Rooted in Endless Change

The Empress has commissioned a series of shrines, each dedicated to one of the five elements of Wuxing philosophy. Tradition suggests that they should be arranged on the point of the star, to represent the endless cycle of change. But here, on this island, where the primal forces roil and spill forth onto the land as if they had life and agency of their own, I have devised a different proposal. I suggested to the Empress that we place each shrine atop a site whose energies nourish and compliment its associated element. Where the endless, tranquil flow of water can echo in the stones of its holy place, or the deep-rooted foundations of the earth hold fast to the stones of the reliquary. Where the raging eternal flames of the Zhou spirit burn bright, or the living wood of the tree trunks reach high toward the heavens, or the lustrous sheen of precious metals shines like an offering in the sun. If we honor the primal forces in this way, we can rest assured that the spirits of the natural world will hear our prayers, and preserve us in the turning of the coming cycles.