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Chapter 102 of 110
柳庄神相
This chapter specifically examines the auspicious and inauspicious judgments of facial complexion as it transforms with the twelve months of the year. According to physiognomy, the human complexion is not constant but undergoes cyclical growth and decline with the seasons and months, much like the rising and falling of the tides 🌊. Each month corresponds to an Earthly Branch palace, and each palace has a specific facial location corresponding to it. By observing the brightness/dullness and color changes of these areas, one can infer the rise and fall of fortune for that month.
First Month (Yin Palace): Examine areas such as the Tiger Ear, Return, Wine Order, Wine Pool. A clear, white, and lustrous complexion is favorable, and it should ideally appear in spots and patches spread across the area. If the complexion is dull and unclear, affairs will be unfavorable throughout this month. For the first month, clear white is the principal color, indicating wealth accumulation and numerous joyful events; if red appears, beware of financial loss and decline in status; yellow indicates loss of property; black indicates legal trouble and physical injury. 🔥
Second Month (Mao Palace): Observe areas such as the Level Eye Corner, Gate of Life, the Silkworms beneath the Eyes, and the Two Mountain Peaks. The second month is when all things begin to grow 🌱; the complexion should ideally spread in patches across the exterior rather than gathering in spots within. The correct color is green-blue, corresponding to the spring wood energy. Most avoidable are dark, yellow-red hues, but red-purple is not forbidden. If the Eastern Mountain area shows a mixture of red and yellow, it indicates a calamity star shining upon this month.
Third Month (Chen Palace): Examine the Heavenly Granary, Fortune Star, Post Horse, Gallows Court, Heavenly Gate, Suburbs and the right eyebrow tail. The third month is governed by earth energy; a yellowish, mildly dark, and moist tone is the correct color, while white-bright and black-stagnant colors should be avoided. If the complexion carries a slight red hue, it is a sign of glory and prosperity. White indicates injury, mourning garments, and self-incurred misfortune.
Fourth Month (Si Palace): Examine the Rosy Clouds, Tai Shu, Tiger Bone, extending upward to the Moon Comet and downward to the Three Yin. In the fourth month, fire energy grows stronger 🔥; red-purple radiance is the correct color. Fire thrives on abundance, not decline, so the complexion should be red, bright, and luminous. If dull and stagnant, it indicates calamity and illness; black indicates death; green-blue indicates injury; yellow indicates loss or theft; white indicates mourning.
Fifth Month (Wu Palace): Examine the Rosy Clouds area, extending upward to the mouth corners, not reaching the Three Yang, connecting to the left side of the Yintang (glabella). Fire energy peaks in the fifth month 🔥, and red, purple, and crimson are the correct colors. Most avoided are black, white, green-blue, and dull watery-cold colors, as water overcomes fire. Yellow is also unfavorable; slight green-blue indicates ruin; slight white indicates obstacles; slight black indicates danger. Thus, in the summer months, when observing the Yintang, the emphasis is on strong, bright fire energy.
Sixth Month (Wei Palace): Examine the end of the Heavenly Granary. In the sixth month, fire energy gradually declines and earth energy is ascendant, so purple-yellow coloration is favorable. If one manifests a golden-purple or fully yellow appearance, it indicates that within eighteen days there will be official promotion for officials, profits for merchants, and flourishing of family members. Green-blue, dull, and white are signs of injury; red is not prohibited; black is the most ominous.
Seventh Month (Shen Palace): Examine the Silkworms below the Three Yang and the Gate of Life. In the seventh month, Shen metal governs affairs; metal energy is in command. The complexion should be strong and vivid, favoring white-bright and yellow-moist hues as omens of wealth and joy. Most taboo are stagnant-dark and red-crimson colors, which portend major calamities; black is also unfavorable. In the seventh month, the qi transitions during the first ten days and withdraws during the last ten days; careful observation of the complexion's shifts is required.
Eighth Month (You Palace): Examine the areas above and below the Left Cheekbone and Eastern Mountain, identical to the first month. In the eighth month, fire energy retreats and metal energy matures; yellow, bright, and lustrous coloration is most favored. The entire countenance should preferably be yellow-white and luminous. If one side commits the offense of red-crimson, it portends verbal disputes and disputes; blue-dark indicates calamity.
Ninth Month (Xu Palace): Examine the Right Earthly Vault, below Return, Green Granary, and Cheek areas. In the ninth month, earth is flourishing; red-yellow coloration is favorable, portending great wealth and great joy. Most avoided are black, green-blue, red, and dull colors. Note carefully: yellow should be on the exterior, red within; if reversed, it conversely indicates the image of wealth dissipation and empty fright.
Tenth Month (Hai Palace): Examine the Face Hall, Border Lands, Mouth Corners, Earth Granary, and Earth Pavilion. In the tenth month, water energy governs the season 🌊. White is the color of wealth fortune; red indicates calamity; yellow indicates illness or death; black-green-blue is also to be avoided. The mouth is the Water Star and should not be dull or stagnant. White should be bright, moist, and lustrous; if it appears scattered and fragmented in fine spots, it is greatly unfavorable.
Eleventh Month (Zi Palace): The areas observed are identical to those of the Hai position. White is favorable; black is not taboo, being the pure water color. Most avoided are red-yellow and spotty red-dark discolorations. If black energy congeals like ink or pearls, it signifies the end of one's lifespan—an ominous omen of great ill fortune.
Twelfth Month (Chou Palace): Examine the Lower Granary area. Green-blue, dark, and yellow colors are favorable; stagnant black should be avoided. Since the Zi and Chou palaces are linked, one must distinguish carefully: the Zi palace favors white but not black, the Chou palace favors black but not white — the two complexions are entirely distinct and must not be confused.
| Month | Earthly Branch | Observable Areas | Auspicious Colors | Inauspicious Colors | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Yin | Tiger Ear, Return, Wine Order, Wine Pool | Clear white, lustrous | Dull, red, yellow, black | Preferably in spots and patches |
| 2nd | Mao | Level Eye Corner, Gate of Life, Silkworms, Mountain Peaks | Green (in patches outside) | Dark, yellow-red | Red-purple not prohibited |
| 3rd | Chen | Heavenly Granary, Fortune Star, Post Horse, Eyebrow Tail | Yellow-dark-moist, slight red | White, bright black | White indicates mourning |
| 4th | Si | Rosy Clouds, Tai Shu, Tiger Bone, Three Yin | Red-purple radiance | Dull, black, green, yellow, white | Fire must be bright |
| 5th | Wu | Rosy Clouds, Mouth Corners, Yintang side | Red-purple-crimson | Black, white, green-dark, yellow | Most avoid water-color overcoming fire |
| 6th | Wei | End of Heavenly Granary | Purple-yellow (full yellow even better) | Green-dark, white, black | Fire declining, earth flourishing |
| 7th | Shen | Silkworms, Gate of Life | White-bright, yellow-moist | Stagnant-dark, red-crimson, black | Metal energy must be strong |
| 8th | You | Left Cheekbone, Eastern Mountain | Yellow-bright-moist | Dark, green, red-crimson | Whole face favors yellow-white & bright |
| 9th | Xu | Right Earthly Vault, below Return, Cheek areas | Red-yellow (yellow outside, red inside) | Black, green, red, dull | Yellow inside & red outside strictly avoided |
| 10th | Hai | Face Hall, Border Lands, Mouth Corners, Earth Pavilion | White (bright and lustrous) | Red, yellow, black-green | Avoid fine scattered spots |
| 11th | Zi | Same as Hai position | White, black | Red-yellow, spotty red-dark | Like ink or pearls indicates death |
| 12th | Chou | Lower Granary | Green, dark, yellow | Stagnant black, white, red | Complexion opposite to Zi palace |
First: Complexion shifts with the monthly progression; "Heaven-Human Correspondence" is the fundamental law. Physiognomy holds that the human body is a microcosm of the universe, with each facial palace corresponding to the operational rhythms of Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, and the Five Elements. The Five Element attribute of each month's Earthly Branch differs (Yin-Mao belong to Wood 🌱, Si-Wu belong to Fire 🔥, Shen-You belong to Metal, Hai-Zi belong to Water 🌊, Chen-Xu-Chou-Wei belong to Earth ⛰). The human complexion must coordinate with the Element governing that month to constitute an auspicious "gaining the mandate" sign. If the complexion conflicts with or opposes the month's Element, it portends misfortune.
Second: The dialectical relationship between the "principal color" and "guest colors." Each month has its "principal color"—the complexion that corresponds to the governing Element of that month. For example, the first month (Yin Wood) favors clear white, the second month (Mao Wood) favors green, the fourth month (Si Fire) favors red-purple, and the tenth month (Hai Water) favors white. However, the purest color is not necessarily the best; one must examine its degree of brightness/moisture, its distribution pattern (patchy versus spotty), and its generating/overcoming relationship with that month's Element. For instance, though the second month favors green, "bright fire red-yellow" also portends celebration, because fire is the "offspring" of wood—wood generating fire represents the auspicious outflow of refined energy.
Third: The "position" and "interior-exterior" structure of the complexion is extremely critical. The same color appearing in different locations or at different "interior/exterior" levels yields entirely different fortunes. For example, in the ninth month "yellow should be outside, red inside; if yellow is inside and red outside, it contrarily indicates wealth dissipation." In the second month, green "should ideally form a continuous patch, not scattered spots," demonstrating that the distribution pattern of the complexion itself constitutes a basis for judgment. This level of refined observation reflects the traditional physiognomic school's profound understanding of the fluidity and layered nature of "qi."
Fourth: Special attention must be paid to the "transition period" between months. The seventh month explicitly mentions "qi transitions in the first ten days and withdraws in the last ten days," indicating that the shift in energetic field between months is not abrupt but a gradual process. During this transition period, the complexion may appear in a "mixed" state, requiring even more careful discernment—one must not mechanically apply formulas.
From a contemporary perspective, the value of the "Monthly Analysis" theory lies not in literal fortune-telling but in the systematic, cyclical observational methodology it reveals. The approach of linking facial complexion to human physiological cycles and natural environmental changes resonates with certain concepts in modern biological rhythms and environmental medicine.
Complexion is fundamentally an outward reflection of physical health, mental state, and emotional fluctuations. The first month's "dull and unclear brings disadvantage" corresponds from a modern viewpoint to how a sallow, lackluster face often correlates with fatigue, metabolic disorders, or low mood. The fourth month's "fire must flourish, thus red and bright is favored" reflects how a ruddy, glowing complexion in summer generally indicates good blood circulation and abundant energy. The tenth month's "white signifies wealth" corresponds to autumn metal energy governing the lungs, favoring a clear, bright-to-fair complexion—echoing the traditional Chinese health concept of "nourishing the lungs in autumn."
As for "black signifies death" and "like ink or pearls, the lifespan ends," from today's perspective, an extremely dark, lusterless face can indeed be a sign of serious illness. Beneath traditional physiognomy's "superstitious" exterior lies acute observational accumulation regarding changes in vital signs. One should approach these observations scientifically and rationally, extracting the accumulated empirical wisdom rather than wholesale rejecting or blindly believing.
Methodologically, the core inspiration of the "Monthly Analysis" lies in this: any judgment should be considered within the dimensions of time and environment. The same manifestation has different meanings in different "seasons"; the same color has different fortunes in different "locations." This kind of contextual thinking remains instructive for modern decision-making.
Health Management Reference: Observing facial complexion can serve as a supplementary tool for daily health self-checks. If the complexion appears persistently dull, abnormally yellow, or dark, prompt medical examination is advised. Especially for extreme cases like the original text's "black lasting five days signifies death," the modern interpreter should understand: a rapid deterioration in complexion warrants heightened alert for health risks.
Emotional and Interpersonal Judgment: The correlation between complexion and emotional state has been validated by modern psychology. In important business negotiations and interpersonal interactions, observing the brightness/dullness and moisture/dryness of the other party's complexion can serve as auxiliary information for judging their psychological state and energy levels—anger reddens the face, fear pales it, anxiety turns it greenish-dark. These observations were systematized into fortune judgments in ancient physiognomy.
Strategic Timing of Actions: Translating the "Monthly Analysis" into a rhythmic self-management tool means understanding: each person's physical and mental state does fluctuate in cycles across different months. Some people have abundant energy in autumn and winter; others perform better in spring and summer. Understanding one's own rhythms and arranging important decisions and actions at optimal timing is the practical transformation of this ancient wisdom for modern life.
Decision Support Framework: Complexion observation can be converted into a "hypothesis–action–review" methodology:
The "Monthly Analysis" deeply embodies the Chinese philosophical worldview of time-space-life integration. Within the physiognomic system, the twelve Earthly Branches represent both time (months) and spatial directions (east, west, south, north) as well as body parts (facial palaces), forming a tightly structured network of correspondences. This mode of thinking reflects the grand philosophical conception that "the universe is the body, and the body is the universe" —the human being does not exist in isolation but is embedded within a greater cosmic rhythm.
The relationship between "principal colors" and "overcoming colors" is essentially the projection of Five Element generating/overcoming philosophy onto the human complexion. When the Element energy of a month and the Five Element attribute of the facial complexion generate and harmonize with one another, it constitutes the auspicious "gaining the mandate" state; when they overcome and clash, it constitutes the inauspicious "losing the mandate" state. Though simple, this binary framework reflects the ancients' plain dialectical understanding of "harmony" and "conflict": fortune and misfortune are not absolute attributes but manifestations of relational states.
A detail worth pondering: the second month prohibits "dark, yellow-red" but not "red-purple"—seemingly contradictory, since red-purple and crimson both belong to the fire category. Why is one prohibited and the other not? The key lies in degree and measure. Red-purple is gentle fire that mildly warms spring wood to its benefit; crimson is fierce fire with possibly scorching harm. This subtle discrimination of "degree" embodies one of the most important wisdoms in traditional Chinese philosophy: the Doctrine of the Mean. Nothing is absolutely good or bad; the key lies in measure and timing.