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Mayi Shenxiang · The Mayi Art of Physiognomy
Philtrum and Mouth
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On the Philtrum
The philtrum images the body's channels and blood, written with a blood graph here. If these channels communicate freely, water flows without surging. If shallow and narrow rather than deep, water surges without flowing. The philtrum's length is said to determine length of life, its breadth the number of sons and daughters. It is therefore the palace of lifespan and children. Length rather than shortness, depth within and breadth outside, straightness without slant, breadth with downward extension are all favored.
Fine narrowness means pressure upon food and clothing; fullness and flatness obstruction, disaster and stagnation. Narrow above and broad below means many descendants; broad above and narrow below few sons and daughters-in-law. Narrowness at both ends and an ordinary middle are followed by a damaged cultivated-person/offspring-ending phrase and failure to bear children. Depth and length mean longevity; shallowness and shortness early death. A crooked philtrum means lack of trust, an upright one loyalty and duty. Centered and hanging means wealth and longevity; impeded and contracted early death and low station. Clear like split bamboo means stipend of two thousand shi; fine as a hanging needle childlessness, poverty and cold.
A dark mole above means many sons; below many daughters; in the middle ease in marrying a wife but difficulty raising children. Two dark moles mean twins. Transverse patterns mean no sons into old age. Firm patterns mean raising another's child; longitudinal patterns a child's chronic illness. A full, flat philtrum, as if absent, is called deeply collapsed here, a sign of no descendants and poverty. Slanting left harms the father; right the mother.
Verse:
The supplied philtrum/water-region phrase has transverse lines:
Whenever approaching a vessel, do not set sail.
Leftward deviation gives sons, rightward daughters;
Flatness above and below means children do not come to fruition.
Below Nose Tip lies the philtrum;
Channels and ditches all communicate outward from here.
If withered to one side, narrow and constricted,
There is no share in descendants: those who see it dislike it.
A shallow, flat, short philtrum has an irregular filling-word;
No trust and no sons, disliked by those who see it.
If straight, deep and one cun long,
Sons and daughters surely increase.
Text note: Channel/blood, the cultivated-person clause, the water-region and filling-word phrases are irregular. Firm and longitudinal line names remain separate as supplied. These fertility and lifespan claims belong to the historical source.
On the Mouth
The mouth is the gate of speech, instrument of eating and drinking, an opening made by the transforming creation of all things. It is also the heart's outer door, where reward and punishment issue and right and wrong meet. Upright, substantial and without reckless speech is called virtue of the mouth. Slander and excessive speech are called the mouth's thievery. A square, broad, blessed mouth means wealth and rank; a horn-bow form official stipend; breadth, size and substantiality fortune and wealth. Upright without deviation, thick rather than thin means ample food and clothing. Like cinnabar held within, it suffers neither hunger nor cold. A pinched mouth is followed by an immortal/meagerness phrase. A mouth able to hold a fist means going out as general and entering as chief minister. Broad and straight means stipend of a thousand measures. Speaking alone with no one present is called lowly as a mouse.
Lips are the mouth's ramparts; tongue its sharp blade. It should be keen, thick and not sunken; the following keen/no-tax phrase is damaged but called favorable. A large tongue and small mouth mean poverty, meagerness and early death. A small, short mouth means poverty. Mouth color should be red; its space clear; mouth and tongue upright; lips thick.
Formulas:
A mouth like sprinkled vermilion sand means glorious stipend.
Like smeared cinnabar, it suffers neither hunger nor cold.
Like red vermilion, it suits wealth and rank.
Like an ox's lips, it must mark a worthy person:
Not only mouth virtue, but also a simple nature.
Bow-like mouth corners give position among the Three Excellencies.
Both corners drooping mean meager food and clothing.
A mouth 'not seeing people' means military authority in this wording.
Unequal mouth corners mean deceit and seeking advantage.
A mouth pointed like lips means begging becomes its neighbor.
The repeated 'not seeing people' phrase means awe over the Three Armies.
A contracted-pouch mouth means starving without grain;
Even if there is a son, he must belong to another branch.
A contracted-snail mouth means always delighting in solitary song.
Dragon lips and phoenix mouth are said unsuitable for friendship:
Fond of unsuitable talk, always harboring coarse guile.
A mouth like scarlet cinnabar does not enter Orchid Terrace;
In a woman, it also means harmony and her husband's affection.
A broad mouth and thin tongue mean a shallow heart and fondness for song;
Such a person is nevertheless said never to meet adverse evil.
Purple beside the mouth means greed for wealth and a warning against harm.
Lips rising before speech mean sexual desire within the heart.
Constant weeping and no joy precede a mouth-dot phrase;
Chewing and eating are all described as pleasing.
Verse:
A ranked person's lips are red like sprinkled vermilion sand;
The character-four form further gives full glory.
For the poor and lowly, mouse-like, black is always seen;
Fields and gardens ruined, they do not remain at home.
Water Star obtaining its ground gives square mouth and lips;
Glorious rank enriches the home, sons and daughters-in-law flourish.
Upper and lower each deviating, edges and corners thin,
Speech becomes slander, great difficulty hard to prevent.
A square character-four mouth means genuine trust and duty;
Two low, drooping corners mean an adverse reputation.
Carefully examine many lines upon the lips:
Blue-green thinness and river-like lines are named for starvation.
A fire-blowing mouth means few descendants;
Rightward deviation harms the wife, with an adverse-death wording.
Right-side Jian Gate means property ruined;
A dark mole directly on the lip means no descendants.
A fire-blowing mouth leaves the household without sons;
Three lines on the face have the supplied favorable-seeing phrase.
A constantly blue-green tongue is difficult to judge;
Brothers of one womb also separate.
A stained and square mouth is followed by a damaged decaying/establishing-estates phrase.
A fire-blowing mouth means living alone into old age.
Lines arising upon the mouth mean agreements without fulfillment;
Light, thin lips habitually speak of others.
Text note: Both repeated military-authority formulas remain. Several mouth, tongue, cinnabar, dot, wife-death and estate phrases are irregular; they are not silently corrected from another version. Favorable and adverse claims about similar mouth forms remain distinct. All character, status and fate judgments are the source's historical assertions.
Mouth Shaped Like the Character Four
The heading predicts wealth and rank, outstanding beyond the crowd.
Verse:
Bright mouth corners and two even lips;
Both sides, written with an ice graph here, slightly upturned rather than drooping.
Intelligence with abundant talent and learning;
Wealth and rank should require wearing the purple robe.
Bow Mouth
The heading predicts wealth and rank, advancement and widespread fame.
Verse:
A mouth like a bent bow, half with its string raised;
Both lips full and thick, fresh as cinnabar.
Clear spirit and invigorated qi are ultimately employed;
Wealth and rank in middle age, blessings coming naturally.
Solitary-Line Mouth
The heading predicts solitude and a lifetime of ordinary toil.
Verse:
Mottled lines upon the lips resemble a weeping look;
Even with longevity there is solitude.
Early stability is followed by approaching adversity;
Even an only son belongs to the underworld.
Catfish Mouth
The heading predicts poverty and low station, followed by an unclear vainly/being/writing phrase.
Verse:
Catfish mouth corners are low and pointed in this wording;
Both lips have an obscure bird/goodness descriptor and lack roundness.
Such a person is said to be poor and lowly;
In a brief moment life is lost to the Yellow Springs.
Note: The heading and second line are damaged and remain uncertain.
Tiger Mouth
The heading predicts wealth, with virtue and authority helping one another.
Verse:
A broad tiger mouth, with a Heaven graph here, gathers itself;
Know that this mouth must bring glory.
If not poor, it is greatly wealthy;
Gathering jade and heaping gold, naturally joyful.
Fire-Blowing Mouth
The heading predicts poverty and early death, with Peach Blossom but no fruit.
Verse:
A mouth like blowing fire opens without closing;
Pointed lips make food and clothing difficult to obtain.
Those born with it often meet poverty and early death;
The household must be ruined and brought to an end.
Monkey Mouth
The heading predicts wealth and rank, with firmness without stinginess.
Verse:
A monkey mouth has fine, long lips;
A philtrum like split bamboo is still more favorable.
Food, clothing and stipend are ample throughout life;
Into the supplied later-years wording, fortune, longevity and health.
Square Mouth
The heading predicts rank and stipend of a thousand measures.
Verse:
A square mouth, even lips, teeth unexposed;
Lips red, radiant and moist, like concentrated brilliance.
Smiling without baring teeth, which are also white,
Surely means wealth, rank and enjoyment of glory.
Ox Mouth
The heading predicts wealth and rank, with far-reaching fortune and longevity.
Verse:
An ox mouth has thick, full lips;
Lifelong clothing and stipend grow still more prosperous.
Containing clarity within, the heart's planning is skillful;
Wealth, rank, health and peace, with pine-like longevity.
Sheep Mouth
The heading predicts adversity and poverty, with annual fortune passing in vain.
Verse:
A sheep mouth without order, long and pointed;
Both lips thin, disliked by others.
The pointed mouth eats like a dog;
Poor and greedy, it further encounters adversity.
Upturned-Moon Mouth
The heading predicts wealth and rank, with stipend contained within.
Verse:
A mouth like an upturned moon curves facing upward;
A white face and red lips like smeared cinnabar.
A belly full of literary learning manifests its beauty;
Ultimately reaching wealth and rank among court officials.
Dragon Mouth
The heading predicts wealth, with pearls covering official hairpins and cap-strings.
Verse:
A dragon mouth has long, firm lips;
Bright corners further clear and uncommon.
Calling brings gathering, shouting dispersal: authority reaches everywhere;
The supplied Jade-Emperor-at-the-waist phrase is rare in the world.
Note: The final waist phrase is irregular and is not silently converted to a different belt image.
Pig Mouth
The heading predicts adversity and poverty, ending in an untimely death.
Verse:
A pig mouth's upper lip is long, coarse and moist;
Lower lip pointed and small, saliva running at the corners.
Enticing others and slandering them, the heart difficult and dangerous;
Falling upon the road around the midpoint of life.
Cherry Mouth
The heading predicts wealth and rank, with intelligence and refined learning.
Verse:
A pointed cherry mouth, lips and cheeks like rouge;
Teeth like pomegranate seeds, close and even.
A smile as if holding affection, fortune harmonious and fluent;
Outstanding intelligence, with an irregular emerging-plant word, wears the purple robe.
Overturned-Boat Mouth
The heading predicts poverty and suffering, with displacement and wandering.
Verse:
Deep mouth corners like an overturned, broken boat;
Both lips like beef, color followed by a damaged smoky/postal phrase.
Those meeting this mouth are often beggars;
Lifelong poverty and suffering need no telling.
Note: The second line's color wording is damaged.
Crucian-Carp Mouth
The heading predicts poverty and early death, with an irregular suddenly/in-the-world phrase.
Verse:
A small crucian-carp mouth indicates poverty;
Throughout life food and clothing are not abundant.
Further, qi is turbid and spirit withered and rough;
Ruin, wandering and blocked fortune follow.
Note: The parenthetical heading remains uncertain rather than being rewritten as a definite death event.
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