As topographical maps of human character in past, present, and future, hands embody the same four basic elements (Fire ~ Earth ~ Air ~ Water) and twelve archetypal energies as astrology. Size, shape, proportions, textures, colors, elasticity, and consistency of hands describe how we function in the world. Degrees between hand and finger stiffness and flexibility embody the three modalities (cardinal, fixed, and mutable) that combine with the four basic elements to describe the motivations of the twelve types of astrology. Skin ridge patterns and lines contain myriad details that enable a person to unveil their story. Every detail has meaning, but that same detail may mean something different depending on the hands and the nature of the person.
The human race is one enormous dysfunctional family. Like astrology, combinations of details in hands represent millions of permutations, possibilities, and probabilities. Astrologers require an exact date, time, and place of birth, a quality portable computer, and great astrological software. Unlike astrology, a palmist only needs a set of hands, good eyesight, and a basic understanding of how to look and see and listen and hear.
Once you learn to judge hand shapes and proportions, reading hands is simple and fun. Other requirements are a basic understanding of counseling and lots of practice. Here are a few tips and tools of the palmistry trade to help you sharpen your eyesight, hone your thinking, and tune your feelings.
The most important tool in my kit is a magnifying glass. There’s never enough light ~ especially at special events. Most of my income is from giving five-minute quickie readings at exclusive events. My hand held lighted magnifiers always needed to be plugged in. Most venues have few unused outlets. Wires are unsightly and people can trip on them. I used to arrive early and bring my own extension cords, plug adapters, and duct tape (in various colors) to securely fasten cords to carpeting. I’ve had to pass on many wonderful opportunities because of no electricity. LED lights freed me from bondage by solving my logistical problems. September to January and March to June, I hone my counseling skills at parties with only seconds to observe a person’s hands before speaking. This is the magnifier I use. It uses two AA batteries and has three light settings. I normally get four hours of bright light from two batteries. I purchased it from Brookstones for $40.
Judging hands is the key to palmistry. When I first began learning to read hands, my most important tool was a stainless steel 6” sliding pocket rule that can be purchased in most hardware stores for a few dollars. It’s hard to critically see subtle differences in proportions and skin qualities. You have to make a lot of comparisons to be able to recognize the differences. Measuring devices make details more scientific and accurate. A small difference in the length of a finger phalanx can mean a huge difference in the potential meaning and destiny of that finger, hand, and person.
In my experience, hands are hard to draw. Check out the literature of palmistry to see some awful illustrations. I made this 8 ½ X 11 template of a generic hand so I could make copies and experiment with drawing and writing on them. If you are unable to take an ink print or digital photo of a hand, it’s a good idea to ask the person to place their hands naturally on a blank piece of paper. Outline the hands with pencil or marker. No matter what template you use, you can write and draw whatever you want on it and modify it in any way you please. I used the template above for taking notes and playing with ideas. The two images below were derived from that template.
A hand is a small space to see a whole life. One tool my teacher’s teacher gave her and she passed on to me is the chart below. There’s a lot to observe, synthesize, and remember about hands. It’s good to record your observations and later be able to compare hands using visual aids. Numbering proportions makes it easy to compare hands and fingers. I shared a form to show you how another palmist looked scientifically at my hands. Feel free to print out the blank forms and experiment with them.
I would love to learn how to read palms. This is fascinating. Thank you for sharing. What is a good way to learn this art?
You can read my HANDBOOK OR you can read my blog post “>Your Palmistry Education that recommends other books. You can also feel free to respond to any of my posts. Good luck