As five element acupuncturists, we tend to concentrate almost entirely on observing how each individual element interacts with the world. But what is an equally interesting object of study is how each element interacts with people of different elements, and how such interactions add to our understanding of all the elements. For example, I have been aware for a long time that I seem to have chosen close friends amongst one or two of the elements, but not all five. And I notice, too, that my choices have varied over the years, presumably as I matured, or demanded more or less of my close relationships.
This has set me thinking about how far these changing choices of mine, for presumably they were choices rather than the result of random encounters, reflected some need in me which was satisfied by my interactions with people of other elements. Nor must I discount the possibility that I might also have sought out people of my own element, Fire, too, or of my particular aspect of Fire, which is Inner Fire.
These thoughts have led me to think more closely about the extent to which we choose our relationships with other people in such a way as to satisfy some deep need within us. I said that I assume that it is by choice that we select our friends, even from amongst those that we may have found ourselves with by apparent chance, such as school or work colleagues. If we look at the people we have drawn closest to from these groups, we will see that there is often a common thread to our choices. I remember clearly that on the very first day at university, I immediately made a beeline towards the one other person who seemed to be making an effort to engage with as many of her fellow students as she could, rather than gravitating towards the quieter, more withdrawn and far less extrovert students. This was clearly a deliberate choice of mine, which actually shaped much of my subsequent interactions with my student group. And her element, I later decided, was definitely Earth. Looking back I realise that what I was attracted towards was a need for somebody to replace the family support network which I had now moved away from for the first time, and the Earth in her fulfilled that need.
Later on in my life I realised that I often gravitated towards people of the Metal element, because they offered me the nuggets of wisdom which my Small Intestine was always looking for. It was towards Metal people that I would turn, and still turn, to help me make up my mind about what I need to do. Metal seems to be able to cut through my endless to-ing and fro-ing as I try to sort out the best way forwards. Using myself as guide, therefore, I think it is good for all five element acupuncturists to use their own experience of how different elements impinge upon them, either positively or negatively, to help them gain a deeper understanding of the qualities of as many elements as they can. This will in turn help them towards making more accurate diagnoses of their patients’ elements.
