Five Elements: Friend-Enemy relationships
⚪️ Metal - 🌿 Wood
⚪️ Metal is the enemy of wood (because it destroys or chops wood).
🌿 Wood is a friend of metal (metal is used in construction together with wood; wood is often an auxiliary material for metal — e.g., an axe handle for an axe, etc.).
💧 Water - 🔥 Fire
💧 Water is the enemy of fire (it extinguishes fire).
🔥 Fire is a friend of water (we can cook with fire, heat water).
🔥 Fire - ⚪️ Metal
🔥 Fire is the enemy of metal (it melts metal).
⚪️ Metal is a friend of fire (with fire, we can produce metal objects — in this way, the potential of fire is realized).
⛰ Earth - 💧 Water
⛰ Earth is the enemy of water (it absorbs and soaks up water).
💧 Water is a friend of earth (it fills the earth with liquid — lakes, rivers, seas lie in the “bowl” of the earth).
🌿 Wood - ⛰ Earth
🌿 Wood is the enemy of earth (it breaks up the earth, as roots spread and push through the soil while growing).
⛰ Earth is a friend of wood (wood grows in the earth and feeds on its nutrients).
From the book: