bridge relationships one person to another.

Physical Attributes of Earth Relating to an Earth Element Personality

Earth associates with the digestive system—the stomach (middle of the body) and the spleen. Earth also relates to the sense of taste.

If you’re an Earth element personality and type, you should avoid foods that antagonize the stomach. You may already have an intolerance to insulting foods.

The Earth element personality and type is often prone to ulcers or indigestion. Consider avoiding indulging in sweet foods and rich desserts.

The Earth element personality and type often develops stomach illness. It shows up as deep sagging facial lines from the base of the nose to the outer corners of the lip.

The energy of the Earth element supports the flow of lymph to detoxify the body.

Lymph is a colorless fluid containing white blood cells that bathe the tissues and drain toxins through the lymphatic system into the bloodstream.

For this reason, each of the four 18-day between seasons periods of Earth are the best times of year to detox skin and body. Toxicity conditions such as acne—a sign of Earth imbalance—can easily flare up during the Earth periods. Toxicity is a condition of Earth imbalance.

PHYTO5’s Earth quantum energetic line of skincare addresses toxic skin conditions of acne, blemishes, and enlarged pores.

Quantum energetic means the skincare line potently helps balance emotions as well as skin and vital energy. (All PHYTO5’s five element lines are quantum energetic.) This is particularly important for the Earth element personality (or any of the other four element personalities). Because the five element lines are quantum energetic, they balance emotion as well as skin.

This means the out of balance emotional state of the Earth element personality can be easily brought to balance using products from the Earth line.

An out of balance Earth element personality ruminates excessively. Feelings of overwhelm and stuckness, for lack of a better word, dominate. The Earth quantum energetic line of skincare work to get the Earth element personality or anyone out of balance during the Earth seasons feeling more free to self-express creatively.

Earth line skincare shifts you or the Earth element personality enough to help you move off dead center and complete unfinished projects. If you’re a nurturer and use the Earth line you get to relax more knowing you don’t have to be all things to all people.

Click here for the dates of the four 18-day periods of Earth.

Earth Element Personality and Energy

As for any element, the Earth element personality feels a whole range of emotions and behaviors: patience, reliability, logic, service and duty to others, militaristic nature, stubbornness, and high energy.

We see the balanced Earth element personality in:

• home

• safety

• stability

• grounding

• support

• love

• nurturance

• practicality

• reliability

• industriousness

• pensiveness

• seriousness

• conservatism

• instinctive awareness

• reflection

• empathy

• honesty

• kindness and prudence.

The home is very important to the Earth element personality who creates a cozy and comfortable home. Their homes are relaxed and put visitors at-ease so much so they don’t want to leave.

The Earth element personality loves to decorate with stuffed furniture, thick rugs and ornate elements. But out-of-balance Earth types will overdo and decorate with lots of clutter.

The maladapted (another way to describe imbalanced) Earth element personality likes to collect, even hoard, material things. It create a sense of security.

The Earth Archetype As It Relates to the Earth Element Personality

• Plains and valleys are the yin or feminine expression of Earth.

• Hills and mountains are the yang or masculine quality.

Well adapted Earth element personality types intimately connect with the Earth. They see being outdoors with nature, plants or animals as complete spiritual experiences.

The Earth element personality epitomizes balance and unconditional love, nourishment and nurturance.

Earth is the Mother Goddess, Mother–Provider, fertile, nurturing, grounding, strong and constantly transforming. An in balance Earth element personality personifies all these.

Mother Earth never stops providing and caring for us. She supports all kinds of copious plant life to grow in her rich fertile soil. She devotes herself to nurturing and sustaining all her children—sentient beings living on Earth.

This is a quality the Earth element personality in balance mirrors by taking care of family, feeding, loving, caressing and encouraging.

The Earth element personality enormously values friendship. Earth types are very kind and nurturing to their friends.

Like the matriarchal Earth archetype, an Earth element personality in balance is pillar of the family and often the community. This personality will create a safe, secure enriching environment and always with a steady hand and loving touch.

The Earth element personality must live in yin-yang energy balance to be well adapted in Earth. This means Earth types are spiritually and emotionally well grounded individuals.

The Earth element personality—when well adapted to the element—nurtures herself or himself as well as family and friends, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The balanced Earth element personality offers many gifts to loved ones:

• an empathetic ear

• reliability

• comfort

• selflessness

• concern

• grounding for the family.

For all of these reasons and more, everyone wants to be balanced an Earth element personality’s friend.

But the Earth element personality can also be out-of-balance.

• selfish; self-absorbed

• overly pensive; gripped by paralyzing mind chatter

• needy; uncooperative with others, and/or

• judgmental and rigid (including physical inflexibility)

Nevertheless, the out-of-balance Earth element personality or type truly can transform:

• self-absorption>>>to empathy and selfless caring for others

• the prison of an overactive ruminating worrisome mind>>> to the freedom and the comfortable ability to take action

• neediness>>> to dependability so others will know they can be counted on and are loyal.

The Spirit of the Earth Element and How it Supports the Earth Element Personality

TCM calls the intellect Yi. It’s the spirit of the Earth element and also our center. It balances the transformation processes of all the other elements.

Yi gives us the capacity to make scholarly achievements, to set intentions and digest thoughts and information all while keeping us centered in our core. But when an Earth element personality, or anyone for that matter, overthinks and worries, it damages Yi.

On the other hand, when your Yi is healthy, you can remain present and attuned to the gut-brain axis(1) and your solar plexus chakra. The Yi seems somewhat esoteric, but a balanced Yi supports healthy physical digestion which is a very grounded concept.

Especially if you’re an Earth element personality, get really attuned to the element of Earth. It’s very therapeutic. It will bring you into harmony with nature and support the Yi spirit. Then Yi is able to sustain a calm clear mind as it listens to the gut-brain for intuitive information.

Balancing the Maladapted Earth Element Personality

An undernourished childhood—both literally, through lack of nutrition, physical touch and nurturance, and figuratively, through lack of unconditional love and emotional support—often negatively affects the Earth element personality and for life.

The Earth element personality may be unable to resiliently respond to stress because of an inner empty feeling created by an inappropriate maternal experience.

All children need to be held in their mother’s arms, most especially. They need to be told everything is alright. They need to feel a deep connection with Mother. Children require mother’s unconditional love, affection, attention and care.

But a lack of motherly nurturance often affects the Earth element personality’s ability to genuinely and empathetically care for others.

Finding contentment and satisfaction in family, work and relationships can become difficult, out of balance with the  Earth element.

The Earth element personality needs to know she’ll be heard, understood and supported. But lacking this she becomes needy. Out of neediness, the Earth types will often turn to whoever will listen to them as they seek attention through complaining.

They’ll also be constantly striving to fulfill their need to be listened to and understood. The maladapted Earth element personality wants to have her plights recognized. they feel the sympathy and empathy they elicit from others proves their friends and loved ones understand them.

The maladapted Earth element personality can also become overly self-sacrificing. This behavior can often be inappropriate boundaries are crossed in the spirit of helping someone else.

Earth types feel very challenged to simply be empathetic and allow others to work through their problems themselves. The maladapted Earth type wants to solve others’ problems for them.

The Earth element personality out of balance may find self-care challenging. This personality’s driving force and reason for living is all about taking care of others and not himself or herself.

The Earth element personality out-of-balance can also often feel anxious and insecure when his stable predictable lifestyle has been threatened. He may worry about this or other issues excessively and obsessively. And it’s this worry that prevents him from making decisions and completing projects. His mind gets chaotic and feels stuck and paralyzed. 

The maladapted Earth element personality can find a pathway back into balance through service, gratitude, self-care, and mindfulness practices. 

Utilizing the Energies of Earth for a Balanced Personality in Any Element

The Earth element is substantive.

Earth can conjure fierce images in your mind like erupting volcanos and intensely vibrating earthquakes.

But Earth also and mostly calls to mind nurturing soil, the bounty, healing crystals and stones buried beneath, and all the plants and animals it sustains.

You might like to visualize Earth itself from space as gentle reminder we live on a magnificent celestial island.

You can call upon Earth’s energies to facilitate your manifestation efforts. She’ll help you put down strong roots so your dreams can grow into reality.

The Earth element can provide you with a sense of reality and productivity. It gives you the capacity to turn nearly everything you touch into something tangible.

Earth can be not only a great ally but wise guide.

Whether you’re an Earth element personality or a personality of any of the other four elements of TCM, call on Earth’s energies for assistance. Call on Earth for help with grounding, growth, protection, your work with the Law of Attraction, and the inner workings of your soul, life cycle and abundance.

Earth holds a gateway enabling you to communicate with animal and plant spirits. She offers you the necessary grounding to keep one foot firmly planted on terra firma. Especially if you’re a gardener, crystal worker or herbalist, Earth will support you in your service.

The energies of the Earth element will help keep you aware of your valuable and enlightening ancestral roots. They’ll also encourage you to keep the garden of your life free of weeds in the here and now.

Whether you’re in or out of balance as an Earth element personality, feel gratified by your Earth Mother archetype. Reach for her wondrous qualities of composure and serenity whenever you feel unsure.

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Endnotes:

1. Gut-Brain Axis (GBA): Researchers now call the gut the second brain having discovered there is an enormous number of neurologic connections and neuro-regulatory bodies in the gut microbiome. From the nasal sinuses to the rectum, the GBA comprises the largest macro-membrane in the body with a surface area of two tennis courts.

…

Sources:

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2010.

Earth Element Symbolism

Traditional Chinese medicine’s (TCM’s) season of the Earth element is an 18-day period of transition between each of the four major energetic seasons. Each of the five elements is rich with indigenous symbology and expression. Historic Earth element symbolism is rich with teaching metaphors that also give clues for health and a harmonious Earth lifestyle.

“… symbols have come to be placed within conscious, traditional and dogmatic systems, but their inner life still pulses beneath this rationalized order, even becoming audible from time to time.”

— J. C. Cirlot in Dictionary of Symbols

The Earth element not only refers to the actual soil but the character, dynamic state, and elemental force of the element.

We commonly see Earth element symbolism as feminine. Earth represents infinite creativity, the great mother, fertility, giver of nourishment, and longevity.

In a more general sense, when we juxtapose Earth with the spiritual heavens, Earth element symbolism represents matter.

In TCM, Earth element symbolism depicts the balance of yin and yang. As complementary equals, yin and yang relate to each other to create a dynamic balance and a harmonious whole.

“…there can be no sharp distinctions between spirit/nature, subject/object, good/evil, and victory/defeat. Each exists o­nly because of its opposite… yin and yang are direct opposites interacting together in harmony. The weakness in o­ne is overshadowed by the strength in the other. Yet, in weakness resides strength waiting to be used.”

— Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D.

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Enjoy balance of the Earth skin condition: toxic skin with acne, blemishes and enlarged pores.

PHYTO5’s quantum energetic Earth line of skincare will help bring this condition to balance as it balances your emotional state too.

Earth type personalities sometimes embrace the Mother-Provider archetype too exuberantly. Out-of-balance Earth types take care of others but often to their own detriment. The quantum energetic Earth line of skincare will help you balance this emotion if you feel stuck and in overwhelm because of over-careteaking.

We find Earth element symbolism well articulated in landscape and building forms.

TCM associates the flat shape to the element of Earth. Earth mountains are flat topped mountains.

This particular Earth element symbolism we see evidenced in the Jura Mountains in France and Switzerland near to PHYTO5’s Swiss factory.

Another example is the twin peaked Mount Asgard(1) on the Cumberland Peninsula of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada.

We see Earth element symbolism in buildings, flat rooves and square or oblong structures like the Viking longhouses of antiquity.

Earth element symbolism manifests as a bridge or transition.

TCM observes Earth element symbolism as a transition aspect linking one season to the next as a kind of hyphen or dash punctuation mark.

Earth element symbolism points to yin and yang, famine and masculine aspects.

The Earth element embodies intrinsically yin energy. This means Earth presents primarily as a feminine energy element.

But each of the five elements express both yin and yang energy—one being more predominant.

When Earth expresses as yang masculine energy, Earth element symbolism appears as a hill and Earth’s color is yellow.

Earth element symbolism shows up in human characteristics.

Many people enjoy active yang energy cheery bright sunlight yellow. The Earth element symbolism displays in them as intellectualism, faith, and goodness.

Gold or ochre exhibits Earth element symbolism in yin energy expression. The valley illustrates Earth’s yin aspect.

We see yin aspect Earth element symbolism in people inclined to ochre or gold. They live more calm, passive, conservative, dependable, practical and grounded.

TCM tells us Earth’s location is center and center always stabilizes energy and balances yin and yang.

In the home, we can utilize Earth element symbolism to nurture ourselves and family.

The Earth room of the home is the heart of the home where nourishment occurs—the dining room.

Even before we see Earth element symbolism in the dining room, we see it in the fields. Earth’s grain is rice. It ripens in the yellow-ochre Earth and stabilizes the body with nourishment.

Earth element symbolism reveals itself as sign of stability and grounding.

Earth element symbolism runs through ancient Chinese history.

During the reign of the legendary Chinese king Huang Di(2)—the Yellow Emperor—the color yellow found enormous popularity.

The epitome of Earth element symbolism, they named Huang Di the Yellow Emperor. The people gave Huang Di this honorific because he and his army honored the value of two things:

• the Yellow Earth—the symbol of farming;

• and the Yellow River of their home, the central land they called China. 

We see Earth element symbolism in ancient Chinese lore as the Yellow Dragon.

In addition to dragon, the Earth element governs rat and ox signs of the Chinese zodiac. 

This same ancient Chinese lore depicts Earth element symbolism in the Yellow Earth Tiger (solar in color). Yellow Earth Tiger inhabits the Earth and reigns supreme over all the other element tigers: Wood, Fire, Metal and Water.

Very direct Earth element symbolism associates Yellow Earth Tiger with the heart of China. The center of the zodiac houses Yellow Earth Tiger just as the Yellow Emperor was situated in the heart of China, the center of the compass in the Chinese cosmos.

Earth element symbolism runs through much other ancient history too.

In Indian mythology, the elephant stands for Earth element symbolism.

We observe the square or cube dominant in Earth element symbolism. It’s the great cosmic symbol for Earth representing the cradle of humanity, home, and a place of origin.

The square or cube in Earth element symbolism hints at the end of material life while it simultaneously maintains life.

Earth embodies earthly progeny. It offers a sense of eternity. 

In Tibetan buddhism, we see Earth element symbolism represented by a yellow square or a tiered yellow cube (four or five squares nested within each other).

The Roman standard or signa romanum carried the symbol of the Earth element represented by a cube. It was a banner that identified a Roman unit or cavalry.

In Greek mythology, the anvil embodies Earth element symbolism. The anvil reminds us of the passive feminine principle (as opposed to the hammer that represents the fruitful making of things.)

In Vajrayana buddhism(3), the swastika expresses Earth element symbolism and Earth’s indestructible stability.

The Renaissance was fond of personifying the elements as gods from antiquity.

The great nature goddess Cybele of ancient Phrygia in Asia Minor stands as epitome of Earth element symbolism. She was called Mater Kubileya (Mountain Mother) and was given the latin name Magna Mater meaning Great Mother. Cybele was partially assimilated to aspects of the Earth goddess Gaia and to the harvest Mother goddess Demeter.

For South American Indians the spear has historically represented the Earth element.

In TCM, various types of catastrophes associate with an element. Earth element symbolism and the earthquake equate with each other in TCM.

We’ve derived the name Adam, the name used to personify primordial man, from the Hebrew adama meaning Earth.

According to Gershom G. Scholem in On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism, we conceive Adam as a “vast representation of the power of the universe” on Earth concentrated in humankind.

Observe Earth element symbolism in geometry and numerology.

he quaternary in Earth element symbolism—a thing consisting of four parts and concept of the number four— corresponds to Earth and the material pattern of life. The quaternary also reveals feminine energy, matter created from the thought or idea, and reason. 

“The ternary is the number pertaining to the idea; the quaternary is the number connected with the realization of the idea.”

— Plato

Earth element symbolism aligns with the number eight—a double-four representing and bringing balance. This symbolic numerology speaks that what we sow, we also reap.

For further reading on aspects of the Earth element, be sure to read our article on the Earth Type personality: The Earth Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance.

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Endnotes:

1. Asgard: a god of Norse mythology

2. Huang Di is the emperor that is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese people; he ruled from 2697 BC to 2598 BC, approx.

3. Vajrayana buddhism is a form of esoteric buddhism with vajrayana being one of three vehicles to enlightenment (the other two are Sravakayana and Mahayana).

…

Sources:

The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. United Kingdom, Serindia, 2003.

Becker, Udo. The Continuum Encyclopedia of Symbols. United Kingdom, Continuum, 2000.

Cirlot, J. C. Dictionary of Symbols. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2006.

Scholem, Gershom. On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism. United Kingdom, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1996.

Levitt, Susan. Taoist Feng Shui: The Ancient Roots of the Chinese Art of Placement. United States, Inner Traditions/Bear, 1999.

Describing the Fire Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicin

Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory to explain a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types. We all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, however no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance or maladapted Fire type personality.

Partake of the mystique of quantum energetic formulated plant-based skincare for your exalted natural bxeauty and well-being. Subscribe for a discount promo code, plus get truly unique holistic beauty tips and offers.

Describing this or any other type is not all black and white. Sometimes we are out of balance in our type which will often stem from childhood occurrences that marked us in an indelible way. But if we find ourselves out-of-balance in our type, we can bring ourselves back into balance simply by understanding our element and adapting ourselves to live harmoniously with it. To understand each of the five element archetypes is to understand the element and appreciate it as metaphor. 

Your Predominant Element Type

This article offers keys for bringing yourself back into balance with Fire if it’s your predominant element.

The outward manifestation of your skin is often a good first indicator of your element type. Our website offers a key to assist you with the five groups of skin condition for the face here.

If you are a Fire type, your skin will tend to redness, sensitivity, irritation, overheating, excessive perspiration, blotchiness and allergic reactions. These conditions are generally related to an active arterial (red blood) circulation due to a rising yang energy.

The Fire Energy

Fire energy in the body is all about expanding and engaging. It corresponds to the peak of yang energy of energetic Summer, high noon, heat, sultriness and freedom. Laughter is Fire’s voice quality, joy-in-balance is the emotion and scorched its smell. 

The capacity for both interpersonal and divine love comes from the Fire element. The Fire energy in traditional Chinese medicine is considered the source of joy, happiness, and emotional protection for the heart.  

Expressiveness and aliveness point to a balanced Fire type person. Concern for the welfare of all is the essence of the loving generosity and wisdom of the well adapted Fire type. On the other hand, a flat aspect, apathy, and lack of enthusiasm point to an out-of-balance Fire type lacking yang energy.

When Fire is in balance within you:

“… this energy leads to open-heartedness, intimacy, generosity of spirit, optimism, joy, and the heartfelt expression of love. These qualities might seem easily accessed by other types but for the Fire type they are a major theme in maintaining adaptation and health.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

Conversely, when Fire types are out-of balance, calm, happiness, joy and open-heartedness can be elusive.

The archetypes of Fire are the Lover and the Protector of the Heart. If you are a Fire type you probably can identify with these archetypes. You probably find them alive and well within yourself.

These archetypes embody the immense capacity of the Fire type to develop profoundly deep and intimate connections with others. These archetypes are also the root of erotic love.

Balanced Fire types can be very open-hearted and are willing to take risks with love without fear of being hurt or betrayed by the other. It is this very willingness to dive into love that creates very deep and long lasting relationships for the Fire type whether it’s with friends or lovers. But when Fire is out-of-balance, emotional vulnerability can be a major issue.

Enjoying calling attention to themselves, Fire types can be flamboyant in their appearance or behavior. They are generally excited, flirtatious and enthusiastic people. They can either be the life of the party when feeling their power or terribly shy when feeling emotionally vulnerable.

Out-of-balance (maladapted) Fire types can exhibit manic expressions of over-the-top joy which sometimes swing wildly to its exact opposite—no joy at all and sullenness.

Maladapted Fire types must learn to balance excitement and enthusiasm and their need for intimacy and love by connecting with the spirit energy of Fire in the heart which traditional Chinese medicine calls the shen. Shen is the higher consciousness that descends from ‘heaven’ and dwells within us. The shen, or spirit, it is believed, will only dwell in a heart that is calm and generously in service to others.

Fire types tend to be emotionally fickle with commitments. They lose interest quickly after having initiated a commitment with great enthusiasm. They also can become confused in love and other aspects of life and may have difficulty processing their emotions. While some Fire types can recoil from emotional vulnerability and social engagement with others, other Fire types can be domineering, overpowering and intimidating. These are all signs of a maladapted Fire type.

Personality patterns can vary greatly with all the five element types, however only a very few core issues underly these fluctuations in behavior patterns.

For Fire, a principal issue is the ability to maintain open-heartedness when another shows a lack of interest. Another of Fire’s potential issues and thus, downfalls, can be the inability to draw from the power of their spiritual shen (spirit) as well as the ability to discipline mind chatter so that he or she may become focused, creative, alluring, and engaging. When Fire types are unable to tap into their shen as well as to focus the mind, they can feel confused and victims of chaos, insomnia and anxiety.

From the balanced shen and Fire element stem expressions of love and affection not just for others but also for the Self. Very well adapted Fire types are able to love themselves—not superficially as in admiring themselves when they look good in the mirror—but profoundly, on levels that are subtly revealed to themselves and to others.

Knowing they are lovable can often be a challenge for the Fire type. Many Fire types are lovingly expressive but are challenged to accept that they themselves are lovable. They are often challenged to feel that love for themselves. This is an important practice for such Fire types to engage in—the most fundamental practice of learning to love and appreciate themselves.

Fire types like getting “fired up.” They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Integral to action and excitement, for Fire types to be in balance, they must find the calm needed to somewhat contain their enthusiasm. Without this two-sided balance, enthusiasm turns into over-the-top expressions of joy which are not healthy.

Being able to modulate Fire energy within them is key for Fire types in order to prevent potential burnout or consuming themselves by their own passion.

When maladapted, the Fire type experiences physical and emotional conditions such as:

• overheated expressing as anxiety, rapid heart rate and mania, and

• burnout expressing as physical coldness, confusion, flatness, aloofness and indifference.

Madapted Fire types are often challenged to be open-hearted and generous with expressions of love because of fear of vulnerability to others or the possibility of being hurt by others in relationship. Fire types want so much to experience intimacy with others but when out-of-balance Fire holds back with hesitation this results in confusion and limitation in the relationship when it is the very opposite they desire.

Fire types typically are all about action. They like getting fired up. They like taking control and if they feel restrained they do not do very well. Fire types have a perspective that comes from the grandeur of the heart energy and so they expect the best from their efforts. They are optimistic and natural leaders. People love and want to be around their positive and sunny energy because they exude power and energy.

Keys for Returning to Fire Balance

• The Fire line of skin and hair care by PHYTO5 can actually assist you to regain balance. It is It is rich in natural essential oils elevated to the quantum energetic level which means that the line is able to begin to penetrate the deepest core of the mind-body system, therefore it has the capability to help balance your emotional state as well as your skin condition. (Read our blog on the quantum energetic breakthrough by PHYTO5 here.)

The antidote for maladaptive five element behaviors is often found in the virtues for each element and type.

• For Fire types the virtues of surrender and open-heartedness are key to balance. This practice begins with honoring and listening to the higher wisdom received from shen. Also embrace that you are both an emotive and a feeling person. Focus on opening your heart without fear and engage with others. It is the act of open-heartedness and recognizing the other in oneself that actually leads to Fire type balance or adaptation, vitality, happiness and joy-in-balance.

• Remember to laugh and smile for balance in Fire energy. Laughter improves oxygen utilization, circulation and relaxes the facial muscles.

• Know that you are lovable. Your first love is to yourself. This is a process of realization but it is not only possible for you, the Fire type, but probable that you will achieve it.

• Keep your life simple. Many out-of-balance Fire types become confused in many aspects of their lives. Keeping it simple will assist your balance.

• Take care of your physical heart and stay fit. Imbalance is never only caused by only one aspect of ourselves (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).

• When Fire is out-of-balance with stress, chaos and struggle, they can and must consciously tap into and utilize the connection with shen to rise above, create balance, calm and authority of Self.

• By also engaging with other people in a cipher of generosity, love and selflessness, this, too, can assist maladapted Fire to deal with the stress and imbalance they feel in their element.

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Endnotes:

Photo courtesy of Евгений Горман at pixels.com (pexels-евгений-горман-10040245.jgp)

Hicks, Angela, et al. Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture. United Kingdom, Elsevier Health Sciences, 2010.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

Describing the Wood Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medici

At the time of our birth, the prevailing cosmic and telluric energies have an important effect on our personality. It can be said that at the time of birth these energies give us our own individual rhythms that seem to transcend our genetic makeup and upbringing. Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory that help explain these rhythms. Traditional Chinese medicine points out that we all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, though no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance (maladapted) Wood type personality.

Wood-in-balance types derive an enormous amount of energy and vitality through maintaining a vision of their ideal future and what they can do to make that happen. They have a tendency to create independent lifestyles and to control their own futures.

They are pioneers and visionaries. These are their archetypes.

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Adapted or in-balance Wood type personalities are open to new ideas and trends and they recognize possibilities that others might never see. They make sure they are surrounded by a free environment that will foster their vision and creativity and support their breaking through to do things in their own way.

Balanced Wood type personalities know how to get around obstacles and part of their deft maneuvering includes establishing alternate plans and contingencies. Even when failures occur they usually and flexibly simply take another route or look for another direction—a tactic so supportive of change and transformation.

Balanced Woods know what works for them. They tend to be optimistic as they hold the vision of and hope for a future they’ve already seen.

Wood type personalities are self-directed and structured, organized and deliberate—qualities they find necessary to achieve their lofty goals. List and spreadsheet making are very often integral to their organization and planning although these can sometimes go too far with Wood where the need to plan and organize becomes excessive and annoying.

Seeing life as something to be conquered, instead of cooperating, Wood competes. But what Wood is really trying to do by competing is create a sense of control. Wood’s single most important ambition is to maintain a sense of control over life.

Out-of-balance Wood type personalities need direction and accountability to an authority figure. A mentor, teacher or leader who can provide maladapted Wood with a plan is often more than helpful as it provides this Wood type with much needed structure.

Frustration, anger, impatience, controlling behavior and combative conflicts are the toxic expressed emotions of the maladapted Wood type. Because Wood types are so hooked into their goals, they often abrasively confront or argue with anyone who they perceive is an obstacle on their path.

This personality aspect translates into Wood’s physical makeup which is often well muscled, strong and coordinated since Wood types cannot be swayed as they stand for what is right and just. Taken too far, Wood can be inflexible, sticking to a plan or belief no matter the cost. Trees may appear stiff and unbendable but they’re really quite flexible when they need to be and this is Wood’s challenge.

The Wood personality type is very often critical of everything but themselves. When Wood lacks this self-awareness, they cannot be honest with themselves. Should they feel they’ve been treated unfairly, they will neither forgive nor forget. They tend to hold grudges indefinitely. On the extreme end, this behavior describes a maladapted Wood type.

Wood types are often unable to tolerate injustice whether it is done to them or done to society as a whole. The Wood archetype is the Warrior which leads out-of-balance Wood away from angry outbursts and hostility into championing just causes. This helps Wood regain a sense of control in a world he views as uncertain and hostile. Warrior Wood works to right what is wrong and to forge changes that create hope for the future.

Wood’s virtues are forgiveness and patience. They stem from the innate vision and insight of the Wood type and they neutralize the negative angry emotions Wood can so easily feel.

The Warrior/Pioneer archetype is founded on the flourishing energy of the Wood element and the birth of yang energy in energetic Spring. Like well adapted Wood, yang energy is forceful and vigorous, warming and expansive.

From the new yang energy of Spring comes balanced Wood’s ability to initiate action, take decisive steps, express balanced emotion and to allow creativity to flow with new ideas, change, hope, vitality and optimism.

The Wood type personality is challenged to move from anger to insight and from frustration to patience. In order to do so, Wood must be flexible and honest with himself or herself.

Connect to the power of the Wood element this season of energetic Spring (February 5 to April 17) to rise above the chaos, reclaim your visionary self, see solutions where problems used to be and allow transformation to improve your life.

#####

Endnotes:

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

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The Water Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medicine: Understanding Your Archetype for Harmony and Balance

At the time of our birth, the prevailing cosmic and telluric energies have an important effect on our personality. It can be said that at the time of birth these energies give us our own individual rhythms that seem to transcend our genetic makeup and upbringing.. Traditional Chinese medicine embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element or Five Phase Theory that help explain these rhythms. Traditional Chinese medicine points out that we all tend to be one predominant ‘type’ from among the five elements of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, though no one is one hundred percent one type alone. In this article we discuss both the in-balance and out-of-balance (maladapted) Water type personality.

The Mystery of Water

Water, hidden and unseen, is the deepest part of our energetic system. It’s the root of aliveness and vitality in the human body. Water is essential for the maintenance of life. It carries evolutionary memory and powers the activities of the body including healing and regeneration.

Traditional Chinese medicine has assigned a color to each of the elements and Water’s color is black. Appropriately, we begin our life’s journey in the unknown—in water, floating in amniotic fluid—our eyes closed creating black darkness in a womb which, too, is absent of physical light, it, too, mirroring that black darkness. The Water element is the most yin of the five elements.

The Primary Archetype

The archetype that best describes the Water personality in balance is the wise one or philosopher. The wise one strives to bring the dark black mysteries of life into the light. She knows when to be active and when to retreat. She understands the intricacies, paradoxes and enigmas of life and is able to astutely share these insights she has developed in order to help others live more fulfilled lives.

The Water personality is all about searching for meaning. Water runs deep and so do Water type personalities.

“The Sage, the Water element archetype, represents the power of the Water energy to transform fear and doubt to wisdom and trust and to promote acceptance of the unknown and the unknowable as part of life.” —Charles A. Moss, M. D. in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

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This wise Water personality knows he has benefited from all the knowledge and experience he has garnered from generations before him. He loves applying the lessons he has learned from that history. At the same time, it takes all the wisdom Water has developed to maintain his or her equilibrium, grounding and balance in this type.

“The cafés in Paris, the hookah lounges in the Middle East, and the urban coffeehouses in America are filled with them. They love to sit with close friends, ruminating about life, waxing eloquent about all this is right and wrong with the world. They are great conversationalists, and the deeper the conversations, the better.” —Dondi Dahlin in The Five Elements: Understand Yourself and Enhance Your Relationships with the Wisdom of the World's Oldest Personality Type System

Water loves to plumb the depths of life, losing themselves as blissfully in the arts as they do grocery store aisles searching for just the right wine. Water takes life very seriously often not getting the jokes along the way.

Theirs is a slower rhythm. They take their time. They have patience. Hurry is not part of their consciousness. Calm is evident in their manner of speaking and speech, their gait, their breathing and their response to life. They find rituals, symbols and traditions alluringly poignant. You have to be well-read to keep up intellectually with an in-balance Water.

Water type personalities are very people oriented and will readily allow new people into their lives but tend not to initiate these relationships. Water loves to help other people succeed. If Water can help others succeed, then Water has succeeded.

A good listener, Water does not enjoy confrontation and will work to achieve harmony among people however he can.

Water must live a life that is fully aligned with his core values and beliefs. Deeply philosophical and profound, Water tends to see menial tasks as art. In fact, Water types are very artistic themselves. The most creative and artistic people the world has ever seen tend to have strong Water personalities. Their creations are awe-inspiring.

Water type personalities live in their minds. They prefer predictability. They need to make sense of life, but out-of-balance or maladapted Water will have difficulty reconciling a world that looks very warped to them. This causes them to feel depressed as the world looks murkier and quite different from what others perceive.

Two Types of Water

For most people Water is the most challenging of the five element personality types to understand. This is because there are two types of Water: 1) the wise philosopher archetype and 2) the new baby full of wonder, delight and playfulness.

The philosopher spends time reading, journaling, writing, studying, and contemplating life. The philosopher prefers time spent alone. He or she has a keen interest in the past and how it has influenced the present. Even when it comes to meeting a new person, the wise one type of Water wants to know everything about her new acquaintance's history so that she can better understand who is before her.

The second archetype, that of the playful new baby, is the adult who is still quite childlike, bubbly and radiant. This type of Water will follow a crowd or easily make new friends simply because she is curious and finds it fun and interesting. This Water type can be very endearing, delightful and even spontaneous.

Their primary challenge is that they have so many ideas they never follow through on many. They lack motivation to see their ideas through. They need someone to push them along.

Both archetypes of Water, the philosopher and the playful baby both have a yin energy. The influence of the strong yin energy is translated as intense inner focus. Both archetypes of the Water personality tend to be quieter than others, more introverted and more private.

Water-in-balance can be an enormously captivating personality with a zen-like air, but out-of-balance can have inhibitions, low self-esteem, a tendency to overcautiousness with a preoccupation for worry and agitation. False bravado is another of maladapted Water’s personality traits.

The maladapted Water type will tend to feel overwhelmed, agitated through crisis, resigned to what she cannot conquer, isolated and fearful.

She finds a pathway back into balance through tapping in to her innate sense of calm and wisdom where she can once again begin to confidently manage life’s crises. Regaining her balance by diving in to her core essence she will no longer feel alone but instead supported by the universe whether she has people around her or not.

Whether you are in- or out-of-balance as a Water type, embrace your wondrous archetype of wise one, philosopher and playful child. Stand in your essence of life. You are Water.

…

Endnotes:

Dahlin, Dondi. The Five Elements: Understand Yourself and Enhance Your Relationships with the Wisdom of the World's Oldest Personality Type System. United States, Penguin Publishing Group, 2016.

Moss, Charles A. Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance. United States, North Atlantic Books, 2011.

The Metal Type Personality According to Traditional Chinese Medici

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The season for Metal runs from August 7 to October 20 according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). We call it energetic Fall. In TCM, the energy of each of the five elements aligns with many aspects of life. One of those aspects is the personality. This articles discusses the Metal type of person and personality traits. Are you or someone you know a Metal type? Let’s find out.

Describing this or any other element type isn’t all black and white. Sometimes we’re out of balance in our type.

What we outline below is the basic personality of the Metal type in perfect balance. The opposite of any characteristic discussed here demonstrates an out-of-balance Metal type.

TCM embraces a fivefold concept known as the Five Element/Five Phase Theory to explain a wide variety of phenomena from cosmic cycles to the interaction between the body’s internal organs to personality types.

The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. You may not predominantly be a Metal type but we all tend to be one predominant type from among the five elements. It’s important to note that no one is one hundred percent one type alone.

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Think ‘graceful’ when you think of the Metal Type.

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Metal types are like the Eiffel Tower rising stately into the sky, reaching toward the heavens, magnificent, graceful and elegant. Metals give off a lithe energy.

Metal yearns for refinement. Metal type personalities spend energy toward perfectionism and purity. They never stop chipping away at a rock so they can reveal the precious jem within.

Metal types are orderly and stoic, regulated and resolved. They don’t exactly express feelings like most other people. They get excited, yes, and feel emotion, but they mostly hold feelings like joy and happiness within.

Think also ‘solitude,’ ‘inward’ and ‘spiritual’ when you think of the Metal Type.

Metal type personalities express their emotions when they’re alone in solitude. Even when Metal types do outwardly express emotion it will be merely a smile or nod of the head.

Metal types often find themselves alone much of the time. Even so, they usually don’t feel lonely for they feel companionship with nature and the unseen realm.

The energy of the Metal type personality pulls inwardly. This type lives in the mystical spaces in-between. Much like walking a labyrinth they easily find a zen space within themselves in the solitude.

If you highly prize solitude, serenity, and reverence, you may be a Metal type.

Metal types are usually highly spiritual. The Metal type personality constantly works towards pure consciousness. Metals need and want to connect to the present moment. They must have and will work to secure their freedom to be alone, work, and connect with the Divine.

Others interpret the Metal personality’s presentation of self as aloof or even arrogant. Others often misjudge that Metal feels more enlightened than everyone else. These assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth. Metal doesn’t feel that way.

We call the archetype of Metal and the Metal Type Personality the Alchemist.

“The alchemist transforms the mundane into something grand, releasing the old and breathing in the new. Metal energy brings inspiration, newness, and value into every day life.”

— Charles A. Moss, MD in Power of the Five Elements: The Chinese Medicine Path to Healthy Aging and Stress Resistance

They are masters at meeting life right where it is and rising above it.

The challenge of meeting life where it is motivates the Metal type personality. They love to rise above any challenge.

Stoicism in Metal personalities helps Metal weather life’s ups and downs without becoming unduly upset. They’ll feel distressed like everyone else but won’t generously express their distress.

Metal personalities enjoy the journey to be one with and flow with change. The Metal type in balance won’t overly fret over losing job, marriage, or a friendship. Alchemist Metal sees the big picture, loves the challenge of rebuilding and recreating. Metal knows better days are ahead.

Metal holds high values and strives to be honorable. In Metal personalities’ way of thinking, they can’t live with themselves otherwise.

The Metal Type personality wants authentic meaningful relationships.

Metal types in balance have a knack for letting go of what’s no longer needed in their lives: earthly possessions, distractions, toxic thoughts.

Because of this ability to let go of the old or the past, they quickly detach from others if they carry a lot of emotional baggage. When something feels off or feels like drama, Metal departs if at all possible.

Metal type personalities will actually move away from relationships — physically and/or emotionally — when they feel those relationships offer nothing to enhance their own journey.

This is why Metals can seem indifferent when relating to people. These Metal types do understand that long-term detachment from people can be unhealthy. But after a period of time they will seek to reconnect if they sense it’s impairing their growth.

Metals want to connect with people, just not in large groups or social circles. They prefer one-on-one encounters and are deeply grateful for every personal encounter.

Metals aren’t known for being funny but when they express humor it’s always dry, brilliant and sophisticated.

Metal types don’t like trite conversation. They like conversation to be deep otherwise they see no point in enagaing.

Interestingly, Metal personality types themselves are long winded in communication however it will always be meaningful.

Metals would rather be alone than participate in a shallow relationship based on need.

When Metal personalities do make friends they’ll usually allow, even hope for their new friends to express their feelings. And Metal will not judge or run away. Instead Metals will open their hearts.

It’s important for the Metal type personality to consistently open the heart. Without it he or she will develop lack of flexibility in relationships.

Metals seek a cosmic connection to other people with complete mindfulness. They naturally illuminate aspects of the relationship that really matter. They shine their generous kindness on you gradually as you get to know them.

If you are Metal’s companion you become a better human being.

Metal thrives by serving a group of people. It’s where the Metal personality feels at home.

The Metal Type personality strives to simply life.

The Metal type shows an uncanny ability to simplify life. Metals strive for simplicity to focus on what’s most important for their personal evolution.

In any aspect of service and work, Metal can distill the most complex concepts and drill down to the essential. Metal will always communicate elaborate instructions and information in a way that anyone can understand.

If Metal type personalities are teacher or leader, they listen to others in earnest. Then they extract the most vital information in its purest most meaningful form.

The Metal type personality focuses sharply and relentlessly. No matter how long a project takes, Metal resigns to taking step after step to completion and with little or no complaint.

Metals prefer to finish projects completely before they take a dinner break nibbling on small snacks until then. They don’t want their focus broken.

Metal types believe they’re here for a purpose. They work with passion and zeal to finish everything they came to Earth to accomplish. In the process, Metal will often temporarily forget others in their lives while they’re on a mission.

This said, Metal type personalities are some of the most altruistic people you’ll meet.

…

Endnotes:

Dondi. The Five Elements: Understand Yourself and Enhance Your Relationships with the Wisdom of the World's Oldest Personality Type System. Tarcher Perigee, 2016.