GODAI - THE FIVE ELEMENTS
Copyright © 2002 James Deacon

The conceptual framework known as the godai, or, the 'Five Elements', is common to many Japanese therapeutic modalities, and spiritual systems.

These Five Elements: Void/Sky/Ether/Power, Wind/Air, Fire, Water, Earth, are named respectively: Ku, Fu, Ka, Sui, & Chi (this latter is not the same as the Chinese Ch'i : energy).

[ It should, however, be pointed out that Japanese Five-element theory is - in certain aspects - slightly different from the Chinese Five-element system with which many people in the west are now becoming familiar (it actually has more in common with Tibetan Five Element belief). ]

Everything in the universe is perceived to be a manifestation of these five great elemental 'building blocks'.

Nothing in existence is seen as solely one element or another, but rather a complex combination of degrees of all five.

To each element are of course linked many qualities and attributes.

For example:

Earth (predominantly associated with Stubbornness, Stability, Physicality, Gravity) gives substance;

Water (predominantly associated with Emotion, Defensiveness, Adaptability, Flexibility, Suppleness, Adaptability, Magnetism ) holds things together;

Fire (predominantly associated with Passion, Unstopableness, Agression, Thermal Energy) heats or transforms;

Wind/Air (predominantly associated with Will, Elusiveness, Evasiveness, Benevolence, Compassion, Wisdom, Electricity ) is responsible for movement;

& Void/Sky/Ether (predominantly associated with Power, Creativity, Spontaneity, Inventiveness, Nuclear Reaction[-a recent association!!]) connects with the creative source.

Earth is Strength, Water - Power, Fire - Energy, Air/Wind - Resiliency, Sky/Ether/Void - Communication

Anger, which is connected to heat in the body, relates to an imbalance of the Fire element. Unfulfilled desires & oppressive living conditions of any degree - whether familial, social, political, etc. can be the root cause of imbalances in the Air element; and so on.

In the godai system, the thumb is used to symbolise/represent Void/Sky (Power, Creativity); the index finger is associated with elemental Wind [Air], (Will, Wisdom); the middle finger, with elemental Fire (Passion, Agression); the ring finger - elemental Water (Emotion, Adaptability); and the little finger with elemental Earth (Stability, Physicality).

It is understood that - as well as gaining elemental energy-power from food, drink, heat, sunlight, etc, etc - we are all born with specific levels of energy-power of each of the five elements: 'original' elemental energy-power; but as a result of trauma, shock, negative experiences, etc, we can 'lose' some of our 'original' five-elemental energy-power - it can become depleted, suppressed, repressed, inhibited, etc.

To remedy this situation, various spiritual and therapeutic practices have arisen which focus on the retrieving/reclaiming of one's 'original' or 'pre-natal' elemental energy-power, as well as for elemental balancing/nurturing.

Through retrieval, balancing and nourishing, we strengthen and develop our five-elemental energy-power and it is by so doing that we can come to better manipulate and direct the five-element energy-power of Heaven & Earth to favourable effect in our daily lives.