Palmistry

Palmistry is an ancient art, and it is possible that even prehistoric man was fascinated by the human hand and the meaning that could be derived from it. The thumbprint was used as a seal in China over five thousand years ago. It has been referenced in the Bible, Vedic scripts, and Egyptian writings. Aristotle wrote about palmistry, as did Hippocrates and Galen. Caesar used it to judge his men. And today, fingerprinting is used extensively in law enforcement, while specific folds in the hand are used to diagnose particular genetic abnormalities.

Palmistry makes an excellent self-diagnosis tool as well as a means to self-knowledge. The overall look of the palm comes first. Is the hand white, pink, red? Pale hands are a lack of circulation, red indicate high blood pressure. Blue hands mean sluggish blood supply. The color of the nails, too, is important; white nails indicate poor circulation, while nails that are marked abnormally indicate a variety of medical conditions, some of which indicate that the person should see a doctor.

Specks on the nails indicate a zinc or other nutrient imbalance; vertical ridges indicate digestive problems; horizontal ridges show times that the querent was ill. A convex nail or one that wraps around the finger abnormally should have you sending that person to the doctor immediately; similarly, red marks in the nails that aren’t explained by trauma should send the querent to the doctor. These things indicate anemia (which can be caused by internal bleeding), respiratory problems, and a very serious heart condition, respectively. Never hesitate, once you’ve grown used to palmistry, to send someone with a hand indicating illness to the doctor. You might save a life.

Palmistry uses the shape of the palm and relative length of the fingers to identify a base personality type, and then looks at the lines on the palm to identify specifics about the individual. Lots of Xs and stars are an indication of problems in that person’s life, but other lines on the palm indicate more specific traits. For instance, the line drawn around the base of the thumb is the most important. Called the life line, it does not predict the length of life the querent will have, but it does tell the reader a number of things about the life. For instance, a chained line indicates health problems, while a deep straight line indicates a strong constitution. And lines that extend alongside the life line often indicate individuals who will travel part of the life path with the querent.

The heart line extends from the edge of the hand under the little finger mostly across the palm, ending in most people between the first and second fingers. The head line runs below it, sometimes joining the life line. The fate line runs from the wrist up the hand; it does not exist in everyone, but where it does, you can be certain that this person has a strong sense of self and clear goals.

Besides these major lines, there are dozens of smaller lines that may or may not show up. Mounds and depressions in different areas of the hand will also tell the reader what the character and probably fate of the querent is. It takes years to master palmistry. As a means for self-understanding, it can be powerful. But you must understand that it will not be mastered in a day, a month, or a year; instead, it is a lifelong study.