Hi everyone. I thought I would share my system for remembering the elements in hexagrams since they are a bit counter-intuitive at first (wa being dirt instead of water, for example) and sometimes the suggestions for remembering aren't always the best word-associations.

For Wood:

y = yew
m = maple

For Fire:

w = welder, or weldor
e = Elmo (as in St. Elmo's Fire)

For Water:

h = hydration
t = tap

For Dirt:
(various areas of land)

c = country
cn = Canada
wa = Washington
sh = Shanghai

And as for metal, I haven't thought of a better way to remember them than the suggested method (s for steel, yo as in toyota.)