These new thoughts were sparked by a comment I read recently about our new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, that “the most frequent complaint about the Labour leader was that he was impossible to pin down.” I had already thought that his element might be Water, primarily because of his voice was a very clear groaning, added to the fact that I wasn’t initially at all sure about his element. I think this comment can point only to the Water element.
One of the things my Chinese students taught me was that, when, as I often did, I would say about a patient, “I’m not sure what there element is“, the whole group would shout out “Water!”. They had learnt that my initial reaction to being in the presence of Water often led to my indecision, which reflected the kind of hesitancy which Water seems always to arouse in me. It seems that the fear which is Water’s emotion appears to transfer itself to me in the form of uncertainty.
One other reason why my Chinese students are so sure about my response to Water is because the Water group among those attending our seminars over the years constitutes by far the largest element group of the five, so they have had amply opportunity to observe me diagnosing this element. At one of our recent seminars, for example, of the 400 or more students who wanted us to help diagnose their elements at least 200 of them we eventually decided belonged to the Water group, whereas only 30 – 50 were spread over each of the other four elements. This ratio remained surprisingly constant over the many seminars we held there.
I would ask myself whether this was merely a coincidence, but if so, it was a surprising one. There seemed to be no such emphasis towards Water in the groups we diagnosed in this country. Could it possibly be that there was some specific environmental reason in China that could offer some explanation? And, if so, did environmental factors enter into the equation as to which element we are born into? Nobody can ever know why each of us is handed the gift (or sometimes the burden) of living our life under the influence of one particular element, though I have occasionally wondered why one member of a family is of a particular element which brings something essential to the family (perhaps warmth (Fire) or strength (Wood) or comfort (Earth) for example), which may be qualities needed by other members of the family,. But then I have thought that this might just be one of my more fanciful ideas. But what if the larger habitat into which we are born could indeed influence which element dominates in our life? Could, therefore, the extreme cold which China suffers each winter be causing Water to dominate in this way? And is it fanciful to wonder whether those born in very hot climates might have a greater affinity with the Fire element?
These are fascinating questions, ultimately impossible to answer, but I find it both exhilarating and disturbing to think that the element which our destiny seems to stamp upon us might have its origin in the climate of the place where we are born, or at least be partly due to this. Are these just idle thoughts, or is there some truth hidden here, as explanation for the many Chinese to seem to owe allegiance to the Water element?
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