We can sometimes forget how connected we are to the world. How connected we are to the body and life we know. While we know about the value and use of our bodies, we can sometimes forget that our bodies do more than take us from one moment to the next.
Our bodies are records of who we are and who we have been. From the lines on our face to the lines on our hands, we can learn so much about who we are, how we feel, the health of our bodies, and sometimes just where we are headed.
Palmistry: “The art of analyzing a person’s hands to gain insight into who they are, where they have been, and where they might go.”
We use our hands all the time. They act as a direct link between us and the interactions we have with the world around of us. Touch informs us about our surroundings. Grip allows us to pull, tug, and move things around. Hands can be used to connect two people.
They also keep a record about us.
What is Palmistry?
One of the most ancient forms of divination, palmistry, also known as palm reading or chiromancy, originates with Indian astrology and Roma fortune-telling. This form of divination offers a wide range of information, which makes it a unique tool.
While some tools offer insight into health, character, or what may come, palmistry offers insight into each of these points and then some.
Palmistry offers insight into:
- A person’s character. Both in their private lives and in their public one.
- A person’s current state of health.
- A person’s current opinion or feeling about various areas of their life.
- An understanding of how their life will unfold.
- A record of major events in their life.
- & more.
The Major Components of Palmistry:
While learning to read palms is a study all its own, learning the various components of palmistry is not only interesting but will aid you if you ever choose to have your palm read or learn to read your own.
This basic understanding I am going to share with you, comes from my own research as well as my experience having my palm read. In having your palm read by an experienced reader you will come away with a greater understanding of yourself, how you are doing in that moment, and what you can anticipate from life moving forward.
Due to the great expanse of knowledge that is held on your hands, mastery of this tool requires you to, “study the geography,” (palm reading expert- Ed Campbell). Learning the terms and names for the various components of your hand is the first step.
The components analyzed:
- Hand shape.
- Hand texture.
- Finger shape.
- Finger flexibility.
- Finger length.
- Major & Minor lines.
- Mounds/Mounts.
- Color.
From these various components of our hand a plethora of information is available. While from each reader, meanings and schools of thought my shift, the key components to palm reading remain the same.
Our dominant hand acts as the record for our present, while our non-dominant hand will record what may come. Our left hand holds the records for our private life, while our right hand demonstrates the public side we show the world. Due to this our hands can alter from one another.
Hand Shape:
There are four types of hands, that correlate to the four elements. From this information a palm reader can learn about a person’s broad characteristics. There four main personality traits are as follows…
- Earth- A square palm with small fingers.
- Air- A square palm with long fingers.
- Fire- A rectangle palm with small fingers.
- Water- A rectangle palm with long fingers.
From these four basic character types, we can gain insight into who we are and how we approach the world.
The Major Lines:
There are three major lines on our hands that cover our heart, mind, and spirit. They are known as our Heart line, Head line, and Life line. Another common line is our Destiny Line, and some schools of palmistry consider it to be one of the Major four lines.
The Heart Line:
Our heart line starts just under out pinky and sweeps towards our thumb. It can stop at our ring finger, at or just after our middle finger, or continue to the other side of our hand. It also can be straight, curved upwards or downwards. From these key components we gain insight into these topics:
- Emotional stability.
- Romantic perspective.
- Depression & cardiac health.
- The nature of our relationships.
- How we interact with others.
The Head Line:
While our Heart line starts below our pinky, our Head line starts between our thumb and pointer finger and moves across the middle of our palm to the edge. The length of the line, as well as the curve helps us gain sight. While most Head lines curve downwards, the curve and depth will provide insight into…
- Person’s learning style.
- Communication approach.
- Intellectualism and thirst for knowledge.
- Memories.
- Ability to think.
The Life line:
Lastly, our Life line wraps around the ball of our thumb. The curved size as well as the depth of the line indicate…
- Physical health.
- General well-being & any major life changes.
- Our energy.
- The quality of life we can anticipate.
Added Features:
While these Major lines follow the same layout on everyone’s hands, they can differ in great ways. The depth, curvature offer insight. These lines can also have islands, chains, and breaks. An island is a line that breaks into two and connects again, leaving a circle in the middle of a line. While a chain is a line that represents the circular joining of small links, forming the line. Lastly, a break is just as it is named. A major or minor line is not always a continuous line.
The Minor Lines:
The Major lines offer insight into some pretty big topics, the minor lines are in the hundreds and cover a wide range of information. From romantic preferences, to a record of your past, the smaller lines on your hand, while harder to see are just important to a palm reader as the Major lines are.
For example, our hands are broken down into ages. When a palm reader knows your age, they can look at your hands and see where you have been and just what might come next.
The Mounts:
Also known as Mounds, this name is applied to the palm. Each palm and finger is divided into sections. With each mound correlating to a symbol, and planetary energy. Much like astrology, each mound relates to the energy of a planet; this energy informs the palm reader as to what information is being displayed. The height, width, and other factors all influence the information being provided.
Color:
Lastly, color does a lot to inform the palm reader about your current condition. Since color is not a constant on your hands, it will shift from moment to moment to reflect your current state. From emotions to opinions, the color of your hands (natural, red, dark, etc.) will shift to inform your palm reader about how you feel today.
How to go about learning palmistry:
With palmistry being such a deep tool, learning it might seem daunting. But just like Chinese Face Reading, you are not required to learn every facet of palmistry to receive some benefits.
Unlike tarot which requires a comprehensive knowledge, learning hand shapes can be a simple way to help aid your intuition when you first meet a person, just like the Zones of Dominance.
These small little pieces of knowledge can be used in safety, in fun, or as a way to connect with loved ones. Whether you choose to dabble with this tool or learn more in depth here are the various steps you can take to learn more.
- Research- There are videos, posts, and books that can teach you the various components of our hands and their meaning.
- Check out my Library of Tools- Under Palm Reading, you’ll find book recommendations as well as a couple videos.
- Purchase a palm reading hand. There are hands with diagrams covering the geography of your palm, not only do they make a great reference guide, but they also can be used to quiz yourself.
Final Thoughts:
Fingerprints do more than act as the needed grip, for us to hold smooth surfaces. They are a record of who we are. The shape, lines, and mounds of our hands have the ability to reach out and touch the world. To connect us.
Now thousands of years later, we can re-learn this tool. So we can connect with ourselves and those around us, a little bit more.