Earth is the Center

In classical Chinese thought, the earth element was located in the center, with the other four elements surrounding it. As each element transformed to the next, the transformation involved the earth element. This has been more true to my clinical experience than the standard generation chart.

It is most noticeable during the seasonal changes. There always seems to be an earth period as the seasons transition, not just during the late summer. It can be a few days to a few weeks, but the body always seems to check in with the earth element as the weather is changing.

Directionally, it makes more sense as well. Wood pushes outward and upward, while metal regulates and pushes downward. Water and Fire have no directionality, but are states of being, one of reception and the other of firmness. Earth accumulates in the middle.

The best analogy is a flower. The upward growth towards the sun is the wood energy. The reception of sunlight is fire. The nutrients traveling down to the roots are metal, and the roots are Water. The Flower itself is earth. Earth provides the structure and form for the other elements. It's directionality is accumulation. It takes parts of the other elements and combines them into a form that allows the other transformations to take place.

In human terms, the fire energy is our connection to the energetic world around us. The water is the firmness of our step upon the ground.  The wood and metal are the rising and descent of qi in our bodies. The earth is the weave and matrix of our bodies. Earth is the center of our beings, and the center of the Elements.