Metal

Metal Core Characteristics:
Settling, sternness, restraint, cleanliness, change, strength, sharpness, decisiveness.

Natural Symbols:
Metal minerals, swords and weapons, gold and stone, the desolate atmosphere of autumn.

Direction:
West.

Season:
Autumn (when all things mature, contract, and wither).

Colors:
White, gold, silver.

Body Parts:
Lungs, large intestine (responsible for respiration, dispersing and descending, and eliminating waste), nose, skin, hair.

Emotions:
Sadness, worry (excessive sadness harms the lungs).

Taste:
Pungent (spicy).

Virtues:
Loyalty, decisiveness, resilience, self-discipline.

Symbolic meaning:
Represents change, purification, and structure; symbolizes strength, sharpness, decisiveness, and discipline; represents wealth (metal currency), tools, and order; also symbolizes toughness yet fragility, a spirit of conquest, and solemn melancholy (like the autumn wind).