Patrician McCarthy on 02/10/2025 Mien (face) Shiang (reading) is a Taoist practice that is 3,000 years old. Using principles of 5-Element (wood, fire, earth, water, metal) theory, practitioners look at facial features to assess a person’s personality and health. I found the idea hard to believe, but watching someone do it was fascinating. Patrician McCarthy, a long-time practitioner and teacher, founded the Mien Shiang Institute and wrote a book called, the Face Reader. In the book she explores topics such as the history of Mien Shiang, inherited vs. acquired facial characteristics, the left vs. the right sides of the face, and qi, yin, and yang. Some of the features she checks when she's doing a diagnosis are ear size and shape, skin color, hairline, and width between the eyes.
P Patrician McCarthy