Five Element Insights -the Wood element

To begin to understand the essence of the wood element it is first useful to imagine a tiny seed as a power pack waiting for the warmth and moisture that will trigger the upsurge of energy needed for it to germinate and start to create its potential. Once released the energy is strong and purposeful as the tender shoots move towards the light, the innate vision of its potential manifesting as it grows.

The wood element therefore represents creativity, purposefulness, assertion and the way we express ourselves and allow ourselves to be whom we are meant to be. To reach this goal wood energy is decisive and organised; there can be no hesitation in the move to release and manifest potential.

To learn more about wood energy we can imagine a tree, beautiful in its individuality swaying in the wind, it is well rooted making it strong, grounded and well nourished. It has a strong trunk that is flexible and is covered with a protective bark allowing it to deal with the different weather conditions without loosing its strength and integrity. The wood element therefore represents the ability to be flexible, to have ideas that are rooted in reality, to be able to change our minds appropriately and not get stuck. Wood provides the structure to life, our trunk and bark, our ligaments and tendons and the cell membranes that holds us and gives us integrity. It also gives us rules, conventions and codes of practise that will give structure to our day-to-day lives.

Finally we see the smaller branches and tiny leaves reaching up to the heavens connecting the tree to the pure chi energy of the heavens, allowing it to take in the light and carbon dioxide that sustains the balance of life on this planet. By turning sunlight into food (magnesium is at the centre of each chlorophyll molecule) packed with nutrients and energy and providing us with oxygen to breathe in and give us life, the plant world could be seen as the interface between heaven and earth in the physical world and so immensely important in our connection to the heavens and spiritual development. We only have to look at the amazing contribution made by herbs and vibrational plant essences in healing to find confirmation of their significance.