Chiyang Daoren, Eastern Taoism
In face reading, “the Five Features” and “the Six Treasuries” are the key points; their influence on a person's whole life is very great.
As the saying goes, “When one feature is well formed, there are ten years of honor; when one treasury is complete, there are ten years of wealth!” Among “the Five Features,” as long as one feature is well formed, one can enjoy ten years of wealth and rank. If all of the Five Features are excellent, one can enjoy wealth and rank for a whole lifetime.
1. The “Five Features” in Face Reading
“The Five Features” (wuguan, literally “five officers”) in face reading are the eyes, ears, nose, eyebrows, and mouth. Of the Five Features, the eyes are the Supervising Officer, the nose is the Judging Officer, the mouth is the Treasurer Officer, the ears are the Listening Officer, and the eyebrows are the Longevity-Preserving Officer.
The Five Features should be fine, full, and bright. If one feature is well formed, one can have ten years of good luck. If one feature is flawed or ugly, it foretells hardship, adversity, and calamity.
The Five Features must be centered and upright, not crooked, complete in form, and bright in color to count as a good face. If the eyes slant, one is two-faced; if the nose is crooked, one's mind is not upright; if the mouth is crooked, one's words are untrue; if the eyebrows are askew, one is cold-blooded and heartless; and if the ears slant, one is self-willed—none of these is a good face.
1. The Supervising Officer—the Eyes
The eyes are the first of the Five Features and so the most important. If the gaze is bright, with clear whites and dark pupils, the mind is certainly upright and one has talent and wisdom; only then does one show a bright, piercing look, rather than eyes that flicker constantly and never settle, which is the look of a guilty conscience and fear of others.
2. The Listening Officer—the Ears
The ears should be symmetrical left and right, not one high and one low, and their skin should be smooth and bright. This represents good health, a strong ability to learn, and relatively early success and fame. Conversely, if the ears are crooked in shape, indistinct in outline, and dull in color, it represents poor health, a hard life, thin blessings, and a life of rushing about and toiling.
3. The Judging Officer—the Nose
The nose is the center of the Five Features. If it is centered, straight, full, and solid, it represents a fair person with a sense of justice, a strong body, and abundant wealth. Otherwise, it represents a solitary, eccentric character, hidden illness, poor finances, and a life of adversity.
4. The Longevity-Preserving Officer—the Eyebrows
The eyebrows should grow smoothly in one direction and be long, fine, soft, bright, glossy, and dark, complete in shape, with the tail gathered, and not set too close to the eyes. This is a good brow, representing good relationships, a clever and studious nature, a gentle and courteous character, and proper conduct. Conversely, if the eyebrows grow against the grain and are disordered, coarse and short, greasy, broken in shape, and loose at the tail, they are an inferior brow, belonging to a crude, vulgar person who will hardly become wealthy or noble.
5. The Treasurer Officer—the Mouth
If the mouth can close firmly, has a clear outline, is bright and rosy, and speaks in a clear, bright voice, it represents a person of integrity who enjoys good food and an official's emolument, whose words match their deeds—an upright person. Conversely, if the mouth hangs open and does not close, its outline is indistinct, the lips are dull in color, and the person speaks feebly in a hoarse voice, then their conduct is dissolute, their words and deeds do not match, and they live in poverty—an ordinary person who will hardly attain wealth or rank in this life.
2. The “Six Treasuries” in Face Reading
1. Where the “Six Treasuries” Are
Face reading divides the face into the upper, middle, and lower Three Sections, each with “two treasuries,” which together are usually called “the Six Treasuries” (liufu). Specifically, they are the two sides of the forehead, the two sides of the cheekbones, and the two sides of the chin—six parts in all, hence the name “Six Treasuries.” They govern fortune in different periods of life.
(1) The two upper treasuries are the two “assisting bones.” Range: from the Fujiao (“Assisting Corners”) to the Tiancang (“Heavenly Granaries”), including areas such as the Sun and Moon Corners and the Biancheng (“Border Cities”).
(2) The two middle treasuries are the two cheekbones. Range: from the Mingmen (“Gate of Life,” in front of the ears) to the Hu'er (“Tiger Ears”).
(3) The two lower treasuries are the two jawbones. Range: from the jaw angles to the Dige (“Earthly Pavilion,” the chin), including areas such as the Diku (“Earthly Treasuries”).
2. Good and Bad Forms of the “Six Treasuries”
Above the two eyes are the “second treasuries,” the two cheeks are the “fourth treasuries,” and the two cheekbones are the “sixth treasuries.”
From the point of view of face reading, most important areas should have raised bone wrapped in flesh; only then is there a pairing of yin and yang, which counts as an excellent, favorable face. The areas of the Six Treasuries should be full, smooth, and clean. If “one treasury” is good, one can be wealthy for ten years. If “one treasury” has flaws, blemishes, scars, or black moles, it signifies an inauspicious face.
3. Analysis of the “Six Treasuries”
The Six Treasuries are the areas for observing the outside support and environmental conditions a person will have on the journey of life. If the Six Treasuries are full and solid, one readily receives promotion by others, has good social relationships and ample family support, and is respected.
(1) The upper section (treasuries) governs fortune in early life. If a person's “two treasuries” here are full—that is, the two sides of the forehead are full, not sunken or low, bright and lustrous, and well formed—it represents a good foundation in childhood and youth, a well-off family, a good upbringing, and usually a fairly good education. Such a person achieves success young, readily receives care from parents and grandparents, and finds many benefactors when going out into the world.
(2) The middle section (treasuries) governs fortune in middle age. If a person's “two treasuries” of the middle section are full, they are well formed; in middle age their family support is great, their social relationships are harmonious, and their career readily brings achievement. In middle age they will not want for anything but will enjoy a prosperous life.
(3) The lower section (treasuries) governs fortune in old age. If the “two treasuries” of the lower section are full, the person is well formed; their fortune in old age is steady, their life is free of worries, and they can live out their years in peace, lacking neither food nor clothing, living a settled life and deeply respected by the younger generations.
4. Summary of the “Six Treasuries”
When they are full and free of flaws and scars, they signify stable finances. Full Heavenly Granaries mean much wealth and emolument; a square, round Earthly Pavilion means a stable family estate. If the Six Treasuries are sunken, bony, or marked with scars, ominous moles, or random lines, they are called “unfilled Six Treasuries,” and one's career in life will develop with difficulty: despite one's hard work, the returns are small.
In addition, to put it simply, the Heavenly Granaries on either side of the forehead in the upper treasuries belong to one's working capital; the cheekbones of the middle treasuries are the drive to create wealth, the ability to carry things out, and the decision-making ability in investment and finance; and the Earthly Treasuries beside the chin in the lower treasuries belong to real estate and property. From how good or bad the three pairs of treasuries are, one can then see in which period a person will prosper and why.
As for the Five Features, they must be matched with the Six Treasuries; this is the pairing of “officers and treasuries” (guanfu, which also means “officials and their residences”) in physiognomy. If the Five Features are well formed but there are no treasuries, it is like being an official without an official residence—with nowhere to live, drifting and homeless—so how could one count as a high official? By the same token, if the Six Treasuries are well formed but the Five Features are not, it is like having a residence but no status or position, so how could one manage wealth?
In real life, some people have good Five Features and poor Six Treasuries: they have ability and a reputation, but their income is meager rather than plentiful. Others have poor Five Features and good Six Treasuries: they have no obvious status, yet they earn a great deal of money, like someone running a roadside stall or a small business—living in prosperity but without real power.
3. The “Four Rivers” in Face Reading
1. The “Four Rivers” in Face Reading Refer to These Four Parts of the Body
The Jiang (Yangtze) River—the ears; the He (Yellow) River—the eyes; the Huai River—the mouth; the Ji River—the nose.
2. Analysis of the “Four Rivers”
(1) The ears are the Yangtze River. The ear openings should be wide and deep, with a well-defined outline and a complete outer ear; then one is intelligent and reasonable, with a stable family estate.
(2) The eyes are the Yellow River. Those with deep-set eyes are long-lived; those with long, narrow eyes have an air of nobility; those with a bright gaze are intelligent. Those with shallow-set eyes are rather weak in health; those with a dim, muddy gaze meet many obstacles in their fortune; those with small, round eyes are prone to setbacks. Eyes neither too large nor too small, evenly proportioned and upright, are noble.
(3) The mouth is the Huai River. It should be square and broad, with the upper and lower lips covering and matching each other. If the upper lip is thin, it can hardly cover; if the lower lip is thin, it can hardly bear. If the lips neither cover nor bear, one's longevity is ordinary and one's blessings in old age are insufficient.
(4) The nose is the Ji River. It should be raised in three places, bright and rounded, neither crooked nor with exposed nostrils; then the family is wealthy and finances are stable.
In short, when the “Four Rivers” are deep, far-reaching, upright, and complete in form, finances are stable, wealth is not squandered, and there are ample savings.
4. The “Five Peaks” in Face Reading
1. The “Five Peaks” in Face Reading Refer to These Five Parts of the Body
The Southern Peak—Mount Heng in Hunan—is the forehead; the Northern Peak—Mount Heng in Shanxi—is the chin; the Eastern Peak—Mount Tai—is the right cheekbone (left for men, right for women); the Western Peak—Mount Hua—is the left cheekbone (left for men, right for women); and the Central Peak—Mount Song—is the nose bridge.
2. Analysis of the “Five Peaks”
In general, the Five Peaks must echo one another and be well proportioned and harmonious to be an auspicious face.
(1) The Central Peak should be high and raised, and the Eastern Peak should also stand tall. If these two peaks are neither raised nor steep, one's presence is insufficient, one's pattern is limited, and it is also unfavorable for health and long life.
(2) If the Central Peak is thin, weak, and without presence, the other four peaks have no master. Even if other parts have merits, one can hardly achieve a great pattern; one lacks dignity, and one's blessings and health can hardly last.
(3) Those whose Central Peak is deficient and too long have an average lifespan; if it is pointed and thin, fortune in old age is unsteady and few things go smoothly.
(4) A poor Southern Peak signifies loss and depletion; such a person is not suited to managing the family estate.
(5) A pointed, sunken Northern Peak means fortune in old age will not come to anything, and one will never attain distinction.
(6) If the eastern and western cheekbones slant and lack presence, one's temperament is extreme and lacks kindness and love.
3. Analysis of the Principles of the “Five Peaks”
1. The “Five Peaks” are a metaphor in traditional face-reading culture. The nose is the Central Peak, meaning a person's nose should rise high and upright like Mount Song, the Central Peak. The forehead, chin, and two cheekbones should rise high and full like the Southern Peak (Mount Heng in Hunan), the Northern Peak (Mount Heng in Shanxi), the Eastern Peak (Mount Tai, left for men, right for women), and the Western Peak (Mount Hua, left for men, right for women), respectively, giving the face the look of a city with double walls.
When the Five Peaks are evenly proportioned and regular in form, it symbolizes that a person's main bone structure is balanced and well developed. If the Five Peaks lack presence and are poorly formed, it symbolizes that the person's overall bone structure is unbalanced and poorly developed.
A correct reading of the face must consider “the Five Features,” “the Six Treasuries,” “the Four Rivers,” and “the Five Peaks” together; only then can a fairly accurate prediction be made.
The Five Peaks are for observing a person's own basic conditions in the struggles of life, while the Six Treasuries are for observing the outside support available on life's journey. The two complement each other, cannot be separated, and should be weighed together when analyzing a face. If the Six Treasuries are sunken, bony, or marked with scars, moles, or lines, one's career will develop with difficulty all one's life and bring small returns; if the Five Peaks are flawed, one's fortune is prone to setbacks and one's health is poor.
Some may think “the Five Features,” “the Six Treasuries,” “the Four Rivers,” and “the Five Peaks” overlap, but in fact the four focus on different things. The Four Rivers usually show a person's talent, wisdom, and inborn blessings—matters of inner cultivation. The Five Peaks show how much wealth and what power and status one has—the more concrete matter of property. And the Five Features and Six Treasuries show changes of fortune in each period of life, the ability to adapt, and reputation and bearing—the part displayed outwardly.