The Wu Xing, ( wŭ xíng) also known as the Five Elements (especially practitioners of Five Element acupuncture ), Five Phases, Five Processes (and many more translations and meanings) is a fivefold conceptual scheme that many traditional Chinese fields use to explain a wide array of phenomena, from cosmic cycles to the interaction between internal organs. The “Five Phases” are Wood ( ), Fire ( huǒ), Earth ( ), Metal( jīn), and Water ( shuǐ).