(234) Five types of face form based on Oriental five elements theory
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By Janet Shin
An easy way to read other people’s faces is by classifying them into five types ― wood, fire, earth, metal and water, of the five elements theory. As there are various cosmologies in human history, the theory of yin, yang and five elements has been a prevalent prism to understand the universe since ancient days in the East.
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According to Oriental philosophy, yin and yang are broken into five elements and it is a mechanism of our nature. They exist, act or react and circulate within yang and yang boundary. In my book “Life’s Secrets,” I defined them as below;
Wood symbolizes growing wood or flowers. It means honesty and benevolence.
Fire implies flaming fire or light. It means courtesy and politeness.
Earth is calm and balanced ground or soil. It means confidence and faith.
Metal connotes stretched and solid metal or rocks. It means justice and righteousness.
Water reflects cohesiveness and cold water. It means intelligence and sagacity.
Physiognomy depends entirely on visual sight. It comprehends objects by their shapes and forms. One of its major analyses is by cognizing one’s face by the representative forms of the five elements. Everything, whether it is a person, thing or place, has its own form. By relating the property of the five elements with the shapes of an individual entity, we can figure out their characters
Wood types take on slim and straight shapes. Its peculiarity is a wider forehead than that of a chin. So sometimes it looks like an oval facial type, but it must have a broad forehead. It is embodied by the growth of plants. Other than the shape of the face, it also has long and straight limbs and fingers and doesn’t have a fleshy body. It is seen in people of literary aptitude, administrative and educational circles. They are rather mental than physical workers. The U.S. President Barack Obama and the former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi are examples of wood type faces.
Fire type takes on the form of flame. It is opposite to the type of wood. It has narrow forehead while the lower part of the face is wide. People with fire type are energetic, cheerful, vibrant and forthright but also have an inclination toward conservatism and are often impetuous. They are good at sports with quick reflexes and have physical strength. It is seen in people of martial arts, wrestling and weightlifting. The famous Korean entertainer Kang Ho-dong and former gold medalist of woman’s weightlifting, Jang Mi-ran have the fire type face.
Earth types have propensity for thick and big boned shapes. They have a sturdy body type with full lips and thick nose bridge and wings. The singularity of this type is prominent cheekbones so the forehead and chin look comparatively narrow. They are sociable and credible. They listen to others and show relaxed personality. Kim Gu, the leader of Korean independence movement during Japanese colonial era in the early 1900s, had the face of earth type.
Metal types have a squared form. People with metal typed faces have properly prominent nose and full nose wings. They have muscular body, especially developed jawbone. They are active, aggressive and frank. They sometimes behave self-righteously and have qualities of a boss and high competitive spirit. People in political world or entrepreneurs have faces of a metal type. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chung Mong-koo, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, have this type.
Water types have a mild and rounded shape. People with water typed faces are plump with thin bones. Their foreheads can look narrow but those with wide forehead are reformative leaders and make a great success. They are delicate and wise. They are busy and smooth like running water and talented in many fields. Ahn Cheol-soo, the former presidential candidate and now an assemblyman, and Psy, the famous singer who is gaining sky-rocketing popularity by the newly released album “Gentleman,” have the faces of water type.
Information: Are you interested in learning more about the ancient Chinese teaching about the “Four Pillars of Destiny”? For further information, visit Janet’s website at
, contact her at 010-5414-7461 or email
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The writer is the author of “Life’s Secrets.”