The Five Elements
The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. The generating cycle is Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood. The controlling cycle is Wood → Earth → Water → Fire → Metal → Wood. Traditional saju uses their balance to interpret temperament and timing themes.
| Five Elements | Generates | Controls | Heavenly stem | Earthly branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood(木) | Fire | Earth | Gap (甲), Eul (乙) | In (寅), Myo (卯) |
| Fire(火) | Earth | Metal | Byeong (丙), Jeong (丁) | Sa (巳), O (午) |
| Earth(土) | Metal | Water | Mu (戊), Gi (己) | Jin (辰), Sul (戌), Chuk (丑), Mi (未) |
| Metal(金) | Water | Wood | Gyeong (庚), Sin (辛) | Sin (申), Yu (酉) |
| Water(水) | Wood | Fire | Im (壬), Gye (癸) | Hae (亥), Ja (子) |