Palmistry

I was interested to research into palmistry to accompany my work on hand prints. 

It has been really intriguing reading about what it means if your hands look a certain way and what it says about you if your life line starts in the heart line etc.

Whilst researching, I was often checking my own hand to see what the lines on my palm say about me. As less than an amateur, it was often hard for me to see what lines they were on about, especially the minor lines. 

I have not only researched the meaning of certain lines on the hand but also a bit about origin and the different branches that make up palmistry. 

There are three main branches of palmistry and one newer element that has been added more recently. 

Chiromancy is the study of the lines and other features of the palm. This is the oldest branch of palmistry when ancient palm readers studied the lines on hands.

Chirognomy is the study of the character and personality as suggested by the shape of the fingers, thumbs and hand in general. This was recognised at around the middle of the 19th century as an aid to character assessment and is a valuable contribution to the accuracy of palmistry. 

Dermatoglyphics is the study of the skin patterns of the fingers, thumbs and palms which became apparent in the second half of the 20th century. This is considered a comprehensive art-science which estimates character, judges talent and capability, defines disposition and potential and verifies health. 

The fourth element is the idea of gesture, the behavioural science of hand and body movement. 

It is considered that palmistry is almost certainly from the East, most probably India. The oldest writings and illustrations of Palmistry are 5000 years old and of Indian origin which verifies this assumption, however, it is also thought that Ancient China, Korea and Japan had some sort of input in the early days of palmistry. 

In ancient times, palmistry was largely superstition and there were no written recordings referring to palmistry until the middle 15th century as the Church believed hand reading to be the work of the devil.

Shapes of the Hand

Square hand - A person with a square hand is likely to be practical, rational and persevering with a great respect for law and order. This people also may be level-headed with an endless patience and determination which can sometimes turn to stubbornness.

Round or Conic hand - A person with a square hand is likely to be impulsive, sensitive and full of charm. This person may also have a low boredom threshold, leading to someone who makes or breaks relationships due to the continuing need to have new experiences. Someone with a conic hand may also have a lazy streak and a hint of selfishness.


Elementary hand - Someone with this type of hand is expected to be down-to-earth with good common sense and an uncomplicated personality but is slow to perceive and act on situations. They may lack imagination and subtlety although are likely to have basic skills in a recognised trade or craft. 


Psychic hand - A person with the type of hand is expected to be romantic, idealistic and at times too trusting. They may also have little business sense and not learn from mistakes. It is said that someone with this hand should stay away from the harsh realities of the modern world. 


Spatulate hand - Someone with this type of hand is likely to be brimming with energy, adventurous, highly strung and rarely satisfied. This person may be unconventional and eccentric at times as well as being strongly independent and highly inventive. 


Philosophical hand - a person with this type of hand is considered good company and expresses good leadership skills. This type of person thinks and feels emotions deeply and may have a perceptive and mischevious sense of humour.


Mixed hand - This type of hand is a mixture of the features of the other types. A person with a mixed hand is expected to be adaptable, versatile and changeable but is likely to have a strong selfish streak.


Major lines of the hand.

Head line - This line reveals the quality of intelligence along with the control the intelligence exercises over the rest of the body. 

This line on the left hand shows the innate qualities of the mind while the right hand shows the development and exploitation of gifts and conscious. It also shows the personal levels of adaptability and indicates how education and early circumstances influence personality. 

 A wide gap between the head and heart lines indicates a down-to-earth character. 

A head line that starts inside the line of life shows a follower who lacks zeal. 

A head line that starts close to the source of the line of life is believed to be conventional. 

Forking at the end of the head line suggests a division between common sense and the imagination. 

Life Line - this reveals the quality of life, physical well-being, strength of constitution and is also a measure of energy, vitality and endurance. 


The firmer and wider the sweep of the line, the greater vitality and zest for living the person has. 
A chained or furry formation of a life line shows too much dependence on others.
An islanded or chained beginning to the line of life implies a history of childhood ailments and weaknesses. 

Heart line - this is associated with emotions and is also used to assess health problems especially any that relate to the heart. 


The lower the heart line the more the owner analyses their emotions. 
A faint heart line may mean a cold, unemotional nature and a person who is fairly easy-going but with an explosive and unpredictable temper. 
A heart line set low in the palm implies an extremely passionate nature. 
A deeply etched heart line is a sign of poor physical state which could leads to depression.

Fate line - this relates to the feeling of inner satisfaction from the effort to achieve personal gain. The lower down the palm the fate line starts, the earlier these efforts may begin.


When the fate line appears on the left hand only the person is full of dreams and aspirations but has little get-up-and-go to pursue them.
When it appears on the right hand only the person is appreciative of life but will make the effort to improve it anyway.