Palmistry
The science of divination by means of lines and marks on the human hand. It is said to have been practised in very early times by the Brahmins of India, and to be known to Aristotle, who discovered a treatise on the subject Palmistry written in letters of gold, which he presented to Alexander the Great, and which was afterwards translated into Latin by Hispanus. There is also extant a work on the subject by Melampus of Alexandria, and Hippocrates, Galen, and several Arabian commentators have also dealt with it. In the Middle Ages the science was represented by Hartlieb (circa 1448), and Cocles (circa 1054), and Fludd, Indigane, Rothmann, and many others wrote on cheiromancy. D'Arpentigny, Desbarolles, Carus, and others kept the science alive in the earlier half of the nineteenth century, since when a very large number of treatises upon it have been written. Since 1860, or thereabouts, palmistry has become very much more popular than ever before in these islands, and indeed is practised nearly all over the habitable globe. Palmistry is sub-divided into three lesser arts-cheirognomy, cheirosophy and cheiromancy. The first is the art of recognising the type of intelligence from the form of the hands; the second is the study of the comparative value of manual formations; and the third is the art of divination from the form of the hand and fingers, and the lines and markings thereon. The palmist first of all studies the shape and general formation of the hand as a whole, afterwards regarding its parts and details, - the lines and markings being considered later. From cheirognomy and cheirosophy the general disposition and tendencies are ascertained, and future events are foretold from the reading of the lines and markings.
There are several types of hands: the elementary or large-palmed type; the necessary with spatulated fingers; the artistic with conical-shaped fingers; the useful, the fingers of which are square-shaped; the knotted or philosophical; the pointed, or psychic; and the mixed, in which the types are blended. The principal lines are: those which separate the hand from the forearm at the wrist, and which are known as the rascettes, or the lines of health, wealth and happiness. The line of life stretches from the centre of the palm around the base of the thumb almost to the wrist, and is joined for a considerable part of its course by the line of the head. The line of the heart runs across two-thirds of the palm, above the head line; and the line of fate between it and the line of the head, nearly at right angles extending towards the wrist. The line of fortune runs from the base of the third finger towards the wrist parallel to the line of fate. If the lines are deep, firm and of narrow width the significance is good-excepting that a strong line of health shows constitutional weakness. At the base of the fingers, beginning with the first, lie the mounts of Jupiter, Saturn, Apollo, and Mercury; at the base of the thumb the mount of Venus; and opposite to it, that of Luna. If well-proportioned they show certain virtues, but if exaggerated they indicate the vices which correspond to these. The first displays religion, reasonable ambition, or pride and superstition; the second wisdom and prudence, or ignorance and failure; the third when large makes for success and intelligence, when small for meanness or love of obscurity; the fourth desire for knowledge and industry, or disinterestedness and laziness. The Lunar mount indicates sensitiveness, imagination, morality or otherwise; and self-will: and the mount of Venus, charity and affection, or if exaggerated viciousness. The phalanges of the fingers are also indicative of certain faculties. For example, the first and second of the thumb, according to their length, indicate the value of the logical faculty and of the will; those of the index finger in their order-materialism, law, and order; of the middle fingerhumanity, system, intelligence; of the third finger-truth economy, energy; and of the little finger goodness, prudence, reflectiveness. There are nearly a hundred other marks and signs, by which certain qualities, influences or events can be recognised. The line of life by its length indicates the length of existence of its owner. If it is short in both hands, the life will be a short one; if broken in one hand and weak in the other, a serious illness is denoted. If broken in both hands, it means death. If it is much chained it means delicacy. If it has a second or sister line, it shows great vitality. A black spot on the line shows illness at the time marked. A cross indicates some fatality. The line of life coming out far into the palm is a sign of long life. The line of the head, if long and well-coloured, denotes intelligence and power. If descending to the mount of the Moon it shows that the head is much influenced by the imagination. Islands on the line denote mental troubles. The head line forked at the end indicates subtlety and a facility for seeing all sides of the question. A double line of the head is an indication of good fortune. The line of the heart should branch towards the mount of Jupiter. If it should pass the mount of Jupiter to the edge of the hand and travel round the index finger, it is called Solomon's ring" and indicates ideality and romance; it is also a sign of occult power. Points or dots in this line may show illness if black, and if white love affairs; while islands on the heart line indicate disease. The line of fate, or Saturn, if it rises from the Lunar mount and ascends towards the line of the heart is a sign of a rich marriage. If it extends into the third phalange of Saturn's finger it shows the sinister influence of that planet. A double line of fate is ominous. over 66 In such an article as this it would be out of place to mention the very numerous lesser lines and marks which the hand contains, especially when so many excellent books of reference on the subject have recently been published. It but remains to say that practitioners of the science of palmistry are excceedingly numerous. Some of these work on strictly scientific lines, while others pick it up in a merely empirical way, and their forecasts of events to come are only so much "patter."