So what do I see in Barack Obama’s changing face? In 2008, when he first took office, he had lots of “dreamy peach luck” radiating from the shen (spirit) in his eyes and glow of his skin, confirming that he had defined hopes and dreams for the future of America at that time. This was reflected in his generosity of spirit and warmth too; optimism expressing itself in his natural smile.

By 2016, there are many signs of frustration and suppressed anger, and his generosity is not so immediate – those lips are tighter, the smile forced. And his energy has been significantly depleted, resulting in the slightly sagging, lined cheeks. Even his chin is narrower: his will has been grated away by detractors, by all those who continually opposed him. There’s more menace, more dark moods and resistance in the picture on the right; he has learnt to stand his ground more, but it has cost him some of the lightness and ease that he displayed in the beginning. He has had to work hard to stay centred. He is very tired, more careworn and more aware of what true suffering means.

But I also see more wisdom, in his third eye and greying hair and in his eyes. No longer the dreamer (for now), he is seeking firmer ground from which to launch the ideas that have emerged as truest to his heart. Although ever the diplomat, he recognises people’s motives more readily. His gaze in 2016 is penetrating and cool, he sees the reality and looks it straight in the eye, in a way that he didn’t quite manage at the beginning. I feel seen by him now.

As Obama constantly demonstrates a buoyant resilience, I have no doubt he will reclaim his zest for life and find more direct ways to help transform people’s lives now he is away from the constrictions and bureaucracy of the presidency. Only this time he will have huge wisdom to draw on from the past eight years. His purpose lines tell me he is only just beginning to show us what he can do. And he is no longer afraid to speak his mind. I’m fascinated to see what he does next.

If he were my client, I’d help him unravel the experiences that have moulded and marked his character and face these past eight years so he can let go of the anger and grief that have begun to weigh him down, and come back to his original light self. This is the magic of face reading.

Saffron