In chiromancy, the lines of the hand are considered to be of the
greatest importance. They are considered good if they are of strong
color, neither too thin nor too broad, running without breaks or
twists. A line which is broad and pale is interpreted to show excess
of some sort. Also pale lines show the phlegmatic temperament, while
bright red lines are sanguine, yellow lines are bilious, and extremely
dark lines are melancholy. The bad results of a broken line may be
partially counteracted if a bridge is formed by an accompanying or
“sister” line. The lines are not exactly the same on both hands. It
is sometimes said that those on the right hand are the result of time
and circumstance, while the markings of the left hand indicate the
subject’s original nature.
The Line of Life is supposed to give a definite indication of the
number of years an individual will live. Palmists prefer to be somewhat
vague about this, though. There is a special difficulty in the fact
that the line is seldom of equal length in both hands. The Line of Life
starts at the base of the first finger or at the side of the hand below
it, and circles around Mount Venus. It is taken to show the physical
condition, breaks representing disease. If the line is broken in both
hands at the same point, this gives a clue to the time of death.
However, a short Line of Life does not always mean that the subject
will die young. If an octogenarian, falling into senile decay, decides
to visit a chiromancer, and the charlatan observes that the line stops
short at the age of thirteen, it is clearly necessary to find other
indications of old age on the hand.
A frayed line, or one which is broken but connected by light lines, is
said to make for illness or delicate health. But if there is a thin
part at the ending of which there is a spot, death is inferred. If the
line starts from the base of the finger rather than from the side of
the hand, it is alleged to indicate an ambition which is cherished all
the subject’s life.
The Zancigs say that a break in the Line of Life, if it evidently is
not indicative of illness, may perhaps show a great change of some
sort. Possibly the subject learned that King Cheops Turkish Blend
Cigarettes offer more for the money than Picadillies No. 45, or that
socks may be kept up with rubber bands if garters are lacking.
But if a man of thirty comes to a palmist and learns that his line of
life comes to an end at the ninety-seventh year, he should remember to
be especially cautious when he reaches that age. He should not drink
more than a pint of red whiskey daily, except upon the advice of a
physician. I suppose that predictions of early death were actually
harmful in the days when people were more credulous, and possibly
there are dolts who still brood over such prophecies, if they are
uttered in a sufficiently solemn tone. Even a physician employed by an
insurance company is seldom able to tell within ten or twenty years how
long the patient he examines will live. He can make a good guess only
if he sees strong indications of a fatal disease. As for astrologers,
crystal-gazers, dream-interpreters, soothsayers, and palmists, they
may accidently hit upon the truth on occasion. Their failures are
forgotten, but their successes are repeated and magnified.
It is unfortunate, we are told, to find the lines of Life, Head, and
Heart all joined together. This combination is interpreted as a sign
that the subject will probably fail in life because he does not realize
the dangers which confront him. How unhappy some people would be,
though, if they knew what miseries await them at a future time! We are
always counting on the years ahead, expecting them to bring prosperity
and happiness. Clever palmists usually manage to find good indications,
for these are more generously feed than bad ones.
If the Line of Life branches off somewhere in the middle of its course,
sending a line toward the Mount of Luna, this is supposed to forebode
death in a foreign land. It stands for travel, according to some high
authorities, or, in a flabby hand, for dissipation. Dissipation may
mean anything from staying out after nine in the evening and carrying
matches in one’s pocket to blasphemy, treason, murder, or even the
violation of the Prohibition laws. It is necessary to make use of
rather ambiguous terms in order to gain fame in the pursuit of the
mantic arts.
Little lines rising out of the Line of Life are taken to indicate
weakness at the time when they appear. As for judging time on the
various lines, I find rather vague directions. The lower end of the
Life Line may perhaps be taken to show the ninetieth year, and the line
divided into ten-year segments which are approximately equal.
An island at the beginning of the Life Line, we are told, signifies a
mystery connected with birth. Perhaps the subject was stolen from the
cradle and substituted for somebody else. Possibly he is the son of a
great monarch or of a splendid courtesan, or of both. The situation
demands investigation.
Indentations moving upward from the Line of Life are supposed to be
favorable. If they lead to the Mount of Jupiter, they show success in
entering high social circles or the attainment of some secret ambition,
such as that of carrying a walking stick. A line going up to Mount
Saturn indicates that the subject will deposit money in the bank or buy
lottery tickets or put a coin in a slot before he dies. This is always
a financial line. A line moving up in the direction of Apollo forecasts
artistic success--perhaps a reputation for carving roasts expertly. A
line to Mercury shows commercial or scientific triumphs. But what sort
of success will be attained must be read from the hand as a whole.
Islands along the Line of Life show periods of illness, we are told.
Stars stand for shocks and dots for fevers. These are malarial or
typhoid if the spots are black, drunken or erotic or bronchial if
the spots are red. A mauve spot along the Line of Life stands for
leprosy or a cold, one of terra cotta is to be interpreted as smallpox
or a sprained ankle, one of Nile blue means infantile paralysis or
constipation, while a dot of henna is a sure sign of falling arches,
hay fever, poison ivy, or a twitching in the great toe of the left
foot. The hand should be carefully washed with soap and water, however,
before these spots are sought.
The Heart Line rises from the percussion and runs below the four upper
mounts. Or, as some authorities say, it rises on or near Jupiter.
According to the first view, the part of the line near the percussion
refers to infancy. According to the second, it has to do with old age.
My readers, having paid their money, may proceed to take their choice.
The Heart Line is sometimes called the Line of Affections.
A good line is not too broad or pale, neither is it too thick and red.
It shows a good disposition, an even temper, and satisfactory health.
The best position for the line is close to the fingers. If it is near
the Head Line, the line which runs approximately parallel to it, it is
supposed to indicate disappointment and unhappiness. If it runs up to
the base of the index finger, we are told that it forecasts a constant
and romantic love. If several branches come to the finger, such love
will be felt for more than one person. Thus tell the chiromancers their
tale.
A line which ends abruptly in the middle of the Hill of Jupiter
shows a love which may be noble and worthy, but which is not purged
altogether of interest in the flesh. Ending between the index and the
middle fingers, it shows practical affection, without any great storm
of passion. If there is a circular branch near Jupiter, the loved
person will prove unworthy. If the line rises (or ends) near the middle
finger, it shows an affair of the heart without unselfish interest or
spiritualization. So the story is told.
A Line of the Heart which is looped is taken as a sign of flirtation
and of palpitation of the heart. It is not clear which is the cause and
which the effect. Does palpitation of the heart result from flirting?
Or flirting from palpitation? Or both from the chained line? Or all
three from the astrological condition at the time when the subject
was conceived? Or all four from the will of God? Or all five from the
weaving of the Fates? Or--but we must not enter too far into this
absorbing metaphysical problem.
A bright red line indicates violence in matters of the affections. The
subject may perhaps carry off a wife, or he may steal a kiss, or he may
be chastised for being “too fresh.” A colorless, broad line, we are
told, shows a heartless wretch, capable of marrying a wealthy widow
for her money or of betraying hosts of virtuous maidens. This is made
especially clear if the Line of the Heart is close to the Line of the
Head.
A very thin line running all the way across the hand is said to be
sadistic. The subject may murder, assault, batter, use strong language,
or otherwise misbehave. The palmist should immediately report all
persons with such lines to the police, unless he has been sworn to
secrecy beforehand. But perhaps the things which the chirognomist
learns are sacred confidences, like the stories which are poured into
the ears of lawyers, physicians, and confessors.
The absence of the Line of the Heart is a very, very unfavorable sign.
If the subject does not kill his grandmother or betray the secrets
of his mother, he will probably work on Sunday or forget to say his
prayers. And I have been told of a young girl without this line who
wore skirts so short that her knees were plainly visible when she sat
down. In the interests of public morality, this line should be painted
on in all cases where it is absent.
Breaks in the Heart Line indicate weakness of the heart or of some
other physical organ. A number of small lines crossing it are to be
read the same way. Possibly they show a wandering of affections, a
tendency to feel drawn toward more than one person of the opposite sex.
Or they may be indicative of a dislike for the small pieces of candy
which are colloquially known as kisses.
It is an excellent sign if the Line of the Heart divides into three
branches below the index finger. The subject will own at least three
pairs of shoes at some time in his or her life. If there are more than
six such branches, part of them may refer to stockings, mufflers,
pipes, corsets, or can-openers. Even a single line in the direction
of the Hill of Jupiter is a favorable indication. It proves that the
subject will own at least one pair of shoes. Whether or not the sole
will be in good condition must be judged from the development of the
thumb--in the case of the right shoe, the left thumb; in the case of
the left shoe, the right thumb. The uppers may be judged from the first
phalanges of the fingers.
If the Heart Line is without branches, we may infer that the subject
is and will remain friendless. If the branches droop, his or her
friends will be the cause of sorrow. If they go upward from the line,
the friends they represent will be generous, tender, and not averse to
lending a dollar or two if approached with proper tact. This quality is
indicated by conic first phalanges. Without these, friends are of no
great use.
If the line comes up to the base of the middle finger, as we are told,
the subject is likely to find all his hopes shattered because of too
great an attachment to unworthy friends and ideals. This is likely to
be due to religious fanaticism, especially if another line branches off
to the index finger.
If the Heart Line is long and unbroken and the first phalanx of the
thumb is large, the subject will be a devoted friend. He may perhaps
cultivate acquaintances for the purpose of selling them life insurance,
but he will never willingly relinquish them so long as he hopes they
will prove advantageous to him.
Something like a hole in the line is supposed to show a disillusionment
in love or friendship. Or it may be a symptom of apoplexy. Red or deep
spots are to be read as wounds. If they are red and deep enough, they
show that the hand itself has been wounded. If there is fresh blood
on the hand, this is especially likely, unless the subject has been
slaughtering cattle.
A fork in the Heart Line, with both tines about equal, shows fidelity
in love. No person will ever come between the forks, we are told, no
matter how much disappointment and unhappiness the first love may
bring. Squares in the line are interpreted to forecast recoveries from
illness. But of course it is also necessary to consider the Line of
Life and to examine the heart and lungs before coming to any definite
conclusion.
The Line of the Head begins with the Life Line and runs across the hand
toward the percussion. In some hands, however, it starts separately,
from the Mount of Mars or the Hill of Jupiter. It is considered
most favorable when it is clear, of good color, connected with or
approaching the Line of Life, and sloping a little toward the Mount of
the Moon. A good Line of the Head is supposed to show a clear mind,
usually associated with a strong will.
A short, deep line may mark the pedant, absorbed in his own specialty
and oblivious to everything else. A long, straight line is indicative
of selfishness, unless, of course, there are other signs which show
generosity and altruism. If the Head Line is even, the subject has a
certain rigor of thought, but he or she may be narrow-minded. A chained
line shows mental instability. A double line indicates versatility,
perhaps amounting to a dual personality. This is the story the
chirosophists tell.
If the line starts from Jupiter without approaching the Line of Life
very closely, the subject is lacking in caution. But a large thumb may
go far to correct this. The individual whose line is thus formed is
sure to be independent in his views, and he is likely to be talented.
He may play the saxophone by ear without regard for the feelings of his
neighbors.
If the Head Line crosses the Line of Life, the subject will be usually
cautious. Even though wearing a belt and suspenders, he will constantly
fear the loss of his trousers. If the person who has crossed lines is
of the sex which we do not in polite society associate with bifurcate
garments, she will be constantly hitching up her skirts. Such a
combination of flexion-folds makes for frequent changes of opinion and
for a lack of intellectual harmony with neighbors and relatives.
The Line of the Head causes a love of beautiful things, especially if
it slopes gradually in the direction of the upper end of the Hill of
the Moon. The subject will be fond of cutting rotogravure pictures out
of the Sunday paper and pasting them up on the wall of his bedroom,
together with mottoes expressing tender sentiments about home and
mother. But if the line bends or slopes toward the center of Mount
Luna, we may read dreaminess and more or less innocent eccentricities.
Persons with such lines write to the editor of their favorite newspaper
or magazine to interpret the symbolism of the Bible: Jesus stands for
either worldly wisdom or love, Judas represents material matter out of
tune with the infinite, Adam is the American farmer, and so on.
A small fork in the Head Line makes for diplomacy, whereas a large one
causes cunning. But I have not been able to learn how large the fork
must be to create a subject too cunning to be a diplomat. If chirognomy
were altogether a product of the present day, we should no doubt be
provided with precise measuring instruments.
Memory, we are told, depends upon the depth of the Line of the Head.
But if the line and the fingers are usually long, there will be an
undue interest in trivial details. The subject will be able to say
immediately who was the nineteenth vice-president of the United States,
and he will remember the exact number of pounds of white rouge produced
in France in 1928, as also the precise amount sold in America with
French labels.
An island on the Line of the Head forebodes illness. The same thing
is said about black spots. If the spot or island is found in the Mars
district, or if the Hill of Mars is high, the disease may be scarlet
fever or smallpox or the hives. If Jupiter dominates, a sore throat,
bronchitis, or pneumonia may be predicted. Saturn causes toothache, and
any subject whose mouth presents a flash of gold may safely be told
that he has had aching teeth. According to another writer, Saturn’s
island indicates an injury to the limbs. Apollo’s evil influence causes
disease of the eye, especially if there is a star at the base of the
ring finger. A long island anywhere on the line means mental disease.
So the story goes.
Red dots mean wounds, and the sign is confirmed by a cross on the line.
No person with such marks will live much longer than a century or so.
White points are favorable indications, however, for they show that
the subject will make a scientific or artistic discovery or perhaps
invention. Perhaps he will find out how to squeeze the last bit of
shaving cream from a tube or how to open a jar of mustard without
getting any spots on his clothing.
An abnormal slope or bend of the Head Line is taken to mean insanity,
especially if it is found in a philosophic, spatulate, or square hand.
An uncertainty of the line confirms such a reading. And if the subject
is confined in a lunatic asylum, the diagnosis is very likely to be
correct.
The Fate Line runs between the middle finger and the wrist. It relates
to the career and the accomplishments of the subject. It is sometimes
spoken of as the Line of Luck or of Fortune. It is found most strongly
developed in philosophical and conic hands. Therefore, we are told, a
short line in an ordinary or square hand means as much (or perhaps we
should rather say, as little) as a long one in a conic hand.
If the Fate Line begins at the wrist, it denotes early responsibility.
The subject started to sell papers when he was five, perhaps, or was
compelled to dress himself as soon as he was nine. But if the Head Line
and the Heart Line in the hand are united for a considerable distance,
it may be that the responsibilities were felt and yet not assumed. A
deep line indicates a monotonous life. If the line wavers, there is
much doubt and uncertainty about the career. A sharp break in the line
means a period of worry, or else a change of occupation. According to
Oxenford and Alpheus, religious conversion is made clear by a break in
the Fate Line of the left hand. By all the occult signs, the writer of
this little book will soon be writing a life of Christ. But in order to
determine whether or not it will be published in this series, it will
be necessary to examine the palm and the cranium of Mr. Haldeman-Julius.
If the Fate Line starts from the Hill of Luna, the course of events has
been influenced (or will be influenced) by somebody else. Such a line
in a woman or in a henpecked husband may mean an early marriage. If it
begins at the Line of Life, the family influence is important. Such, at
least, is the story which the palmists tell.
If the line is entirely wanting, the subject is the creature of
circumstance, permitting himself to drift upon the seaward-flowing
river of life. He may become a vagrant, a speculator, a dealer in old
clothes, a soldier of fortune, a chauffeur, a perfumer, a barber, a
politician, or a pickpocket. But it is also possible that he should
become a valet, a steel magnate, an oil king, a rubber in a Turkish
bath, a pander, a writer, a physician, a patrolman, a sergeant in the
Marine Corps, or a vegetable peddler. A woman without a Line of Fortune
may be a housewife, a prostitute, a nurse, a stenographer, a maid, a
factory worker, a milliner, or a teacher. Of course she may enter these
callings also if she has the line.
An island on the line betrays conjugal infidelity. The husband who
finds it on his hand should hire a duenna and a corps of private
detectives to watch his wife. If there is a star close to the island,
the unchastity will bring about some great calamity. Perhaps it will be
necessary for the cornuted husband to pay alimony to his faithless wife
in order that she may support her paramour in the luxury to which he is
accustomed.
Lines running parallel to the Fate Line indicate hobbies, avocations,
and subsidiary interests. But if it is difficult to tell the Line of
Fate and these subsidiary flexion-folds apart, we may infer that the
subject is more interested in golf, dominoes, or the collection of old
bottles than he is in his business.
The Line of Apollo runs from the ring finger toward the wrist. It is
usually rather straight. Sometimes known as the Line of Brilliancy,
it shows worldly, especially financial, success. Just what sort of
victories the subject will win, precisely what sort of laurels he will
wear, must be read from the other lines and from the mounts.
“The type of hand,” says Oxenford and Alpheus, “must in all cases
be taken into consideration. A Line of Apollo on a philosophic or
extremely pointed hand will mean little, whereas a very short or
slightly developed Apollo Line on a square hand will indicate great
success.”
According to the Zancigs, the absence of such a line does not always
mean poverty. It may show simply that the subject is careless with
small sums of money. For the practicing palmist, the old tradition
that the absence of a certain sign indicates anything very definite is
rather embarrassing. If a man wears a ring worth a thousand dollars,
one cannot very well tell him that the marking of his hand makes it
impossible for him to accumulate or to have accumulated or acquired any
wealth.
A star on the Line of Brilliance, we are told, is a very fortunate
indication. Some sort of success is certain. It may simply be success
in getting through life without ever being sent to jail. Many lines
branching off from this fold are taken to mean a scattering of talent.
An island on the Line of Apollo is supposed to show the loss of a
position, because of the plotting of enemies.
A forked line means that money comes in from two or more sources. But
if the junction is not very distinct, we are told that the subject has
too many interests. He should rather concentrate on a single task. A
doubling of the line is supposed to show an increase in wealth. A line
from the Hill of Mars running into the line and breaking it is said
to indicate that money will be lost to an enemy, or because of his
machinations.
The Hepatica or Health Line runs from the base of the little finger
toward the wrist. It is frequently absent, in which case a strong
constitution is indicated, according to some authorities. A long,
straight, clear line is almost as good as its total absence, we are
told. A broken line is supposed to mean digestive trouble or some
form of disease. Red at the lower end indicates heart trouble. At the
upper end, it shows headache. In the center, red is a sign of fever.
Nevertheless, according to a practicing physiognomist and palmist,
these symptoms do not always appear--“This author has found its evil
signs all absent when there was known heart trouble and disease.” Such
is the admission of Holmes Whittier Merton. His book on _Descriptive
Mentality_ departs in some respects from the traditional system of
palmistry, but I cannot find that it is a whit more scientific or
accurate.
A pale white spot upon the line means chronic indigestion, we are
informed. A cross shows illness, and a circle is a sign of a wound.
Internal illness is shown by islands on the Hepatica. The name of the
line (from the Greek word _hepar_, liver) shows which organ was once
supposed to be almost exclusively concerned with digestion. A thick and
blunt line indicates illness in old age. A long island near the wrist
may mean somnambulism, it is said. Or perhaps it points out that the
subject weeps whenever coming close to cut onions. A sister line to the
Hepatica is said to show avarice.
The Marriage Lines appear to be somewhat uncertain. Sometimes there is
a strong line beginning at the percussion and running parallel to the
base of the little finger. There may be several such folds, in which
case the deepest or the longest one is considered most carefully, but
the others are also studied.
Recent palmists emphasize the fact that the lines merely indicate
tendencies, or that they may stand for love affairs which do not end
in marriage. Sometimes they are called Influence Lines, so that an old
maid in whom the folds are sharp and long may be told that she has
been influenced by some person or persons, not necessarily a husband.
For indications of marriage we may examine the Life and Fate Lines as
well as a number of Influence Lines crossing Venus. A plain circlet of
gold or platinum on a woman’s finger is frequently a sign that she is
married. I have not found the fact mentioned in any book on palmistry,
but chiromancers and other fortune tellers watch for such clues with
very keen eyes.
Tiny lines dropping from the chief Marriage Line are supposed to show
illness in the mate. If such a line describes a large semicircle, death
is prognosticated. An island in the Line of Marriage shows a period
of separation. If the line sends two equal branches toward the palm,
divorce is indicated, especially if there is a connecting line to the
Hill of Mars. According to other authorities, an island on the line
means marriage to a cousin. Or, at the end of the line, the island is
taken to represent the death of one of the parties in love or marriage,
caused by hereditary illness. Perhaps it shows a sweet tooth, a
tendency to write nonsense verse, or a limp in the left leg.
Above the Marriage Line and running into it are to be found the
lines traditionally taken to indicate the children of the subject.
If they are broad, clear, and vertical, they show boys. If they are
fine, delicate, and somewhat oblique, they represent girls. Long and
prominent lines are supposed to show that the offspring will have
brilliant careers.
These lines, we are told, should be sought on the hands of women rather
than on those of men. But they may be found if the man is fond of
children or if it happens that he possesses them. Stars on these little
lines stand for illness in the children, crosses represent accidents,
and squares stand for narrow escapes. Islands show ill health or, at
the end of a line, death.
The Via Lasciva or Cephalic Line, which occurs on some hands as a
sister line to the Line of Health, is said to show sexual and emotional
intensity. Perhaps injuries to the head are to be found there. Then
again, inability to appreciate free verse may be the result of a long,
deep line, without any spots. Or it may show a fondness for old Scotch
whiskey. But some high authorities find a separate line of Drink, Drugs
and Deadly Cigarettes.
Closer to the thumb than the Line of Life and running in the same
general direction is the Line of Mars. Like the other folds which are
still to be mentioned, this occurs only in some hands. We are told that
it is common in the hands of great military commanders. Its ending
always shows a love affair, according to one expert. Possibly it means
the blowing of soap bubbles or the drinking of grape juice, though.
The Line of Intuition is somewhat semicircular, and it is often
connected with the Hepatica at both ends. If the fold does not touch
the Line of Health, it is taken as an indication of occult power. It
makes dreamers, mediums, hypnotists, astrologers, and palmists. An
island near the beginning may or may not show second sight.
The Ring of Saturn is a semicircle cutting off half of Mount Saturn,
at the base of the middle and ring fingers. It is said either to
confer occult powers, of which little advantage is taken, or to
bring misfortune. Again my readers are welcome to accept whichever
interpretation may please them, or even to consider it an indication
that the subject will soon lose a button on his or her winter coat.
The Girdle of Venus is another semicircle found on some hands, running
outside the Ring of Saturn. According to Desbarrolles, this shows a
tendency to immorality. The Zancigs maintain that he made a mistake
because he only examined the hands of French people, with whom
sexual delinquencies are frequent. Perhaps, then, it shows a nervous
temperament or a love of orchids or a fear of frogs. In the hand of a
member of the Anti-Saloon League, it indicates great idealism and the
firm belief that bootleggers should be hanged, drawn, and quartered,
while their customers should merely be boiled in oil or given a few
dozen strokes with the knout.
The Bracelets or Rascia are lines on the wrist below the palm. They are
sometimes said to show the number of years the subject will live. Each
fold stands for twenty-five or thirty years, if it is sharply defined.
Badly formed lines are supposed to indicate either bad health and a
short life or extravagance. If the Bracelet next to the palm in the
hand of a woman arches up in the middle, we are told by Cheiro that it
shows weakness of the ovary. According to other writers, the looping
of the first line means that the subject will make his fortune after
struggling hard and long for it.
The area enclosed by the Hepatica and the Lines of Life and the Head
is called the Great Triangle. If it is large, it is said to indicate
generosity and a broad mind, especially if the outlines of the triangle
are clear and straight. A narrow triangle shows individualism, and
selfishness is to be inferred in some cases.