One of my favorite nature-centered design questions I ask at parties, around dinner tables, on long car rides, or even when I meet a new friend or teammate is “What element are you?”.
This inquiry was sparked years ago when I began a long healing journey with TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)—more commonly known as acupuncture. After years of suffering debilitating migraine headaches with little help from Western pharmaceutical drugs, I finally found myself in Katie’s acupuncture clinic in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. There I experienced for the first time the powerful healing impact of this ancient medicine. Week after week I walked the .7 mile journey from my home to her office and then to the Metro and onto work. As the headaches melted away, I became a believer in the wisdom of TCM and the benefits of creating balance in our bodies through this elemental science.
I learned through my experiences with acupuncture that different times of year necessitate different types of healing treatments. A later practitioner of mine, the kind and wise JoseLo, taught me that the element of Wood (for example) is most potent in the springtime. Wood—synonymous with growth, expansion, and leadership — is also linked with the liver and gallbladder organs, a meridian I commonly found pinned with acupuncture needles. I came to experience that what is potent (or lacking) outside of our bodies can often be mirrored internally, too.
As I grew more curious about the connection between elements, healing, and the world around me, I stumbled on this Gaia article: “The Five Chinese Zodiac Elements: How To Discover Yours And The Meaning Behind It”.
And then my question “What element are you?” was answered for the very first time.
I learned that Chinese astrology doesn’t only include animals —here in 2024 we’re currently in the Year of the Dragon. 2024 is also associated with the element of Wood.
Why is that? According to Chinese culture, the last digit of the year corresponds to a different element:
- years ending 0 & 1 correspond with the element of metal
- years ending 2 & 3 with the element of water
- years ending 4 & 5 with the element of wood
- years ending 6 & 7 with the element of fire
- years ending 8 & 9 with the element of earth
Not only is it interesting to discover what element our birth year might be associated with and what it might mean about us — tip: click on that Gaia article to learn more about the characteristics of each — but I found it even more curious to look within friend groups, families, and teams, to discover how they might better understand each other — and perhaps find more balance through their distinct elements.
While the properties of the elements can work together to support creation and growth, there is also a powerful set of relationships within them that finds balance in destruction.
For example:
- Wood fuels Fire, and Water destroys Fire
- Metal holds Water, and Water erodes Earth
- Fire creates Earth, and Fire melts Metal
This interplay made me think about the dance between people in relationships. How my Wood persona could be a metaphor for how I might drain my Water friends dry or how to rely on my Earth friends for grounding. It made me wonder how I likely fuel the creativity of my Fire friends or how I might need to be wary of the harm that Metal might do to me (think: axes!).
Finally, I pause to remind myself—and you — that while I might’ve been born in 1985, a Wood year, I have all of the elements inside of me. As within so without. As above so below. None of us are fundamentally lacking. Instead, it is usually an excess or abundance of stuff that weighs us down.
How might I encourage balance through the elements in my life?
This is where our innate creativity, unique ideas, and personal experiences shine. Here are a few ideas that I’m currently playing with:
- When I’m angry (fire), where might I find calm (water)?
- When I’m drowning in emotion (water), where might I find solid ground (earth)?
- When I feel unsafe, where might I need additional boundaries (metal)?
I invite it all to ebb and flow and, like the elements, not just rely on 1 thing or another to maintain a constant state. Instead, I wonder how we might look to these simple yet magical ingredients to shed wisdom on how to show up more fully, more beautifully, and more in balance.
About the author: Cate feels most herself when surrounded by trees. She grew up in the forest and loves riding horses and hiking with her pup, Luna. Cate is a human-centered design leader and teacher on a mission to connect leaders to natural wisdom by immersion in the wilderness and inspiration from nature’s beauty.
Learn more at www.catebjohnson.com