How I Lost my Sanity 2

“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding.” Hermes

This is a tale of how I tempted fate and lost my sanity. You may think you know your dark side, or you may know someone who has been devoured by theirs, but until you’ve been seduced into madness, breached your sacred boundaries, and tasted the forbidden fruit; you won’t experience the boundless breadths and desperate depths of darkness in your psyche along with the stark realization that you can’t turn back.

Black and white are metaphors for oppositions that fuel our awareness and allegories that guide us between our whitest whites and blackest blacks. Love and hate are extremes of the same basic substance. Like and dislike are varying degrees of gray between black and white. If insanity is black and sanity is white, where does happiness end and misery begin? When does pleasure stop and pain begin?

As a life-long student of craziness, I coveted the opportunity to serve criminally insane people. I might never get another chance. Back in college, I studied Industrial Design. I minored in bizarre psycho-ideologies and isms. As an active member of a twice weekly study group at a Gestalt psychology institute for two years, I whetted my appetite for more knowledge and understanding of human behavior. I finally had a real chance to explore authentic craziness incarnate.

Criminal minds fascinated me. I learned from my study of astrology that each of twelve sun signs has its own unique criminal style. Take this with a grain of salt, but here are a few gross generalizations. Gemini / Mercury rules con artists and pickpockets. Taurus / Venus commits sex crimes and breaches of trust from petty theft to grand larceny. Aries / Mars loves warfare and commit crimes of passion. Sagittarius / Jupiter wears white collars. Capricorn / Saturn rules master criminals. Aquarius / Uranus rules arsonists, terrorists, and unexpected bad shit happening. Pisces / Neptune rules drug dealers and users. Scorpio / Pluto rules seduction, rape, murder, and betrayal. Pluto lustily awaits you at your final destination.

Our outer planetary pictures provide a karmic backdrop for past and future generations of actors and actresses striving to learn their roles. Life is a play of plays. Unconscious creates drama. Subconscious directs plot. Consciousness is stage manager. Sun enlightens. Moon reflects. Mercury connects. Venus senses. Mars energizes. Jupiter expands. Saturn limits. Uranus disrupts, Neptune dissolves, and Pluto destroys. ‘God’ is Master Playwright.

Before proceeding with my vocational classes, I need to regress and provide background material for my year of preparation preceding my choice to teach classes. It may take a couple of posts, but I promise you’ll be glad I did.

I entered the hospital from my first day through guarded locked doors, metal detectors, a bag inspection station, faded institutional beige paint, and buzzing fluorescent lights like parasites that sucked my vital essences. Hospital staff appeared to be the dregs of humanity’s helpers. Most had physical handicaps like limping, scarring, splotching, or gazing in hopeless desperation with myopic eyes. I hoped it wasn’t contagious. I had easy access to patient records and treatment plans. I could attend treatment team meetings with psychologists, social workers, and psychiatrists. It felt too good to be true and it was.

Forensic hospital life is about rules, regulations, and self-defense. There are many more don’ts than do’s. Employees are sworn to secrecy, fingerprinted, and instilled with awkward feelings of mistrust. Orientation had been designed to help new staff members understand the organizational goals, policies, and procedures affecting job safety, security, performance, and delivery of care. We filled out a lot of questionnaires, surveys, and evaluations. We were briefed on the nature, structure, and policies of the facility. We learned about patient rights and privileges, rights and privileges of staff, and hospital policy.

The largest portion of hospital staff were security called SHTA’s. They accompanied patients to every activity. I attended life safety training with them: CPR, First-Aid, and Management of Violent Patient Behavior (MVPB). A violent person could `go off’ and all we could do was to defend ourselves. We weren’t permitted to be aggressive. We were taught Judo style moves by serious martial artists and laughed heartily as we fell, flipped each other on gym mats, and got to know each other. We were encouraged to nickname one another to help us connect. Based on obvious personal peculiarities our nicknames stuck. There was `Skinny’, `Luscious Lips’, `Gigolo’, and `Tortoise’. I was `Smiley’. Forever after, we addressed each other by our nicknames.

Fighting with patients was a scary idea. Despite my comprehensive training in self-defense, I envisioned myself grabbing the nearest chair and clobbering a violent patient over the head in a crisis. I’d be instantly fired and then indicted on criminal charges. Fortunately for everyone, most of the furniture was anchored to the floor or walls with specially designed hardware to prevent that kind of violence.

When I wasn’t watching over my shoulder for violent patients, I was cautioned to be on the lookout for ‘bacterial pathogens’ which cause disease. A lot of patients have hygiene problems and are unhealthy. Samplings are taken regularly from surfaces around the hospital in order to monitor disease. There were patients with AIDS. In 1986, that was scary! What if a patient with AIDS bit a staff member? We were briefed extensively on care and prevention. This job began to seem more than a little risky.

When I first met the patients, they appeared to be the most motley crew nature had ever assembled. They looked like R. Crumb characters. Many had deranged eyes. They were so whacky that I felt like laughing. Some had been given massive doses of thorazine. I couldn’t wait to find out who had done what. I’d heard there were a few notorious celebrities in the mix.

I was given a photo I.D. (I had to wear it at all times) and keys for areas I had access to within the hospital. Keys were given upon entering the hospital and deposited before leaving. Patients observed me with random glimpses, furtive glances, and glaring gazes. They saw me as one more ‘keeper of the keys’ who was attempting to figure them out, discipline, rehabilitate, or fix them. One thing for sure, I wasn’t one of them (yet).

I was directed to sit in on patient activities, assist rehab staff, and familiarize myself with patients. The first few days were uneventful. Important goals were getting the patients to brush their teeth, comb their hair, and to try not to be generally disgusting. Another important goal was to get them to stay awake and participate in activities such as art, music, education classes, and exercise. There were no interesting conversations yet.

The rehab staff consisted of nine members. As Director of Rehab, Dolores was beaten down by too many years in state service. Her sad name complemented her careworn face. A telltale twitch made me wonder whether she was smiling or frowning. Her unhealthy-looking teeth were yellowed from too many cigarettes and too much coffee. A deep raspy voice coughed her words. I was concerned she was ineffective. I was right. Dolores was caring but couldn’t say ‘no’ to anyone. She promised me full health benefits and then let me serve my half-time position by working two ten-hour days while the hospital’s needs would have been better served if my time were spread over three days.

Respiratory, pulmonary, and circulatory health problems could be seen in her bulbous whitish nails. Her square palms and short square fingers revealed a practical nature, while her dry, reddish, dishpan skin had weathered many storms that seemed to endlessly arrive from every direction. Despite our differences, Dolores and I liked each other.

My `other half’ was a furniture maker and restorer named Billy (Skinny). Billy was tall, thin, and bony. He looked like a scruffy middle-aged Abraham Lincoln. Billy was one of the hardest working, enthusiastic, and idealistic persons I’d ever met. Like me, he’d never had ‘a job’. An eccentric renegade from societal rules and regulations, Billy maintained a furniture restoration and refinishing business on the side. Like me, Billy had a hidden agenda. His was unselfish and equally unrealistic. He believed that he could actually rehabilitate lunatics and transform them into functioning members of society.

Billy’s ‘feeling hands’ had rectangular palms and long fingers. A hardness and stiffness ruled his fingers, and knotty joints enhanced his compulsive need to control his physical and mental life. His especially long middle fingers bent towards the top of his ring fingers. Billy had an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, obligation, and guilt. An oversensitive perfectionist, Billy spent endless hours thinking about the best thing to do next.

Billy and I tried to set mutual goals, but my hidden agenda clashed with his righteous cause. Billy wanted to turn patients into furniture restorers. I wanted to help, but I wanted private time with them. Billy committed to creating a sheltered wood working shop. I chose to offer design classes to higher functioning patients. I’d also help Billy set up a workshop that would serve the entire patient population.

The Rehab staff was a smorgasbord of affirmative action. Zandor was Estonian. He was a rehabilitation counselor and second in command. Zandor should have had Dolores’s job, but upper management didn’t want a person they couldn’t control in that position. Zandor’s ‘thinking hands’ correspond to his strong handshake, firm elastic skin, long straight fingers, square fingertips, and open and frank nails. Zandor had also been abused by too many years in state service, but it didn’t break him. He had grievances pending against the Public Employees Union for obvious discrimination against him. Despite unfavorable circumstances, Zandor always presented himself with pride, integrity, and dignity. We became comrades.

Bruce (Luscious Lips) arrived at the same time as Billy and me. His meaty practical hands had square palms and short square fingers that were soft and supple with dominant plump third phalanges. His head and lifelines were tied together at their beginnings. He was a Taurus and a huge procrastinator. Bruce was in charge of recreation. He’d served state social service agencies throughout his entire work experience. Sweet and mild mannered, his desire to make a real difference had dulled from too many years of compliance to authority, rules, and regulations. Bruce had gone as high as he could in institutional politics. He was caring and attentive with the patients but seemed depressed and resigned to mediocrity the rest of the time. The only times Bruce revealed real passion and genuine enthusiasm was when we talked about gourmet food or going fishing together.

Barbara was the schoolteacher on our team. Her goal was to help as many patients as possible reach high school equivalency. She was a large boned middle aged Afro-American woman and a very kind person. I don’t remember her hands except for her large broad nails and the sparse clear lines engraved in her palms. Barbara had spent many years in state service. She was one of a very few state employees who managed to maintain a sense of humor and a life outside of her work. She complained the least of any full-time staff member and always kept her cool. Once during English class, one of the male patients pulled out his huge erect penis and started jerking off. Barbara walked over, looked him straight in his eyes and without raising her voice calmly said, “please excuse yourself and go to the bathroom”. He did. I wished I could have read her report about the incident.

Bob was the librarian. He reminded me of a Spam and Velveeta Cheese on Wonder Bread sandwich. Bob was a real life Walter Mitty. He was helpful when asked, but most of the time, gazed into the distance under thick lens wire rimmed glasses. As I think of him, I can still feel his cool damp mashed potato hand shake that confirmed a total lack of will power, energy, and enthusiasm.

Andrew was art therapist when I arrived. His tenure was short. The only thing I recall about him is that he sent his estranged daughter a gross of condoms for her sixteenth birthday. He quipped in his southern drawl, “If she’s going to do it, might as well be safe.” The new art therapist was Janice. She was an unsuccessfully aging frustrated starving artist in need of a steady income. There was a frequent staff turnover for art therapists.

Maya was recreational therapist. She was young, very private, and a very athletic Afro-American woman. Maya managed sports activities and the patient newspaper, the Scene. All of the staff liked Maya. Patients loved her. Her powerful ‘intuitive hands‘ were well suited for sports like football, soccer, and wrestling. Everyone thought Maya was gay, but that was nobody’s business.

I was a card-carrying member of a band of misfits in search of a fit. On the whole, I liked the rehab staff and felt like I was becoming part of a team. I looked forward to our working together and began to imagine that we might actually make a real difference…

SAGITTARIUS & PSYCHE

Collective psyche overrules personal psyche. Fate or Destiny? Nature or Nurture? Whatever your astrological symbolism says about you, a tsunami, tornado, hurricane, earthquake, flood, drought, pandemic, war, or banana peel can transform your psyche.

Twelve basic character types are featured in astrology. Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto symbolize family, friends, and enemies and embodies a collective consciousness that includes beliefs, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. Humanity’s patterns correspond to conditions and positions of inner and outer planets that embody ideologies and circumstances that seed and catalyze outer and inner change. We can choose to see, know, and be our behavior, values, thinking, feelings, will, health, relationships, creativity, philosophy, purpose, dreams and fears, and spirituality.

A Moment in Time & Space

Astrology has endless permutations and combinations of details. Each and every detail means something, but until you’ve decided on basic character type and context, details are superficial. The meaning of any detail can change because of the question asked and the balance of elements, planets, signs, houses, and aspects. Adding stars, asteroids, and man-made points to a natal chart can make accurate interpretation impossible.

In my metaphysical practice, I examine every detail within the context of the whole picture and every other detail at the same time. Comparing and contrasting symbolic details and combinations of details is vital for observing, examining, and analyzing human behavior. One danger in interpreting isolated details out of context is in substituting one form of predetermination for another by reducing individuality to cookbook formulas. That’s what most readers do. It’s the primary reason I don’t make predictions. Free-will rules. We get to choose what we think and how we feel no matter what is happening. Canned readings may be a good place to start, but they’re no substitute for time and experience. Other people’s ideologies, opinions, and generalizations should not be taken literally or too seriously.

I’m writing this on 12/2/2022. Sun, Mercury, and Venus are comfortable in Sagittarius. A frustrated Mars is battling a lot of misinformation and dealing with too much Gemini bullshit. Mars is trying to communicate with siblings, but instead, he’s creating tension for everyone. Mars rules energy, sports, and military under Saturn’s decisions, missions, and guidance. Saturn in Aquarius is trying to choose healthy ideologies, values, and thinking.

Uranus transited Aries during the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and passed through Taurus 1935~1942. That period symbolized a destabilization of foundations, structures, economies, institutions, and values. Focusing on values forced many people to question materialism. The USA went off the gold standard. President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act. Labor organized, forming unions that went on strike and engaged in sit-downs across the nation. There was strength in solidarity. Roosevelt defended the Four Essential Freedoms: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. Having Real Faith might have prevented the human race from racing so randomly, recklessly, and desperately against and toward bad shit happening.

Neptune & Jupiter are happiest in Sagittarius & Pisces. Friendship thrives where and when imagination, vision, and spirit are openly shared. Jupiter is naturally generous. He also attracts excess and greed. Jupiter can make you believe anything. His voice is designed to persuade. Neptune can be a martyr, savior, or saint. He can also be a liar, crook, or master criminal. Together, Jupiter and Neptune can heal the widening gap between haves and havenots. Neptune must shed the veil of illusion and delusion while Jupiter takes the reigns of confusion, collusion, and irresolution, and redirects us to clarity, inclusion, and resolution. Haves must share wealth with havenots for the betterment of mankind and for our world. Pluto in Capricorn will expose secrets that need to be seen. Pluto can transform business in ways that bring humans together instead of irreconcilably dividing them through partisan Politics, Business, and Religion. How can we transform fear into courage and hate into love? Is it possible to truly balance our outer circumstances with our inner worlds?

Uranus transited Sagittarius from 1981-1988. Politics became more accessible to females. Sandra D. O’Connor became the first Woman elected to the Supreme Court. Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman nominated by the Democratic Party for Vice President. Benazir Bhutto became the first Muslim female prime minister in Pakistan’s first free election since 1977.

Uranus brings sudden and unexpected upheaval and disaster. The space shuttle Challenger exploded on takeoff in 1986, while millions watched in horror on their TV screens. Ronald Reagan created “Star Wars”, an absurd and overly expensive national defense idea. Greenpeace’s flagship, Rainbow Warrior, was bombed while protesting France’s nuclear testing. George Bush Sr. was the first sitting Vice President elected as president since 1836. IBM introduced personal PCs. AT&T’s communication monopoly ended via a powerful combo of Anti-Trust Laws & the Department of Justice in 1974.

In 2018, Donald Trump announced a sixth branch of our military services that organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect US. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, Uranus in Taurus, and Neptune in Pisces represent fundamental conflicts and issues like ‘money vs values’ and ‘religion vs spirituality’. We must find and embrace healthy resolutions and actions for all mankind and for our planet.

Neptune transited Sagittarius from 1970 to 1984. The idealism of the 60’s turned to pessimism with a marked lack of trust in national institutions. The war in Vietnam united masses of skeptical angry protesters, who were ready for confrontation. The Arab oil embargo created a major energy crisis in 1973 to finally ‘teach’ the USA not to take energy for granted. We keep forgetting to remember to observe the handwriting on our walls!

Gas is expensive, but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the economic and social consequences of unbridled public and personal abuses of precious natural resources. Raising prices is essential to increasing profits. Fossil fuel profiteers have prevented energy independence by controlling and manipulating natural resources that no private individuals should own. Controversial pipelines are endangering our environment with long range consequences for our bodies, souls, and body and soul of our planet!

SALMAN RUSHDIE

Sagittarius rules publishing and religion. In 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini sentenced Salman Rushdie to death after publishing The Satanic Verses. Rushdie’s tales of good and evil incited riots in India and book burnings in England. His literary success fueled an ocean of fear and stirred teeming cauldrons of Islamic hatred! After 23 years of threats, on August 12, 2022, a man stabbed novelist Salman Rushdie multiple times as he was about to give a public lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York.

Religion without Spirituality

Donald Trump attracted and motivated masses of Evangelicals, Holocaust deniers, White supremacists, Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religious fundamentalists who embraced the dark force. Having a bible in one hand and an AK in the other is not about GOD! It’s no surprise that Trump was inaugurated on Jan 20, 2017 while Uranus was in Aries.

Sun, Mercury, and Venus in Sagittarius opposing Gemini and Mars is a good time to shift our values and philosophies from profit over people to social justice and equality for all. It makes good sense to care for and nurture everyone and everything.

Neptune rules false prophets, illusion, delusion, deception, and victimization. Richard Nixon was the first President to announce his resignation while Neptune was in Scorpio in 1974. New York was the first city to be bailed out of bankruptcy by the federal government in 1975. Neptune can also be imaginary and visionary. A religious paradigm shifted when the Catholic Church elected its first non-Italian pope in four centuries. Mother Theresa accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in the name of the poor. In 1979, Televangelist Jerry Falwell founded the ‘Moral Majority’. It became an ‘Immoral Majority’ sometime prior to January 20th of 2001. Pluto in Sag brought Donald Trump to politics. A natal Mercury (11th house) square Neptune (2nd house) aspect can be interpreted as pretending to be your friend to get your money. Inwardly curved pinkie fingers confirm Donald lies. He doesn’t realize the difference. Don grifted us until Jan 6 2021 when Pluto in Capricorn, Neptune in Pisces, and Uranus in Taurus raised mass conscience, no longer permitting Don to piss on humanity.

Authors Note: Not everyone with curved pinkies is a liar. Many learned to behave in ways that worked in early childhood and are still trying to be themselves. Old habits die hard.

Neptune rules chemicals and drugs. The first test-tube baby was conceived without a womb when Neptune was in Leo in 1978. Genetic engineering generated new horrors for theologians, religious fundamentalists, and ideological extremists. Environmental activists protested industries creating “Acid Rain”. ‘Three Mile Island’ fiasco derailed several major nuclear energy projects in 1979. The World Health Organization announced an end to smallpox. Crack cocaine became popular. A deadly sexual epidemic was officially named AIDS in 1981. Fear of an eventual pandemic spread. Covid 19 was official on Mar 11 2020. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Pluto were in Capricorn. Aggression and gun control dominated personal and collective psyche. A dark side of Uranus in Taurus & Neptune in Pisces is a constant flow of blame and denial from extremist ideologies that catalyzed an insurrection on Jan 6 2021.

Pluto transited Sagittarius from 1995 to 2008. Political extremism, corporate greed, religious fanaticism, white supremacy, Second amendment rights, fundamentalism, and terrorism germinated quickly in fertile soil, transforming politics, business, and religion. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing law student. Pluto was in Sag and Sun was in Scorpio. The Middle East peace process was disrupted. President Clinton resumed diplomatic relations with communist Vietnam. In July 1997, Great Britain let go of Hong Kong. Hundreds of thousands of Black Men flocked to Washington to march for freedom. It was the first time in 40 years Republicans controlled congress. Y2K was not end time. People woke up, brushed their teeth, and went to work.

Sex scandals rocked the Catholic Church in 1995. The House of Representatives impeached and later acquitted Bill Clinton for lying about his sex life. Two students killed themselves after murdering twelve students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado. The Unabomber was caught and sentenced to life in prison. Oklahoma City bombing established large-scale American terrorism on our soil. On 9/11, government power transformed, giving leaders permission to supersede human rights and civil liberties. Political machines preempted war without world consent. In 2022, lairs of corporate foxes tended hen houses while packs of political wolves herded sheep. Sacred cows gave birth to golden calves.

Saturn began his journey through Sagittarius on December 23, 2014. Pluto was visiting his siblings in eleven other homes for twenty-eight years prior to that. Astrologers predicted Saturn would wield a sobering influence on society as he transited Sagittarius to Capricorn. Saturn’s natural process is accepting responsibility, laying foundations, building structures, and being methodical, disciplined, and focused. Saturn rules bureaucracy, business, energy, transportation, education, communications, food, housing, healthcare, law, politics, and religion. Father Time asks us to remember, to be here now, and to plan as far into the future as possible.

Sagittarius rules transportation. He loves prestige, luxury, power, and status. He leaves racing for Aries and showing off for Leo. The Lords of the automobile industry must shift their paradigms of profit before people to people first. Transportation must be designed from a more spiritual perspective. Guzzling fossil fuels is unsustainable. Do we really need hundreds of horses galloping under our hoods?

Perpetuating illusions that overly expensive gas guzzling cars are glamorous, maintains delusions that it’s OK to deplete our planet’s natural resources and poison everyone and everything. Car companies pretend their products are healthy! We must rethink what healthy transportation will be for our future. Raising mass consciousness will profit humanity and our planet. We can no longer get away with substituting money for values and religion for spirituality.

Whether our planet warms, cools, floods, quakes, droughts, burns, or is blown by giant winds, fossil fuel prices still remain artificially repressed. Legislation and energy umbilical cords prevent sustainable energy minded competitors from building sound structures on solid foundations. Fuel efficient, non-polluting, practical, and economical mass transit is essential to creating a healthy world and economy. We must cut our energy demands and costs while thinking globally and acting locally. Transportation must reform and transform.

We go wherever and whenever we want in the comfort and safety of our cars. Our hidden costs are insidious, usurious, and deceitful as we guzzle gas, fight oil wars, deplete and squander finite resources, and poison Mom’s body, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

Too much carbon dioxide, monoxide, and toxic gases hover in space and time by degree. Smoke, smog, chemical, and human waste poison our oceans, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and faucets. A pandemic of pestilential pollution binds to the walls of our veins and coagulates in our arteries like cholesterol on its way to a coronary. Highways and roads are like varicose veins feeding bloated glands that nourish cancerous sores we call cities. It’s time to shift our usurious paradigms and steer ourselves clear from death and destruction toward a hopeful future characterized by clear intent, healthy values, critical thinking, honest feelings, right use of will, good physical health, honest relationships, freedom to explore and understand our fears, creativity, philosophy, purpose, dreams, and spirituality.

Greed and avarice are symptoms of poisonous partisan political philosophies, flawed fundamentalist faiths, extremist social ideologies, and too many desperate people. As we wander through barren deserts and toxic wastelands, too many unhealthy psyches with too many guns and second amendment rights are worshipping sacred cows and praying to golden calves. Why are we trading money for values and substituting religion for spirituality?

Why must we lose what we value to value what we had? Jupiter transited Sagittarius this year, shamelessly flaunting greed in capitalism and revealing present and future costs of climate change. Choosing healthy values and accepting full responsibility for being healthy and happy is Spiritual Alchemy! Our fate is unknown; however, our destiny is in our hands.

Uranus transits Taurus May 14, 2018 ~ Nov 7, 2025. Time for rebirth, to make sense, to accept responsibility, and to choose courage, strength, grace, and wisdom. Combining truth with nobility, dignity, integrity, ethics, and virtue will heal everyone and everything. How can we see the forest from the trees? Can we all become healthier in more sustainable ways? “The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding”. Hermes

ARIES & HANDS

No need to have an Aries sun, moon, ascendant, planets, aspects, or houses to be Arian. No matter what your astrology says, Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo are Intuitive types with rectangular palms and short fingers. Having an Aries sun with Aries hands is very Aries. Aries hands differ from Leo and Sag hands. Leo hands are noticeably harder and stiffer than Aries hands. Sagittarius hands are softer and more flexible. Aries hands have full firm heels of hands (upper Mars under pinkie). Aries bounces back and lands on their feet after obstacles and hardships. Resilient elastic skin embodies a resilient energetic person. Elastic skin quickly springs back to normal when pushed or pulled.

Pink energizes. Red pressurizes. When a plump red puffy bump bulges where a thumb meets a hand (lower Mars), a person is more aggressive than another person with little or no bump. Red hands embody too much energy, anger, passion, and pressure. Healthy Aries have rosy full balls of thumbs (Venus).

Head and life lines are separate at their beginnings on pure types. These individuals need freedom of thought, action, and to be rebellious when necessary. Mars has plenty of initiative, cherishes his independence, must trust his instinct, and always be true to himself. Many Leos have closely intertwined head and life lines at their beginnings. They’re less free than Aries because they’re motivated to act by and for others. Leos like being in charge, but procrastinate at beginnings and endings because they care too much about what others think. They’re easily hurt when criticized or taken for granted and take opinions of others personally, even when they’re not.

As the most courageous and adventurous of all types, Aries is a fierce warrior and inspired risk taker. His passion is contagious and optimism eternal. Never running out of doors to knock on, he doesn’t take rejection personally. He loves sports and is ready to compete with anyone at any time and place. He has an innate need to catalyze new beginnings and new projects. A freedom lover, he detests bureaucrats.

Note: Aries is male in gender. In practice, he and his is also she and hers.

Cardinal types tend to have low set thumbs. No matter what else is happening in a person’s hands, low set thumbs were designed for quests and causes. Saving underdogs, strays, and fixer-uppers, and rescuing damsels in distress are specialties. Combined with strong index fingers and pinkies, they make great fund raisers. Aries crusades relentlessly and persistently until his objectives are realized. Committing to ideals and working on worthy causes brings deep satisfaction and personal fulfillment.

Aries is not detail oriented. They’re easily bored, restless, and impatient. Stay out of their way when they’re bogged down in mundane activities, especially if you can’t help them. They need to stay far from controlling, possessive, and jealous types. Trust is a must. Intimate relationships require good physical chemistry. The football player (Mars) and cheerleader (Venus) are hot for each other. Aries must not be impulsive or in a hurry to ‘fall in love’. Unhappy marriages follow unplanned pregnancies. Aries must be patient, trust their intuition, and set sensible goals. Unafraid of blood and sharp tools, Aries make the best soldiers, butchers, and surgeons. Mars rules executives, salesmen, barbers, sportsmen, military leaders, soldiers, policemen, firemen, and anyone full of fire and burning with desire.

Aries is resilient. They bounce back and landing on their feet, no matter what. Their innate sense of inner strength, courage, determination, and persistence make them formidable foes. Aries conquers procrastination, overcomes inertia, and acts with inspiration, passion, and energy. Health issues tend toward headaches, inflammations, fevers, and high blood pressure.

Aries rules War. Ancient warriors practiced their lustiest mating rituals from late June to late July to seed future generations of Aries warriors. Aries rules Germany, England, and Japan. Hitler created the Aryan race. Britain barbarized, colonized, and ‘civilized’ the globe. Japan was bombed with atoms in World War II. Modern Japan wages battles of commerce, communications, and transportation.

Invincible warriors, lusty lovers, and gods and goddesses of war are symbolized by an erect cock. Aries is Greek. Mars is Roman. Aries is Spring. E veryone has Aries by degree. Mars is in everyone’s symbolism and psyche. Aspects of all types interact with aspects of all other types. Your dominate archetype’s relationships with other types determines your destiny.

Strong, athletic bodies, dominant chests, and rock hard heads embody an Aries psyche. They’re not called ‘Ram’ for nothing. My best half, Joanna, is an Aries with Venus in Taurus rising. I call her ‘Ram-bull’. She’s obstinate and also very grounding for me. I’m Gemini with Scorpio rising. She calls me a ‘piece of work in progress’. We’re both right.

Aries ancestors are warriors and conquerors. King Theseus of Athens, Jason and the Argonauts, Joan of Arc, Xena, Mulan, Robin Hood, and his eastern cousin, Aladdin, orphaned son of the king of thieves, handsome adolescent street rat, diamond in the rough, destined to be a prince. Above is a real life Aladdin. Click here for his story.

Al Gore may be history these days, but his rectangular palms and short fingers reveal a link between his intuitive nature and his Aries Sun. Al’s Mars, Saturn, and Pluto in Leo and Jupiter in Sagittarius are a bundle of fire. Inspiration motivates Al as he educates consumers about the hazards and truths of Global Warming and Climate Change. Al and his Argonauts bagged the coveted Nobel Peace Prize while opening masses of minds to massive consumption, extreme waste, and our need to shift our paradigm of ‘me first’.

Al is a conceptual thinker. He loves the idea part of his process. Al can sell anything he believes in. His greatest asset is his ability to see the whole picture. He has no time and little aptitude or patience for details. His long index finger embodies his egocentricity, ambition, and obsessions. Al knows what he wants, gets the facts, and makes the case for his cause. Fortified with lightning bolts from Zeus, Al has great personal influence, privilege, and wealth. It’s vital that Al remain vigilant about the size and quality of his own footprint. Al must practice what he preaches to be truly powerful and effective.

Ex-Secretary of State, ex-General Colin Powell is an Aries with Sun and Mercury in Aries (April 5, 1937). His short fingers, rectangular palms, and widely separated life and head lines embody the spirit of King Theseus of Athens. Theseus escorted Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. Colin defeated the dreaded Minotaur, Saddam Hussein, a Taurus, who controlled the warring Arabic factions under his rule.

Secretary Powell’s powerful and practical personality persuaded Americans to keep the faith while we invaded Iraq. Powell believed he could make a positive difference, but was goldenly fleeced by the Bush administration. Emperor George II, pulled the golden wool over everyone’s eyes as he proudly wore Powell’s threads of charisma, credibility, and principles on the front lines of international diplomacy. General Powell’s greatest battles are yet to come as he approaches the end of his life and wages war with his personal loyalties, honesty, integrity, dignity, and truth.

Rest assured Colin Powell is horrified by our current leadership! An evil empire can take revenge on a person’s family and force even the truest hero to remain silent and keep secrets forever. Colin must cleanse his karma by shining the light of absolute truth on the many shades of gray in his life. Maybe he should publish a brutally honest auto-biography to be released posthumously by his family when they’re ready.

AQUARIUS & PSYCHE

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Personal & Collective Psyche transform as Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto change sign. Uranus transits each sign of our zodiac for seven years. It takes eighty-four years to orbit our sun through twelve signs. Uranus entered Aquarius twice in the 20th Century. 1912 to 1919 bombarded our psyche with sudden unexpected political and social upheaval that challenged our philosophical and spiritual ideologies, faith in humanity, and trust in ourselves. Uranus transited Aquarius again in 1996. Had we chosen love and brotherhood over selfishness and convenience, we’d be building bridges instead of walls!

“The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding”

1912 ~ “Unsinkable Titanic” sunk on its maiden voyage. Karmic lesson in hubris

1913 ~ Tornadoes & Floods devastated Middle America. 3,000 dead + $100,000,000, an expensive lesson in preparedness

1914 ~ World War I ~ Hatred, Fear, & Terror levied a heavy toll on humanity

1915 ~ German submarine torpedoed British Ocean Liner Lusitania

Alexander Graham Bell catalyzed mass communications with the first transcontinental phone call made Jan 25th, 1915. A powerful concept’s time had arrived…

1916 ~ Would a wall have prevented Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutionary, from invading the USA? Woodrow Wilson retaliated by sending 6,000 troops into Mexico

Official Gazette of London published the names of 80 United States firms suspected of trading with Germany. Prescott Bush, a banker, was among them.

1917 ~ USA declared war on Germany. Hitler’s enemies became our allies. Bigotry became more bountiful, catalyzing the worst race riot in American history in Illinois

Congress amended laws that prohibited beer, wine, and liquor from being profitable

1918 ~ Daylight Savings Time. Spanish Flu was the worst pandemic since the Bubonic Plague wiped out one quarter of Europe’s population in the 14th century

1919 ~ Prohibition was ratified as the 18th amendment to our constitution. Congress failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles. President Wilson disagreed and went on public tour to fight the decision. He died trying.

Hermes was the true father of modern medicine, communications, and the ‘Cell Phone’. Hermes knew everything is made of cells. He taught our brain is the hardware. Our job is to connect our inner with outer cells and fine tune our links. In Greek myth, Hermes was reputedly a real man, the mystic teacher of Abraham, who lived for 350 years in the flesh. As a Gemini @ 72, I’m still an adolescent, ‘Peter Pan’, in his finest hour. Joanna, my ‘Wendy’ soul mate, calls me “a piece of work in progress”, still in my first childhood.

Speaking of adolescence, male vanity and virility was popularized when Pfizer introduced Viagra in Aries of 1998. The stock market created a new form of gambling called “internet day trading”. DVDs became the fastest growing consumer electronics product in history. Bribes and drugs tarnished the Olympic Games. Our innocence and civil liberties were transformed as our ideas, illusions, and delusions about private and social security and stability dissolved. What we think of our past, present, and future matters.

Body piercing and tattoos became popular. President Clinton’s first political act of 1996 was to sign a welfare reform bill that made life harder for poor people. Havenots were deceived, divided, and demoralized, by the powers the that be. Madeline Albright became first female Secretary of State. Ellen DeGeneres was the first gay star of an ABC sitcom. Taiwan’s first democratic election was held. Four major plane crashes happened.

Neptune rules vision, illusion, delusion, and confusion. In 1998, Neptune in Aquarius represented the House of Representatives impeaching Bill Clinton for giving “perjurious false and misleading” testimony in front of a grand jury. Leo rules Bill, whose hands, sun, mercury, saturn, and pluto are Leo. Rest assured Hillary (Hera) mercilessly tortured Bill’s sorry butt when he got caught. Catholics & Protestants voted for peace in Ireland.

The US government and twenty state attorney generals charged Microsoft with anti-trust practices for dominating the Internet access market. Bill Gates has a Scorpio Sun and intuitive hands. Imagine having the power to make gigantic differences for humanity and our planet? What’s the ethical, moral, and spiritual responsibility for knowing the difference? Many poor people give more than Bill Gates, relative to their time and resources.

Neptune entered Pisces in 2012. 1% afflicted and infected the other 99% with spiritual, physical, emotional, ideological, psychological, and philosophical pathogens and dis~ease. Our illusions, delusions, and deceptions of being old, poor, sick, disabled, and/or unable to afford bad shit happening dissolved. Individual and collective hatred, fear, and terror has prevented us from transforming our inequities into equities. We must recognize and take responsibility for our behavior, values, thinking, feelings, health, relationships, creativity, philosophy, purpose, hopes, desires, fears, and spirituality.

LOOK ~ SEE + LISTEN ~ HEAR

Historians will describe the 21st Century as an era of false prophets and false profits. Neptune in Pisces symbolizes billions of individuals around the world, seeking security, stability, and spiritual answers and instead finding despair, fear, and terror.  HAVES rule have nots. Poor folk will always be at the bottom of the barrel scraping for pennies, as plutocrats skim the cream and pay partisan politicians to permit them to deplete, poison, and pollute our planet, manage our healthcare, regulate our welfare, gamble with our social security, and control our pension funds. The middle class are pawns, collateral damage, in a crooked game of chess. If freedom and slavery are opposite extremes, what shades of gray are you?

Never have so few been allowed to influence, manipulate, and control so many. The human race has become a race against bad shit happening and we’re all losing!

“As Above, So Below” Hermes

SAGITTARIUS & HANDS

SAGITTARIUS-HAND

You don’t need a Sagittarius sun, moon, houses, aspects, planets, or planetary placements in your Natal Horoscope to be Sagittarian. All Intuitive hands have rectangular palms with short fingers. Sagittarius hands have strong index fingers, flexible finger joints, pink firm elastic skin, and confident hand shakes. Sagittarius reflects a mutable personality. Pure types have long straight index fingers that stand away from the hand. No matter what your type, strong index fingers point to pride, ambition, desire for power, leadership abilities, confidence, idealism, spirituality, religion, truthfulness, and generosity. Pink color under an index finger adds energy and enthusiasm and reveals a desire to make a difference.

After reading many tens of thousands of hands for over forty years, I can confidently and comfortably generalize from my experience. I’ll never have enough statistical data to call my work scientific, but I can safely say a Sagittarius with a healthy index finger is idealistic, enthusiastic, and self-assured. Many have smooth finger joints and round or conical fingertips with loop or whorl prints. As eternal optimists, they’re honest, sincere, and gifted with voices designed to persuade. Positive thinking helps them achieve their goals, while good luck lights their way. I call Jupiter ‘him’ because it’s his gender, but in practice, Jupiter’s influence is equally powerful in all genders.

Sagittarians are often accused of viewing life through rose colored glasses because they see people and circumstances as they want them to be instead of how they really are. Graceful heart lines, extending from the percussion of the hand from strong pinkies to powerful index fingers make them even more sensitive, romantic and sentimental. As proud, expansive, generous, passionate, principled, truthful, philosophical, and spiritual beings, they’re irresistible when they believe in themselves. Love of travel motivates them to seek adventure whenever and wherever as they search for interesting food experiences. Healthy types love country and city life. Many struggle to find balance.

Jupiter’s physical sense is taste. Jupiter craves rich exotic foods, luxurious desserts, fine wines, and highly erotic sex with mortals. Depending on length and thickness of bottom phalanges, love of nutrition (narrow), or temptation by gluttony (plump) emerges from deep within the psyche. Rich food, fine wine, and kinky sex are potent temptations that lead them down the dark path of excess to the palace of wisdom. Jupiter’s physical problems come from gorging rich food, drinking too much alcohol, and overindulging in sensual pleasures. Dominant index fingered folk are of medium height with generously proportioned bodies. Wide chests, high foreheads, widely spaced eyes, reddish faces, and wavy hair are common characteristics and clues to the mystery of who they are.

Gluttony is prone to blood disorders, liver disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and flaws of throat and thighs. Pride is critical, hypercritical, impractical, grandiose, arrogant, dictatorial, and vain. Blending Pride and Lust induces philandering.

When the dominant hand’s index finger is long, (past middle of tip of top phalanx of middle finger), projects forward with pinkish color beneath (all races), that person loves being boss and hates being criticized. They’re natural planners, setters of goals, and leaders who attract other ambitious career minded professionals. Know that anyone will quickly lose credibility and respect if they’re looking for a free ride or are unable to carry their own weight. Jupiter must steer clear of strays and fixer-uppers who are naturally attracted to them. Long index fingered folk enjoy being married. They need to partner as much as they need a lover. Having both is best! Planning, setting goals, and dreaming of a future together is crucial for their partnership to be meaningful and fruitful.

Jupiter’s personal problems come from practicing obsessive and controlling behavioral patterns, expressing judgmental thoughts, and cultivating critical attitudes. False pride, gluttony, vanity, and bossiness are weaknesses these individuals must overcome by practicing moderation, earning self-esteem, and being successful at being healthy.

Sagittarius needs a philosophy that enables him to be an integral part of a working society, not tilting at windmills like Don. It’s hard being a person who believes he has everyone’s answers, though he has none. Wind, Sun, earth, and water will be available to us when we’re ready to harness their power.

Short index fingers extend less than half way to middle of top phalanx of middle finger. Short index fingered individuals need to work harder to achieve similar results as their long index fingered brethren. Short fingered folk are big picture people. Many tend not to value themselves enough because they weren’t valued enough during their formative years. There was no encouragement and support when they needed it most! Their challenge is to learn to ask enough of and for themselves. Plenty of successful individuals have thrived with very short index fingers. They earned every drop of whatever they achieved. Nothing comes easily, but everything earned is well worth the risk and effort.

A scientific study claims short index fingers are linked to homosexuality. Click if you’re curious. This minute long Youtube video shares my take on index fingers. It’s a look through my wife and my eyes at how knowing our baby’s potentials and possibilities altered her destiny. Basic hand shape reveals whether we’re intuitive, practical, thinking, or feeling. Healthy types are nourished by healthy index fingers. Being honest, direct, taking pride in their work, and calculating their risks transforms Sagittarius into successful politicians, journalists, judges, lawyers, singers (musical instrument is voice),speakers, story tellers, managers, producers, promoters, salesmen, chefs, and priests.

Every fingerprint needs to be examined in the context of each other and the whole hand. Proportions of finger phalanges, development of knots, and size and shape of nails reveal various personality traits. I see many spatula shaped fingertips with whorl prints on Sagittarius types. They embody original and unconventional thinking. Square tips with arch prints are practical, responsible, dependable, and reliable. Round and conical tips with loop prints are adaptable and communicative.

Depending on your basic type, lines change as a person’s thinking and circumstances change. Dermatoglyphics (skin ridge patterns) rarely change dramatically. Sudden or extreme circumstances may catalyze a tiny change. In my experience, the lines in feeling (water) hands change the most while practical (earth) hands (above) change the least. Careful examination of skin ridge patterns requires a quality set of hand-prints or hi-res photos, a strong magnifier, and precise measuring tools. Once you’ve got the gestalt of a person, you can give great readings using details to affirm and confirm the persons basic character, patterns, habits, natural tendencies, talents, and potentials, and provide additional information about current events and timing.

SAGITTARIUS & PSYCHE

Outer planets transform personal and collective psyche and catalyze corresponding outer worldly changes as they transit the signs of our zodiac. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto revolutionized, reformed, and transformed 20th Century Sagittarius. Psycho-social paradigms of politics, commerce, and religion shifted radically and dramatically.

Uranus transited Sagittarius from 1981-1988. Politics became accessible to females. Sandra D. O’Connor became the first Woman elected to the Supreme Court. Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman nominated by the Democratic Party for Vice President. Benazir Bhutto became the first female prime minister of a Muslim country in Pakistan’s first free election since 1977.

Uranus brings sudden and unexpected upheaval and disaster. The space shuttle Challenger exploded on takeoff in 1986, while millions watched in horror on their TV screens. Ronald Reagan created “Star Wars”, an absurd and overly expensive national defense idea. Greenpeace’s flagship, Rainbow Warrior, was bombed while protesting France’s nuclear testing. George Bush Sr. was the first sitting Vice President elected as president since 1836. IBM introduced personal PCs. AT&T’s communication monopoly ended via Anti-Trust and Department of Justice in 1974.  

Sagittarius rules publishing and religion. In 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini sentenced Salman Rushdie to death after publishing The Satanic Verses. Rushdie’s tales of good and evil incited riots in India and book burnings in England. His literary success fueled an ocean of fear and stirred teeming cauldrons of Islamic hatred!

Neptune transited Sagittarius from 1970 to 1984. The idealism of the 60’s transformed to pessimism with a marked lack of trust in national institutions. The war in Vietnam united masses of skeptical angry protestors, ready for confrontation. The Arab oil embargo created a major energy crisis in 1973 that ‘taught’ US not to take energy for granted. We believe gas is expensive, and yet ownership of energy sources, uses, and abuses drive western gas prices artificially lower than they should be.  Raising gas prices is essential to increasing profits and catalyzing openings of controversial pipelines that endanger our environment; however, no matter how expensive fossil fuels become; they’re cheap compared to the costs of long range consequences of their misuse for our world and souls!

Neptune rules false prophets, delusion, deception, and victimization. Richard Nixon was the first President to announce his resignation in 1974. New York was the first city to be bailed out of bankruptcy by the federal government in 1975. A religious paradigm shifted when the Catholic Church elected its first non-Italian pope in four centuries. Mother Theresa accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in the name of the poor. In 1979, Televangelist Jerry Falwell founded the ‘Moral Majority’, which became the ‘Immoral Majority’ sometime prior to January 20th 2001.

Neptune can be imaginary, illusionary, and visionary. Neptune rules chemicals and drugs. The first test-tube baby was conceived out of a womb in Leo in 1978. Genetic engineering generated new horrors for theologians, religious fundamentalists, and ideological extremists. Environmental activists protested industries that created “Acid Rain”. The ‘Three Mile Island’ fiasco derailed several major nuclear energy projects in 1979. The World Health Organization announced an end to smallpox. Crack cocaine became popular. A deadly sexual epidemic was officially named AIDS in 1981. Fear of eventual pandemic spread.

My parody of original

Pluto transited Sagittarius from 1995 to 2008, transforming politics, big business, and religion. Political extremism, corporate greed, religious fanaticism, white supremacy, 2nd amendment rights, fundamentalism, and strategic terrorism flourished and thrived in fertile soil. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing law student. The Middle East peace process was disrupted. Great Britain finally let go of Hong Kong. President Clinton resumed diplomatic relations with communist Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of Black Men flocked to Washington to march for freedom. It was the first time in 40 years Republicans controlled congress. Y2K was not end time.

Author’s Note: The NYT Millennium issue queried various metaphysical prognosticators with good reputations what will happen when 1999 becomes 2000. They published half a dozen predictions. Mine was that on January 2nd, we wake up, brush our teeth, and go to work!

Sex scandals rocked the Catholic Church.  The House of Representatives impeached and later acquitted Bill Clinton for lying about his sexploits. Two students killed themselves after murdering twelve students and a teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado. The Unabomber was caught and sentenced to life in prison. Oklahoma City bombing established large-scale American terrorism on our soil. On 9/11, government power transformed, giving leaders permission to supersede human rights and civil liberties. Political machines preempted war without world consent. Lairs of corporate foxes tended the hen houses while packs of political wolves herded the sheep. Sacred cows birthed golden calves.

Saturn began its journey through Sagittarius on December 23, 2014, after twenty-eight years of visiting eleven other signs and houses. Astrologers predicted Saturn would wield a sobering influence on society as it transited from Sagittarius to Capricorn. Saturn’s process is about embracing responsibility and choosing structure, discipline, and focus. Saturn rules bureaucracy, big business, and established institutions including transportation, communications, food, housing, healthcare, law, politics, and religion. Father Time asks us to be here and now.  

Sagittarius rules transportation. Sagittarians love prestige and luxury and choose power and status. They leave racing to Aries and showing off to Leo. The lords of cars must shift the paradigm of profit before people. Industry must become more spiritual in its outlook and truthful in its actions. Guzzling fossil fuels is unsustainable. Do we truly need hundreds of horses galloping under our hoods?

Perpetuating an illusion that overly expensive powerful gas guzzling cars are glamorous, maintains a delusion that it’s OK to deplete our planet’s natural resources and poison our environment. Car companies pretend their products are healthy! One responsibility of transportation is rethinking the future of transportation, like creating led light, clean energy, inexpensive communications, and global good health. Raising mass consciousness is profitable for humanity and our planet.

As our planet warms, cools, floods, quakes, droughts, burns, and is blown by giant winds, fossil fuel prices remain artificially repressed, while legislation prevents sustainably minded competitors from building sound structures on solid foundations. We must cut our energy umbilical cords and think globally while acting locally. Fuel efficient, non-polluting, practical, and economical mass transportation is essential to creating a healthy world and economy. Energy, Transportation, and Communications must be transformed concurrently.

We go wherever and whenever we want in the comfort and safety of our cars. Hidden costs are usurious, insidious and deceitful. We guzzle gas, fight oil wars, deplete, squander, and waste finite resources, and poison our mother’s body, circulatory, and respiratory systems. Too much carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other toxic waste hover everywhere in space and time and by degree. Smoke, smog, and other human waste poison our oceans, reservoirs, rivers, streams, and tributaries. Pestilential pollution sticks to the walls of our veins and coagulates in our arteries like cholesterol on its way to a coronary. Our highways and roads are like varicose veins feeding bloated glands that nourish the cancerous sores we call cities. We must shift our usurious false paradigms, and steer ourselves from death and destruction toward a hopeful future characterized by clear intent, healthy values, critical thinking, honest feelings, right use of willpower, good physical health, honest relationships, and freedom to explore our creativity, philosophy, purpose, dreams, fears, and spirituality.  

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The human race has become a race against bad shit happening. Why do we wander across barren deserts and toxic wastelands? Greed and avarice are symptoms of poisonous partisan political philosophies, flawed fundamentalist religious doctrines, extremist social ideologies, and too many erratic personalities. Too many unhealthy psyches are running around with too many guns and second amendment rights. Why do we aimlessly worship sacred cows and hopelessly pray to golden calves? Trading money for values and substituting religion for spirituality has never worked. Lies are fueling humanity’s race toward bad shit happening. Loving is one answer, but beware loving too much or your frightened neighbors will nail you to a cross and make a martyr out of you.     

Hermes teaches us that our destiny is in our hands. “The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding”. Jupiter transited Sagittarius this past year, unveiling the greed of capitalism and revealing the real present and future costs of climate change. Why must we lose what we value to value what we had? We must choose healthy values and accept full responsibility for being our healthiest selves while creating a healthier world for all.

Why don’t we see the forest from the trees? How can we be healthier in more sustainable ways? Uranus transits Taurus May 14, 2018 ~ Nov 7, 2025. I pray for a rebirth of practical good sense, accepting responsibility, choosing courage, strength, grace, and wisdom, and embracing truth, nobility, dignity, integrity, ethics, and virtue.

VIRGO, HANDS, & HEALTH

“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”  Stephen King (Virgo ~ 9/21/47)

You don’t need a Virgo Sun, Moon, planets, aspects, or planetary placements to be a Virgo. Strong middle finger phalanges with square tips dominate square palms with short fingers. Virgo hands are less meaty and more flexible than Taurus  and more elastic than Capricorn, with pinkish flat palms, well- developed first knots, and very lean fingers. Virgo is the most adaptable of all three practical types.

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Virgo is known for their methodical ‘hands on’ approach to being natural. No matter the type, square fingertips, large second knots, and short fingernails add order and practicality. Strong crooked middle fingers that lean toward ring fingers at first joints strive for perfection and need personal space. Virgo is known for being critical. Many are mainly self-critical. Fire rising or a watery moon gives them inspiration, passion, and empathy. People who chew their nails are self-critical or critical of others (many lines crisscrossing beneath the middle finger). Nails bitten to the quick are contrary and will choose the other side of an argument, just to make a point, even if they agree with you.

Virgo is happiest where discriminating, reliable, modest, and orderly service is required. Famous for cleaning up everyone else’s messes, Virgo can obsess on details while being overly thorough and meticulous. Contrary to popular belief, Virgo doesn’t like details. Short fingered people (Practical & Intuitive) dislike details and prefer to see the whole picture. Details are a nuisance; something others should do, but few can do them better than Virgo, who selflessly rationalizes their distaste and drive themselves to do whatever needs to be done. They often ask too little for themselves. Ironically, they know their value, but are reticent to ask for it. Ego gratification is not their motivation. Virgos work hard to feel useful. Never take a Virgo for granted. They cherish every molecule of what they truly earn, but must be valued and appreciated. Accounting, medical, nursing, social work, maintenance, cleaning, and health food are career magnets for Virgo.

Some Virgos have worked hard and been rewarded for their efforts. Writers like Agatha Christie & Leonard Cohen; Lawyers Alan Dershowitz & Marcia Clark; Financiers J.P. Morgan & Warren Buffet; Actors Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Sophia Loren, Paul Walker, Keanu Reeves, and Cameron Diaz; Singers Michael Jackson & Beyonce’; Political figures Margaret Trudeau, Lyndon Johnson, George Wallace, Yasser Arafat, & John McCain (who’s hands are Taurus). McCain’s stubborn short index finger, slightly crooked pinky, and intuitive tips say ‘what you see is not what you get’. Few have truly known his truths.

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Mercury, the winged messenger, holds a caduceus (medicine), ruled by Virgo (healthcare). Gemini rules communications and wit. Virgo is earthy and practical. She represents more scientific, technical, and empathetic aspects of thinking and feeling. Virgo is feminine in gender, logical and healthy. Gemini is masculine, intellectual, and cleverer. Imagination is more compatible with Gemini than practicality.

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While I was practicing palmistry in my early thirties, a virile young man showed up one day, asking “When will I die?” He was a Virgo, healthy looking, well proportioned, energetic, smart, and multi-talented craftsman. He appeared to have excellent health. Well-balanced square palms were pink and firm with short straight fingers. Pink elastic skin, resilient palms, flexible wrists, and mildly flexible finger joints revealed a healthy balance between determination and adaptability. His basic lines were clear and deeply engraved. How lucky he is, I thought, but fate had sealed a different future for him because he had AIDS.

AIDS was a death sentence at the time. I couldn’t see his illness. Nothing stood out. I also lacked experience to counsel him. I said, “I’m sorry, only god knows the answer to your question. You’re a naturally healthy person. If anyone can beat this disease, you can.” Awkwardly, I grasped at his positive qualities, but he didn’t want to hear them. We chatted about what he planned to do. He wanted to be proactive. I helped him decide to build a regimen of healthy diet, aerobic exercise, peaceful sleep, more meaningful relationships, and more quality time management.

My curiosity about AIDS and desire to make a difference inspired me to volunteer weekly at Bailey House, AIDS housing organization. I showed up twice weekly for two years to read hands, astrology, and tarot cards for clients and staff. I used metaphysics as a lens to view their issues and challenges in a symbolic way to help them choose what’s next.

I printed hands from the AIDS community monthly to monitor the progress or regress of the disease. I began noticing changes in skin ridge patterns on the percussion of hands. Lack of adequate funding, limited time, and not enough statistical data made it difficult for me to be thorough or scientific. Most people with AIDS suppress their potentials because they obsess on the harsh realities of a very fragile impending mortality. I affirmed their talents and strengths and inspired them to continue making positive choices and taking meaningful actions. We looked forward to our weekly sessions.

Your health is in your hands. In the days before computerized medical diagnosis, doctors used their intuition, tasted a patient’s urine, looked into their eyes, and examined their tongue, skin, and especially their hands to diagnose illness. Hands reflect a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. I encourage seekers to examine and reflect on their own hands and the hands of people they care about. Hands are a mirror of a person.

Fingernails are windows to a person’s health. Illnesses can be seen in fingernails. Anemia, thyroid disease, malnutrition, carpal tunnel syndrome, psoriasis, eczema, liver disease, heart, lungs, colon, chronic respiratory disease, lymph system problems, diabetes, Raynaud’s disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers, Hodgkin’s disease, and sickle-cell anemia are some of them.

Dozens of stress related problems and types of cancer can be seen in skin ridge patterns (dermatoglyphics). Conditions of lines indicate conditions of heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and stomach in male and female systems. Palmistry is prescriptive, but should never be used to diagnose or prescribe. When I observe a potential health problem in a person’s hands, I let them know I’m not a medical palmist and suggest they see a specialist.

Many health problems are natural predispositions to specific character types. Know the type and understand the corresponding potential health problems. Here’s a generalized list of health issues that correspond to a person’s dominant astrological signs and hand features. Click links to learn when and how a finger is dominant and what other qualities in addition to health are represented. The Good News is that forewarned is forearmed! Despite a person’s genetics, free will rules over fate.

Sagittarius ~ Dominant index finger ~ blood disorders, liver trouble, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and problems with hips, thighs, and throat. A huge challenge and temptation for Sagittarians is refraining from overindulging in rich food and drink.

Capricorn ~ Dominant middle finger ~ skin problems, teeth with age, knees, ligaments, secretion of bile, skeletal, left ear deafness, paralysis, rheumatism, gout, hardening of the arteries, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.

Leo ~ Dominant ring finger ~ eyesight, heart, and blood circulation.

Gemini ~ Virgo Dominant pinkie ~ nervous system, bronchial, and respiratory systems, thyroid gland, headaches, memory loss, and speech impediments.

Taurus ~ Libra Dominant ball of thumb ~ throat, lymphatic system, venereal diseases, heart, circulation, and nervousness.

Cancer ~ Dominant heel of hand ~ bodily fluids, stomach, tumors, female disorders, epilepsy, mucous membranes, gout, rheumatism, kidney, bladder, and mental illness.

Aries ~ Dominant tip of thumb and percussion of hand ~ inflammations, acute fevers, infections, muscular disorders, blood diseases, hemorrhage, infectious and contagious diseases, throat and chest trouble, and high blood pressure.

Scorpio ~ Peripheral lines on heel of hand ~ reproductive system, ruptures, hemorrhoids, ulcers, venereal diseases, and problems with prostate or urethra.

Aquarius ~ Nails and qualities of lines ~ ankle weakness, anemia, cramps, heart weaknesses, nervous diseases, varicose veins, and sensitive skin.

Pisces ~ pointed finger tips / yellowish skin / islanded line of health~ feet and toes including bunions and gout, colds, mucous discharges, tumors, drug addictions, and liver troubles.

LEO & HANDS

You don’t need a Leo sun, moon, ascendant, planets, aspects, or houses to be a Leo. Anyone with Leo hands behaves like a Leo. Fire (intuitive) and air signs (thinking) are masculine in gender. Earth signs (practical) and water signs (feeling) are feminine. All Intuitive types have long rectangular palms with short fingers. Leo’s morphology and proportions are identical to Sagittarius and Aries. The differences are in hand qualities and features such as flexibility and stiffness, elasticity and consistency, and texture and color. Leo is a fixed type. Leo hands are stiff, dense, and firm. Leo’s skin is less elastic than Aries skin. Aries (cardinal) sometimes acts without thinking, and then bounces back from the consequences. Sagittarians (mutable) have softer hands as Sagittarians tend to be more self-indulgent and pleasure-seeking.

Leo has big ideas, but procrastinates. Life and head lines often intertwine where a rosy bulge meets a strong stiff thumb on a firm pink hand. Closely braided head and life lines reveal a person who cares about what others think. The longer the connection, the more they care. Leos take what others say personally, even when it wasn’t meant to be!  Leos need to be liked, appreciated, and never taken for granted; which is the beginning of the end.

Healthy Leos are highly spirited, enthusiastic individuals who dislike details and need to see the whole picture. They require freedom in order to express themselves naturally. Leos take pride in their honesty, integrity, dignity, and nobility. They’re independent objective thinkers who set inspiring goals as ways to channel their abundant pride, energy, and passion. Leo loves being center of attention. Creative, dramatic, generous, enthusiastic, and fiercely loyal, they embrace you with ‘pride’ and lavish you with ‘praise’ and then expect you to admire and worship them forever. Their many fans eagerly await their contagious humor and compelling stories.

Leo’s physical sense is sight. The esoteric equivalent is enlightenment. Leo must learn to burn brightly without judgement or expectation, embrace truth, see the proverbial handwriting on the walls, cut their losses, and let go of false pride. Many multi-talented Leos spread themselves too thin and end up becoming the jacks of all trades, masters of none. Their potential health problems are eyesight, heart, and poor circulation.

Pure types have long and strong ring fingersShapes of tips, proportions of phalanges, knots, nails, lengths of fingers, directions of lines, and breaks, along with other qualities of topographical markings reveal what the person chooses to create with their free will. A seasoned palmist can readily see relationship skills, career potentials, behavior, and health issues. The consistency and flexibility of hands and the elasticity of skin reveals three modalities. Whorl fingerprints (concentric circles and spirals) add originality, spontaneity, eccentricity, and unconventionality. It’s important to note that despite the accuracy of hand science, human nature cannot be defined through details. It’s about combinations of details affecting free will, choice, action, and context. Palmistry is my favorite of myriad metaphysical methods to observe and interpret human character.

I often look to ring fingers for artistic and aesthetic abilities, drama, versatility, salesmanship, showiness, gambling proclivities, satisfaction, and reputation. No matter what your type, strong ring fingers add adaptability, creativity, and expressiveness. Cultivated Leos love beautiful things and savor a developed sense of taste and style. Long ring fingered folk are likable and they know it.

The ring finger is judged for length against the middle finger. When the tip is shorter than the middle of the first phalanx of the middle finger, it’s considered short. When longer, it’s considered long. Hands of actors, artists, architects, designers, craftsmen, photographers, curators, businessmen, teachers, salesmen, politicians, and diplomats frequently have long ring fingers. Hands of gamblers also have long ring fingers. A major challenge of very long ring fingered gamblers is that they do win, but don’t know when to stop.

No matter what your sun sign or hand type, people with square fingertips and stiff knotty joints are more practical, methodical, and cautious than those without them. Crooked fingers bring perfectionism, self-criticism, and potential moodiness. Leos tend to procrastinate at beginnings and endings. Healthy Leos shine with strength and courage like the sun. Leo is naturally charming, talented, and versatile. Leo’s liabilities are self- consciousness, emotional insecurity, vanity, and clinging to obsolete circumstances and behavioral patterns while cultivating confusing situations and nursing fruitless relationships. Don’t ever take a Leo for granted unless you’re trying to make him angry or scarce. Leo must have an inspiring quest or risk mundanity and mediocrity. Easily bored when life gets routine, too much order and detail can make Leo restless and impatient. If you can’t help a Leo, stay out of his way. No matter your sign, if you have Leo hands, you love being the boss.

Extroverts in general and fire types in particular, flourish best when they behave responsibly, honestly, patiently, and naturally in their relationships. Leo needs to learn to cultivate clear vision and enduring patience. That’s not easy for Leo as he’s naturally impatient and impulsive. Frequently accused of ‘being opinionated’, Leo’s point of view is so very important. Communicating clearly and effectively is a must. Leo’s biggest challenges are to establish clear boundaries and limitations and overcome inertia.

Last time I checked, there were more Fortune 500 and NASDAQ LEO CEO’s than any other sign. Our four most recent Presidents have all been dominated by Leo symbolism.

Bill Clinton is a multi-talented charismatic Leo. His long rectangular palms and short fingers reveal Leo intuitive hands. Head and life lines are closely tied at their beginnings. Bill cares more than you know about what others think of him. Bill’s insecurity, pride, and hubris undermined the power he worked so hard to acquire. Ironically and regrettably, philandering often comes with power. I’m sure Hillary (Scorpio ~ Capricorn hands) gave Bill a thorough spanking he’ll never forget when he got caught!

George Bush desperately wanted to be a ‘good old boy’, but he had too much unearned power. He hung to his frat boy mentality, well into his Presidency. George is a Cancer. He has Leo rising and Leo hands similar to Bill Clinton. Ruled by false pride and ego centered motivations, George is likely deeply embarrassed about his choices and behavior as President. Perhaps he has finally learned humility and is overjoyed that he’s no longer the worst President.

Barack Obama is a Leo with intuitive hands that display an Arian and Aquarian combo. He’s a warrior of ideas and ideals. Barack embodies some of the best qualities of Leo. Proud, but respectful, he’s loyal to family and friends who’ve earned his trust. Barack’s biggest challenge as President was being a bi-racial bi-partisan politician in a partisan world. He should have grabbed power while Democrats ruled congress and the senate.

Donald Trump is a Gemini with Leo rising. Donald’s small stiff looking Leo hands with rectangular palms, short fingers, and closely intertwined head and life line reveal a man who desperately cares what you think despite his flippant attitude and intimidating behavior. Donald Trump flaunts the absolute worst qualities of Gemini and Leo. He blew a golden opportunity to truly be loved by promoting fear and hatred. How much tyranny, intimidation, and greed do we need before we learn to value our humanity, health, families, planet, and basic gifts of life without having to lose them? Rest assured, Donald Trump’s humiliation, shame, and fall from grace will be of great relief and satisfaction for the world!

ARIES & HANDS

You don’t need an Aries sun, moon, ascendant, planets, aspects, or houses to be Arian. No matter what your astrology says, Aries, Sagittarius, and Leo, are Intuitive archetypes with rectangular palms and short fingers. If you have an Aries sun and Aries hands, you’re very Aries. Aries hands differ from Leo and Sag hands in that Leo hands tend to be harder and stiffer than Aries while Sagittarian hands tend to be softer and more flexible. Aries hands have full and firm percussions (upper Mars under pinkie finger). Resilient elastic skin quickly springs back to normal when pushed or pulled.

Pink color energizes. Red pressurizes, especially when a plump red puffy bump bulges (lower Mars) where the thumb meets the hand. Red hands embody too much energy, anger, and passion. A healthy Aries has a rosy full ball of thumb (Venus).

Head and life lines are separated at their beginnings on pure types. Wider gaps symbolize greater need for independence, freedom, and rebelliousness. A healthy Mars has plenty of initiative, cherishes his independence, and must be true to himself. When head and life lines intertwine at their beginnings, motivation and action are other driven. They need to be appreciated and must never be taken for granted. Pure Leo has closely entwined head and life lines. They want to be in charge, but procrastinate at beginnings and endings because they care too much what other people think of them. They fixate on the ideas of others and take their opinions personally, even when they’re not.

Most courageous and adventurous of all types, Aries is a fierce warrior and inspired risk taker. Passion is contagious and optimism eternal. Mars never runs out of doors to knock on as he doesn’t take rejection personally. He loves sports and is ready and willing to compete with anyone at any time and place. An autonomous freedom lover, he hates criticism and bureaucrats, and loves being the catalyst at beginnings of projects.

LOW SET THUMB

In general, cardinal types tend to have low set thumbs. No matter what you do, very low set thumbs were designed for questing Holy Grails, saving underdogs, strays, and fixer-uppers, and rescuing fair damsels in distress. Aries crusades relentlessly and persists untiringly until his objectives are realized. Working on worthy causes brings satisfaction and fulfillment.

Aries is not detail oriented. When they get bogged down with mundane activities, they become bored, restless, and frustrated. It’s best to stay out of their way if you can’t help them. In intimate relationships, physical chemistry is very important. The football player (Mars) and cheerleader (Venus) are hot for each other. Aries needs to stay far away from controlling, possessive, and jealous types. Freedom is a must. They must not be too impulsive or in a hurry to ‘fall in love’. Unhappy marriages often follow unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. Aries must be patient, trust their intuition, and set sensible goals. Most are unafraid of blood and sharp tools. Many become soldiers, butchers, and surgeons. Mars also rules executives, salesmen, barbers, sportsmen, military leaders, policemen, firemen, and any and every one else who is full of fire and fury.

Aries are resilient. No matter what happens, they always bounce back and land on their feet. Their powerful sense of inner strength, unrelenting courage, incorrigible determination, and tenacious persistence make them formidable foes. Aries conquers procrastination, overcomes inertia, and takes action with abundant physical energy. Their health challenges are inflammations, fevers, headaches, and high blood pressure.

Aries rules War. Ancient warrior cultures practiced their lustiest mating rituals from late June to late July to seed future generations of Aries warriors. Aries rules Germany, England, and Japan. Hitler manufactured an Aryan race. Britain barbarized, colonized, and attempted to civilize the globe. Japan was atom bombed in World War II. Modern Japan wages wars of commerce, communications, transportation, and electronics.

Invincible warriors and lusty lovers, gods of war, are symbolized by an erect penis. Aries is Greek. Mars is Roman. Aries rises with the Spring Equinox. Everyone has some degree of Aries and Mars in his or her psyche. Strong athletic bodies, dominant chests, and rock hard heads were made to match that psyche. Aries aren’t called ‘Ram’ for nothing.  My partner Joanna is an Aries with Venus in Taurus rising. I call her ‘Rambull’. She can be extremely obstinate and that’s grounding for me. I’m a Gemini with Scorpio rising. Joanna calls me a ‘piece of work in progress’.

Aries ancestors are warriors and conquerors. King Theseus of Athens, Jason and his Argonauts, Joan of Arc, Xena, Mulan, Robin Hood, and their popular eastern cousin, Aladdin, the orphaned son of the king of thieves, handsome adolescent street rat, diamond in the rough, destined to become a prince. The hand above belongs to a real life Aladdin. Click here for his story.

Al Gore’s rectangular palms and short fingers reveal the harmony between his intuitive personality and Aries Sun. Al’s Mars, Saturn, and Pluto are in Leo and his Jupiter is in Sagittarius. That’s a lot of fire. Inspiration motivates Al, as he passionately informs consumers about the hazards and truths of Global Warming and Climate Change. Al and his Argonauts bagged the coveted Nobel Peace Prize while opening masses of minds to masses of waste.

Al is a conceptual thinker who loves the idea part of his process. His greatest asset is his ability to see the big picture. Having no time and little aptitude or patience for details, Al can sell anything he truly believes in. Al’s long index finger symbolizes his ambition, obsessions, and egocentricities. Al knows what he wants, gets the facts, and makes the case for his cause. Armed with a lightning bolt from Zeus, Al is a person of great influence, privilege, and wealth. It’s vital that Al remain vigilant of the size and quality of his own personal footprint. Al must make sure he always practices what he preaches.

U.S. ex-Secretary of State, General Colin Powell is Aries with his Sun and Mercury in Aries (April 5, 1937). His rectangular palms, short fingers, and widely separated life and headline are the embodiment of King Theseus of Athens. Theseus escorted Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece. He defeated the dreaded Minotaur (Saddam Hussein, a Taurus) and united the warring Greek factions under his rule.

Secretary Powell’s powerful and practical personality persuaded Americans to keep the faith while we invaded Iraq. He believed he could make a positive difference, but ended up being goldenly fleeced by the Bush administration. Our Emperor, George II, pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes as he proudly wore Powell’s threads of noble charisma, flawless credibility, and ethical principles on the front lines of international diplomacy. General Powell’s greatest battles are yet to come as he approaches the end of his life and wages war with his personal loyalties, honesty, integrity, dignity, and truth. An evil empire can take revenge on Powell’s family and forces him to keep his truths secret. If Colin Powell wants to die a true hero, he must find a way to cleanse his karma by shining the light of absolute truth on the many shades of gray in his life.

SAGITTARIAN HANDS

You don’t need a Sagittarius Sun, Moon, houses, aspects, planets, or planetary placements in your natal astrology to be Sagittarian. Sagittarian hands are healthy looking with mildly flexible wrist joints, pink firm elastic skin, and a confident hand shake. Elastic hands with rectangular palms and short flexible fingers reflect Intuitive  and  mutable personalities. Pure types tend to have long straight  index fingers that stand away from the hand. No matter what your basic type, strong index fingers point to ambition, leadership abilities, self-pride, confidence, spiritual affinities, religious affiliations, idealism, truthfulness, and generosity. Pink color under index fingers adds energy and enthusiasm and reveals a desire to make a difference.

I’m generalizing from my personal experience when I tell you that I see a lot of smooth finger joints, round and conical fingertips, and loop and whorl fingerprints on Sagittarians. I’ve read many tens of thousands of hands over forty years, but I haven’t documented enough statistically to call my experience scientific. One thing I can say for sure is that healthy Sagittarians are idealists, enthusiastic, and self-assured. They’re eternal optimists, honest, and sincere, with friendly charismatic voices designed to persuade. Good luck and positive thinking support them in achieving their goals.

Sagittarians are philosophical, expansive, generous, passionate, principled, proud, truthful, and spiritual. They’re irresistible when they truly believe in themselves. Sagittarians are often accused of seeing life through rose colored glasses because they tend to see people and circumstances as they want them to be instead of how they really are. They love travel and take time to explore and seek food and adventure when they arrive at a new destination. Inherently nature lovers, they’re also naturally healthy types.

Jupiter’s dominant physical sense is taste. Sagittarians love exotic foods, luxurious desserts, and fine wine. Many of the world’s finest and worst chefs have dominant index fingers. Depending on the length and thickness of the bottom phalange, temptation is a force that emerges from deep within the psyche. Loving rich food and fine wine is a potent temptation that can lead them down that dark path of excess that leads to the palace of wisdom. Most of their physical problems result from overindulging in food, drink, and other temptations. Gluttony makes them prone to blood disorders, liver disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and troubles with throat, thighs, and hips. Vanity is tactless, insincere, judgmental, opinionated, hypercritical, hypocritical, impractical, grandiose, arrogant, dictatorial, vain, gluttonous, and philandering. Many dominant index fingered people are of medium height with generously proportioned bodies. More than a few have wide chests, high foreheads, and widely spaced kindly eyes on roundish faces with wavy hair.

When a dominant hand’s index finger is long, (past midway to tip of top phalanx of middle finger), projects forward, has a pinkish color beneath (all races), that person loves being boss and hates being criticized. As planners, setters of goals, and natural leaders, they’re attracted to other ambitious career minded professionals, and go-getters (like themselves). They must steer far from strays and fixer-uppers who are attracted to them. Anyone needing a free ride or unable to carry their own weight quickly loses credibility and respect.

Healthy Sagittarians enjoy being married. They need a partner as much as a lover. Setting goals, planning, and dreaming about the future together is essential to having a loving relationship. Their personal problems often result from practicing obsessive and controlling behavioral patterns, and expressing judgmental and critical attitudes. False pride, gluttony, vanity, and bossiness are weaknesses these individuals must overcome by practicing moderation and steadily earning self-esteem and success. Sagittarians must choose a philosophy that helps them be an integral part of a working society instead of tilting at windmills like Don Quixote or being someone who always has everyone else’s answers.

A short index finger is less than half way to the middle of the top phalange of the middle finger. A person with a short index finger must work harder to achieve the same results as a long index fingered person. Many short index fingered people don’t value themselves enough because they were not valued during their formative years. Where was support and encouragement when they needed it? Their challenge is to learn to ask enough for themselves. Plenty of very successful individuals have had to contend with very short index fingers. They earned every drop of whatever they were able to achieve. Nothing came easily, but it was well worth the risk and work.

Scientific studies relate short index fingers to homosexuality. Click if you’re curious about my take on the subject.  Click on this minute long YouTube video if you want to see how understanding index fingers altered our child’s destiny. Basic hand shape reveals whether a person is more intuitivepracticalthinking, or feeling. Whoever cultivates and nourishes a dominant index finger is honest and direct, shows pride in their work, and takes calculated risks. Many strong index fingered people are successful managers, journalists, judges, lawyers, politicians, singers (musical instrument is voice), producers, promoters, priests, chefs, speakers, and salespeople.

Every finger and fingerprint needs to be considered when examining a person’s character. Proportions of individual phalanges, knots, and nails are important. For instance, spatula shaped fingertips with whorl fingerprints embody philosophical, unconventional, and original thinking. Square tips with arch prints are practical, responsible, reliable, and dependable. Round and conical tips with loop prints are adaptable and communicative. Skin ridge patterns rarely change, except under sudden  extreme circumstances. Depending on your basic type, normal and peripheral lines change gradually as thinking and circumstances change. Careful examination of dermatoglyphics requires a quality set of hand-prints and/or hi-res digital photos, a powerful magnifying glass, and precise measuring tools. You can still give a great reading without peripheral details once you know the gestalt of a person. Additional detail affirms and confirms the basic character and behavior of a person and provides valuable information as to current events and timing.

Skin ridge patterns are beyond the scope of this post. Richard Unger has devoted his career to the subject. Richard is a practicing hand reader, palmistry teacher, and finger print expert on the west coast. We’ve stayed in touch and shared our  work and palmistry experiences for many years. If you want to learn more about fingerprints, I recommend Richard’s book LIFEPRINTS as valuable reading for any student of palmistry, metaphysics, and human destiny.