A time of decreasing light, increasing cold and shorter days, Autumn is a time when trees lose their leaves as they withdraw their energy internally. Autumn is also the time of the Metal Element.

In the individual, the Metal Element represents internal resolve and strength, self-worth, self-esteem, vitality and endurance, as well as the ability to let go of emotional upsets and grudges. The associated  systems are the lungs, skin, and colon. When the Metal Element is out of balance, we may experience depression and sadness, an inability to recover from loss, lack of inspiration, rigidity, poor self-esteem, excessive materialism, and emotional withdrawal. Physical symptoms of the imbalance include asthma, rhinitis, eczema and other skin disorders, constipation, and lower bowel disorders.

When balanced, the Metal Element represents a connection to one's own self:  you know your own self-worth; you respect others and yourself; you are willing to give and receive acknowledgment for the magnificent being you are. Metal type people like minimalism; they are organized, clean, and contained. They also can be controlling, ambitious, forceful, and set in their ways -- as metal is very strong -- and they are self-reliant and prefer to handle their problems alone.

Although Metal represents the biological and spiritual Father, it is yin/feminine in nature; its motion is inward, and its energy is contracting. Metal represents the minerals, crystals, and gems of the world -- the metal aspect is the diamond found within each one of us.

From Daniel Reid
Metal energy controls the lungs, which extract and store essential energy from air and expel wastes from the blood, and the large intestine, which eliminates solid wastes while retaining and recycling water. Its color is white, the color of purity and essence. 

Autumn is the season of retrospection and meditative insight, for shedding old skin and dumping the excess baggage of external attachments and emotions accumulated in summer, just as trees shed their leaves and bees drive drones from the hive at this time of year.

Resisting this energy by clinging sentimentally to past attachments can cause feelings of melancholy, grief, and anxiety, which manifest themselves physiologically in breathing difficulties, chest pain, skin problems, and low resistance. The flu, colds, and other respiratory ailments are common indicators of blocked Metal energy, which is associated with the lungs. Just as Metal is a refined extract of Earth forged by Fire, so Autumn is the season for extracting and refining essential lessons from the activities and experiences of summer, transforming them into the quiet wisdom of winter.