Practice: Cycle of Birth & Destruction 

The cycle of birth and cycle of destruction form the basics of the art of destiny analysis. To learn this art requires not only memorising work but also lively applications. Many beginners find it easy to memorise the two cycles but experience difficulties when being questioned. Take the following questions for example:

1. What is the relationship between water and fire?

2. What is the relationship between earth and metal?

3. What is the relationship between water and metal?

4. What is the relationship between earth and wood?

The questions above seemed simple. Water destroys fire while earth produces metal. Water is being produced by metal while earth is being destroyed by wood. Some of you might get the answers wrong if you only think in one direction. Question 3 and 4 is being phrased in the passive way instead of the active way.

Cycle of Birth (Active/produce) - Metal -> Water -> Wood -> Fire -> Earth

Cycle of Birth (Passive/produced by) - Metal -> Earth -> Fire -> Wood -> Water

Cycle of Destruction (Active/destroy) - Metal -> Wood -> Earth -> Water -> Fire

Cycle of Destruction (Passive/destroyed by) - Metal -> Fire -> Water -> Earth -> Wood

The above gets more complex when we involves the third party. Try the following question:

What is the relationship between water, fire and earth?

Water is like a young gangster trying to bully (destroy) fire. Threatened by water, the weak fire (like a young school kid) turns to the gangster boss (earth) for help. With the help of earth, water dare not attack fire (earth destroys water, like the gangster boss dealing with the young gangster). However, in return of the favour, fire (the young school) must agree to whatever the gangster boss say (fire produces earth).

Of course I am just trying to illustrate the relationship in an interesting way (well, ok, if you find it irritating, I apologise :P). The actual story is that water destroy fire but in return get destroyed by earth. Fire is being destroyed by water and at the same time must produces earth. Earth destroys water and get produced by fire. The big winner here is earth, which gets nourished by fire although exhausted a bit of its energy, trying to destroy water. The loser here would be fire, for it is not only being destroyed by water but also loses its energy, trying to produce earth.

Do not restrict yourself to think about "how can fire produces earth since it is already destroyed by water?" and stuffs like that. Remember my analogy of the gangster, the school boy and the gangster boss earlier? Picture the poor school boy as fire. He gets bullied by the gangster (played by Water). Although he get protected by the gangster boss (played by Earth), but he has also 'sell' himself to the gangster boss. Sad case isn't it? Sigh~ Hey! That's not the main focus! Come back! You get my point? You do, don't you? :P