THE LINE OF LIFE AND ITS VARIATIONS
The Line of Life is that line which runs round the base of the thumb and
lies directly over a large blood-vessel called the great Palmer Arch
(1-1, Plate VIII.). This blood-vessel is more directly connected with the
heart, stomach, and vital organs which may have given use to its term
"The Vital," as used by the ancients.
It is reasonable to assume that it is this intimate connection with the
vital organs of the body which enables it to foretell the length of life
from _natural causes_.
If the student will bear this in mind it will make clear and plain to him
many difficulties in connection with predictions as to health and
disease, and he will follow more easily the following explanations.
The first rules to master are, that to be normal the Line of Life should
be long, clearly marked, and without any irregularities or breaks of any
kind. Such a formation would indicate length of life, vitality, freedom
from illness, and strength of constitution (1-1, Plate VIII.).
Bearing the first observation in mind it will be noticed that as the Line
of Life represents the stomach and the vital organs, when well marked
the stomach and digestion must necessarily be in a good condition.
[Illustration: PLATE VIII.
THE LINE OF LIFE AND SECTIONS OF INFLUENCES FROM THE MOUNTS.]
When made up of little pieces or linked like a chain, it is a certain
sign of poor health, weak stomach and lack of vitality.
At this point I must ask the most careful attention to the following
rules--which no other book on the subject contains, and which I have not
published in any of my other writings, viz.: as the Line of Life seems
in every sense to be the representative on the hand of the body or trunk
of the man--so the position of these breaks, marks, links, or islands
denotes the portion of the body most affected.
Before we go further I must also impress on the student to grasp the fact
that every line or sign on the hand plays a dual rôle. By one of their
rôles these lines indicate the disease the person is most liable to for
the entire run of the life, and in another rôle these lines indicate the
date when the illness will reach its greatest gravity.
To explain carefully this strange phenomenon of nature, I have divided
this line into sections (_see_ Plate VIII.), and although I am not
writing on astrology in these pages, yet all believers in that science
may be interested to find how wonderfully these twin sciences agree when
the comparison is pointed out by an impartial observer such as I claim to
be.
In Plate VIII. are shown the Sections of the Line of Life with their
various tendencies divided by the mounts at the base of the fingers. This
will materially assist the student to comprehend their significance and,
together with the influence of the month of birth as set out in the
chapters on the Mounts of the Hand (page 140), will enable him to obtain
an accuracy on all matters relating to health, diseases, and dangers to
the life that up till now has never been attained.
We will now proceed to consider the details as regards the Line of Life
itself.
THE LINE OF LIFE
It is very important at the outset to consider the qualities of this very
important line. In some hands it is broad and shallow on the surface of
the hand, in others it is deep and fine; the appearance of this line is
very often deceptive, and leads students astray when they have not had
their attention called to its appearance.
The broad, shallow Line of Life often leads people to suppose that it is
a sign of a very healthy, robust constitution; but, on the contrary, such
an indication is not nearly as good a sign as a clear, thin, deep line.
The broad Life Line seems to belong to people who have more robust animal
strength, whereas the finer line relates to people who have more nerve or
will-force. Under any strain of ill-health, it is the finer line that
will hold out, whereas the broad-looking line has not the same resisting
force.
Very broad lines on the hand denote more muscular strength than will
power, and I cannot impress this difference too strongly on the minds of
my readers. If the line is made of chain formation (1-1, Plate IX.), it
is a sure sign of a tendency to bad health, and especially so if the hand
be soft. The same marks on a hard, firm hand would not indicate as much
delicacy, because hard, firm hands denote in themselves a robust
constitution.
Another important point to consider is, whether the Line of Life goes
straight up to the side of the Mount of Venus and narrows that Mount
(2-2, Plate IX.), or whether it forms a well-defined curve or semicircle
out into the palm (3-3, Plate IX.). In the first case it indicates a
naturally more delicate constitution, and less force of animal magnetism.
This explanation will be readily understood by readers when I again call
their attention to the fact that one of the most important blood-vessels
going from the body to the hand is called the Great Palmer Arch, which
carries the blood up to the hand towards the root of the thumb, and
carries the circulation back on the other side of the Arch almost
underneath the Line of Life. It will, therefore, be seen that people who
have a weaker constitution are more likely to have this Great Palmer Arch
narrower in construction than those who have a robust constitution and
strong circulation of the blood. This is the reason why, when the Mount
of Venus is large and wide on the hand, it gives rise to the idea that it
indicates a more passionate animal nature than when this mount is thin
and narrow.
[Illustration: PLATE IX.
THE LINE OF LIFE AND ITS VARIATIONS.]
While speaking on this particular point, I must also call attention to
the fact that when the Line of Head is curved downwards instead of
running straight across the palm, that it seems to be more attracted to
the qualities indicated by the Mount of Venus and gives more to the
imaginative, romantic nature, showing a greater tendency to fall in love,
than with people who possess the Line of Head running straight across the
hand, as if it were not attracted to the qualities indicated by the Mount
of Venus. It will thus be seen that every point of this study bearing on
character can be reasoned out from a logical standpoint. This places the
study upon a higher foundation than when it is considered purely from the
superstitious standpoint with which it has so long been associated.
If the Line of Life is seen to rise high on the hand towards the Mount of
Jupiter (4-4, Plate IX.), the subject has more control over himself, and
his life is more governed by the ambitious side of his nature. When,
however, the Line of Life rises lower down on the palm, more from the
Mount of Mars (5-5, Plate IX.), it gives less control over the temper.
When this sign is noticed, especially in the case of young persons, it
will be found that they are more quarrelsome, more disobedient, and have
less ambition in connection with their studies.
ASCENDING LINES
When the Line of Life is found with a number of ascending lines, even if
they are small, it denotes a life of greater energy; and the dates at
which these lines ascend from the Line of Life may always be considered
points at which the subject has made a particular effort towards whatever
may have been the special purpose of his destiny at that moment. When
these lines are seen ascending towards or on the Mount of Jupiter (1-1,
Plate X.), it indicates the desire and ambition to rise in life,
especially in some way that would give the subject control or authority
over others. If one of the lines be found partly arrested or stopped at
the Line of Head (2-2, Plate X.), it indicates that the subject has by
some mental error of judgment or stupidity, broken or prevented the
effort, which started well, from reaching a successful termination. If
one of these lines reaches and stops at the Line of Heart, it indicates
that the affections have, or will, interfere with the subject's special
effort in whatever direction this line indicates. If one of these lines
crosses and joins the line of Fate (3-3, Plate X.), it indicates and
gives two distinct dates which are very curious in their meaning. The
first date it gives is when this line leaves the Line of Life on its way
towards the Line of Fate. The date of this start towards the Line of Fate
will be given on the Line of Fate itself, right opposite where this line
begins to grow from the Line of Life. This mark will denote that the
subject has made a determined effort at that moment in his career to make
his own destiny, and to break free from the circumstances or people that
surround him or tie him down.
It is always a successful sign when this line is found to join the Line
of Fate, especially if the Line of Fate looks stronger at or about this
point of the junction.
The second date is given at the period in the Line of Life when one is
reading down the Line of Life itself. The singular point about this is
that a repetition of circumstances will be found to occur in the destiny.
Suppose, for example, one saw this line going towards the Fate Line at
twenty-six years of age--a circumstance or repetition of the occurrence
will be found to occur at almost double that age, namely, fifty-two years
of age, which would give a more or less exact date of this occurrence
when reading the Line of Life. As an illustration to help the reader I
may say that I have generally found that this mark will indicate that the
subject has, in the first instance, broken free from some tie at an early
date, and that a similar occurrence will take place at the second date,
viz., late in life, when again the subject seems to break free from some
tie, and goes out more into the world for himself.
This curious sign very often helps in deciding matters as regards
marriage. The man, or woman, will apparently assert his independence
more, and leave the ties of home life, and again go out in the world and
fight the battle for himself, as he did in the earlier part of his
existence, when he probably left his parents' influence and forged ahead
for himself.
When the ascending line is seen crossing over towards the Mount of
Saturn, and running as an independent line not joined to the Line of Fate
(6, Plate X.), it will be found that the subject has carried out a kind
of second fate. The date when this line left the Line of Life will give
the first date of its commencement, _i.e._, opposite it on the Fate Line.
If the line be a good one it would give its second date when reading down
the Line of Life, where, if the line were good, it carried out this
second fate to a successful culmination.