The Complete Palm Reading Guide

When I was young, palm reading was a playground pastime for my friends and me. We had no clue how to actually conduct a palm reading or what the terms Chiromancy or Chirognomy meant.

That didn’t stop us from staring at each others’ palm lines and predicting when we would marry and how many children we would have. **Melody, when you are reading this, you were way off on the numbers! ???? **

As young girls, fortune-telling feels exciting and mystical. However, we were not exceptions, as people have been using palm readings as a way to tell the future for at least 1,500 years. This makes it surprising that there is still so much mystery surrounding palm lines and hand shapes.

This brings us to the essential question: What truly is palm reading? Is it plausible to predict the future by analyzing the maze of lines and the distinctive hand shape we all have? How to know what each life line reveals?

This article offers a detailed dive into this ancient form of divination and serves as a guide for learning all there is to know about how to palm reading and the power that lies within our hands.

PALM READING FOR MALES AND FEMALES: WHICH HAND TO USE?

A remarkable fusion of ancient sciences from India, Rome, China, and Greece, palm reading has etched a timeless trail leading curious seekers towards the discovery of their future. The intricate maze of palm lines gracing the inner contours of our hands serve as a tangible projection of our subconscious mind – a rich tapestry encoding our innermost desires, fears, and traits.

Because the subconscious mind holds our deepest desires, the lines represented by them constantly change. This is one reason why modern-day palm readers have moved away from the old how to palm reading-rule that said a woman should have her left palm read and a man, his right.

Although this was traditional in the East, most experts now agree that both hands have important messages to deliver.

As per the insights from the Institute of Palmistry, the non-dominant hand—often the less frequently used one—offers a glimpse into our subconscious beliefs and inherited traits. It’s like a fascinating book of genetic tales and hidden inclinations. Conversely, the dominant hand, which is our preferred hand for writing and other tasks, embodies the paths we’ve consciously chosen in life.

Most childhood issues, emotional struggles, and deep internal wounds can be found on the non-dominant palm. How you present yourself to others, your external areas of focus, and career ventures are usually present on the opposite one.

WHICH PALM READING HAND TYPE ARE YOU? THE SEVEN MAIN TYPES

It seems fitting that since palm reading deals with branches of the hand lines that the study of palmistry would be split into two main branches, Chirognomy and Chiromancy.

The first, Chirognomy, deals not with the intricate creases but with the actual shape and texture of the hand. This includes various mounts and how wide or thick it is. 

There are seven basic types of hands according to traditional palmistry. These are:

1. The elementary hand
2. The square hand 
3. The spatulate hand
4. The philosophic hand
5. The conical hand
6. The psychic hand
7. The mixed hand

In western palmistry, the four-element classification is also being used (earth, air, water, and fire). Therefore, when possible I also mention the comparison with this classification.

THE ELEMENTARY HAND

The Elementary Hand is large and somewhat club-like with a rough palm and lines that are difficult to read or run together. Also known as Earth Hands, their fingers tend to be short and stubby and found on those who have physically demanding jobs.

Palmists find people with elementary hands to be highly emotional, and sometimes volatile, but love nature and prefer to be around animals rather than people.

This makes sense because the astrological sign connected to the elementary hand during palm readings is Taurus, an earth sign.

THE SQUARE HAND

The Square Hand is just what it sounds like: the palm, fingers, and fingertips are mostly square-shaped, as is the wrist. As air signs, people with these types of hands are known to be both practical and precise to those who do palms readings.

Those who value rules, religion, and law often have square hands and are drawn to order/stability.

Those who read palms find that square-handed individuals are polite. It’s common for those with this shape of palm to become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or politician.

THE SPATULATE HAND

Like the square hand, the Spatulate Hand gets its name from its shape as the wide base of the fingers resembles a kitchen spatula. The thumb on this shape of the hand is shorter than normal but wide with knotted fingers.

People with this type of hand are usually very active and energetic, the ‘life of the party’ in a sense. Self-reliant and confident, palmists can usually recognize these social butterflies before even seeing their palms because of their charismatic energy.

Spatualtes are usually creative inventors who focus on reaching their goals, with the help of others, of course. The fire hand generally falls within the spatulate hands

THE PHILOSOPHIC HAND

The Philosophic Hand has a wide palm but fingers that are longer than most other types. These types of hands also have very noticeable knots in the joints of the fingers. With fine skin and deep lines, this type of hand looks very different than the others described.

Connected to Aquarius, Capricorn, and Sagittarius, philosophic hands belong to deep thinkers. Unlike the elementary hand types, those who are philosophic in nature tend to work with their minds rather than their hands.

This led many of those who conduct palm readings to label this type ‘the intellectual hand.’ Introverted, and focused on facts, not feelings, teachers, scientists, writers, and researchers often fall into this category.

THE CONIC HAND

Also known as the artistic hand, the Conic Hand gets its name from the cone-like shape of the fingers attached to it. These hands are often soft and fleshy but don’t have knots like the long-fingered philosophic hands identified during palm readings.

Sensitive and artistic, those with conic hands usually become dancers, painters, artists, musicians, or join some other creative profession. They are intuitive, but also easily bored, and tend to be impulsive.

Conical hands are considered to fall under the “air hand.”

THE PSYCHIC HAND

The Psychic Hand is the 6th type of hand read by palm readers and is unique in the fact that the fingers are pointy and skin is shiny. Those with psychic hands don’t like to conform to authority or follow orders. They are more spiritual than practical and are also highly sensitive.

Also known as the intuitive hand, these types tend to be absorbed in daydreams rather than reality. Although they are talented enough to do well in any field, types that have psychic style hands rarely ever focus on the material aspect of life unless they are inspired. The Psychic hand is often compared with the Water Hand.

THE MIXED HAND

The final type is the Mixed Hand which doesn’t really look like any of the distinct types listed above. Such a person usually has a mixed personality and can’t be ‘typed.’ This is why it is important for a palmist to be able to read hand lines as well.

For instance, Helene Saucedo, an Atlanta-based palm reader thinks tells that combination of a short head line, square palms, and fire hands points to a decisive, practical, and dynamic individual.

PALM READING MOUNTS AND PLAINS

Below, I’m going to present a lot of information on the palm reading lines. But to really be able to read your (or someone else’s) palm you have to know about the other structures found there. These are known as mounts and plains. These terms may be new to you, but you have definitely noticed them on your palms at one time or another.

Mounts are short for mountains and areas of flesh on your palm. Chinese palmistry recognizes seven and they are:

• The Mount of Jupiter
• The Mount of Saturn
• The Mount of Apollo
• The Mount of Mercury
• The Mount of Mars
• The Mount of Venus
• The Mount of Luna

If you look at your left palm, The Mount of Jupiter is found right under your index finger and represents both ambition and inner confidence.

Under your middle finger is where you can find the Mount of Saturn that predicts a general outlook on life and how wise and responsible one will be.

Underneath the ring finger is the Mount of Apollo, the sun mount, that when well-developed, indicates that a person having their palm read is artistic and will be happy and successful.

The Mount of Mercury is positioned right below the pinky and holds information about one’s wit and ability to be a social butterfly (or not).

Inner and Outer Mars make up the next row with the Plain of Mars in the center of the palm (imagine an oreo cookie sitting on its side). Inner Mars is closest to the thumb and together they represent one’s overall temperament as well as the tendency toward aggression and ability to overcome problems.

The Mount of Venus is below Inner Mercury and as it is named after the Goddess of Love, deals mostly with romance.

On the other side lies the final mount, the Mount of Luna. If you are emotional, intuitive, sentimental, and sensitive, you probably have an overdeveloped lunary mount!

THE FOUR MAJOR PALM READING LINES

In the previous section, I mentioned that there are two branches to palm reading. We have already covered the first, Chirognomy. The second branch, Chiromancy is what most people think of palms readings.

Chiromancy uses the lines of the palm to tell what has been and what will be. There are three main categories of lines that a particular crease can fall into. These include main, secondary and other lines of influence. The four main lines are the heart line, head line, life line, and faith line.

Below we will look at the four main lines palmists use during palms readings.

THE HEART LINE

Found at the top of the palm, just below the pinky and crossing over horizontally to the index or middle finger, the Heart Line is connected to a person’s emotional state. Also known as the love line or the mensal line, the heart line has many different meanings based on its starting/ending point as well as its shape, depth, and length.

For example, a love line that starts under the index finger suggests the person who is having their palm read is cautious when it comes to love or picky when choosing partners.

A person with a middle finger starting point tends to be an independent leader and a good decision-maker in and out of relationships. Those with ‘in-between heart lines are known to be carefree, yet trustworthy. 

If you see a deep heart line this means the person may be going through/have gone through a very stressful situation recently. Broken lines indicate intense emotional stress or worries.

Curvy heart lines indicate many short-term relationships (lack of seriousness when it comes to love) while a straight line indicates a passiveness or nonchalant attitude about love.

A long heart line represents warmth and openness while a short love line represents someone who is focused on self or an introvert. A very long love line can indicate clinginess or love addiction.

Other things that can be determined by the heart line include how empathetic and compassionate a person is, their tendency toward jealousy, and how they function in friendships. For example, a heart line close to the base of the fingers indicates a person that is very sentimental.

Some palmists even claim that a person’s tendency toward depression can be seen through downward markings/branches on the heart line. Upward branches, on the other hand, indicate good/solid relationships with self and others.

THE HEAD LINE

The major line directly below the heart line is called the Head Line AKA the Line of Wisdom and shows those conducting a palm reading what is happening in the mind.

This line begins just above the life line (the 3rd main line) and has a starting place that is somewhere between the thumb and the middle finger. The closer it is to the life line, the stronger-willed a person tends to be.

During palm readings, those reading the hand lines look for:

Long and/or deep lines which suggest good memory as well as high intelligence or even a very long line (indicates success in every area of life.)

Wavy lines indicate a more emotional nature or short lines that suggest a person is practical and likes to ‘get to the point.’ 

What about a straight line? This indicates that the person whose palm is being read tends to be logical, down-to-earth, and maybe even materialistic. A sloping or curved head line predicts the opposite and appears on the palms of imaginative daydreamers whose heads are in the clouds. Faint lines represent the same thing and the inability to concentrate.

Broken lines suggest that one is mentally exhausted and crosses predict a ‘crossroads’ in which serious decisions need to be made. Upward branches are a sign of success in academics and careers while downward lines represent struggles and disappointment.

While it is extremely rare for a head line not to be present, a palm that doesn’t contain this major line usually belongs to a person who is unmotivated or detached from real life.

THE LIFE LINE 

Although I’ve listed it third, this is the major line that most people are interested in when having their palm read. How long will I live? This is the question that almost all palmists are asked. So, can the Life Line really predict how many years you’ll walk the earth?

Fortunately, the answer is no. This is a common misconception that people hold about palmistry. I for one, am glad that the life line is more about our experiences rather than the exact number of days we have. Living wouldn’t be much fun if it were experienced as a constant countdown. 

To find your life line, look for a curved line that is somewhat crescent-shaped and begins somewhere between your thumb and index finger and then curves downward toward your wrist. 

If you see a long or deep line, as with other lines, this is a good sign and indicates a life that is well-balanced. A short line is a good omen as well, so don’t fear if your life line cuts off. Those with shorter life lines tend to overcome health challenges easily, but should watch out for the tendency to be controlled by others. 

Broken lines do indicate loss and struggle while a chained line signifies emotional problems in particular. Double or triple lines represent lots of positive energy while forks in a life line predict change as well as far away travel.

THE LINE OF FATE

The most unique thing about the Line of Fate, when compared to the other major lines discussed above it, is that it isn’t horizontal. Instead, this line runs up and down in the center of the palm. This line is considered a secondary line by some palmists, but since it represents a person’s destiny, I say it’s major!

Also known as the Satiturian line, info on a person’s material wealth and career achievement can be gleaned from the line of fate.

No fate line to be found? This means your life is (or will be) go, go, go. Palm readings that do include a line of fate can look to the following generalizations to help see a person’s future more clearly.

A Deep or long Destiny line suggests that you have an entrepreneurial spirit and should consider starting your own business if you haven’t already. Shallow lines indicate more difficulty when it comes to work, especially if they are wide. A narrow line represents a unique path to success that will be much different than those around you. 

During palms readings, we also look to where the line of fate starts. If your fate line starts with the head line, success will come after the age of 35. Starting at heart line suggests that stability and career/financial wins will come later (after age 50.) A line of fate that starts at the life line doesn’t indicate great financial success but instead a happy life with lots of friends

OTHER PALM READING LINES

There are many other lines found on the palm that can supplement a reading. These include:

• The Line of the Sun which runs vertically to the right of the Fate line toward the pinky and represents talent
• The Mercury Line which runs vertically to the right of the sun line toward the pinky and predicts good or bad health
• The Curve of Solomon can be found under the index finger and deals with emotions as well as a natural ability to teach others.

READY FOR YOUR PALM READING? FINAL LINES

Like with tarot card reading or any other form of divination, there is much to learn with palmistry. The answers you seek while performing a palm reading are complex and so is the process.

As you examine the shape of the hand, the mounts, and pains, as well as the many lines found on the palm, you will use a dash of what you’ve learned and a whole heaping of intuition. Although it is just a tool, palm reading can be used as a mirror and connection to the subconscious mind that allows us to connect with our Higher Selves and assist others in doing the same.

If you want to read more about palm reading, check out this post with my favorite Palmistry Books!