Thriving, Assisting, Resting, Trapped, Dead (Wàng Xiàng Xiū Qiú Sǐ)
The five states of the Five Phases within a given month, determined by their relationship to the month's ruling element.
These are the five states of the Five Phases (Wǔ Xíng) used to gauge their seasonal strength:
- Prosperity (Wàng): The phase that matches the month's ruling element is in its prime season.
- Prime (Xiàng): The phase generated by the ruling element is in a secondary state of strength.
- Restraint (Xiú): The phase that generates the ruling element has expended its energy.
- Imprisonment (Qiú): The phase that overcomes the ruling element cannot succeed and becomes trapped itself.
- Death (Sǐ): The phase overcome by the ruling element is at its weakest.
All five states are derived solely from the relationships of mutual generation and mutual overcoming, requiring no additional memorization.