Metal (classical element)

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Classical Elements

Western

	Air
Fire	Aether	Water
	Earth

Chinese

Wood (木) | Fire (火)
Earth (土) |
Metal (金) | Water (水)

Japanese

Earth (地) | Water (水) | Fire (火) |
Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空)

Hinduism and Buddhism

Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind
Agni / Tejas — Fire
Akasha — Aether
Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth
Ap / Jala — Water

Metal, or gold, is one of the five elements of Chinese alchemy. The archetypal metals are silver and gold. Metal is associated with the west and autumn, the planet Venus and the colour white. It is believed to govern the lungs. It is associated with organization and stability.

Other qualities associated with metal are unyieldingness, persistence, strength and determination. The metal person is forceful and set in their ways as metal is very strong, but they are self-reliant and enjoy the good things in life. The element metal plays an important role in Chinese Astrology and feng shui, the Chinese form of geomancy.