Chinese Face reading is one of the 5 metaphysical Chinese arts which are: mountain 山, medicine 医, life 命, divination 扑and Appearance 相.
A face can reveal a person’s character and destiny. To an expert physiognomist, every face is a map of the past, present and future. It gives information about relationships with others, such as parents, children, spouse, subordinates etc.
Since its earliest development, in the epoch before the birth of Christ, physiognomy in China has been treated – like acupuncture- as a branch of medicine. The reasoning is simple. Since a person’s facial features reflect his personality or inner vitality, an individual’s appearance is closely related to his spirit and therefore his physical wellbeing.
According to Chinese Face Reading, balance and proportion is important because it provides clues to a person’s general character and fate. The Position System is the key to practical application of the Five Vital Features: eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Other facial features such as forehead, cheekbones, jawbones, chin and groove (beneath the nose tip) are also integral parts of the face reading system. The color of the skin, the position and color of moles, wrinkles and lines are also paramount.
According to Chinese Face Reading, each spot or position of the face is related to a certain age. By examining the color and shape of a specific spot one can reveal the past of the person or predict the future.
If a person’s personality can be read from the signs on his face, the Chinese believe, then so can his future. Again, the reasoning is not complicated. Facial features change in the aging process. Each change in a person’s feature provides a clue to his behaviour, to his wellbeing and therefore of things to come.
Chinese face readers believe than in addition to the constant change in one’s facial features, we all possess inborn qualities. True, a person may be able to master enough will power to effect an inner change. But this change or improvement is limited at best, for willpower is limited from birth. Chinese face readers believe that each person lives out his life within a basically fixed pattern. This pattern is reflected on his face and differs from all others, just like fingerprints do.
