Drawing on the Chinese Five Elements, each of us moves through seasons. Here is the nature of each, its element and its archetype. To find the one you are living now, take the quiz.
Spring is the season of growth and beginnings. The Wood element rises like sap, full of vision, appetite and forward motion.
At your best you are the Pioneer: expansive, optimistic, endlessly curious, able to see possibility everywhere and open others to it. Out of balance, that same energy scatters, leaving you restless, frustrated, or lost without a clear channel.
Spring asks: what wants to grow in you now, and what boundaries will let it?
Summer is the season of abundance and full bloom. The Fire element is warmth, joy, connection and the drive to create.
At your best you are the Creator: passionate, radiant, able to bring things and people to life. Out of balance, Fire flares into burnout and anxiety, or over-attachment to what you have made.
Summer asks: can you be warmed by what you create, without being consumed by it?
Late summer is the season of ripening and harvest, the still centre of the year. The Earth element is nourishment, belonging and steady ground.
At your best you are the Peacemaker: empathetic, grounding, the one who makes others feel safe and held. Out of balance, you give until you are depleted, losing yourself in everyone else's needs.
Late summer asks: can you nourish yourself as generously as you nourish others?
Autumn is the season of letting go. The Metal element is clarity, refinement and the grace to release what is finished.
At your best you are the Alchemist: precise, dignified, able to sort the precious from what you no longer carry. Out of balance, you can turn cold or critical, or cling to grief and the past.
Autumn asks: what are you ready to release, so something truer can take its place?
Winter is the season of stillness and depth. The Water element is rest, wisdom and the quiet search for truth.
At your best you are the Philosopher: reflective, calm, deep, drawn to what lies beneath the surface. Out of balance, you can become detached or fearful, your reserves run dry.
Winter asks: can you rest deeply enough to refill the well before spring calls you out again?