There are five basic face shapes, and these relate to the five Chinese elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
The oriental sages of old believed that the universe was in a constant state of change. Over the centuries, the Chinese identified five stages of this cycle of constant states of transformation. To each they gave a name in the terms that were most familiar to them and accorded with their philosophy. Each of these stages is created by the one preceding it and, in turn, gives rise to the one that follows. The Chinese sages described these stages of existence as “agents of change” or “agents of transformation.” In the West, we tend to call them “elements.” In Chinese terms, these elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. We have come across the elements in their guises as the five animal mountains of the face.
According to oriental symbolism, the elements can be arranged into a circular form known as “the Creation Cycle,” a concept that will be familiar to anyone who takes an interest in feng shui or Chinese medicine. According to this cycle, wood is burned to feed fire, fire creates earth in the form of ash, and the depths of the earth give birth to metal, which, when molten, flows like water. Water in turn feeds the growth of wood. In short, each element does something to help the next element, thereby enhancing the entire cycle.
However, should this progressive sequence be disrupted, chaos and destruction can occur. Beginning again with wood, wood exhausts earth, earth fouls water, water quenches fire, fire melts metal, and metal chops wood.
Apart from the obvious qualities of the elements, the traditions of China also endowed them with other attributes. These are particular compass directions, colors, symbolic animals, plants, sounds, smells, activities, and, most important to face reading, individual geometric shapes and their associated definitions of character. Thus, the element wood was symbolized by the rectangle, fire by the triangle, earth by the square, metal by the oval (or inverted triangle), and water by the circle. Thus, there are five basic face shapes, each of which has an association with one of the agents of change.
In addition to these five basic face shapes, there are also two variations that are recognized but do not strictly fit within the elemental system. These are “the volcano face,” which is a variant of the fire type of face, and “the bucket face,” which is of the metal type.
The geometric shape associated with the wood element is the rectangle, so this type of face has a uniformity of width and is far longer than it is wide, giving it a rectangular appearance. The forehead of this type of face is high and is usually marked by well-defined creases. The general aspect of this face is both genial and dignified. This is a face type associated with warmth and optimism. In men, this type of face is often accompanied by a receding hairline.
The possessor of the wood face is popular; he wins friends easily and has a charitable nature. He also demands that things are done his way, and although he means well, he can express himself in an arrogant manner because he can be tactless when imposing his views. This person is energetic, with leadership potential, strong ideals, and determination. He will stand up for a point of principle and he has a philosophical attitude toward life. Often, the possessor of the wood face is convinced of his own rightness in any situation, and since this face type is associated with strong religious or philosophical convictions, care must be taken that the sense of always being right does not turn a positive character trait into harmful fanaticism.
The shape symbolic of the fire element is the triangle. Likewise, the fiery type of face possesses a wide jaw and a narrow forehead. It therefore resembles an upward-pointing triangle. The fire-faced person tends to be lucky, highly sexed, and physically attractive and can be extremely persuasive and charming. However, his boiling point is very low, and this subject can show an altogether less pleasant aspect when self-control is lost. Of course, extremes of this type can be physically explosive, and even the most relatively mild mannered fire-faced person usually has had a series of turbulent relationships in his life.
Those with a fire face are known for the angry look in their eyes. This can be quite daunting to all but the bravest souls. As might be imagined, the temperament of a person with a fire face is likely to be rather heated and excitable, possibly resulting from an unhappy childhood or a deprived background. This type is very ambitious, since there is a deep desire to remove himself as far from his origins as is humanly possible. This desire also provides a clue to the reasons for a lack of patience and outbursts of anger when plans go awry.
The geometric shape symbolic of the earth element means that this subject reflects the earth's own shape by having a height and width that are approximately the same. The complexion of the earth face tends to be ruddy, the hair often bushy, and the eyes somewhat red but expressive of authority. The nose and mouth also will tend to be wide, although the lips are often quite thin and the teeth small. A person with this type of face enjoys good health, has an active social life, and is probably very physical, to the point where he may become involved in contact sports at some point in his life.
The earth face is an indicator of toughness and determination, although some would claim that a more apt description involves total obstinacy. A person with an earth face has high energy levels and a tendency to leap to conclusions before the facts are fully known. A person with an earth face often possesses a quick and unpredictable temper. This type of person is so impulsive that he can get himself into trouble with no help from anyone else. Those around him then become vital as his saviors because although he can get himself into trouble, he lacks the inner strength to extricate himself without considerable help.
The metal face type is the opposite to that of fire. It is rather oval, but it is more easily visualized as an inverted triangle, widest at the top, with a pointed chin. The facial features are regular and rather refined; however, the mouth may be either slightly too large or slightly too small. The large eyes are lively and active, denoting intelligence and sharp perceptions. In fact, a person with a metal face has a mind that is extremely active and rarely gives him any peace.
This person lives in his head, and he is inclined more toward an intellectual career than to manual work, but he might actually prefer it if it were not so. He has difficulty in relaxing and he may have been quite a difficult child. He loves to talk and he will not shy away from heated debate as long as he is sure of his ground. However, even when he is not, he is quite capable of overwhelming his opponent with a clever use of words and sharp wit. Although he likes meeting new people, he will keep all but a few at a distance because emotional closeness is disturbing to him. A person with a metal face is a born politician, salesperson, and organizer. He is likely to be ambitious and shrewd and can be quite cunning when the occasion demands it.
The geometric shape of the water element is the circle, so the water face is easy to recognize simply because it is round. In the West, we tend to call this type the “moon face.” This sort of face is traditionally said to be pale or drained of color, which is often indicative of poor circulation. The eyes (in common with the ruling element) can be watery.
People with water faces tend to lack self-confidence and be dependent on others for reassurance and support. If they find themselves alone for any length of time, they will tend to prevaricate, putting off decisions for as long as possible. This may be why people with water faces are often accused of being lazy. It is true that they tend to lack energy and often become tired and lethargic, but that is not quite the same thing. The lack of physical energy is made up for by an abundance of vivid imagination. They have a rich and rare fantasy world that is often a more comfortable place to inhabit than the real one! On the other hand, this vivid imagination can give rise to unrealistic expectations, disappointments, and possibly hypochondria.
The volcano face is a variant of the true fire face, but in practice, it is found far more often. The volcano is also triangular in general outline, but more generally resembles a truncated pyramid, flattening at the forehead. This type of face tends to be bony, with very little softness about it. The complexion is sallow, and the person often possesses quite a lot of moles. In common with the true fire face, it is doubtful that the volcano type was blessed with a happy childhood. There is likely to be considerable resentment seething beneath the surface, and this can provide the impetus for this person to make great strides, develop big ambitions, and generally deal with the world on his own terms. Deep and thoughtful, he nevertheless can deal with others as long as they do not cross him, and is possessed of a strong sex drive. However, there is far more self-control than the fire type, and annoyance is more likely to be expressed through bitter words and sarcasm rather than through outbursts of violence. This self-control gives another clue to this character because he is solitary by preference, may be considered eccentric and prone to unusual notions, and has very individual hobbies and enthusiasms.
The bucket face is not strictly a true elemental type. It is a variant on the metal type of face. Its shape is the opposite of the volcano face, a truncated triangle that is widest at the top, descending to a flattened chin. Possessors of the bucket face are artistic because, as well as being influenced by the hard determination of metal, they are also in tune with the softer qualities of water. This type has many varied interests. They are intelligent, perceptive, and witty and are fast learners. Not as cool and cunning as those of true metal type, a person with a bucket face may be easily hurt and can be overly sensitive and acutely aware of another's pain.
This friendly, outgoing personality wants others to love him and to approve of him. He wants to experience life to the fullest, meet all kinds of people from all occupations, and enjoy their company in their surroundings, but on his own terms. He may learn some hard lessons this way because there are those who will take advantage of this person's goodwill. Another common feature with the bucket face type is a tendency to marry young. This is because in early life he yearned for emotional security.
