Palm reading is also known as chiromancy or palmistry. In the movies we often see gypsies doing palm readings and are often caricatured as superstitious folks who have nothing better to do. However, the fact is that this craft has quite a long history behind it. Here is some interesting information about this old practice.
Ancient History
Movies may have popularized the idea that gypsies as the popular practitioners, but in reality palm reading is practiced all over the world. Other than the gypsies, chiromancy has deep roots among the Chinese and Indians. Someone has suggested that palmistry started from India and spread to neighboring countries like ancient China and the rest of the world. Of course, that claim has yet to be verified.
The Basics
The hand is regarded as one of the most important parts of the human body. With it we do our work, write, draw, and hold our loved ones. With this concept in mind it is easy to understand why the ancient peoples have thought that one can examine the lives of people by reading their palms.
It is highly recommended that a palmist should read a person’s dominant hand. This simply means that you should be reading a person’s right hand if they are right handed and the left hand if they are left handed. This is true even for those who are ambidextrous. They will usually prefer one hand over the other.
A palmist usually holds the person’s hand with the fingers pointing upward. Palm reading basically will concern itself with the three main lines you will see on the palm of one’s hand. The first one is the top line that starts from the side by the pinky and usually ending up between the middle and pointer finger.
The middle line is seen to be on a lower on the palm. It crosses the very center of one’s palm and ends somewhere in between the thumb and pointer fingers. The lower line on the other hand starts from the wrist and usually meets with the center line.
The Heart Line
In palm reading, the top line is also called the heart line. This line determines one’s feelings and emotions. If a heart line is pretty high above the middle line then this is an indication that the person has a tendency for either jealousy or passion. A lower heart line indicates a more balanced person. This is also true if this line goes straight. If this line dips or points downward in any degree, this will indicate a certain amount of trouble.
The Head Line
The middle line is otherwise known as the head line. It is said that this indicates the person’s mentality. If the line is stronger or more pronounced then the person is more forceful. A straight head line indicates being more focused while a wiggly line indicates a person with a mind that tends to wander off easily.
Life Line
The bottom line in palm reading is also known as the life line. If this line meets with your head line then you are a person who pays attention to the things that go on in your surroundings. If this line tends to shy away from the middle line then it indicates that the person focuses more on the self.
Further Learning
Other than these basic concepts, one can learn other schools of thought in palmistry. Other concepts like the significance of the left or the right hand and the shape of the hands also become significant. Other than the first three lines, you’ll also have to learn what the other lines mean such as the Girdle of Venus, Mercury Line, Fate Line, and Sun Line.