It used to puzzle me that Autumn was represented by “Metal” in Qigong Five Element theory. I knew it was the season to work on respiration, immunity, and letting go of sadness in order to cultivate inspiration and courage, but what did metal have to do with it?
Over the years I’ve come to understand that the 5 elements describe not things, but rather qualities, or phases of energy, which change along with the seasons. Metal is dense: It represents condensing, pulling inward after summer’s exuberance. Autumn is a time to get organized, to let go of distractions and prepare for winter, just like the squirrels outside are gathering acorns. Now that summer has passed, I also feel a need to kind of “pull myself together” and get ready for the winter season ahead. Can you relate?
There can be a quality of decisiveness to metal, like the sharp edge of a knife, cutting away what no longer has value. The crane, traditionally associated with autumn, discerns the exact moment when the season changes and it’s time to migrate. It flies south, high above the earth, its elegantly efficient (another quality of metal) wings enable it to travel thousands of miles. The crane’s path across the sky teaches us perspective; we can watch it and imagine the world from its expanded point of view, perhaps feeding our own inspiration and courage. Its wings open and close, just like our lungs expand and contract with each breath: in-spiring, literally, then “letting go” of the breath, the way the cranes let go of their summer habitat and head south—but only when the time is just exactly right.
