Two ways of reading a hand
When people say "palmistry", they usually mean reading the lines on the palm. But traditional hand reading has two main parts, each with its own old Greek-based name:
- Chiromancy (from the Greek for "hand" and "divination"): reading the lines, marks and mounts of the palm.
- Chirognomy (from "hand" and "knowledge"): reading the shape and size of the hand, the fingers, the thumb and the nails.
Writers do not always use these words in exactly the same way, and many readers combine both. Roughly speaking, chirognomy was often said to describe a person's character, while chiromancy was said to describe their life story. A full traditional reading looks at both.
A short history
People have been fascinated by hands for a very long time.
- India. Hand reading is part of samudrika shastra, an old Indian tradition of reading the body. It remains popular in India today, often alongside astrology.
- China. Chinese tradition developed its own system of hand and face reading, linked to ideas of balance and the five elements.
- Ancient Greece. The philosopher Aristotle mentioned the lines of the hand in his writing on animals, noting a popular idea that long lines were linked to long life. Later Greek and Roman writers took up the subject too.
- Medieval Europe. Handwritten guides to palmistry circulated from around the 12th century, and printed books followed in the 1400s and 1500s. The Church was sometimes suspicious of it, and it was linked to fortune tellers at fairs.
- The 19th century. Palmistry had a big revival. In France, Casimir d'Arpentigny published a book in 1839 sorting hands into types, which gave chirognomy its modern form. Adolphe Desbarrolles wrote influential books on lines. In Britain and the United States, palm readers became celebrities.
- The 20th century. Writers simplified hand types into four based on the classical elements (earth, air, fire and water). This system is now the most common in popular books.
Chirognomy: shape, fingers and thumb
Hand types
D'Arpentigny's 1839 system had seven types: elementary, spatulate, conic, square, knotty (or philosophic), pointed (or psychic), and mixed. The modern four-element system is simpler:
- Earth: square palm, short fingers. Traditionally practical, steady and down to earth.
- Air: square palm, long fingers. Traditionally curious, talkative and thoughtful.
- Fire: long palm, short fingers. Traditionally energetic, bold and enthusiastic.
- Water: long palm, long fingers. Traditionally sensitive, imaginative and emotional.
Fingers and thumb
Each finger has a traditional planet: the index finger is Jupiter (ambition), the middle finger Saturn (responsibility), the ring finger the Sun or Apollo (creativity) and the little finger Mercury (communication). Readers look at the length of each finger, how the fingers are set, and the shape of the tips. The thumb is traditionally read as a sign of willpower and logic, and was given great importance in many old books.
Chiromancy: lines, mounts and marks
The main lines
- Heart line: the top horizontal line, traditionally linked to feelings and relationships.
- Head line: the middle horizontal line, linked to thinking style.
- Life line: the curve around the base of the thumb, linked to energy and life changes. Despite its name, palmists generally say it does not show how long you will live.
- Fate line: a vertical line up the middle, linked to career and direction. Not everyone has one.
The mounts
The fleshy pads of the palm are called mounts, and each is named after a planet: Jupiter, Saturn, Apollo and Mercury under the fingers, Venus at the base of the thumb, the Moon (Luna) on the outer edge of the palm, and areas for Mars in between. A full, firm mount is traditionally read as a strong expression of its planet's qualities.
Marks
Readers also look for smaller marks such as crosses, stars, squares, islands and breaks in lines, each with traditional meanings.
Anatomy comes first
Before any symbolism, it helps to remember what these features are physically.
- The main palm creases are flexion creases: folds that let the hand bend and grip. They form before birth and are shaped mostly by how the hand develops and moves.
- Hand shape and finger length come from genetics, growth and, to some extent, work and lifestyle.
- Fine lines can change over a lifetime, and skin texture changes with age, dryness and use.
None of these features has been shown to measure character or destiny. Scientific study has not found that palm lines predict personality or events. The meanings are cultural traditions that have changed over time and differ between countries.
Reading hands responsibly
A good, ethical hand reading follows a few simple rules:
- Describe before interpreting. Say what you see ("your head line is long and gently curved") before saying what tradition makes of it.
- Name the tradition. "In Western palmistry, this is read as..." keeps the meaning in context.
- Never predict death, illness or lifespan. A short or broken life line does not mean a short life.
- Never diagnose. Changes in your hands or nails can be worth showing a doctor. That is a medical question, not a palmistry one.
- Leave the person free. A reading should offer ideas to think about, not a fixed verdict.
Why people still enjoy it
Hand reading is personal, hands-on and conversational. Looking closely at your own hands can be a surprisingly calm, reflective thing to do. The traditional meanings give you prompts: am I as practical as my "earth hand" suggests? Where in my life do I want to shine? Used this way, palmistry is less about prediction and more about paying attention.
Try it
Start with the hand shape test to find your elemental hand type (chirognomy). Then try the palm photo scanner or Palm Studio to explore your lines (chiromancy). Your photo is analysed on your own device.