“Mountain, medicine, fate, physiognomy, and divination” are the essence of the numerological arts of ancient Chinese Taoism. “Mountain” means feng shui; “medicine,” Chinese medicine; “fate,” fate calculation; “physiognomy,” the art of reading faces; and “divination,” the casting of lots and signs. These arts were widely applied in every sphere—production, daily life, politics, war, and management—and their classics were valued in every age. These classics distill the experience of applying a given art in social life; concise and to the point, they can directly foretell the good and ill fortune of people and affairs, and so they have a certain value as a reference.
The Rhapsody That Startles the Spirits (Jingshen Fu) first appeared as a secret transmission of Chen Tuan in the Song dynasty and was included by Yuan Zhongche of the Ming dynasty in the Complete Compendium of Divine Physiognomy (Shenxiang Quanbian), which he edited; its original author is unknown. Because the Rhapsody That Startles the Spirits was a classic of face reading through the ages, it was included again by Liu Xuecheng of the Qing dynasty in the physiognomy classic he compiled, the Taiyi Classic of Illuminating the Spirit (Taiyi Zhaoshen Jing). Through this text one can see the general outline of ancient Chinese physiognomy.
1
Behold:
The divine Yao's eyebrows showed eight colors; the great Shun's eyes had double pupils.
Emperor Wu had ears with three openings; King Wen had a body with four nipples.
Plain-Language Commentary
“The divine Yao” is the name of a legendary sage-king of high antiquity, also called Tang Yao.
“The divine Yao's eyebrows showed eight colors”: Emperor Yao's eyebrows had eight colors.
“The great Shun's eyes had double pupils”: the great Shun had double pupils, two pupils in each eye.
The Taiyi Classic of Illuminating the Spirit was compiled by Liu Xuecheng of the Qing dynasty; “Emperor Wu” should refer to the great Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty.
“Emperor Wu had ears with three openings”: Emperor Wu of Han had three openings in his ears. According to the chapter “Cultivating Effort” in the Huainanzi, “Yu's ears had three openings; this is called great penetration.” In the Biographies of Divine Immortals (Shenxian Zhuan), Laozi's ears had three openings. “Ears with three openings” was a representative symbol of Yu the Great.
Medieval philologists proposed that it should be understood simply as a metaphor—that is, a ruler with such ears hears everything and knows everything.
In physiognomy, the ears govern the kidneys, and the kidneys open the orifices; “open orifices” means intelligence, so three openings signify being far more intelligent than ordinary people.
King Wen of Zhou, a sage of ancient China, was the son of Jili and the father of King Wu, a wise ruler in the early Zhou who laid a solid foundation for the founding of the Zhou dynasty. He created the “King Wen arrangement of the Eight Trigrams,” which has been handed down to later ages.
“King Wen had a body with four nipples”: that is, King Wen of Zhou had four nipples. Four nipples signify broad knowledge of the four directions; in physiognomy, four nipples are extremely rare. The nipple should also carry the meaning of a source of spiritual power: the breast is the source of human life, and it can also mean the source of spiritual power. King Wen had four sources of spiritual power and broad knowledge of the four directions; following the changes of the four seasons, he transformed this into the Eight Trigrams (bagua) and handed them down to later generations.
A digression here. In the principles of the trigrams, King Wen's arrangement of the Eight Trigrams is the Later-Heaven Bagua, which differs from the Prior-Heaven Bagua, that is, Fuxi's arrangement. The Later-Heaven Bagua is used to work out human affairs, while the Prior-Heaven Bagua expounds heaven and earth. In application, the Later-Heaven Bagua is based mainly on the changes of the four seasons, while the Prior-Heaven Bagua is based on the basic phenomena of the natural world.
2
The Han founder had a dragon's face; Song Yu had a donkey's ears.
Master Kong had river eyes and a sea mouth; Xiang Yu of Chu had a swallow's jaw and a tiger's head.
Lady Yu's body was like congealed cream; Chen Ping's looks were like the jade on a cap.
Emperor Gaozu of Han had seventy-two black spots on his left thigh; in the palm of King Xiang of Chu appeared a five-petaled pattern.
Since the worthies of old were like this, how could later ages lack such signs?
Plain-Language Commentary
“The Han founder had a dragon's face”: Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han, had the countenance of a dragon.
“Song Yu had a donkey's ears”: Song Yu, also called Ziyuan, was a native of Zhongxiang in Hubei. He is said to have been a student of Qu Yuan and was a poet of the state of Chu in the Warring States period who had a great influence on later literature. He had a pair of ears like a donkey's.
“Master Kong had river eyes and a sea mouth”: Confucius had a gaze like a river and a mouth as large as the sea.
“Xiang Yu of Chu had a swallow's jaw and a tiger's head”: Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, is described by the Qing writer Chu Renhuo in chapter 4 of the Romance of the Sui and Tang (Sui Tang Yanyi): “Lofty was his air, like clouds and rosy mist; stern his majesty, like frost and snow. His bear's waist and tiger's back were rugged and imposing; his swallow's jaw and tiger's head, heroic and handsome.” “A swallow's jaw and a tiger's head” describe an imposing appearance: “swallow's jaw” means agility, and “tiger's head” means that the face shows bodily strength. In terms of martial prowess alone, Xiang Yu ranks first among the famous generals of Chinese history. With his prowess he “broke the cauldrons and sank the boats” and routed the main force of the mighty Qin; his strength was enough to make his name resound through the ages. When the lords of the various states who came to submit to Xiang Yu greeted him, they did not even dare raise their heads to look at him—which shows how overwhelming the Hegemon-King of Western Chu's domineering presence was at the time. He is the only general in all the historical records of China of whom such a domineering presence is recorded.
“Lady Yu's body was like congealed cream”: Lady Yu was Xiang Yu's woman, with a body like congealed cream, fine and white as jade, surrounded by a delicate fragrance. She was Xiang Yu's pillar of support, and in his last moments she acted out with her life “The Hegemon-King Bids Farewell to His Consort,” a legend of the hero and the beauty still sung today.
“Chen Ping's looks were like the jade on a cap”: Chen Ping, one of the founding ministers of the Western Han, was an important strategist in Liu Bang's (Emperor Gaozu of Han) conquest of the realm, with outstanding political talent and wisdom in dealing with people and affairs. His face was warm, smooth, and full, like fine jade.
“Emperor Gaozu of Han had seventy-two black spots on his left thigh”: gu originally means the thigh. According to the subcommentary on the chapter “Xian Wen” of the Analects: “Above the knee is called gu; below the knee is called jing.” And in the “Strategies of Qin” in the Strategies of the Warring States: “When he was reading and grew sleepy, he took an awl and stabbed his gu.” The gu that Liu Xuecheng meant should be the leg. Emperor Gaozu of Han had seventy-two black spots on his left leg; “black spots” can also be read as “moles.”
“In the palm of King Xiang of Chu appeared a five-petaled pattern”: a pattern of lines with five petals appeared in King Xiang of Chu's palm. King Xiang of Chu was a ruler of the state of Chu in the Warring States period.
“Since the worthies of old were like this, how could later ages lack such signs?”: since the sages and worthies of earlier times all had distinctive features, how could accomplished people of later ages lack them?
3
Complexion shows the good and ill of the passing years; bone structure is the foundation of a whole life.
When the Three Sections are equal, one lacks neither food, clothing, nor emolument all one's life.
When the Five Peaks face heaven, one has wealth enough to use all one's life.
When the Heavenly Court rises high, wealth and rank can be expected in youth.
When the Earthly Pavilion is full and plump, one alone enjoys glory in one's later years.
Plain-Language Commentary
“Complexion shows the good and ill of the passing years”: according to how the complexion of the face changes for better or worse through the four seasons of each year, one's fortune in life will also change for better or worse.
“Bone structure is the foundation of a whole life”: the structure of the body's bones is the foundation of one's fortune for one's whole life.
“When the Three Sections are equal, one lacks neither food, clothing, nor emolument all one's life”: when the upper, middle, and lower “Three Sections” are balanced, one will never lack food, clothing, and emolument in one's life.
“When the Five Peaks face heaven, one has wealth enough to use all one's life”: when the “Five Peaks” have presence, one's wealth and assets will be enough for one's whole life.
“When the Heavenly Court rises high, wealth and rank can be expected in youth”: when the Heavenly Court (the upper forehead) rises high, wealth and rank in youth are just around the corner.
“When the Earthly Pavilion is full and plump, one alone enjoys glory in one's later years”: when the Earthly Pavilion (the chin) is full and thick, one's later years can be very glorious (highly respected and amply wealthy).
4
The mouth is the lodge of Water, deciding whether one has food, clothing, and emolument all one's life.
The nose is the star of wealth, governing the poverty or success, the fortunes, of middle age.
Clear brows and fine eyes: a worthy who will climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix.
Muddy qi and a clouded spirit: one of those who whip horses and herd sheep.
Plain-Language Commentary
The mouth is the place where water lodges, deciding whether one has food, clothing, and emolument all one's life. The nose is the symbol of wealth, influencing the changes of fortune in middle age. Clear brows and fine eyes are the looks of one who will attach himself to the great and powerful. A muddy complexion and a dim face are fit only for driving horses and herding sheep.
The size of the mouth is the outward expression of a person's qi and blood, and the tension or slackness of the blood vessels has a great influence on one's fate. Blood vessels that are too tight make one rather stingy in affairs; blood vessels that are too slack make one act without limits. So one can judge that a person with a small mouth had little food and emolument in childhood. A person with an overly large mouth can be judged to have overly abundant food and emolument and a tendency toward laziness. Lips pressed too tightly indicate a rather serious state of mind. Lips too far apart show a relaxed state of mind. Some people often take whether a woman's lips are pressed shut or open as an outward sign of whether she is easily wanton; in fact it shows whether her state of mind is serious or easygoing, and one cannot generalize about wantonness from it.
The nose belongs to Earth among “the Five Phases,” and earth is the basis that bears all things and gives birth to all things, so the nose is the key to finances. A straight, full nose, thick and fleshy, means one is able to generate wealth. In addition, in medical terms it indicates a good heart, and a good heart can of course achieve something in middle age. At the same time, it foretells a person's fortune in middle age.
“Clear brows and fine eyes” is a rather common expression, meaning a clear face that looks spirited. As for whether one can climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix, clear brows and fine eyes foretell cleverness, dexterity, and a quick, lively nature.
If the complexion of the face is muddy and lifeless, in ancient times one might have been judged fit only to be an ordinary laborer. In modern times it must be judged in context. This can happen from lack of rest, from psychological stress, or from physical illness. So a passing complexion can only indicate a passing situation; to judge in the long term requires more observation.
5
A low hairline and coarse, rough skin: in the end, poverty.
Fingers closely set and the tops of the feet round and plump: one will be wealthy and noble.
A full, large nose tip mostly means blessings; flesh growing crosswise on the face means a surely fierce nature.
Wisdom is born of skin and hair; bitterness and joy are seen in the hands and feet.
Plain-Language Commentary
A hairline that is too low together with coarse, dry skin can only mean poverty. Fingers with no gaps between them and fleshy tops of the feet form a face that can attain wealth and rank.
A full, large nose tip readily brings blessings and emolument; crosswise flesh on the face surely means danger. Wisdom comes from the flourishing of skin and hair, and the bitterness and joy of life can be seen in the hands and feet.
A hairline that is too low means hair growing without measure, reaching too low; coarse, rough skin is, to put it aptly in modern terms, malnutrition. Such looks are the looks of poverty. Why? When the body's hair grows without measure, it necessarily drains too much of one's vital essence; with malnutrition, the body will not be healthy.
The hands are a direct reflection of the body: a person with beautiful hands certainly has a beautiful body. Fingers without obvious gaps between them show long-term stability in life, which in ancient times only wealthy, noble families could have; so the author says one “will be wealthy and noble.”
The nose tip is where the treasury of wealth lies in physiognomy; a person with a full, large nose tip has relatively many blessings and emoluments.
Crosswise flesh on the face looks fierce. It results from a person's liver qi rising and accumulating in the face for a long time, causing the facial muscles to grow excessively. When liver qi is excessive, one easily feels discomfort in the liver, because the liver governs the body's qi channels. When one gets angry, for example, much strength rises to the face to make the facial expression angry; the Chinese word for getting angry, shengqi, literally “producing qi,” means gathering a great deal of strength, and this is its original sense. What happens if the qi cannot be “produced”? The liver qi becomes stagnant and knotted: one cannot vent one's anger, yet the flow of anger has already been set in motion; unable to reach the face, it can only go back to the liver, and when this happens often, the liver qi becomes stagnant and knotted.
“Wisdom is born of skin and hair”: without careful thought, skin and hair seem to have nothing to do with wisdom, but in fact this is the author's figurative expression. Of skin and hair, the body hair that can obviously be seen is the hair of the head, and “skin” means the skin. The hair reflects the head and nutrition, and the skin reflects nutrition and the state of the body. People whose heads are well nourished and whose bodies are healthy are relatively clever, or at least not too dull. Fine, soft hair shows that a person is clever, gentle-tempered, and has a good memory.
“Bitterness and joy are seen in the hands and feet”: whether in ancient or modern times, this is a very useful reference in physiognomy. The hands and feet show what a person regularly handles, so looking at a person's hands and feet tells you what kind of work they do.
6
A turtle's head and a soft-shelled turtle's brain: one who shuts the door and eats alone.
Sheep's eyes and fish's pupils: a child who climbs a tree to look for fish.
Both pupils like dotted lacquer: a hero without equal in the world.
A navel formed as a single clear point: aspirations surpassing the crowd.
Plain-Language Commentary
A drawn-in head and slow reactions mean a character that is too introverted, not good at communicating, slow to react, and fit only for life within one's own home.
Pupils like the eyes of sheep and fish will only “climb a tree to look for fish,” meaning a dull mind with no ability to think, unable to adapt in dealing with people and affairs.
If both eyes are bright and piercing, one can become a hero without equal in the world.
The navel is the hollow in the middle of the abdomen where the umbilical cord fell off and scarred over. The acupoint here is called “Shenque” (Spirit Gate). The chapter “Five Colors” in the Divine Pivot (Lingshu) says: “What corresponds to the kidneys is the navel.” “A navel formed as a single clear point” should have two interpretations: one reads it as the face looking full of vital essence and qi; the other reads it as a clearly formed navel, meaning such a person has very good prior-heaven qi. Both interpretations describe people full of vital essence and qi, who appear to have uncommon aspirations.
7
Autumn waters for a spirit, jade for a face, a countenance like the lotus and brows like the willow, eyes lying like autumn waters and a topknot like the raven: a woman will surely become an empress or consort, and a man should be a “spring guest.”
Plain-Language Commentary
“Autumn waters”: the ancients often used this as a metaphor for “clear, rippling eyes”; here it can be read as clear eyes, the gaze.
“Jade for a face”: a jade face, a countenance as warm and smooth as jade.
“A countenance like the lotus and brows like the willow”: a countenance like the lotus describes a face that is clear, moist, and full; willow brows, eyebrows like the willow, in physiognomy govern tenderness like water.
“Eyes lying like autumn waters”: in young children, whose original yang has not yet risen, the outward features of boys and girls are not very distinct, and their eyes are bright and clear, like a pool of autumn water.
“A topknot like the raven”: a topknot as black as a raven's feathers. Ravens are all black; this means hair as black and glossy as a raven's feathers, which foretells good luck and fortune.
What is a “spring guest”? The Tang poet Li Qunyu wrote in his poem “Taking Leave of My Host After Rising from Sickness”: “I am all the more ashamed that a thousand gold is too little; my feeling for a single meal is beyond measure. I regret I have no spring guest's tears, to weep them all as pearls of gratitude.” The Records of Strange Things (Shuyi Ji) contains a myth: “The South Sea produces jiao silk gauze, which the spring folk (that is, the jiao people) weave in secret. It is called dragon gauze and is worth over a hundred gold; made into clothes, it does not get wet in water.” The “spring folk,” also called “spring guests,” are the legendary jiao people (also written with another character, jiao), that is, mermaids. The jiao people have the tails of fish and the bodies of humans and are said to be the numinous among merfolk. The jiao people recorded in ancient Chinese books are the merfolk of Western mythology; the jiao silk they produce does not get wet in water, and when they weep, their tears turn into pearls. Gan Bao of the Jin dynasty writes in In Search of the Supernatural (Soushen Ji), scroll 12: “Beyond the South Sea there are jiao people who live in the water like fish and never cease their weaving; when their eyes weep, they can bring forth pearls.” Here “spring guest” should refer to an outstanding young man.
Such a woman can become an empress or consort. In ancient times, to ensure the quality and number of the emperor's descendants, the rear palace held three thousand beauties, and those chosen were all exceptionally outstanding girls. Such a man should be a “spring guest.”
8
Trysts under the moon and stars; a mouth like a kiln's firebox and a gait like a sparrow's.
Rushing east and west. When random lines grow at the corners of the mouth, one will be a Yafu who starves to death.
When red veins run through the pupils, one is a Li Guang who can hardly be ennobled.
Lü Wang's ear hairs were red and fine; Shi Chong's nostrils were round and drawn in.
Plain-Language Commentary
“Trysts under the moon and stars”: “moon” means under the moonlight, and “stars” means under the starlight—trysts before the stars and beneath the moon.
“A mouth like a kiln's firebox and a gait like a sparrow's”: a kiln firebox is the firebox used to fire bricks, tiles, and ceramic vessels. “A gait like a sparrow's” means walking with a hopping step like a sparrow's. Such a face signifies rushing east and west with no fixed abode.
“When random lines grow at the corners of the mouth, one will be a Yafu who starves to death”: the random lines are the “Soaring Serpent lines” growing at the corners of the mouth. Physiognomists through the ages have held that the face of “the Soaring Serpent entering the mouth” signifies ultimately having nothing to eat and starving to death, like the famous Western Han general Zhou Yafu, who in the end starved to death—that is, poverty with nothing to eat.
“When red veins run through the pupils, one is a Li Guang who can hardly be ennobled”: “red veins running through the pupils” means red veins entering the pupils, the veins at the edge of the eye reaching into the pupil; red veins invading the pupil are a sign of serious disorder in the functions of the internal organs. “Li Guang who can hardly be ennobled” refers to the famous Western Han military leader who served as cavalry general, commandant of the valiant cavalry, commandant of the guard of the Weiyang Palace, and commandery governor. Defending the frontier commanderies, he kept the Xiongnu from daring to invade for many years and was called “the Flying General.” Although Li Guang fought for the Han all his life and won outstanding military merit, he was never made a marquis in his whole life. His cousin Li Cai, whose character and ability were below average, was made a marquis, while Li Guang could not fulfill his ambitions.
“Lü Wang's ear hairs were red and fine; Shi Chong's nostrils were round and drawn in”: Lü Wang is Jiang Ziya. The hairs in Jiang Ziya's ears were moist, red, and fine, and he built the foundation of the Zhou dynasty's eight hundred years. Shi Chong was the sixth son of Shi Bao, a founding minister of the Western Jin. Brave and resourceful in youth, he was made Marquis of Anyang Township for his merit in the campaign against Wu. He built the Golden Valley Garden, vast in scale and unmatched in luxury; he lived extravagantly, his property was magnificent, and he had many concubines. He competed in wealth with Wang Kai, and his riches rivaled those of the state.
9
Lian Po's outer eye corners pointed toward heaven; Deng Tong's two mouth corners turned toward the earth.
Yafu had two cords hanging down; King Wen had a mole right on his chest.
By the form one sees the heart, enough to tell a person's nobility or lowliness.
By listening to the voice and observing the complexion, one knows a person's worth or folly.
Plain-Language Commentary
The outer corners of Lian Po's eyes pointed toward the sky. Lian Po was a famous general of the state of Zhao in the Warring States period, known for his courage and boldness, one of the “Four Great Generals of the Warring States,” and the subject of the famous story of “carrying brambles on his back to ask forgiveness.”
Deng Tong, a native of Nan'an in Shu Commandery, was a favorite of Emperor Wen of the Western Han. Through flattery and fawning, Deng Tong monopolized the minting of coins at the time and opened copper mines far and wide, becoming the richest man in the realm. In 156 BC Emperor Jing of Han came to the throne; because Deng Tong had offended him years before when he was crown prince, Emperor Jing dismissed Deng Tong from office on a charge of mining across the border and confiscated all his property. From then on Deng Tong became the poorest of men, and he finally starved to death in Ya'an, Sichuan.
Yafu is Zhou Yafu, a famous military leader and chancellor of the Western Han and the second son of Zhou Bo, a great general of the early Han, famous for his strict command of the army and for putting down the “Rebellion of the Seven States.” “Yafu had two cords hanging down”: “two cords hanging down” here refers to the two lines at the corners of Zhou Yafu's mouth that drooped down into it. The famous Western Han physiognomist Xu Fu once read his face and predicted: “In three years you will be made a marquis; eight years after becoming a marquis you will be chancellor; nine years after that you will starve to death.” Zhou Yafu did not believe it, and Xu Fu pointed to the vertical lines beside his mouth as the sign of starving to death.
“King Wen had a mole right on his chest”: King Wen of Zhou had a large mole on his chest, showing lofty aspirations and strategic wisdom in his heart, able to accomplish great undertakings.
“By the form one sees the heart, enough to tell a person's nobility or lowliness”: from a person's form one can understand their heart and tell whether they are noble or lowly.
“By listening to the voice and observing the complexion, one knows a person's worth or folly”: through a person's voice and complexion one can know whether they are wise or foolish.
A person's form is what is usually called the “moving appearance,” the appearance of the body in motion, the direct expression of a person's psychology, physiology, and habits of life. Through a person's form one can understand their situation fairly accurately.
The “appearance of the voice” is also rather important in physiognomy. From the voice one can learn a person's views on matters and their basic stance, and further one can see their boldness, learning, and habits of character; so physiognomists through the ages have paid great attention to the voice.
10
Alas:
Exposed teeth and upturned brows—how could one be employed by the court?
Knitted brows and a pursed mouth—hard to be a minister of the high councils.
A rat's eyes and a river deer's head—after all, hard to climb the path of office.
A wasp's waist and a swallow's body—how could one seek merit and fame?
Plain-Language Commentary
“Upturned brows” means eyebrows that turn upward; with teeth exposed and eyebrows turned up, the court will not employ a person with such looks.
With the eyebrows drawn together and the lips pursed together, one cannot become an important official at court.
“A rat's eyes and a river deer's head” describes a gaze like a rat's and a form like a river deer's; “after all, hard to climb the path of office” means one will never enter an official career.
“A wasp's waist and a swallow's body” means a waist like a wasp's and a body like a swallow's: a wasp's waist is too thin, and a swallow's body too light. How could such a person gain merit and fame?