Mapping The Face: The Ancient Art of Physiognomy

Mapping The Face: The Ancient Art of Physiognomy

In acupuncture, facial diagnosis is a way of diagnosing dysfunction and illness by reading the features of the face. As an practitioner, I use this method often. The colors of your face, for example, tell me a lot about the state of your overall health and qi. Generally, the colors of the face are all I tend to focus on when working with patients. But the science of face-reading (called physiognomy) is far more in-depth than that. It has been around since 2500 B.C., and is considered by some to be the first diagnostic tool. Here are a few guidelines to physiognomy:

1. The eyebrows indicate the “aggressive” energy within the body. For this reason, people with thick eyebrows can be perceived as aggressive, or as chronically angry, or as a leader rather than a follower. Conversely, thin eyebrows can be seen as a feature of the passive follower. Long eyebrowed people have an easy time maintaining friendships, and those with short eyebrows are more independent.

2. Upturned eyes depict curiosity about life, or naivety, and downturned eyes correspond to sensitivity. Wide-set eyed people tend to look at the whole picture, while people with close-set eyes are more detail-oriented.

3. A large nose indicates an assertive individual with good leadership abilities, while the small-nosed tend to be more social. If your nose have large pores, that is a sign of an overindulgent, materialistic personality with a large appetite for the pleasures of life.

4. People with wide but thin lips feel more comfortable giving things than emotions. They are not overly emotional or touchy-feely. Wide, full-lipped people are huggers, people who feel very comfortable with public displays of affection. Small and thin lips are a sign of ongoing bitterness, and you commonly see this feature in older people who have been through a lot of struggles and strife. Those with small full lips either love or hate you. If you are their friend, they will hold you very close to their heart…but if you start off on their bad side, you will remain there forever!

5. There are five face shapes. Square-faced people are leaders and adventurers. Those with rectangular shapes are similar in personality to the square-faced, although they tend to plan a bit more and look before they leap. A round face depicts a gregarious, outgoing nature-someone who likes to be the center of attention. An oval-faced person is a diplomat, someone who is social but not necessarily comfortable being the center of attention. And a triangular-faced person is usually more mental in nature, and very focused, but not as social.

So today, take a look at the faces around you, and decide if this ancient hold still remains relevant today. You may be surprised at what you find.

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