The Five Elements (Ohaeng) — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water
Ohaeng (오행, 五行) sees the world as five moving forces: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Every character in a saju chart belongs to one of them, so their balance is where a Four Pillars reading begins.
Each page covers the element’s symbols (color, direction, season, number), its place in the generating and controlling cycles, and traditional ideas about having too much or too little of it.
🌳Wood木 · MokWood (木, mok) is the energy of a spring sprout pushing up toward the light. It stands for beginnings, growth and benevolence (仁), and in saju it belongs to the stems Gap and Eul and the branches In and Myo.🔥Fire火 · HwaFire (火, hwa) is the brightest and hottest of the Five Elements: summer, noon and flames leaping upward. It stands for passion, expression and propriety (禮), and in saju it belongs to the stems Byeong and Jeong and the branches Sa and O.⛰️Earth土 · ToEarth (土, to) is soil, mountains and fields: the center that holds the other four elements together. It stands for trust (信), stability and mediation, and in saju it belongs to the stems Mu and Gi and the branches Jin, Sul, Chuk and Mi.⚔️Metal金 · GeumMetal (金, geum) is iron, rock and gemstones: the cool, firm energy of autumn harvest. It stands for resolve, clarity and righteousness (義), and in saju it belongs to the stems Gyeong and Sin and the branches Sin and Yu.💧Water水 · SuWater (水, su) is the sea, rivers, rain and dew: the quiet, deep energy of winter. It stands for wisdom (智), flexibility and endurance, and in saju it belongs to the stems Im and Gye and the branches Hae and Ja.