Each animal has a predominant natural element that rules over them.
There are five elements : water, wood, fire, metal, and earth.
There are no earth elements because earth occupies the center of all elements.
In addition to each animal having a natural element, each individual year has a presiding element.
In some years, the year element is in sympathy with the animal's element, in other years it will work against.
So in the non-sympathetic years, an animal might have to overcome more obstacles that the year encompasses.
Paralumun New Age Village