What attracts us to certain people? What repels us from certain people and (even when we try not to) what makes us form certain judgments about people based on their appearance? Numerous studies that show that people with very balanced facial features who carry their bodies with confidence are simply easier on the eye, compelling us to look at them longer and give them more attention. This is the fascinating art of physiognomy, or face reading.

In studies with babies, different types of facial features are placed in front of them and their reactions are monitored. On the whole, the babies were calmer and reacted more favorably when in the presence of a maternal figure with what we call a balanced face. Likewise, studies have shown that attractive babies receive more focused care and attention from their caregivers. The less attractive baby may not get quite as much care – intentionally or unintentionally.

In feng shui, certain houses can bring wealth, health, fame or success to people, or make them prone to divorce, ailments, lawsuits, and financial troubles. Similarly, there are certain physical attributes that make a person well-received, famous, admired, generous, and powerful; or make them prone to being bossy, stingy, accident-prone, vulnerable, or lonely. Our physical appearance and its form provide clues to the energies that lie within us.

Landforms are a good way to illustrate this. Different landforms, soil color and texture, the way the plates move in the earth that form mountains, valleys, volcanoes and cliffs, all tell about the energy contained in that particular place of the earth and what life forms are viable on it.

When we study trees, plants, fruits, and vegetables, we discover that they have different leaf forms. Some are broad and waxy, some are thin and spiny, and some are even hairy. These features reveal the plant’s energy and characteristics. When studying animals, we find that certain animals have scales, are blind, can change color, are covered in fur or feathers, or have claws or fingers. We can learn a lot about their energy by examining their physical attributes, even though we cannot communicate directly with them.

 within. These energies within create physical manifestations. For example, moles, cysts, or tumors in certain parts of the body tell us something about the energy within. Some of us get cold sores, hives, or rashes because of certain weaknesses, immunities, or allergies manifesting physically. Emotions are more subtle, but still capable of physical manifestation.

The shapes of the faces are categorized under the five elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal. The fire face is more pointed at the chin, the earth face is square, the wood face is long, the water face is round, and the metal face is heart-shaped. The face is also divided into three different parts: the first part is the forehead which reveals information about our childhood and younger years, the second part includes the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and ears, which reveal information about our middle-aged years, and the third part is the chin and the mouth which reveal information about the years from 50 on.

The features of our face are also associated with different vital organs in our body. The eyes relate to the liver, the nose relates to the stomach, the mouth relates to the heart and the ears relate to the kidneys.

When you have a face reading done by a master, the facial features are studied in very great detail for their size, shape, color, and so on. When we study the eyes, we include the eyelid, eyebrow, pupils, and the corners of the eyes. The nose includes the nostril, bridge of the nose, tip of the nose, and the depth of the crevice on either side of the nose. The mouth includes the lip shape, lip color, and lip symmetry; the teeth and their shape and color; the tongue, tip of the tongue, and color of the tongue. Study of the ears includes the lobes, spine of the earlobe, color of the earlobe and earlobe form and size. For the chin we study the size, shape, and form. With cheeks we note the cheekbone height, and if they are rounded, protruding, or flat. For the forehead we examine the smoothness, height, and the hairline.

Face reading is a very useful tool. Just like in feng shui of a house, which allows us to make an objective analysis for understanding the qualities and characteristics of a home, we can use face reading to help us understand the qualities and characteristics of a person. This comes in handy when selecting a life partner, staff members to work with us, when we’re looking for a business partner or just making friends in a social environment.