Extreme case of excessive Metal element – Stephen Hawking
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Most people have a mix of elements in their chart. It’s actually quite rare for one element to dominate completely, like in this Yin Wood case or this Yang Fire case. But when such an extreme combination does occur, it strongly shapes a person’s character. These individuals often stand out—sometimes in a very positive way, sometimes not—depending on how the rest of the chart is structured.
Stephen Hawking is a good example of this, with a chart heavily dominated by the Metal element.
In his Five Elements matrix, Metal takes up more than 70% of the chart. Fire and Earth are also present and relatively strong. Fire produces Earth, and Earth produces Metal—so this entire flow ends up supporting Metal even further. Fire, which usually controls Metal, is too weak here to play that role. Water is also weak, and Wood is completely missing. So, there’s essentially no element strong enough to counterbalance the overwhelming Metal.
The fortunate part is that his chart doesn’t contain major clashes between elements. Fire, Earth, and Metal actually work together quite smoothly, and that’s a big stroke of luck. If there were clashes, this chart could easily become chaotic or dysfunctional.
In terms of talent and ability, Metal in Chinese medicine is linked to the brain. And when someone’s Master Element is Yin Metal, as it is in Hawking’s case, it often points to sharp intellect and mental brilliance. But this brilliance needed Fire to shine. Without Fire, especially Yang Fire, his Yin Metal would be like a raw diamond buried underground—unrecognized and unused. Fire also gave him recognition, authority in the scientific world, and global fame.
Hawking’s illness, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), primarily affects the muscles. In Chinese medicine, health issues are usually tied to elements that are weak or missing. In his case, Wood is entirely absent. Wood represents the liver, muscles, and nervous system, making it strongly connected to ALS and likely the root of his condition. He was diagnosed in 1963—interestingly, just a year after he entered a 30-year period where Metal became even stronger, tipping his chart into further imbalance and putting more pressure on the missing Wood.
Another notable point is his very weak Water element. Water, for him, represents the Creativity Component—the ability to express oneself. His early loss of speech is connected to this weakness, especially when paired with the missing Wood. Water also plays a balancing role by reducing Earth, Fire, and Metal, so its absence makes it even harder to control the dominant Metal energy.
Despite all of this, Hawking became one of the most respected scientists in the world and maintained fame and influence throughout his life.
From around age 50, his chart improved significantly. Fire and Wood began to play a bigger role, helping to reduce the overwhelming Metal. This shift also likely contributed to his long life. Given his condition, living to an older age would have been extremely difficult without the support of these additional elements.
His story shows us that even extreme charts, under the right conditions, can lead to success and recognition. But as in Hawking’s case, there’s often a cost—in this case, health.
Also published on Medium.
