Mayi Shenxiang · The Mayi Art of Physiognomy

Eye Forms

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On the Eyes Vast Heaven and Earth rely on sun and moon for light, and sun and moon are the mirror of all things. Eyes are the body's sun and moon: the left eye is the sun, imaging the father; the right eye the moon, imaging the mother. Asleep, spirit dwells in the heart; awake, spirit travels in the eyes. Thus eyes are the palace where spirit travels and rests. By observing their favorable or unfavorable qualities, one sees spirit's clarity or turbidity. Long, deep, radiant and moist eyes mean great rank. Black like dots of lacquer means intelligence and literary accomplishment. A thinly contained, unexposed quality with distinct inner light means wealth and rank. Fine, deep eyes mean longevity; floating eyes and exposed pupils early death. Large, protruding, round and angry-looking eyes shorten life. Protruding, violent, roving eyes indicate sexual misconduct and theft; the next irregular clause links a sideways angry look with lack of uprightness. Scarlet threads crossing the pupils mean an adverse death. A steady, unafraid gaze is followed by the source's spirit-sleeping phrase. Sheep eyes mean isolation and cruelty; short, small eyes low station and folly; prominently raised eyes a hasty nature. Sleeping Silkworms beneath the eyes mean the birth of ranked sons. Distinct eye-whites in a woman mean no danger in childbirth; a scarlet color beneath her eyes worry about childbirth adversity. Stealing glances means sexual license; settled, non-roving spirit complete blessings. There should not be too much white or too little black, a rigid bearing, a slanting gaze, troubled spirit, reversed dazzle or roving light. The reverse of these requirements is an unfavorable form. Between the eyes is named the Descendants Palace. It should be full, not defective or sunken. Formulas: Refined, long eyes must approach king or emperor. Eyes like crucian carp are followed by an obscure sparse/fullness phrase. Large eyes and a radiant face add fields and estates. Broken eye heads diminish household wealth. Four whites exposed mean death in battle and an ending among soldiers. Eyes like phoenix and luan mean high office. Triangular eyes mean a person must be adverse. Short eyes and long brows increase fields and grain. Protruding eyes mean premature death. Scarlet vessels invading pupils mean repeated official trouble. Scarlet eyes and yellow pupils mean early death. Lightning-like eye light means rank beyond telling. The source's one-cun length means assisting king or emperor. Dragon pupils and phoenix eyes mean substantial stipend. Intense, imposing eyes bring the allegiance of multitudes. Eyes like a reclining bow mean a treacherous strongman. Sheep eyes bring punitive harm among close kin. Bee eyes mean an adverse death and solitude. Frog eyes mean an adverse death without doubt. Snake pupils mean cruelty, poison, isolation and punitive harm. Following eye tails mean husband and wife separate. Eye tails facing Heaven leave fortune and stipend hanging remotely. A woman with sheep eyes brings an illicit lover into the house. An entirely yellow eye color means compassion, loyalty and goodness. Distinct black and white mean going to the capital for court service; For a woman, integrity and chastity. Long eyes with fine white mean poverty without resources. A one-character mark below the eyes is followed by the damaged ordinary-place/ordinary-doing phrase. No patterned lines below the eyes mean many descendants for a woman. Sleeping Silkworms below the eyes mean sufficient daughters but few sons. Disordered invading light there leads to a damaged sexual-misconduct/change phrase. The next wording says: if small, a woman fears her husband; if the left is small, a husband fears his wife. According to whether male or female, one should take care without empty judgment. Eyes one cun and five fen long are linked with knife-and-brush clerical skill rising into the clouds. Another saying: red eyes and scarlet pupils acknowledge none of the Six Kin. Little black and much white mean imprisonment or poverty and ruin. Verse: Eyes like sun and moon should be distinct; Phoenix eyes and dragon pupils especially clear. Most feared are yellow pupils and many scarlet vessels: A life of adversity and harm, accomplishing nothing. Floating, large sheep pupils must mean adversity; Isolated and unsupported, with empty possessions. Fine, deep eyes mostly have no trusted intimates; A slanting gaze marks someone not to encounter. Eyes are the body's ruler, Like terraces of sun and moon. The stars above bow down; The myriad images unfold within. Refined beauty brings official glory; Clarity and length bring rank. Do not let them be round and further exposed: Often there is the need to flee disaster. Deep eyes mean deficient provisions; A weeping look harms the husband, with sons not strong. If dust and earth also appear in the mouth, Poverty and low station bring adversity away from home. An obscure black-mark phrase in the eyes attributes much misconduct to women; Square-round eyes preserve a long-lived appearance. If black pupils are round and further large, The source predicts still more worth above the worthy. If the left eye looks small, I know you as the eldest son. If the visible eye rim is also not thin, The next irregular line makes a greatest-among-women claim. Distinct moles below both eyelids Mean a grain-receiving Buddhist or Daoist in the household. A mole directly above the left eye Brings investiture as marquis, earl or viscount, up to duke or minister. Transverse flesh below the eyes, Sleeping Silkworms, Means, in this verse, descendants cease in the long run. Further lines and dark marks bring many defects; Harm to sons and absence of children are declared certain. Eyes one cun long bring marquisate or earldom; Dragon brows and phoenix pupils are hard to obtain. Distinct black and white mean trust and duty; Chicken pupils and mouse eyes are all called lowly. Two bright eyes mark a ranked person; A tiger's observation and lion's gaze a general. Ox eyes mean much compassion, tortoise eyes obstruction; Do not become neighbors of snake or sheep eyes. Stealing glances at people means death by robbers or soldiers; Mouse-looking and cat-peering do likewise. A tiger mouth has always been called unkind; Ape-and-monkey white eyes mean death in madness. A small left eye means fear of one's wife; Fish eyes often die in army camps. What does unequal size invite? Brothers born of different fathers or mothers. Text note: All formulas and repeated verses remain. The opening calls fine, deep eyes long-lived; a later verse denies them trusted intimates. Sleeping Silkworms receive favorable childbirth readings and a later explicit childlessness reading. The differing opinions are not harmonized. Several length, gaze, mark and sex-comparison clauses are damaged; their uncertainty remains rather than being repaired from another edition. These bodily, moral, family and fate claims are historical assertions. Dragon Eyes The heading places their official rank at the highest grade. Verse: Black and white distinct, spirit strong; Long waves, large eyes, qi and spirit concealed. Such wealth and rank are no small matter: They can indeed receive stipend and assist an enlightened emperor. Tortoise Eyes The heading predicts longevity and enjoyment of blessings from beginning to end. Verse: Round tortoise pupils conceal refined qi; Above are several fine, wave-like lines. Health and solidity, fortune, longevity, ample food and clothing Continue far and long, reaching descendants. Lion Eyes The heading predicts wealth and rank, with loyalty, filial devotion, integrity and incorruptibility. Verse: Large, imposing eyes, a nature as if wild; Coarse brows matching these make the person dignified. Neither greedy nor cruel, administering benevolent government, With wealth, rank, glory, fortune, longevity and health. Peacock Eyes The heading predicts wealth, with harmony between husband and wife. Verse: Eyes with bright waves and shining black pupils; Much blue-green and little white, then the source's evil/fierce/strong wording. Plain, incorruptible, clean, harmonious and relaxed, Flourishing from beginning to end, making the surname known. Note: The adverse words in the second line and the favorable next lines are both retained. Shi-Feng Eyes The heading predicts pure distinction and describes gentleness and upright generosity. Verse: Throughout life the gaze never slants; A smile carries harmony, refined qi in bloom. By nature accommodating and capacious toward others, The person has praiseworthy wealth and rank. Note: Shi-Feng follows the supplied eye-name rather than silently replacing it with another phoenix name. Yin-and-Yang Eyes The heading predicts wealth and rank, adding wealth with much deceit. Verse: Two eyes male and female, their pupils large and small; Spirit and radiance, yet a slanting gaze at others. Mouth says yes, heart says no, without sincerity; Wealth and rank, treacherous schemes, guile without extravagance. Phoenix Eyes · Outstanding Intelligence The heading describes intelligence surpassing others. Verse: Phoenix eyes with long waves naturally attain rank; Shaded light, refined qi and spirit too. Intelligence and wisdom fulfill accomplishment; Outstanding beyond the crowd, celebrating inherited excellence. Elephant Eyes The heading predicts wealth, rank, blessings, longevity and extended years. Verse: Upper and lower wave lines have abundant refined qi; Long waves, fine eyes, benevolent and harmonious. Timely wealth and rank are all favorable; The supplied lifespan phrase joins peaceful clarity, joy and song. Note: The final lifespan wording is irregular. Tiger Eyes The heading describes authority and extraordinary wealth and rank. Verse: Large eyes, yellow pupils of pale golden color; Pupils sometimes short, sometimes round. A hard, weighty disposition without trouble; Wealth and rank through the years, yet harm to sons. Mandarin-Duck Eyes The heading predicts wealth, adding wealth with sexual license. Verse: Refined eyes, red, moist pupils with a gauze-like film; Round eyes with a little rosy haze and Peach Blossom. Husband and wife affectionate, harmonious and pleasing; Yet the final irregular belief clause voices fear of some sexual license. Sleeping-Phoenix Eyes The heading predicts rank, with harmony that does not become dissipation. Verse: Sun and Moon distinct, both corners even; Two long, refined waves, with a slight weeping look. Flowing yet unmoving in spirit, radiance and color, A Hanlin scholar's fame reaches Phoenix Pool. Crane-Form Eyes The heading predicts rank and gives an irregular middle-age distinction/escape-life/attainment phrase. Verse: The upper layer's covering refinement reaches Jian Gate; Black and white distinct, with clear, refined brows. Looking straight without slant, the person is likable; High understanding and broad capacity bring rank and glory. Note: The damaged heading is not silently reduced to a single certain prediction. Monkey Eyes The heading predicts wealth and rank, with lifelong worries. Verse: Black pupils raised upward, wave lines straight; Turning movements and mechanisms also have their fitness. If this form is complete, wealth and rank are genuine; It favors eating fruit and sitting with head low. Magpie Eyes The heading describes trust and duty, with wealth, rank and advancement. Verse: Extra lines above are refined and long; Throughout life, trustworthy, dutiful, loyal and good. Youthful advancement is still rather ordinary; At the final period, still more auspicious flourishing. Ox Eyes The heading predicts immense wealth: grain ages in store and strings of coins rot. Verse: Large eyes, round pupils, a gaze like wind; Seen from far and near, they differ. Wealth rises by vast sums, followed by an irregular absence-of-deficit phrase; Long years extend, fortune and stipend lasting to the end. Phoenix Eyes · High Ambition The heading predicts rank, high purpose and distinction. Verse: Upper waves rise and are also distinct; The supplied looking-at-ears/open-eyed wording does not expose spirit. In middle age one may surely encounter rank; Bringing glory to lineage and ancestors, transforming the household. Note: The second line is irregular and is not replaced with another gaze formula. Wild-Goose Eyes The heading predicts wealth and rank, with duty and spirit containing jade-like worth. Verse: Pupils like black lacquer tinged with golden yellow; Upper and lower wave lines equally long. Entering cypress in this copy's wording, an official is respectful and reserved; Branches of one stock, sharing qi, make the family name known. Note: The cypress graph is retained without guessing a corrected court location. Domestic-Goose Eyes The heading describes steadiness, benevolence and favorable celebrations. Verse: Several refined wave lines shoot toward Heavenly Storehouse; Things are seen distinctly, spirit reaching farther. The white-not/black-abundant wording accompanies a kind heart; Continuing fortune and longevity, with peaceful old age. Note: The color clause's irregular negation remains disclosed. Peach-Blossom Eyes The heading uses an irregular Peach-Blossom-upper name, predicts sexual license, and describes inconstancy with a joy/brow phrase. Verse: Peach-Blossom eyes are unsuitable in men or women; Meeting others, they smile slightly with an alluring gaze. Tears trickle at the lids, and the gaze slants; Their own delight is pleasure, amusement and joy. Note: The heading's upper and joy/brow graphs are not silently corrected. Sheep Eyes The heading calls these adverse and fierce, predicting ruin of ancestral property halfway through life. Verse: Pale black, slightly yellow, spirit unclear; Gauze-like pupils, the eyes further dim. Even with ancestral wealth, there is no affinity to enjoy it; The damaged eyes/years/final-years phrase ends in sudden poverty. Pig Eyes The heading calls these adverse and fierce, predicting dismemberment at death. Verse: Whites dim, pupils exposed, black obscure; Thick waves and broad lids, nature violent and fierce. Even wealth and rank encounter punishment under the damaged wealth/law phrase; Even returning as chief evildoer, one is hardly tolerated by law. Note: The last two lines contain irregular words. The source's criminal-fate assertion is retained without inventing a specific legal proceeding. Luan Eyes The heading describes brilliant spirit, breadth of knowledge and great wealth. Verse: A round head, large eyes, fine and slightly long; Quick steps, alluring words, followed by the source's later-long phrase. Ranked in person, near the ruler, ultimately put to great use; Why worry about not resembling the Snow-Robed Lady? Note: The second line is irregular. Snow-Robed Lady is retained as the supplied allusion, without adding a story absent here. Egret Eyes The heading describes purity and quiet, with poverty and cold. Verse: Yellow eyes, a clean body not attending to dust; Movements shaking and shrinking, originally natural and uncontrived. Contracted brows, a long body, thin and fine feet; Even immense wealth is made poor. Bear Eyes The heading predicts that there will certainly be no favorable end. Verse: Bear eyes have round pupils, yet are not pig eyes; Strength and courage vainly display fierce folly. Stretching while seated, before long the breathing hurries; The final damaged clan phrase asks whether extinction can also occur. Note: The final line's subject is unclear in this copy; it is not expanded into a certain family event. Drunken Eyes The heading predicts sexual license. Verse: Red and yellow confused, yet light roving; As if drunk or foolish, the heart dim, with an irregular raised-word. In women, it is called greedy sexual conduct; in men, early death; Buddhist and Daoist practitioners are likewise accused of sexual excess. Note: These are the historical source's accusations and fate claims. Fish Eyes The heading predicts early death, with swift death appointed as the time. Verse: Pupils exposed, spirit dim, like watery light; Fixed pupils gaze expansively at far and near. Those with these eyes are all said to die early; Within a hundred days, alas, the damaged wording invokes premature death. Snake Eyes The heading describes cruelty and poison, without proper human relations and contrary to duty. Verse: Alas for a human heart poisonous as a snake; Scarlet, round pupils with scarlet gauze. Great treachery and great deceit, like wolf and tiger; The closing description of this eye-form ends with an unclear son/great-master phrase. Note: The final phrase is damaged. Its missing sense is not supplied from another edition, and the moral accusations remain attributed to the source. Wolf Eyes The heading describes fierceness and violence, with wealth but no favorable end. Verse: Wolf pupils yellow, the gaze as if lowered; A greedy, mean person, inwardly bewildered. Alarm brings many errors, spirit disordered; A vainly violent, wild person passes a hundred years. Ape Eyes The heading describes falsehood and deceit, with empty reputation and a claim of duty. Verse: Ape pupils yellow, lacking an upward opening; Looking up, the heart is crafty, doubtful and suspicious. Empty name and sons are linked with an obscure tenant-nature phrase; Ultimately becoming a performer is called lack of ability. Note: The third line is irregular. The disparagement of performers belongs to the historical text. Shrimp Eyes The heading describes round, exposed eyes, with anxious effort and abundant wealth. Verse: These eyes mean a busy, anxious heart and prominent appearance; An upright, outstanding bearing faces what comes. The source joins an encounter with Fire years and success through Water; Later life finds glory difficult, and lifespan does not extend. Note: The Fire-and-Water wording is retained without inventing a calendar calculation. Crane Eyes The heading predicts rank, with lofty purpose and clear understanding. Verse: Refined eyes, concentrated spirit, black and white clear; Concealed, unexposed spirit manifests accomplishment. Lofty purpose and qi surge toward Ox and Dipper; Wealth and rank should originally reach the highest level. Horse Eyes The heading predicts labor and toil, with poverty and suffering without end. Verse: Broad lids, triangular form, pupils staring and exposed; All day many worries moisten Tear Hall. A thin face and taut skin are truly lamentable; Harm to sons and wife, and further rushing about. Pigeon Eyes The heading describes greedy sexual conduct, with intelligence and minor accomplishment. Verse: Pigeon pupils yellow, small and round; Head shaking, knees swaying, sitting further askew. In men and women alike, much sexual disorder is alleged; Little substance and much emptiness are declared inevitable. Reclining-Rhinoceros Eyes The heading describes benevolence and compassion, but its parenthesis calls the form obstinate, violent and unfilial. Verse: A round head, large eyes, both brows dense; Thick fine hairs within the ears, body long and full. These eyes surely occupy the highest ministerial positions; Certainly wealth, rank and pine-like longevity. Note: The conflicting heading descriptions and favorable verse are all retained. Deer Eyes The heading predicts wealth and rank, with a hasty nature and indifference to duty. Verse: Deer pupils black, both waves long; Steps like flight and a hard disposition. Duty hides in mountain forests, in a deeply reflected place; Fortune and stipend naturally differ from the ordinary. Note: The third line's forest imagery is irregular; its sense is not expanded into an invented career story. Crab Eyes The heading predicts sufficient food and clothing, with obstinacy, violence and lack of filial devotion. Verse: Crab pupils round, further obstinate and foolish; Throughout life the disposition favors rivers and lakes. Even with a son, there is no provision of honor for parents; Do not ask whether the colorful filial robe is present. Swallow Eyes The heading describes trustworthiness but no support from sons. Verse: A small mouth, red lips, and further head-swaying; Deep eyes gather black and white in clear brightness. Much speech, with the supplied constrained/urgent wording, yet trustworthy; Ingenuity and futile effort leave food and clothing sufficient. Zhe-Lu Eyes The heading describes lack of caution and predicts no substantial wealth. Verse: Eyes scarlet and yellow, face carrying red; Shaking head and walking, the appearance not full or elevated. Small in body and stature, always looking at the ground; Throughout life no full abundance of valued things. Note: Zhe-Lu follows the supplied bird-name graphs, without guessing a corrected species. Cat Eyes The heading describes fondness for leisure, closeness to rank and concealed wealth. Verse: Cat pupils yellow, the face round; The supplied moist/pure disposition favors fresh food. With wealth and strength, the person can be employed; Always obtaining a high person's lifelong affection. Note: The disposition phrase is irregular in this copy.

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