THE WATER ELEMENT TYPE
The Water Element represents the season of Winter.
Winter is the time of hibernation. Although the wherewithal to start next year’s growth is there, it is hidden under the surface in a state of dormancy. It is the time of cold during which water is often frozen into ice or snow. The days are short.
The process of decaying, drying and withdrawing that started in the Metal season of Autumn has ended here in the Water season with death marking the end of a yearly cycle. But it is a cycle and so Water also marks the start point from which it will all begin again. The power to restart the cycle of life is there, just dormant and hidden. It is a concealed potential and as such a sharp contrast to the vibrancy on show during the Fire season of high summer.
Power, potential, courage are the inner strengths of the Water type. Patience, dogged determination, chipping away imperceptibly, cerebral, objectivity, dispassionate, self-sufficiency are often their hallmarks. They can have a calm serenity to their outlook. The Water types are often the ones behind the scenes just getting on with it. Their preference for solitude and privacy can often be mis-understood by other element types as being stand-offish, or quirky and eccentric but a true Water type will not be bothered by this.
Water types are by their nature candid, curious, careful and modest. If however their energies over-run these attributes turn to bluntness, scrutinising, suspicion and reticence.
But as with all the element types, they can show the opposite extremes when things go out of balance. When courage and strength are at a low ebb, so then appears the primary emotion of the Water type: fear. Harnessed properly, fear is a positive thing – it can provide the right balance of caution, adrenaline and determination (“feel the fear and do it anyway”). But when the relationship with fear is a imbalanced, then it can lead to recklessness, and lack of caution on one hand or to the other extreme it can lead to paralysis and inaction for fear of the consequences. It can lead to phobias and mania. It can lead to self-doubt and over-dwelling on what can go wrong. They can be distrustful and cautious of other people and hold-back from relationships. But Water types are those who function just as well out of a relationship as within one. They are the ones that can live frugally but they can also show the flip-side of that and be demanding and covetous.
The dead and dark of night is the Water phase of the daily cycle and represents the time for rest, repair and recuperation. The stillness, quietness and calmness of the night are key attributes of Water and Water types. Water types often seek solitude and isolation as it is those moments that recharge their batteries. When Water energy goes adrift, then those periods of rest can become excessive allowing lethargy and fatigue set-in; or they can flip to restlessness and the inability to keep the thoughts concentrated on one thing at a time.
Water takes the shape of the vessel that contains it. And this is often the curious nature of Water types that so often you might think you know or understand them but actually pinning them down and understanding their true characteristics can be very difficult. When you hear of someone re-inventing themselves, this is often a Water type taking on a new shape. Water types can effortlessly change their shape to suit the situation. They are adaptable.
What is going on inside a Water type is often not at all revealed by the surface. They are often very private people: “Still waters run deep”. Water types often have a lot of drive and ambition but more often do not show it.
There is an enduring patience of the Water type – one small river can erode something on the scale of the Grand Canyon, just give it enough time. And that often represents the will of the Water type – slow, gradual, patient, persevering. Whereas a Wood type would show flexibility and work round an obstacle, a Water type would just get-on with gently eroding the obstacle away. The know their own mind and are quite purposeful and particular. Sometimes this can come across as tactless and unforgiving.
In the Chinese philosophy, Water is related to the spinal cord and spinal fluid thereby controlling function of the nervous system and the brain. The primitive neural pathway of the ‘fight or flight’ response is an essential part of how a Water type communicates with the world and responds to the world. They can have ‘nerves of steel’ or ‘live on their nerves’.
As winter is the point from which the spark of life restarts, the ovaries and the testes are associated with Water. In particular the union of the two to create the seed for next year’s cycle is controlled by Water. Libido in deficiency or excess is therefore a trait of Water types as is feeling depleted or invigorated after sex. At a more metaphorical level Water types are the creative types, those who can spark the creative process with an idea or concept. They are comfortable delving into their imaginations. “Blue sky thinking” is often Water’s role in projects.
Hair can be a strong part of the identity of a Water type. They often get their hair ‘done’ or re-invent themselves with changes in hairstyle. They can also be the ones who go grey early-on in life.
Keys To Understanding Water:
– articulate, clever, and introspective
– self-contained and self-suffcient
– penetrating, critical, and scrutinizing
– seeks knowledge and understanding
– likes to remain hidden, enigmatic, and anonymous
Typical Problems:
– pain in the lower back and knees
– pale, dark urine or frequent urination
– insomnia and night sweats
– fatigue, weakness and cold limbs
– emotionally inaccessible and undemonstrative
– isolation and loneliness
– tactless, unforgiving, and suspicious
– hardening of the arteries, deterioration of teeth and gums
– loss of libido
– complaints that are worst in the morning
– water retention
Back to the Five Element Analysis