Weakening (Reduction) Cycle

Weakening Cycle

When we want to weaken an elements qualities, we use the weakening sequence.

Fire weakens –> Wood
Wood weakens –> Water
Water weakens –> Metal
Metal weakens –> Earth
Earth weakens –> Fire

Weakening (Reduction) Cycle, is the exact reverse of the Production Cycle. In the Reduction Cycle, each Element is weakened by its predecessor. Reduction Cycle is more useful than the Destruction Cycle. For example, if you wish to destroy or weaken the energy symbolised by Wood, it is easier to use Fire than Metal (the axe). This Cycle works by using the produced Element to weaken its parent Element. An easy way to remember this is to consider how a mother can be worn out by her children.

Old 5 elements video above

In the five elements weakening cycle the elements exhaust or reduces each other as shown in the diagram on the right.

Weakening
In this cycle, Wood is exhausted or weaken by Fire. Fire in turn is weakened by Earth which in turn is weakened by Metal. Metal is weakened by water. Finally Water is weakened by Wood and the whole cycle starts again.

It is the opposite of the productive cycle and is the hardest to remember.

The principle behind the five element weakening cycle is the fact that when an element produce another e.g. wood produce fire, the producing element in this case Wood is exhausted in the process.

The best way to remember the weakening cycle is remember it as the opposite of the productive cycle. For example Earth produce Metal. When metal ore is removed from the ground, Earth is exhausted!