The Hand: Our Personal Map of the Nervous System

The Art of Palm Reading
by Angela Wade

 

The act of reading a palm is much more than looking at a person's hand. It is an art.

 

When a new client first sits down with me for a palm reading, he or she will often thrust a palm in my face and quip, "So, what do you see?" The act of reading a palm is much more than looking at a person's hand. It is an art.

Palm reading is actually an ancient art, and modern palm reading methods incorporate thousands of years of accumulated knowledge. The history of Rom or Gypsy palm reading goes back to the Middle Ages. Even older is the study of Ayurveda (a Sanskrit term meaning "science of life"), which has used the physical character of the fingernail for medical information for over 5,000 years.

There are numerous good books on palm reading, but even if you read all the books ever written on the subject they could not interpret every hand. You could not turn to chapter 6 and find your client's hand. Why? Because each hand is a unique combination of strengths, weaknesses, talents and emotions, all influenced by the individual's own desires and personal history. Each reading is a unique experience. That's one of the reasons I love this job -- it's never the same thing twice.

The art of palm reading means more than just looking at the lines in the palm! The fingers, the pads, the color, texture size and shape of each hand have meaning. Each finger has different characteristics. Jupiter (the index finger) represents the leadership qualities of a person. The longer the finger is in relation to the other fingers shows whether a person relates to others in a controlling or controlled way. For example, a very long, pointed Jupiter indicates a politician or religious leader. But which one of these is indicated (a politician or a religious leader) we can only learn from the other features of the hand.

The length, thickness, and direction of lean of each finger have a meaning. For instance, if Jupiter leans toward Saturn (the middle finger) that person may be more concerned with society, therefore, perhaps politics or social services. If Jupiter is very straight or leans away from the other fingers, this person may be more independent or tend to spend a great deal of time alone.

Each joint of the finger has a different meaning. The first joint (closest to the palm) has material or physical properties. The second joint tells of scientific or practical interests. The third is the intuitive or spiritual indicator. The length and thickness of the joints have different importance on each finger because each finger tells a different story. There are also some traditional signs concerning the joints. For example, a long, thick first joint on Jupiter indicates someone who either loves to cook or is a gourmet!

There is a wealth of information about personality in just the fingernails. An oval- or almond-shaped nail holds psychic or intuitive properties for the finger it is found on. A square nail shows responsibility, practicality and well-organized qualities. However, a short, rectangular nail, especially on the thumb, can be an indicator of short temper or even cruelty.

The physical characteristics of a hand have hundreds of interpretations. None can be read alone, for each is governed by its fellows. For instance, an island (an oval-shaped area where the line seems to split then come together again) at the beginning of the life line (the line starting between the thumb and index finger and running down the palm to the wrist) can indicate a time of loneliness, unhappiness, illness, feeling unloved, confusion, living in many different places or being on the move. It can also mean the client has suffered from respiratory illness or been susceptible to such from their youth. The correct meaning influences what other signs on the line mean.

A good palm reader must read the entire hand as it works together. This requires several important factors. The lighting must be bright enough and in the right direction to show all the features. Both reader and client must be physically comfortable. Any cramps or itches will block or distract the psychic flow of information between the two people. This psychic flow is an important part of the art. Listening to the inner voices and spiritual leadership guides the reader to the correct interpretation of the information before him or her.

The most important factor to a successful palm reading is trust. I have had several clients tell me they are afraid of what I will tell them because the last person who read their hands had nothing but bad things to say. It is my belief that it is part of the art to balance the positive with the negative things I see in each person.

The primary reason people come to me is for some kind of help or guidance. If I am not able to give a client hope, encouragement, or some sense of direction, I don't feel I've done my job.

Reading a palm is a complex, unpredictable craft requiring a great deal of study. Sometimes a reading is sharp and clear; other times it is filled with mystery and magic. But always palm reading requires both knowledge and an artful touch.

FOR MORE INFORMATION The Elements of Handreading by Lori Reid (Element Books Limited, 1994) The Metaphysical Handbook by David and Lucy Pond (Reflecting Pond Publications, 1984) Ayurveda, The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad (Lotus Press, 1983) How to Read Palms by Judith Hipskind (Globe Communications Corp., 1998) Secrets of Gypsy Fortunetelling by Raymond Buckland (Llewellyn Publications, 1996)

 Angela Wade has studied several arts for more than 30 years. You can reach her for a palm reading at 337-0945 or 223-3298; or send e-mail to AngelaWade2@excite.com

The Hand: Our Personal Map of the Nervous System
by Kaela Koch

 

Serious medical conditions, basic temperaments and even more specific personality traits and behavioral styles that are dependent upon brain and nervous system organization can be evidenced in the hand.

The idea of hand analysis often conjures thoughts of a fortune teller or psychic who is able to tap into powers and read the palm of a person, arriving at knowledge that is personal and explicit. While this may or may not be the case, the hands are a map of the nervous system. As such, the hands reveal insights not of personal idiosyncrasies, but of more general behavioral tendencies and overall temperament.

What's the difference between hand analysis and palmistry?

Although looking at your hand may not necessarily reveal secrets of the future, it can help you to understand your personal style. The difference is critical. Consider the life line as an example. This is a palmar crease that has been related to basic energy levels. It does not represent how long we will live. Rather, it represents our general vitality and zest for life. The indication is of quality of life, not quantity.

Our hands tell us something about our functioning today. In viewing the hands as a rough map of our nervous system organization -- and by deciphering the legend -- we learn to understand how we are wired to deal with life's obstacles and what types of experiences could help to alter that wiring into a more constructive organization.

Why can the hand can tell us about our personality?

Early on, when we are still developing inside our mother, we are a mass of cells growing exponentially in complexity. We grow from a single fertilized ovum into a group of undifferentiated cells. Continuing to multiply, these cells sort themselves into three basic layers: the endoderm, the mesoderm, and the ectoderm.

The ectoderm, the outermost layer, becomes the brain, nervous system, and sensory apparatus. This means that the skin and brain are formed at the same time. If there is an impact on development (and there is always an impact on development -- that is part of being human, for we all have little coding errors), it shows up in the brain as well as the hands.

This is why doctors always check the hands of a newborn. It is why forensic psychiatrists work to establish hand print screening tests to identify such populations as those people running a higher risk of presenting symptoms of schizophrenia as young adults. Serious medical conditions, basic temperaments and even more specific personality traits and behavioral styles that are dependent upon brain and nervous system organization can be evidenced in the hand.

When there is an impact on the developing fetus during the time the ectoderm is in critical stages of development, there can be visible effects. A skilled observer can notice significant features on the palms of the hand, soles of the feet, as well as the ears and other distinguishable body parts.

Over thousands of generations, people who have been interested have noticed that certain markings or features of the hands tend to show up more commonly when certain behavioral traits are present. At various times the summed average has been taken, producing a broad variety of texts. There has been a reluctance to rely on these historical documents, or on the more modern day palmistry theory, when scientific inquiries are made. Naturally, there have been some remarkable scientists, such as Charlotte Wolff, who have done just this.

How can hand analysis be helpful?

While there does seem to be compelling evidence suggesting that the hand is indeed useful as a rough map of the nervous system and the way the brain is wired up to deal with life's obstacles, it wouldn't have to be true for an analysis to be helpful. This is because hand analysis is often most helpful as a tool of self-exploration, a trigger to intuitive thought processes. It is the individual who has the greatest potential to understand the self and the strengths and weaknesses that give definition to one's life.

If a system of thought is fun, interesting, and can help you to explore your more private side, then so much the better. Really, it is the act of self-reflection that can remind us that we are strong inside and that we have worth separate from the evaluation of others. We have worth and importance because only we are who we are.

What other practices can help us learn more?

There are many ways to think about who we are and what we need. Journaling, dream analysis, name analysis, and personality tests such as the Meyers-Briggs are just a few. By tuning in and staying aware of our personal style, we can do the best job of helping ourselves to be healthy, strong and happy. We all have limitations, but by understanding our strengths and weaknesses we can make the most of what we have to work with.

By understanding that we all have basic needs, we also recognize the common threads that bind us together in a web of social interactions. By understanding where we are individually in meeting those needs, we can recognize the limits we have and the conditions we place on the interactions we take part in.

By looking at the almost universal presence of both a head line and heart line, we can recognize that we all have thoughts and feelings. We can also look at the more specific shape of those lines and realize that the emotional style or mental outlook that we have been building throughout our many experiences is unique to us, but still subject to change. In fact, in as little as three months the lines in our palms can change as a result of our changing experiences. Although fingerprints remain constant, just as our core self remains fairly constant, the finer details of outlook and expectations are always changing.

Every morning, we wake up with a new brain. Every day that we are alive, we have experiences that shape who we will be tomorrow. By looking at our hands and the way our lines change, we can remember this. We can remember the power of personal choice and the importance of self-exploration.

Kaela Koch is an artist and writer who offers human form sculptures and personalized books including both hand and name analysis. She can be telephoned at 770-7858 or e-mailed at kaela@gci.net.