What is Palm Reading or Palmistry?

Do the twists and turns in our lives mirror the intertwining lines on our hands? While fate may not be etched in stone, there is good reason to believe that it may be impressed onto our palms. This notion is one that was not lost on the ancients and evidence of the reading of palms can be traced back to several cultures, including those of ancient India, China, Greece and Rome. There is a school of thought which suggests that Chinese palmistry is closely related to the practice of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Although Aristotle did not study palm reading as such, he did write about physiognomy, or the study of facial features and body types as indicators of character.

Palmistry, also known as, 'Hand' or 'Palm' reading goes by several different names including, 'Chiromancy' and 'Hand Analysis'. Palmistry is said to be the study of the lines, prints and markings of the hands and feet that enables us to learn about an individual's past, present, future and unique characteristics.

How to Read Palms

Our two palms contain 'Major Lines' and minor lines that palmists analyse these to make readings and predictions. For men the right hand is read for predictions about the future, while for women, the left hand is read.

In the case of men, the right hand is considered the dominant hand and is believed to reflect the conscious and active aspects of a person's life. It represents the present and how the individual is actively using their potential and abilities at the moment. The left hand is seen as the non-dominant hand and is associated with the subconscious and passive aspects of a person's life. It is thought to reveal a person's innate aspirations, characteristics, potential talents, underlying traits and previous birth. The lines and features on the left hand are believed to show the natural tendencies and inclinations that the individual may have from birth. The opposite is true for women.

The major lines and some important lines of the palms are described below:

• The Life Line

The life line represents the condition of your health across your lifespan. This line can show what types of illnesses you may suffer from and when these may occur during the course of your life. This line also shows the type of support and cooperation that you will receive from the people around you. Contrary to popular belief, a relatively short lifeline does not suggest a short lifespan. This is an indication that there will be obstacles and dissatisfaction in your career.

• The Head Line

This line runs horizontally across the palm and extends from the index finger towards the little finger. This is one of the major lines of the palm and is considered to be a significant indicator of a person's mental and intellectual traits. It represents a person's approach to thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and overall cognitive abilities. It also reveals aspects of the individual's communication style, learning potential, self-control and ability to process information.

A strong, clear and well-defined Head Line is often associated with a logical, practical way of thinking and a focused mindset. On the other hand, a feeble, wavy or fragmented Head Line is often interpreted to mean indecisiveness, scattered thinking or a tendency to overthink. People with a Head Line of this nature may be prone to mental restlessness and to thinking more with their hearts than their heads. They may also be inclined to overanalyse simple situations.

• The Heart Line

According to Vedic palmistry, this line starts around the mount of Mercury, or the little finger and extends towards the mount of Saturn, or middle finger. Western palmistry reads this line in the opposite direction, that is it is considered to start around the mount of Saturn and travel towards the little finger.

As the name suggests, this relates to matters of the heart and is the line for emotion, love, romance, relationships and sexual orientation. The degree of curvature of this line is thought to determine a person's level or emotionality. The rule of thumb being that the straighter the line, the less emotional the person.

In more literal terms, this line can also indicate possible physical conditions such as potential heart problems. Many palmists analyse the shape of this line to help determine a person's fate and financial success.

• The Fate Line

The line of fate does not represent fate so much as indicate the level of material comfort in a person's life. Interestingly, not all people possess this line and it is not uncommon for it to be absent, particularly during the early stages of life. In fact, this line sometimes only makes an appearance as one attains middle age. A long, clear fate line suggests that a person will enjoy all the major comforts of life, for a major portion of their lifespan. If this line is not visible, this could mean that there are delays to the start of one's career.

This line can sometimes bifurcate into two different lines and this indicates a radical change to one's career.

• The Sun Line

The Sun Line is also known as the 'Apollo Line'. It runs vertically from the base of the palm, opposite the thumb and near the 'Mount of the Moon', towards the base of the ring finger. This line is associated with success, creativity, fame and recognition. It is believed to represent an individual's accomplishments, talents and the potential for achieving a prominent position in their chosen field.

A strong, well-defined Sun Line often indicates a person with great leadership qualities, creativity and a desire to achieve significant success. This is suggestive of a person who is ambitious, charismatic and has a strong drive to stand out and make a mark in their profession or creative pursuits.

Not everyone possesses a Sun Line and a faint or absent line does not necessarily imply a lack of success or talent. Instead, it may indicate that the person's achievements and recognition in life might come from a source other than their career, or that they may prefer a more private or low-key recognition of their achievements.

• The Mercury Line

This is also known as the 'Health' or 'Hepatica' line. It is a vertical line, typically located at the base of the palm, near the Mount of the Moon, traveling to the base of the little (pinky) finger. This line is not present in all palms.

The Mercury Line is associated with health, business acumen and communication skills. It can reveal information about a person's overall well-being, including physical health and potential illnesses. Additionally, it is believed to indicate a person's aptitude for negotiation, commerce and business dealings.

A strong, well defined Mercury Line suggests good health and a talent for handling business affairs. Individuals with such a line possess the ability to convey their ideas succinctly, are skilled negotiators and possess keen business acumen.

If this line is faint, fragmented or absent, there may be possibilities of health issues or challenges with communication. This may also be suggestive of a person who prefers to avoid confrontation or may face difficulties in expressing themselves clearly.

Mounts and Fingers of the Planets

The Mounts

The shape of each mount determines how strong the influence of its corresponding planet is. A flat or underdeveloped mount suggests a weak influence, whereas a well-developed mounts means that the characteristics of the planet will be pronounced.

The Mount of Apollo/the Sun

Found at the base of the ring finger, it symbolises creativity, success and artistic talents.

The Mount of Luna/the Moon

Also known as the Mount of the Moon Goddess, this is located on the base of the palm opposite the thumb, just below the Mount of Venus. It is associated with emotion, intuition, imagination and psychic abilities.

Mount of Jupiter

Located at the base of the index finger, it is associated with ambition, leadership and spirituality.

Mount of Mercury

Located at the base of the little finger, it is linked to communication, intelligence and business skills.

Mount of Venus

Situated at the base of the thumb, it represents love, sensuality and creativity.

Mount of Mars

Found between the Mount of Jupiter and Mount of Venus, it represents courage, energy and ambition.

Mount of Saturn

Situated at the base of the middle finger, it represents responsibility, discipline and wisdom.

The Fingers

Each finger also has a corresponding planet. Astrologers often suggest gemstones to increase the influence of a planet and these are to be worn on the finger for that planet.

The Index Finger, Jupiter

Represents ambition, leadership and authority.

The Middle Finger, Saturn

There is no, 'Flipping a Bird' in palm reading. Rather this finger signifies responsibility, discipline and wisdom.

The Ring Finger, Apollo/Sun

Symbolises creativity, self-expression and fame.

The Little Finger, Mercury

Represents communication, intelligence and adaptability.

The Relationship between Astrology and Palmistry

The Vedic texts that contain knowledge of astrology also describe correlations between the lines on our hands and the planetary alignments in our charts. In India, most Vedic astrologers recognise the deep connection between astrology and palmistry and the two disciplines are thought of as parallel paths to the same destination. Many Indian astrologers therefore practice what is known as 'Astro-Palmistry' and not only read charts, but also the lines of the hands, feet and even the face in order to make predictions. Some astropalmists take this practice one step further and attempt to create horoscope charts according the lines on a person's hands. The accuracy of such a chart is however, debatable and is an option that is best exercised in the absence of an accurate time or date of birth.

Those who are acquainted with astrology will note that all of the major lines correspond to the characteristics of a birth chart. It is believed however, that our lines are not so much a mirror of a horoscope, but are more a result of it. That is, like our fingerprints, the characteristics of a horoscope are fixed and do not change, whereas the lines on our hands do evolve with age. The astro-palmistry connection is further reinforced by the mounts on the palms, as these are named after planets. The characteristics of each mount being very similar to the astrological qualities of its corresponding planet.

This begs the question, "Is palmistry more accurate than astrology?" In short, the answer to this question will vary from person to person, depending on the nature of their horoscope and lines. That is, each horoscope is unique, as are each person's palms. Certain horoscopes can be quite emphatic in nature and have clearly aligned planets that spell out clearly defined characteristics. However, most horoscopes will have some manner of contradictory influence. For example, it is possible for a person to have say, a Saturn ascendant in their natal chart, suggesting a somewhat serious and brooding demeanour. At the same time, this same person may have the Moon as their lord of actions or ruling planet of their Moon sign, suggesting a distinctly fanciful, playful side to their character. It is therefore up to the astrologer in question to assess and juxtapose these conflicting influences to provide an explanation as to under what circumstances will one influence dominate over the other. Similarly, astrology predictions can also be subject to such contradictory signals. Hence access to a secondary means of confirming or refuting an astrological factor such as through the use of palm readings or numerology, often proves to be very useful.

The essential difference between astrology and palmistry is the difference between what is fated to occur, as suggested by an astrology chart and what action we take, as defined by the lines on our hands. Another way of looking at this is by drawing a distinction between our 'Dharam' or destiny as represented by our chart and our 'Karma' or deeds, as represented by our palms. Many Hindu people believe that glancing at our cupped palms, as we open our eyes in the morning, makes for an auspicious beginning to the day. This is thought to be a spiritual way of acknowledging that we can fulfil our destinies in accordance with the lines on our hands.

Major Lines and Horoscope Houses

Of the twelve houses in a birth chart, the following four houses correlate to the major lines of the palm.

The Life Line

This corresponds to the 8^th house in a birth chart, which is the 'House of Death' and relates to a person's health, lifespan and unexpected gains.

The Head Line

This corresponds to the 1^st house in a birth chart, which is the 'Ascendant's House' and relates to a person's physical and mental condition, thoughts, temperament and general course of life.

The Heart Line

This corresponds to the 7^th house in a birth chart, which is the 'House of Marriage/Relationships' and relates to a person's married life, long term relationships, spouse and livelihood.

The Fate Line

This corresponds to the 9^th house in a birth chart, which is the 'House of Fate' and relates to a person's luck and destiny.

Zodiac Signs & Hand Shapes

According to Vedic astrology, certain lines on a person's hands and feet augment themselves in accordance with that person's Moon sign. For example, a person of a water sign such as Cancer, is likely to have certain lines on their hands and feet that form the shape of a fish. Similarly, someone of the Moon sign of Aries will have lines that intersect in the shape of a weapon, as Aries is a martial sign. However, there is no strict correlation between say, water signs and fish shaped lines, as these shapes follow the general qualities of a sign and not just the element to which they belong.

Each element represents certain characteristics and traits commonly associated with a zodiac sign. Fire signs are known for their passion and enthusiasm, Earth signs for their practicality and stability, Air signs for their intellectual and communicative abilities and Water signs for their emotional depth and sensitivity. The correlation between Sun signs and hand shapes are as follows.

Earth Signs

1. Taurus (April 20 - May 20)
2. Virgo (August 23 - September 22)
3. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19)

People of these signs tend to have wide palms with short fingers.

Air Signs

1. Gemini (May 21 - June 20)
2. Libra (September 23 - October 22)
3. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18)

People of these signs tend to have wide palms with long fingers.

Fire Signs

1. Aries (March 21 - April 19)
2. Leo (July 23 - August 22)
3. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)

People of these signs tend to have narrow palms with short fingers.

Water Signs

1. Cancer (June 21 - July 22)
2. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
3. Pisces (February 19 - March 20)

People of these signs tend to have narrow palms with long fingers.

Final Thoughts

It is fascinating to think that we might be carrying around maps of our past and present lives, in the palms of our hands. Admittedly, there is a lack of statistical evidence in support of palmistry. This is chiefly because the accuracy of palmistry readings relies on the expertise and experience of the palmist. Hence interpretations can vary from palmist to palmist, causing discrepancies in evaluations based purely on statistics. This does not mean that a reading from a palmist is not accurate. This just means that the quality of the reading can vary and a good palmist, like a good astrologer can surprise an enquirer with the revelations their knowledge can provide.