Complete Palmistry Guide
Unlock the secrets in the palm of your hand
Introduction to Palmistry
Palmistry, also known as chiromancy, is the art of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm. This ancient practice dates back thousands of years with origins in India, China, and Egypt.
The Basics of Palm Reading
Palmistry examines several aspects of the hands including:
- Hand shape: The overall form and structure of the hand
- Lines: The major and minor lines on the palm
- Mounts: The fleshy pads at the base of fingers and other parts of the palm
- Fingers: The length, shape, and flexibility of each finger
- Thumb: Its size, shape, and flexibility
How to Read This Guide
This comprehensive guide will take you through each aspect of palmistry step by step. Begin by examining your hand shape, then move on to the lines, mounts, and other features. Remember that palmistry is an interpretive art - the meanings can vary based on the overall context of the hand.
Whether your interest in palmistry is serious or just for fun, you'll find the information in this guide exceptionally complete, entertaining, and easy to use. After just the first section, you can begin reading palms right away.
Hand Shapes in Palmistry
Hands come in two main categories: square and oblong. When looking at a hand, mentally remove the fingers and thumb and see if the palm is square or oblong in shape. This is your first clue about the person's character.
Square Hand
You are a down-to-earth, capable, practical person. You have a great deal of energy and want to be kept busy. You keep your feet on the ground and like to see tangible evidence of something.
Oblong Hand
You are inclined to be a bit of a dreamer at times. You have an imaginative approach to everything you do, and it's important that your work has variety. Otherwise you're inclined to drift away in your imagination.
Elementary Hand
The elementary hand has a coarse appearance. It is square in shape with short, stubby rather shapeless fingers. The skin will be coarse and possibly hairy. There will be few lines on the palm, in extreme cases only three. People with elementary hands have few interests and can be very stubborn.
Practical Hand
Next up from the elementary hand is the practical hand. This also has a square-shaped palm, but with longer, better shaped fingers than the elementary hand. The skin is less coarse and there are more lines on the palm. People with practical hands have a variety of interests and can turn their hands to almost anything - hence the name "practical."
Conic Hand
The conic hand has a graceful, curved appearance. The palm is more oblong than square, and the fingers are usually fairly long with rounded tips. The palm will feel soft. People with conic palms are creative, aesthetic, and often day-dreamers.
Psychic Hand
This is the shape that artists love. The hand and fingers are long, slender, and graceful. People with this type of hand are idealistic, intuitive, and impractical. They spend much of their time in a fantasy world rather than facing the realities of life.
Philosophical Hand
The philosophical hand is usually square in shape. The long fingers have very obvious joints. These people like to analyze everything. You can see an analogy of thoughts coming in from the tip of the fingers, reaching the first point and having to wind around and around before proceeding to the second joint where the process is repeated.
Mixed Hand
You will find many people fit perfectly into the classification system. Those who don't are classified as having mixed hands. Fortunately, the system we have begun with the square and oblong shaped palms can conveniently classify everyone.
Palm Lines Interpretation
The lines on your palm reveal much about your personality, life path, and potential. Here are the major lines to examine:
The Heart Line
The heart line governs your emotional life and shows how you relate to others. It's the major line nearest the fingers, running across the palm from the side of the hand under the little finger and usually ending in the area between the first and second fingers.
Physical Heart Line: Curves toward the end and finishes either on or between the first two fingers. People with physical heart lines are generally able to express their feelings well.
Mental Heart Line: Runs right across the palm and does not curve at the end. People with mental heart lines find it hard to express their innermost feelings.
The Head Line
The head line governs the person's intellect and shows the quality of his or her thinking at different stages of life. It also reveals much about his or her attitude toward life.
Imaginative Head Line: Has a decided curve and heads downward toward the wrist. It ends on the part of the hand called the creative or subconscious area, giving the person creativity and a good imagination.
Practical Head Line: Runs straight across the palm. This belongs to practical, down-to-earth people who have their feet firmly on the ground.
The Life Line
The life line is a measure of a person's vital energy and interest in life. It is a picture of the person's life force and reflects the quality of life. It also shows how much strength and energy the person has at his or her disposal.
The life line is the line that encircles the thumb, starting near the edge of the palm on the side of the first finger and going in a semicircle around the mound at the base of the wrist.
The Destiny Line
The destiny line is the line that runs down the hand somewhere near the middle of the palm, starting near the wrist and running toward the fingers. The presence of a destiny line shows that, at least for the period the line is present, the person will work to achieve a goal of some sort.
Finger Analysis in Palmistry
Fingers provide important clues about personality traits and talents. Here's how to interpret them:
Finger Length
The fingers are usually long if they can fold back and touch a spot at least seven-eighths of the way along the palm. With experience you will be able to look at someone's palm and instantly know if the fingers are long or short.
Long Fingers: You enjoy work that has a lot of detail. You are patient and enjoy all the fiddly bits - you like the details of things.
Short Fingers: You may start something new before you've finished the last task. There can often be several things on the go all at the same time. You tend to want everything right now.
The Four Elements Hand Types
In Chinese palmistry, hands are classified according to the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.
Fire Hands
Oblong with short fingers. Someone with a hand like this is likely to be emotional, enthusiastic, and creative. The short fingers give a dislike for detail, and the long palm adds intuition.
Earth Hands
Square palm and short fingers. People with this type of hand are reliable, down-to-earth, and practical. They enjoy repetitive work and are good with their hands.
Air Hands
Square palm and long fingers. These people tend to use logic more than their intuition. They are quick-witted and express themselves clearly.
Water Hands
Oblong palm with long fingers. People with this type of hand are changeable, impressionable, and emotional. They are idealistic and highly imaginative.
Phalanges of the Fingers
The fingers are all divided into three sections, known as phalanges. The tip phalange relates to intuition and spirituality. The middle phalange relates to the intellect. The base phalange relates to the material aspects of life.
The Mounts of the Palm
The mounts are small mounds on the surface of the palms. They relate to potential energy and activities the person enjoys doing.
The Mount of Jupiter
Found at the base of the first finger. If well developed and wide as well as high, the person will be a natural leader, someone who can walk into any situation and immediately make changes.
The Mount of Saturn
Found beneath the Saturn (second) finger. If it's well developed the person will have a saturnine approach to life. He or she will be responsible and hardworking, but tend to be gloomy and solitary.
The Mount of Apollo
Found at the base of the ring, or Apollo, finger. It provides a measure of the person's outlook on success, happiness, and beauty. A well-developed mount gives enthusiasm, aesthetic tastes, and skill in dealing with others.
The Mount of Mercury
Located under the little finger and is related to the quickness of the mind and the person's ability to think. People with a well-developed Mercury mount have good brains and are able to express themselves clearly.
The Mount of Venus
At the base of the thumb and is encircled by the life line. This mount relates to love, affection, passion, vitality, and sympathy. If this mount is reasonably high and firm, the person will be affectionate, sympathetic, and thoroughly enjoy life.
The Mounts of Mars
There are two mounts of Mars, one on each side of the palm. They are known as inner and outer Mars. Inner Mars relates to physical courage. Outer Mars governs self-control and the ability to hang on long after other people would have given up.
The Mount of Luna
Lies at the base of the hand on the side of the little finger, opposite the thumb. This mount controls the creative subconscious and governs imagination and creativity. It reveals the person's emotional nature.
Thumb Reading in Palmistry
The thumb plays an important role in palmistry. Professional palmists can provide detailed readings based solely on thumb analysis.
Length of the Thumb
The larger the thumb, the greater the degree of success possible. People with large thumbs usually reach the top positions because they are more motivated, ambitious, and persistent than people with small thumbs.
Long Thumb: You are capable of a leadership role in any situation. You will be intelligent, decisive, and have a strong will.
Short Thumb: You are lacking in will. You can be stubborn, though often for no apparent reason.
Phalanges of the Thumb
The thumb appears to have just two sections. The mount of Venus is called the third phalange. The first phalange, containing the thumbnail, represents will, and the second phalange represents logic.
Equal Length Phalanges: You have an equal amount of logic and willpower. You will be able to come up with a good idea and then have the necessary drive and energy to carry it through.
More Willpower Than Logic: You will make plenty of mistakes, but will regroup each time and carry on until you reach your goal.
More Logic Than Willpower: You will have lots of ideas, but somehow never quite get around to doing them. You will think, and think, and then think some more.
Angle of the Thumb
The average thumb is held at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the hand. This is an indication of reasonable open-mindedness and the ability to conform to society's standards.
Wide Angle: You are generous, outgoing, and have the potential to influence and sway others. You will be adventurous and willing to try new and different things.
Narrow Angle: You are more selfish. Your outlook on the world will be very limited.
Indian Thumb Reading
Indian palmistry places special emphasis on thumb reading. There are nine lines that can appear on the thumb, each with specific meanings:
- Phala Rekha (Wheat Line): The line that divides the willpower and logic phalanges. Its presence indicates that the person will always have enough to eat.
- Mallika Rekha: Divides the phalange of logic and the mount of Venus. It indicates a happy and contented home and family life.
- Madhura Rekha: The line closest to the wheat line. It indicates that the bearer will be compassionate and easy to get along with.
- Mandara Rekha: Reveals an interest in travel and gives the person an inbuilt restlessness.
- Mana Rekha: Shows that the person is likely to have affairs outside of his or her marriage.
- Rati Rekha: Shows the degree of satisfaction and happiness the person derives from his or her relationship.
- Vajra Rekha: A fine line found on the Jupiter side of the thumb. People with it have the potential to become extremely wealthy.
- Kesara Rekha: Indicates the gradual growth of the family's fortune.
- Ripu Rekha: Often known as the enemy line, and has a negative effect on any of the lines it crosses.
