Everything becomes spontaneously what it should rightly be, for in the law of heaven life has an inner light that it must involuntarily obey.
The I Ching
Which of the Five Elements - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, or Water - surges most strongly within you? Are you most like the supple birch tree bending in the wind, the sun setting crimson behind a bank of clouds, the fertile fields that nourish and provide for all living things, the snow-capped mountain reaching toward the heavens, or the rushing river flowing to the sea?
The following questionnaire will help you determine the relative strengths and weaknesses of your affinities to the Five Elements. In Section One you'll find a list of physical characteristics and symptoms, while Section Two describes psychological inclinations and behavioural tendencies.
Put a check mark next to each statement that accurately describes your present-day condition or a predictable pattern you have experienced in the past. Because an affinity to a particular element or an imbalance within that element may be expressed in a wide range of sometimes opposing symptoms, some of the statements in Section Two contain contradictory phrases, as in I enjoy (or dread) public speaking.
If either alternative accurately describes you, place a check next to the statement. After finishing the questionnaire, you'll learn what your responses indicate about your affinities to Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal.
| Physical | Psychological / Behavioural | Totals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fire | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Earth | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Metal | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The totals indicate which element or elements most strongly influence your physical health, emotional responses, and behavioural inclinations. Some people fall clearly into one type or another, while many others have a clear affinity to two or more elements; certain individuals (a rare minority) are strongly influenced by all five.
Adapted from The Five Elements of Self-Healing
by Elias and Ketchum. Buy the book if you want more info.