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The core of Chinese sciences of the Universe: Feng Shui, the Chinese Horoscope and various divinity methods revolves around the understanding of the importance of Five Important Elements. These elements are Water, Wood,
Fire, Earth and Metal.
According to ancient Chinese, these Five Elements are interactive which stimulate and shape our daily life. 
It is important to understand that there is a natural order in which leads to harmony, prosperity and happiness.
The productive sequence is as follows: water nourished plants and trees: producing wood, wood makes fire which burnt into ashes to form earth, earth is the source of metal. Metal can be condensed to water or can be melted into liquid i.e. `water'. Therefore it is known as the productive sequence.
There is also a destructive order, which is the cause of bad events and calamities.
This is a result of the distrubances to the natural order. This is where: water puts out fire; fire melts metal; metal breaks wood; wood (roots of plants) penetrates the earth; and earth is absorbed water. In this situation, Feng Shui experts will advice you to place a neutralizing element to avoid such harmful effects. We will also get to understand more about this later on in the later chapters.
For example buildings can be classified as belonging to one of the 5 elements:
Watercourses can also be classified as belonging to one of the 5 elements:
TEN HEAVENLY STEMS
The 5 elements : Water,
Earth, Fire,
Wood and Metal are further sub-divided into TEN Heavenly Stems:
| Heavenly Stem | Example | Element |
| JIA (hard wood) YI (soft wood) | Trees Hewn timber |
Wood | | BING (sun fire)
DING (kitchen fire) | lightning burning incense | Fire | | WU (mountain earth) JI (sand earth) |
hills earthenware | Earth |
| GENG (rough metal) XIN (refined metal) | metal ores kettles |
Metal | | XIN (refined water) GUI (rain water) | salt water
fresh water | Water |
The Ten Heavenly Stems reflect the plane of Heaven on the Chinese compass. This Ten Heavenly stems by combining with the Twelve Chinese Zodiac animals (Earthly Branch) forms the basis of the Chinese Calendar System.
The relationship between the Ten Heavenly stems and Twelve Earthly Branch are as follows:
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