Metal , the fourth phase of the Chinese philosophy of
Wu Xing, is the decline of the matter, or the matter's decline stage. Metal is
yin in character, its motion is inwards and its energy is contracting. It is associated with the
Autumn, the
west, old age, the planet
Venus, the color white, dry weather, and the
White Tiger (Bai Hu) in
Four Symbols. The
archetypal metals are
silver and
gold.