Five Phases
Definition
The Five Phases abstract dynamic tendencies into Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. They are not a list of five substances but a language of generation, control, and regulation, shared by BaZi, Zi Wei, Liu Yao, and others.
Generation and control
| Relation | Cycle |
|---|---|
| Generates | Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood |
| Controls | Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood |
Related vocabulary includes draining (I generate the other), consuming (I control the other), supporting (same as me), and being controlled—used to describe forces acting on the Day Master or useful spirit.
And stems/branches
Each Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch has a Five-Phases attribute—see Ten Heavenly Stems and Twelve Earthly Branches. BaZi Ten Gods encode “Day Master phase × other stem’s phase (generation/control) × yin/yang”—see Ten Gods.
Strength and season
The same phase has different strength by month command (e.g. Wood prospers in spring). Claims like “lacking Water” or “Fire too strong” must land on the concrete chart’s month command and roots, not abstract phase tallies.
Boundaries of use
- Phase strength is a relative judgment.
- Do not merge this with Na Yin Five Phases as one algorithm.
- When borrowing Five Phases across systems, follow that system’s star-placing or charting rules.