Lesson 2 - Palmistry
The term 'palmistry', also known as Chiromancy, comes from the Greek word "cheiro" meaning hand and "manteia" meaning study or divination.The fascination with the hand and indeed its shape, structure and detail goes back many thousands of years. It is known that the palm was used for 'readings' by most of the pre-Christian civilisations, including the Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Assyrians. The ancient Chinese recognised the uniqueness of the hand to the individual so much so that they used a thumb-print as a seal of authenticity. Apparently Julius Caesar chose his generals based on a reading of their palms.
Take a look at your hand and examine the front and back and notice the shapes and lines and how they form fantastic patterns. You may notice that you have some blemishes or scars and if you compare both hands, you will see subtle differences in the lines and perhaps the signs of wear and tear.
Humans do virtually everything with their hands, so it is no wonder that they show a record of what we have and how we have lived. But can our hands help us predict the future? Perhaps not directly in detail, but obviously the shape of any part of our body is the result of our genetic make-up: thus it makes sense that we can gain some understanding of our nature and the ways in which we are likely to behave by observing their shape, size and other details such as lines and mounts.
Most people assume that a palm reading can be done very quickly, simply by looking at the three dominant lines - the Life line, the Head line and the Heart line. There is nothing wrong with doing this, although it simply does not give the whole picture - there are a range of other elements to take in consideration.
Reading Palms
Which hand should you use for a reading? The simple answer is both, each hand has relevance and often comparing the two can be very useful. Typically your dominant hand (this is most commonly the right) tells us something of your personality, talents, health and potential as well as how others see you. The passive hand (usually the left) contains information about your potential, your instincts and so on. The left hand shows what you were born with and the right shows how life has affected and changed you.When performing a reading all you need to decide is whether you plan to do a single or double hand reading. For this lesson we will concentrate on single hand readings, using the dominant hand.
You can begin by looking at your hand (or whoever you are doing the reading for). Make some written or mental notes of anything that jumps out at you. We will be examining three main elements of the hand: the shape, the mounts and the major lines. Let's get started.
The Basic Hand Types
The Earth HandSquare palm and short fingers.
If your hand is like this, you are likely to be a practical, dependable type of person, and someone who is likely to be very creative and energetic.
The Air Hand
Square palm and long fingers.
If your hand is like this, you may be clever and artistic, and very rational and perhaps a little over-regimented in your general approach to life.
The Fire Hand
Long palm and short fingers.
If your hand is like this, you could be energetic to the point of being annoyingly restless. Very individualistic, you like to live life at top speed.
The Water Hand
Long palm and long fingers.
If your hand is like this, you might tend to be emotional and caring; you are also likely to be one who is aware of Mother Nature and the environment.
The Mounts
Take a look at the palm of your hand and run your fingers gently over and across it. You will feel the gentle rise and fall of what are known as the 'mounts'. These fleshy regions tell us something about our many characteristics. The simple way to interpret them is that the larger and more well defined they are, the stronger that particular characteristic is.Click here, here and here to see the mounts we will be discussing
Mount of Jupiter (A)
This represents enthusiasm, self-worth and ambition. A small mount here may indicate laziness or even selfishness. People with a large mount tend to be
overpowering and over-ambitious.
Mount of Saturn (B)
This represents sense and responsibility. A small mount here might imply a dull person with little to offer; or someone who might be a tad reckless.
A large mount shows that the person might tend to be introspective and have a predisposition towards depression.
Mount of Apollo (C)
This represents art and creativity. A small mount here may indicate that a person is short of artistic ability or direction, or perhaps suffering from a
lack of finesse. A large mount, on the other hand, might indicate a rather gaudy, over-flamboyant individual, or someone who tends to be tacky and pretentious.
Mount of Mercury (D)
This represents intelligence and your influence on others. A small mount indicates that you might be easily led and quiet amonst others. A large mount
indicates a good sense of humour and persuasiveness - a good salesmen, perhaps - erring towards misuse of your ability if it is very large.
Across the middle of the palm we find the Mounts and Planes of Mars and this area represents emotional and moral intergrity. Whilst one can study these three areas individually, it is more interesting to analyse them as a whole. They can, in fact, be most revealing, as they give us an indication of how well balanced your attitudes are.
Mount of Mars - Aggressive (E)
Also known as 'Mars Positive', this area indicates fighting spirit: your desire to work hard or to defend your territory, for example. An under-developed
mount here can show that you might be weak in an argument and interested in protecting yourself rather than fighting for others. A large mount can show someone
who is determined, divisive and even sometimes cruel and manipulative.
Plane of Mars (F)
You may have ideas but do you have the ability to turn them into reality? A large, strong, well defined Plane of Mars indicates entrepreneurial spirit.
If you have difficulty telling where it begins and where the Mount of Mars ends, you may be someone who is liable to let emotions, either good or bad, get
in the way of your business ventures.
Mount of Mars - Defensive (G)
Sometimes called 'Mars Negative', this shows our patient, understanding side and the part of us that is willing to endure periods of pain to achieve a
long-term goal. A well developed mount indicates that you are more willing to accept others as they are and willing to spend time helping and nuturing. If
you are one who does not suffer fools gladly, you may find you have an under-developed area here.
Across the lower part of the hand we have the Mounts of Venus, Neptune and the Moon (sometimes referred to as the Mount of Luna). Whilst the Mounts and Planes of Mars deal with our morals and our general emotions, this area is more about emotional intelligence and how we see and relate to others around us, as well as to our own inner self.
Mount of Venus (H)
This represents your general happiness and your overall health. A small mount shows that you may have a tendency to allow illness or other barriers to
get you down easily and prevent you from doing what needs to be done. A large mount shows that you may be the kind of person who can keep smiling through
adversity, even to the point of not caring properly for your own health.
Mount of Neptune (I)
This represents your general level of perception. A small mount could indicate that you are not particularly observant or well tuned in to the events
that are going on around you. Conversely, a large amount might imply that you are unusually perceptive - perhaps even to the point of seeing things that are
not even really there.
Mount of The Moon (J)
This represents perceptiveness in romantic relationships and connections with other people. It also represents how good you are at communicating with
yourself. A small mount may mean that you have a tendency to be, or appear, cold and unfeeling. A larger mount can show that you are extremely passionate
and tactile in your personal relationships.
The Primary Lines
As a general rule of thumb, well-defined and clear lines indicate strength and clarity, whereas broken or weak lines tend to show interruptions or uncertainty.Click here to see the Primary Lines
The Life Line (A)
This is not, as many believe, an indicator if your potential longevity. The Life Line is more a symbol of the way in which you might lead your life and
overcome challenges. A long and clear line indicates a positive and energetic lifestyle, while a weak line may show you prefer to be on your own - perhaps
you are not a team player. Breaks or changes of texture that are present in the line might imply that there are likely to be many changes in direction during
your life. If it has lots of branches it can indicate wealth and great success.
The Head Line (B)
This represents intelligence and inherent potential within you. This is also about how you see the world and how events shape your thinking. A strong line
carries implications of great intelligence and, more importantly, an ability to focus and concentrate on getting things done. A break in the line can indicate
a change of mental state in relation to something that has occurred in your life. Many breaks or indeed branches show that your views are likely to swing
wildly as you go through the trials and tribulations that life sometimes throws at you.
The Heart Line (C)
This represents your emotions and the way in which you handle relationships. A strong, clear line may imply that you let your heart rule your head, particularly
if it is much longer than the Head line. If the line is very long and very deep and located in the upper part of the palm near the base of the fingers, you
may be someone who has a tendency to be very possessive when you are in love. If the line is weak or blurred then it may show you have difficulty in
forming or sustaining relationships - perhaps you find it hard to connect deeply with others.
Sample Reading
Below is a sample reading I have obtained from The Complete Fortune Teller, a book that is provided me with the information used in these lessons.Click here to see the hand.
Analysis: Some survive through hard work, others through determination and others through their wit and intellect. The owner of this hand seems to fall into the third category. The Life (A) and Head Lines (B) intersect, running together for some distance. This shows the progress of life being influenced by their decisions and their actions. The strong Mount of Jupiter (C) implies ambition, which is aided by the slight raising in Neptune (D).
The Mount of the Moon (E) is made up of many ridges, which could show that this person is the kind that has a million ideas a day. This can be a bad thing, but here perhaps not, as this person seems to have the intellect to sift through and make use of the better ones. The Fork on the Heart Line (F) is an indication that this person might find it a little hard to adjust to partnering with another, unless they apply some more of their natural intelligence to help make it work.
The End
There are many other aspects of Palmistry that can be studied. If you want more information on the other lines, search Google and see what you can find. Just be wary that some information may counter what is in this lesson. Unfortunately with most forms of Divination, there are many variations.And that's it for your lesson! Please continue to your homework which is due October 31. Enjoy!