Palmistry: Lives of our Hands

For any student of the Hermetic arts, seeking correspondences between the visible world of things with the hidden realm of meaning, appearances will reveal philosophies. Through an informed and close study of minute particulars, tangible realities will disclose their inner workings, the ideal truths of character and emotion which may be clothed in flesh or gesture. At once, the material world may both obscure and illuminate an underlying pattern. But the very act of disguise is itself a form of revelation.

With the forms and shapes of the hands, the inmost character is plainly revealed in general outline. Impossible to hide, the hands are carried through life as visible signposts of the interior self. Their contours indicate the nature of the very tasks at which they will excel. As if to disclose the results of his handiwork, the visible outcome of his labors, "God seals up the hand of every man that all men may know his work," (Job 37:7).

In traditional Palmistry there are seven basic hand shapes. These were proposed by the French palmist Casimir d’Arpentigny in the 19th century and subsequently were further elaborated by Cheiro in several of his books on the subject. To some extent, these seven hand shapes reflect the thinking of the 19th century but they are a useful set of categories for fundamental types of character.

The Elementary hand is short and strong with a square palm and stubby fingers. A few deeply etched lines may be evident and this is the hand of a steady albeit predictable individual. The Square hand is the hand of a builder, as broad as it is long with the fingers straight and having square tips. Square hands indicate a practical and systematic individual.

The Psychic hand is long and thin with pointed fingertips. These people, of course, are intuitive, inclined to the spiritual, and may be oversensitive and possibly, impractical. This Conic hand is common among women with tapered fingers in a pointed hand having finely textured skin. Sensitivity and creativity are indicated with the Conic hand.

The Philosophic hand has long and bony fingers with "knotted" knuckles and suggests a deep thinker with an analytical mind. The Spatulate hand has bulbous fingertips and a narrower palm than that of the Square hand. People with Spatulate hands are energetic, quite active and practical. The Mixed hand combines the different aspects of the other types and is quite common. People with very mixed hands may be adaptable and have a variety of talents.

The Chinese system of Cheirognomy divides the hand into four Elemental shapes. The Earth hand, not surprisingly, has a large square palm and short fingers. These people are practical and possibly materialistic.The Air hand has long fingers extending from a square palm and is ruled by the mind. Fire hand has a long palm with short fingers indicating ambition, energy and possibly impulsiveness. The Water hand has a long palm and fingers. The Water hand is psychic and may be covered with many, fine lines suggesting intuition and sensitivity.

Read in conjunction with lines and mounts, the shapes of the hands indicate a very general starting point for character, the basic building blocks of the self. The very base of the palm is physical vitality, earthiness and practicality. The energies of character rise through the three worlds in the hands through emotion and mind to the fingertips of spirit, just as the chakras in the body rise from the physical to the spiritual. The contours of the hands represent a basic canvas upon which the rainbow array of character is painted through living.

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Sept/Oct 2002

Lives of our Hands

Shaping the Outlook

by Ray Zone