The Five Helpers and the Five Hinderers

The Five Elements : Earth, Fire , Water, Metal, Wood

Obviously if you are one element type and your partner or children are another type or types, there will e times when you get along and times when you dont’t. Each of the elements has a cycle whereby it is said to help or hinder the other elements. These cycles are shown on the diagram opposite.

Earth
Earth Helps metal, is helped by fire, hinders water is hindered by wood.

Fire
Fire helps earth, is helped by wood, hinder metal, is hindered by water

Water
Water helps wood, is hekpoed by metal, hinders fire, is hindered by earth.

Metal
Metal helps water, is helped by earth, hinders wood, is hindered by fire.

Wood
Wood helps fire, is helped by water, hinders earth, is hindered by metal

Think of this is terms of practical uses for these elements – for instance, metal could be an ax or a bucket. As an axe it would be unhelpful to wood, but as a bucket it would be helpful to water. Water helps wood by making it grow but in turn hinders by fire putting it out, Earth hinders water by blocking its flow.