GRAMMAR OF PALM ISTRY,

w

"A THAR INE S T . H I L LI i

WI TH E I GH TEEN I L L US T R A T I ON S

fi p Y W G H r

P H I L A D EL P H I A

HENRY AL TEM US

1 893

W‘w

fi‘bfi

CO P Y R I G H T ED 1 893

BY HENR Y A L T EM US .

A L T E M US‘BO O "BI ND ER Y ,

P H I L A D E L P H I A .

PREFACE.

I have here made only a nosegay of culled flowers ,

and I have brought nothing of m y own bu t th e stringthat ties them .

"—M ONTA IGNE .

I N these days,when so many books on th is

favou rite subject have already been offered to

the reading publ i c,i t requ i res an apology on my

part for thus introducing another to thei r noti ce,

al l the more as in the present volume no pretence

i s made to origi nal ity.

Palmistry,l ike al l other sci ences

,reduces itself

to the l ikeness of a language,and for the study

o f any language a grammar is the first requ i site .

In nearly al l the books from which I have myself

studi ed during the fou r or five years I have de

voted to the subj ect,I have found a considerable

d ifficu lty i n extracting even the primary ru les

and precepts from the masses of extraneous

6 Dreface.

matter i ntroduced into the middle of them . In

the older writers,the maxims of Palmistry are

mingled with the canons of necromancy,astrology

,

spi rituali sm and superstition ; whi le the more

modern writers almost i nvariably halt i n the

middle of thei r axioms to tel l stories of thei r

ow n particu lar successes,and to describe how

wonderfu l ly wel l they themselves havesucceeded

i n predi cting certai n events,and describing cer

tain characters . I think i t i s now no longer

necessary to encou rage the student by a llowmg

him to perceive to what a great degree of accuracy

character-reading and predict ion can be carried

by those who have wel l studied the art of

Palmistry,as the sc ience has taken its recognized

pos ition,and its claims to fu lfi l i ts pretensions

are no longer dispu ted .

In the present work,therefore

,I have en

deavoured to place before the reader the ru les

laid down by the best of our modern writers on

the subject,i n the c learest and simplest manner

poss ible ; and I have added a n umber of draw

ings from the hands of distingu ished people to

nyt eface. 7

serve as examples and exerci ses for the ass ist

ance of the student. I f,i n so doing , I have made

but a dul l and uninterest ing book , and have

thereby laid myself open to the warn ing ad

dressed by a friendly criti c to an old-world

author on a kindred subject "

Friend , by y our w ritings I am gri eved ,S o very much is said ;

O ne half w ill nev er be believed ,T he other never read ,

i t must be my excuse that al l grammars labou r

under the same disadvantageous reputati on for

dulness . But let me offer as a consolation to

my readers the assurance that,after havi ng gone

through the present dry l ittle col lection of ru les

and regulations,they w i l l be enabled to under

stand and enj oy fa r more than they wou ld other

w i se have done the spiri ted and amus ing writings

of my contemporari es .

CO NT ENT S .

P R EF A CE

PART I .

O N T H E OUTLINE AND M OUNTS

PART I I .

O N T HE LINES

PART I I I .

O N T HE P ALM O F T HE HAND AND LES SER LINES 62

PART I V .

O N SIGNS O F ILLNESS , TEM P ER , AND O N SP ECIAL

QUALITIES

PART V .

O N R EAD ING T HE HANDS . (Examples)

PART V I .

T HE HAND S O F DIS TINGU ISHED P ER SONS .

I lluslrafimw)

PART V I I .

GLOSSAR Y O F TER M S

L I S T O F P L A T ES .

F I G . 1 8

FIGS . I , 2 , AND 3

FIGS . 4 , 5 , AND 6

F IG . 17

FIGS . 7 , 8 , AND 9

FIG . 10

FIGS . 1 1, 1 2 ,

THE GRAM M AR OF PALM ISTRY .

P A R T I .

O UTL INE.

S HORT HANDS .

SHORT hands judge qui ckly,and do

'

not regard

detai l i n j udgment. If with pointed fingers,

imagination wi l l ai d ; but the whole of things

only wi l l be regarded . Short,knotted fingers

i . e . with large joints—wi l l have good reason

and even calcu lation,but wi l l not be able to

analyze .

LONG HAND S .

Long hands Show capacity for detai l . If very

large also,they wi l l overdo i t

,and they gener

al ly have a greater love of finish than of abi l ity .

Long fingers Show feel ing and susceptibi lity,and

1 1

12 (the G rammar ofmalmistrg.

when also pointed,tact . In excess

,with a very

narrow palm,they wi l l show tyranny . Exces

s ively large hands are i ntolerant,and when

knotted are given to mania .

LONG PALM .

W hen the palm i s much longer than thefingers

,and large i n proportion

,the capacity for

detai l wi l l be lessened,and

,though the s ubject

may have good intel ligence,i nsti nct wi l l always

encroach on reason . There wi ll be a n incapac

i ty for very fine and del i cate work,either men

tal or manual . The subj ect wi ll,however

,be

eas i ly satisfied,and not given to contention or

contradiction .

LONG F INGERS .

When the fingers are longer than the palm,

the mind wi l l be very active,and the spi ri t o f

cri ti cism and contradiction strong . There wi l l

be a love of argument, and the memory wi l l be

very good,especially for words

,and learn ing by

heart wi l l be easy . Long fingers,with the knot

of phi losophy,wi l l find out your fau lts before

your virtues,and i t i s said good husbands and

good wives are not found with these hands .

®ut ltne. 1 3

EQUA L HANDS .

W hen the palm and fingers are Of equal

length,the balance wi l l be perfect, j udgmerft and

insti nct wi l l go hand- in-hand,detai l and the

whole wi l l be j ustly regarded,and confidence

reposed i n the subject wi l l not be found falsified .

H A R D HANDS

Show energy and perseverance . I f hard and

pointed—activity and elegance . I n excess

want of i ntel l i gence,dulness

,stupidity .

SOFT HANDS

Show laziness,natu ral i ndolence o f mind or body

,

sometimes both . Soft and spatulate—active inmind and lazy i n body. Soft and square—thereverse. Soft and poi nted— i ndolent altogether.N.B .

-Hard and soft hands have nothing to

do with the skin . That may be hardened by

the occupation pursued,or softened by lack

of to i l . The hand should be j udged by the consistency when pressed .

Supple fingers Show qui ck acti on and versa

t ility . Very thick hands show selfishness and

se l f-esteem

14 (the Grammar of Dalmtsttg.

W hen the hand is soft and the Skin much

lined,the subject wi l l be impress ionable and

upright. I f hard and l ined— quarrelsome . A ll

hands covered with li nes Show ei ther an agitated

li fe or i l l health . A very white hand,which

does not change with heat and cold,is a Sign of

selfishness .

NAILS .

The nai ls,and the ends of the fingers

,Show

the temper of the subj ect. (The l ines have also

to be cons idered,of which later on .) Short and

square nai ls Show a fighting temper ; i f wider

than they are long— obstinacy i f square at the

bottom instead of curved—pass ionate anger.

Short nai ls,even with a hand otherwise benevo

lent,show mockery

,critici sm and contradi ction .

Very large nails , curved at the bottom—a cool

and carefu l head for business . A lmond nai ls

Sweet temper. I f they fl ush pink to the outer

edge,there may be occasional fits of i rri tation ,

but long,narrow nai ls are never mal icious . Thin

and l ittle nai ls are a s ure Sign of del icate health ,and fluted nai ls Show consumption , which is also

Often shown by the nai ls being very much curved

®utllne. 17

towards the top,though thi s i s also sometimes

indicative of Spi nal complain t.

SMOOTH HANDS .

(I/Vz'

tfiout protruding j oints .)

Impressionabi l ity,i ntuiti on

,i nspi rati on

,capri ce

,

quick judgment,love of art.

SMOOTH—POINTED . (F ig . I .)R el igion

,poetry

,i nvention

,imagination

,tact

,

want of order .Excess — Imprudence

,exaggeration

,lying ,

fa

na ticism,ecstasy

,pos ing . A ltogether unprac

tical .SMOOTH-SQUARE . (F ig .

R eason,obedience

,power of organization

,l ove

of art and l iteratu re,l i ttle enthusiasm . Love of

the look of order,not the trouble.

Excess —Tyranny,intolerance

,narrow-mind

edne S S,love of ru le to despotism . These are hard

masters .

SMOOTH-SPATULATE . (F ig.

A ctivity,resolution

,audacity

,love of comfort

,

of movement,of notori ety

,of manual labou r .

Liking for art,but no success .

18 (t he Grammar of ma lmtstrg.

Excess " S elfishness,want of tact

,love of

fau lt-finding. These wil l annoy themselves,and

aggravate others .

"NOTTED HANDS .

(Wit/z larg eprotruding j oints .)

R eflection,order , s cience. The ru le of reason .

THE "NOT OF PH ILOSOPHY . (F ig.

(Tile top j oint of thefingers .)

This wi l l Show a love of reasoning,of examin

ing and doubting ; i t i s a Sign of i ndependence of

character. It i s an advantage with a long and

strong thumb,with the second phalange wel l

formed,but with a weak thumb i t wi l l tend to

error and obstinacy,especial ly if the fingers are

pointed .

"NOTTED—POINTED .

These hands are qu ick to perceive , to observe ,to understand . A love Of truth and reality

,and

,

at the same time,refinement and appreciation of

the beautiful . But there wi l l be a continual

fight between i nspi ration and analys is,rel igion

and controversy,i ndependence and piety . There

wi l l be original ity in art,but no success

,because

art wil l be sti fled by calcu lation .

G at line. 21

"NOTTED-SQUARE .

Harmony and progress . W i l l give a character thoughtful

,faithfu l

,j ust and co ld . Love of

truth and usefu lness,of law and ru le

,o f science

,

history,j u ri sprudence

,grammar

,mathematics ,

and agri cu ltu re .

"NOTTED-SPATULATE .

A ctive,practical

,posi tive A mbitious

,un

sentimental,sel f-confident

,brusque .

"NOT OF ORDER . (F ig.

(The low er .j oint of the fing ers .)

O rder i n business,i n affai rs

,i n everyth ing to

do with management .Excess —Egotism .

Th is knot wi l l give a spatu late hand a love of

machinery . The fi rst knot—that of phi losophy-wi l l give to artists great originali ty

,and the

study of al l that belongs to art,s u ch as the

making of colou rs,etc . ; bu t with both knots

art vanishes . To mus i c ians,the two knots wil l

give science and rhythm . To pri ests,the knots

wi l l give the strength of the clergy,reason

,

re si s tance , and uni on .

22 (the Grammar of lDalmtstrg.

T HE F INGERS .

I have divided the fingers i nto three classes

only "pointed ,square

,and Spatu late

,as being

easier to remember and understand than the

seven or more Specifications adopted by Mr.

Heron A l l en and other ch iromantistsf But

students wi l l very often find that hands are

mixed,frequently the fi rst finger is

‘

poi nted with

the rest square,and S O on ; therefore I have

given each finger separately at once for the

greater conven ience of study. Mixed fingers

Show more variety than strength . The class of

the hand i s more eas i ly j udged i f the back of

the hand is looked at first . The phalanges of

the fingers are counted from the top,thus ; the

first phalange is that which contains the nai l .

The thumb is the most important featu re of the"

whole hand,and the character depends to a very

great extent upon it .

T H E THUMB .

F i rst Phalange—W i l l . Second Phalange

R eason . Thi rd Phalange—Love .

F irst P /mla ng e.

Long and strong— energeti c wi l l,self-confiw

.

dence,l ove of perfecti on . Medium— passiate

'

G ut ltne. 23

resistance. Too long—tyranny. Too short

changeableness,i nconstancy

,i nsouciance

,a weak

wi ll,ru led by others .

S econd Pna ia ng e.

This Shou ld be a l ittle longer than the first,

and Shou ld be rather th ick . W hen the first and

second are of the same length and the thumb is

relatively longer than the other fingers,i t wi l l

Show a very strong and sensible character,who

wi l l ru le with reason and without tyranny . If

the same thumb is of only medi um length,there

wi l l be no ru le over others,but passive resist

ance,and a strong and wise character. W i th the

first phalange Short and the second long and

thick,the character wi l l be reasonable

,but l i able

to indeci s ion ; with clear vi ews , the subject wi l l

make magn ificent plans,but wi l l never execute

them ; uncertainty wi l l counsel over a

prudence ,

he wil l balance between desi re and execution,

letti ng I dare not wait upon I wi ll,

" and though

an excel lent co unsel lor to others,he wi l l never

profit by it h imself. A good strong fi rst pha

lange,with a long thick second

,and the knot o f

phi losophy wil l,unless the l in es are very ad

verse,lead to success and fortune.

24 (the Grammar of IDa Imistrg.

T/n'

m’ P /za ia ng e.

(This i s also cal led the M ount Of Venus , andwil l be studied as such later .)I f very th ick and long ,

high and encroaching

on to the middle of the hand , the s ubj ect wi l l be

governed by pass ion ; i f medium and i n harmony

with the rest of the hand—affectionate and benevolent ; if weak and flat— cold-hearted

,and

unless the li ne of heart be good,selfish . A

subject who has the fi rst long and the thi rd much

developed wil l govern bV force of wi l l , and love

his friends and al l human ity ; he wi l l be affec

t ionate without reason , firm and constant . A

subject with the second and th i rd most devel

oped wi l l govern his passions by reason , but reason i s feeble if w i l l i s weak . In th i s case the

second may take the place of the first,but h is

l ife wi l l be a contin ual struggle . A subject who

has the fi rst and second feeble and the thi rd

much developed,gives us but l ittle h O pe of a

good character ; changeable and inconstant , he

wi l l be tormented by fancy and temper,be un

able to keep a secret,and probably wil l a lso be

melancholy.

A th 'umb too Short shows a want of dec i s ion,

but if wide and heavy at the point,i t wi l l mean

obstinacy , particu larly if the j oi nt i s knotty and

G ut line.

projecting . The wider the phalange,the more

pig-headed the s ubj ect ; i t i s also a Sign of bad

temper,passionate anger

,and want of modera

tion i n al l things .

I f a hand i s soft,but has the first phalange

long,the subj ect wil l work from duty

,not from

a lové’

of i t . A Spatu late hand with a short

thumb i s wanti ng in perseverance,undecided

,try

ing everyth ing,often loving and amiable . Bu t i f

the second i s wel l developed,u ncertainty ceases

,

the Short thumb wi ll give qu ick impress ions,and

good j udgment wi l l ensu re success .

A l ong first phalange— a man of wil l .A long second phalange—a man of i ntel lect .A long thi rd phalange— a man O f feel ing .

If the thumb bends inwards towards the

fingers— avarice. I f outwards— generosity ,

s ome

times extravagance . Straight—prudence and

good sense . A thumb set low down on the

hand shows talent .Nearly al l great men have large thumbs .

FIRST FINGER .

Ca lled f ing er of j upiter—sign

Shou ld be long relatively to the other fingersand straight ; th is wil l give thought and economy .

26 G be Grammar of malmtstrg.

P ointed—Quick apprehension,i ntu ition , l ove

of reading .

S quare—Love of truth .

Span/la te (very rare) .—Error,exaggerated

action .

Pointed with the others square— serious

thought,arti sti c talent (i f with a good l i ne O f

A pol lo) .F i rst phalange relatively long— rel igion .

S econd phalange . relatively long— ambition .

Thi rd phalange relatively long— love of rule,

pride .

A ll Short—want of thought,l ittl e contem

pla t ion .

It i s very important to arti sts to have a good

first finger ; i t shou ld be pointed .

SECOND FINGER .

Ca lledfing er of S a turn—sign 12

I t is not good to have thi s finger much longerthan the others .

P ointed (very rare) . —F r ivol i ty,carelessness

.

S qua re—Prudence , grave character. T O O

square—sadness.

Spa tula te,

—A ctivi ty . Too spatu late—s uperst ition .

28 G be Grammar of malmistrg.

and long,and if the subj ect i s to ru le other

people,

to tu rn them round his l ittl e finger,"

i t shou ld rise above the first knot of the th ird

finger .

P ointed— Eloquence,tact

,diplomacy . Ex

cess —R use,

finesse,tri ckery.

S quare— R eason in science

,love of the ab

stract,good at teaching

,good at bus iness .

Spa tula te— Mechanica l ski l l

,love of machin

ery . Excess z— Theft .

F i rst phalange relatively long—f—l ove of talking ,

eloquence,ski l l .

S econd phalange relatively long— industry,

common sense,good a t ,

busi ness,love of argu

ment.Thi rd phalange relatively long— scheming

,

evi l eloquence,ly ing .

Very long altogether— the sign of a savant .I f when the hands are held open and l oose

,

the fi rst and second fingers fal l natu ral ly widestapart

,i t wi l l Show i ndependence of thought ; i f

the th i rd and fourth are widest,indegendence

action . I f both are very wide, great

and self-rel iance . I f the fingers natural ly cu i .

up towards the palm when so held,the subj ectl

wi l l be conventional .When the th ird phalanges of al l the fingers

G ut line. 9

are thick to the root,i t i s a s ign of greed iness

,

or,at least

,of a love Of good th ings to

.

eat and

drink . W hen the th i rd phalanges of al l the fin

gers i ncl ine downwards below the mounts,i t

shows shyness,sometimes extreme coward ice .

I f the fi rst phalanges hollow and curve upwards

avari ce . R eversed,when they turn back very far

—extravagance .

Thumb incl in ing i nwards— avari ce and selfish

ness . O utwards— generosity to prodigality .

(The incl ination of the fingers towards each

other requ i res much study ; and none of the

ch iromant ists I have encountered seem to have

sufficiently considered it. The few ru les laid

d0wn above are those I‘have never known to

fai l,but much yet remains to be di scovered on

thi s important poi nt .)

MOUNT OF JUPITER .

(A t t/ze ba se of thefirstfing er . )

Qua lities— R eligion,ambition

,honou r

,gaiety

,

love of soci ety .

Excess— Pride , love of power and domineering ,

concei t,superstition .

A 6senee.

— I rrel igion,selfishness

,i dleness

,want

of dignity,vulgari ty .

A good Mount of J upiter wil l always Show a

great mind .

MOUNT OF S ATURN .

(A t t/i e ba se of t/ze secondfing er .)

Qua lities— Prudence,wisdom .

Excess—Tacitu rn ity,sadness

,love of sol i tude

,

rel igious fanaticism,remorse

,tendency to s u icide.

A bsence—Misfortune or i nsignificant l ife .

30

M ounts. 3 1

MOUNT OF A POLLO .

(A t M e base of tbe t/zira’fing er )

Qua lities —Love of art or l i teratu re ; geni u s ,i ntel l igence

,hope

,calm

,beauty and grace of

mind, gentleness, . to lera tion ,

mercy .

Excess—Love of money,extravagance

,cu ri

osity ,boasting

,scofiing ,

lying ,and envy.

A bsence—Du lness and insign ificance .

MOUNT OF MERCURY .

(A t the ba se of t/zef oa rt/i finger.)

Qua lities—Cheerfulness,i ntel li gence

,wit

,dash

,

eloquence,i ndustry

,i nventiveness

,promptitude

of action and thought,l ove of work .

Excess —Lying,theft

,treachery

,ruse

,trickery

,

pretenti ousness,ignorance.

A bsence—W ant of intel l igence and apti tude ;a negative li fe .

MOUNT OF MARS .

There are two.

Mounts of Mars,one beneath

the Mount of Jupi ter,divided from it by the

Line of Life,the other beneath the Mount of

Mercu ry, divided from i t by the Line of Heart .The Plai n of Mars l ies between the two .

Qua lities of tlze F irst (beneath Jup iter) .

32 (the Grammar of IDa lmistrg.

A ctive cou rage,presence of mind

,resol ution

,

é lan,aggress iveness .

Qua lities of the S econd (beneath Mercury) .Passive cou rage

,devotion

,self-command

,res igna

t ion,strength of res istance , noble pride .

Excess (the excess of these mounts i s favour

able) .— O f the first—great cou rage,dash and

daring ; love of danger for its own sake . O f the

second—great fortitude,calm strength

,power of

forgiveness .

Excess (when represented also by bad l i nes).Cruelty

,tyranny

,blood-th i rstiness

,anger

,in

j ustice,insolence

,brusquerie .

A bsence.

—Cowardice , timidi ty,want ofpresenceofmind .

MOUNT OF VENUS .

(A t tlze ba se of tlze t/zznnb.)

Qua lities—Beauty,grace

,affection

,charity

,

benevolence , love of beautifu l th ings , of dancing,of melody i n musi c

,desi re of pleasing

,and the

pleasures of the senses .Excess Inconstancy

,effrontery

,coquetry

,

van ity,idleness

,and sensuali ty .

A bsence.-Coldness

,selfishness

,want of tender

ness and love.

I f the mount is flat,there i s a want o f the

mounts.

qual ities ; to have vices it i s necessary for other

signs to j oi n in . W i th a hard hand,a much

developed mount w i l l give wit and grace of

manner,and it wil l take from a developed Mou nt

of Saturn its melancholy , and wil l make the

subj ect gay .

MOUNT OF LUNA .

(O n t/ze outside of tne lza nd benea th the M ount ofM a rs

,a nd opposite tha t of Venus.)

Qua lities .

— Imagination,sentiment

,refine

ment,poetry

,harmony i n mus ic

,l ove of scenery.

Excess—Despai r,discontent

,capri ce

,i rrita

bility ,sadness

,supersti tion .

A bsence.

—D u lness,want of sympathy

,of im

agination ,of i deas

,posi tivi sm

,and severe j udg

ment on others .

The mounts should always be j udged with due

regard for the shape of the fingers otherwise

there is danger of confusing good and evi l qual

iti es,such as rel igion and pride

,science and

th ieving. It is also very necessary to study and

understand the l ines . F or i nstance,a straight

Line of Head,a poor Line o f Heart

,knotted

fingers,and a long ifigigtpha lange o f the th umb

,

wi ll give,to a fine L ine of A pol lo

,love of money

instead of art ; the subj ect wi l l be a Specu lator,C

34 {the Grammar of p a lmtstrg .

not an artist. Look also if idleness— soft hand

wi l l not prevent s uccess .

Look also i f the mounts incline towa rds each

other . If Mercury encroaches on A pol lo,science

w i l l j oi n art ; i f towards the percussi on .

or out

s ide of the hand,i t wi l l show talent for busi ness .

Mars incl in ing towards Mercu ry wi l l denote

courage in free speech,and energy in the man

agement of affai rs . Mars towards Luna—energyin imagination

,and so on .

PA R T I I .

TIME. (F ig .

TI ME is counted downwards on the Li ne of Life

as Shown in ’

the accompanying sketch,and down

wards also ou the Li ne of Head . O n the Line

o f F ate,on the contrary, t ime is counted upwards

from the wrist to the Mount of Satu rn,and th is

i s also the case with the Line of F ortune . O n

the Line of Heart i t i s counted from the Mount

of Jupiter to the percussi on o f the hand .

L INE OF L IFE .

(Vita l )

The Line of Life shows the length of a person ’s

existence,and h is health or i l lness duri ng the

period . Time i s measu red upon i t,and the in

c idents marked on the other l ines are corrobo

rated .

The Line of Li fe shou ld be long,narrow

,deep

,

soft ly colo ured and completely enci rcl ing the

Mount of Venus . This wil l give long l ife,exempt

from i l lness,and a good character.

37

G be G rammar of llbalmistrg.

S ig ns of illness — Pale and very deep—bad

health.Little dark clots on it— nervous i l lness .

S mal l l i nes crossing it— smal l i l lnesses , general lyheadache

. Chained and u neven— painfu l l ife ,bad health . Stopping sudden ly with a black

dot— death by accident or violence . Broken in

one hand and weak i n the other— a seri ou s i l l

ness broken i n both hands—general ly the

patient di es . F orked at the end— possibly of

i l lness or i nsan i ty ; where th is i s found it i s wel l

to caution the subject agai nst over-work , ei ther

mentally or phys ically. It i s always a bad Sign,

and conveys a serious warn ing .

Bra nches—W hen branch l ines ri se on either

Side of the Line of Life,i t shows riches and

d ign ity ; i f they fal l downwards , poverty o r loss

of character . I f one l i ne r ises from the Line of

Life and crosses the Mount o f Jupiter,i t shows

boundless ambition ; i f i n both hands , i t wi l l be

successful,unless crossed ou t by other l i nes ; i f

the branch,i nstead of the Mount of Jupiter

,

rises on to those of A pollo o r Mercury,s uccess

wil l be gained i n art or business,and wi l l be the

resu lt of personal meri t. I f the L i fe Line is

d ivided and one branch goes away on to the

Mount of Luna and deepens,i t shows long voy

ages or distant travel l ing .

l ines .

Cross L ines—Many very smal l cross l ines—ill

health and del i cate constituti on . Lines from theMount of Venus cross in g the Li ne of Life are

misfortunes caused by other peopl e . Very Often

they are signs o f i l lness brought about by trouble

given by person s loved ; sometimes they are

money troubles,difficu lti es with relations

,occa

siona lly l awsu i ts . To distingu ish between them ,

care must be taken to see where and how theyend . I f on the Heart Line , i t wi l l be from the

affections,and i f ending with a star or i rregular

cross,a

' sudden shock . O n the Head Line they

wi l l Show an acci dent, or a brain fever , or i l l ness

from overwork .

A ttenda nt L ines —W hen the Line of Life i s

closely fol lowed by another l i ne,which may occa

s iona lly entw ine i tse lf with i t,i t i s a Sign of great

vigou r and success,and a promise of r iches . But

i f a branch rises from it and crosses the Mountof Luna

,ending in a star

,the subject may be

given to i ntemperance,and i f

,together with th is

,

there i s a black mark on the Line of Head,he

wil l probably die from del i ri um tremens or a fitof i nsan ity . This s i ster l ine to the Line of Life

is general ly cal led the Line of Mars . Bes ides the

Line of Mars,which i s rare

,there wil l general ly

be found some attendant l i nes further off fromthe , Line of Life

,which fol low its cou rse more or

40 (the Grammar of Dalmistrg.

less regu larly. These represent the i nfluence Of

other people over our l i fe , and the i r i ntensity and

duration may be calculated by thei r depths and

by the nearness of thei r approach to the Line of

Life.

S ta rs a nd Crosses—Stars and crosses near the

Line of Li fe are signs of trouble , especial ly i f the

l ines composing the star or cross pass over the

Line of Life—thi s i s often the Sign of an infirmityfrom which the subject wil l not recover ; but i f

i t is on the side next the thumb i t may mean

trouble from relations .

W hen the Vital Line ends i n a seri es of

crosses,the subject may have a n amiable charac

ter ‘and talent but i f the crosses are found i n

both hands he wi l l never succeed i n any one l i ne,

will do noth ing great with hi s l i fe , and i s menaced

with long i l l-health at the termination .

LINE OF HEAD .

(Cerebra l )

Should be even,l ong and narrow ; th is wil l

show strong j udgment,determined wi l l

,and clear

mind . I f the Mount of Mercu ry is much developed, there wil l be original i ty ,

energy,and

constancy ; i f Mercu ry i s low ,more learning and

less abi l ity.

‘lunes. 41

When the line is sepa ra ted from the L ine ofL ife—This i s a Sign of self-confidence

,and when

found in both hands,often concei t. Subjects

who have th is divi s i on a re very impu lsive , and i t

i s as wel l to warn them not to decide too hastily ;with them second thoughts wi l l general ly be

best. The divis ion i s always of advantage i nga in ing success I n any business or profession

,

especial ly for barristers,publ i c speakers

,actors

,

singers,etc .

,as i t gives them confidence i n thei r

own powers, and scorn o f cri tic ism .

When the L ine of H ead is j oined to the L ine ofL ife —This is a Sign o f want of self-confidence .

I f it i s j o ined as far as the middle in both hands ,timidity and moral cowardice wi l l be excessive ;and un less there are Signs of very great talent

,

subj ects with the li nes so j oined wi l l never suc

ceed i n anythi ng . In many cases the l ines arejoined i n one hand

,and not in the other ; when

this is the case,a j oi n in the left hand wi l l Show

the subject to have been born self—distrustfu l,

and to have conquered i t by resolution ; i f viceversa

,the subject has been i n youth somewhat

concei ted ,—and has been probably snubbed i nto a

smal ler Opi n ion o f h imself. When the subject

has a joi n in both hands,snubbing wi l l have a

very bad effect‘

On the character ; the subj ect

shou ld , on the contrary, be i n every way encour

42 (the Grammar of ma lmtstrg .

aged . It is also Often a Sign tha t th e develop

ment of the i ntel lect has been slow .

When the line is very long a nd stra ight—This

is a S ign of common-sense, of care and economy .

I f i t goes quite stra ight righ t across the hand , i t wi l l

show avarice,selfishness

,and greed . This

,how

ever,need not be

’

the case if the other Signs are

very good in the hand ; wi th a fine Mount of

Jupiter,a turned-ou t thumb

,and a good Line of

Heart,i t wi l l only mean great perseverance , good

j udgment,and common-sense

When the line is very long a nd sloping—This

is a sign of imagination,arti stic feel ing ,

poetry,

and but l ittle j udgment . I n excess,i t wi l l bri ng

every sort of folly and delusion,especial ly i f the

Mount o f Luna i s much developed and l ined,

and shou ld it end i n a star near the B racelet,the

subject may end h is days i n a madhouse . A

long line i s Sign of good memory .

When the L ine of H ead is f orhed.

—I t i s a

good thing that al l the l i nes i n the hand,except

the Line Of Life,should end i n a fo’ rk . W hen

the Head Line ends in a small fork,i t wi l l show

both imagination and common-sense. But thefork shou ld not be too large

,or the ends irregu

lar. In this case i t wou ld show a tendency to

ruse and trickery ; i n a bad hand ,to lying and

deceit ; i n any case , if one branch descends to

44 mac G rammar of lpalmtstrg.

wound of some sort. A Ci rc le on the l i ne may

mean the loss of Si ght. W i nding, unequal , and

of differing colo u rs,i t shows l iver complaint, and

i f broken i n blocks,mental 2-disease

,or l oss of

memory . S mal l l i nes cross ing or fal l i ng from i t

headache .

When the line / is cha ined—Th is shows a want

O f fix ity i n the ideas ; t here i s too much vari ety ;bu t i f the l i ne i s fol lowed throughout by another

,

a sister l i ne,I t means a great i nheritance .

Crosses, a nd lines risi ng a nd fa lling f rom it .

—A cross on the Head Line i n the middle of

the P la in of Mars show s a severe accident,the

res u lt of which m ust be looked for on the Lineof Life. B lack dots upon the l i ne show brain

fever,or an i l lness i n which the s ubj ect has been

del i ri ous . Lines ris ing from the Head Li ne,

and mounting towards the Heart without touch

i ng,and those which fal l from the Heart towardsthe Head

,Show the i nfluence of other people

over us,and we can trace by thei r crossing each

other,or stopping Short

,how far such influence

i s prej udic ia l or favou rabl e to our happi ness .

The l ines from the Head upwards are those of

friendship only,whi le those from the Heart may

arise from love for members of the Opposite sex.

A branch from the Head Line ris ing high upon

l ines . 45

the Mount O f Jupiter, and cutt ing into the root of

the finger ; shows great pride a nd ambition ; i f i t

ends in a cross,i t wi l l fai l ; i n a star—s uccess ; but

i f instead of endi ng there,the branch tu rns back

towards the Moun t of Satu rn,i t i s a bad Sign for

the cha racter " the subj ect wi l l be a fan’

at ic In

rel igion or pride,and possessed ofmad vanity. A

branch from the Head Li ne go ing tow ardMercu ry

shows a great gai n in bus iness or affai rs ; i f it ends

between the th i rd and fou rth fingers the gai n wi l l

be i n art or science. W hen the Heart Line s inks

down towards the Head i t is a Sign of egotism ;i f the other signs are good

,i t i s only t he Sign

of a person who i s u nable to see any question

except from h is own standpo int,and takes a

narrow and conventional view ‘Of things in gen

eral ; phys ical ly i t wi l l Show asthma, or palpitation

if the Line of Health is not good . If the Head

Line r ises towards the Heart,i t i s a s ign of

timidity. If the Head and Heart Lines touch,

i t sh ows misfortune and early death— if i n bothhands , and shou ld the Line of F ate stop at the

Line of Head,the evi l becomes sti l l more certain .

Should the Line o f Head arch towards the Heart

Line , and then'

abruptly fa l l on to the Line of

Life,i t is r the S ign of great misfortune i n love

,

probably a long engagement never fu lfi l led .

46 (the Grammar of Dalmtstrrz.

L INE OF HEART .

(M ensa l . )

Should be narrow,deep

,o f a good colou r

,

runn ing straight from the Mount of Jupiter to

that of Mercu ry. This wi l l give a good heart ;strong and happy affection . The longer the Line

of Heart,the nobler

,the more ideal the love .

S hould,however

,the l i ne completely enci rcle the

Mount Of Jupiter,and the Head Line S lope on

Luna,the subject may make himself unhappy by

jealousy .

When the line is short—No t r i s ing unti l be

neath the Mount of S atu rn,i t i s a S ign of a cold

h eart ; if,ho wever

,with th is

,the Mount of

Venus is much developed and the hand soft,the

affecti ons may be very warm,but the tendency

w i l l be sensual . W i th . a very long Head Line

and strong thumb,a subj ect wil l be very con

stant,even i f the Heart Li ne i s short. This wi l l

make -him affecti onate t6 the few he loves,though

lack ing in general benevolence and love of h is

fel low -creatu res . W hen the l ine goes round the

percussion Of the hand ti l l i t can be seen on the

back,i t wi l l Show great spiri t

,dari ng

,and per

severance .

When the line isf orhed.—A fork on the Heart

l ines . 47

Line under Jupiter i s a true signof trustwqrth i

ness and constancy,but not of happiness i n love.

The more even the fork,the more ideal the

character.Bra nches .

—Branches ri s ing and fall ing from

the Line of Heart Show the i nfluence of other

people on the affecti ons,and a s they are crossed

or otherwise,so i s the l ove s uccessfu l and re

tu rned,or disappointed and unhappy . A branch

that rises h igh on the Mount o f Jupiter promises

great happiness and successfu l ambition,i f un

crossed . W hen a branch cuts through the l i ne

and descends beneath i t,i t i s a sign o f disap

pointment. W hen there are many branches,i t

i s a Sign that the feel ings of love and hate are

very strong. No branches mean a loveless l ife,

so far as the opposi te sex i s concerned .

When the line is brohen .

— A break i n the li ne

general ly means a broken engagement,or a great

disappointment with regard to a person loved .

I f beneath S aturn,ci rcumstances wi l l be the

cause ; between Saturn and A pol lo ,folly ; beneath

A pol lo,from pride ; and beneath Mercury, from

capri ce or ignorance .

B ots a nd D ents—These on the Heart Line

always Show troubles,physical or menta l . W hen

the dot is red,the sorrow has been very keen

,

and may be caused by the unworth iness of the

48 t he Grammar of p almtstrg.

person loved . White dots are conquests i n love,

and black or bl ue ones are signs of shock or

i l lness .

When the line is cha ined—Chains or i slands

on the Line of Heart Show inconstancy,capri ce

,

fl i rtation,and intrigue

,and often contempt of the

opposi te sex .

S ig ns of illness—These signs on the Heart

Line must always be corroborated ei ther on the

Line of Health or that of Life,otherwise it i s

very easy to mistake fl i rtation for heart-disease,

or loss o f money and troubles of poverty for

palpitation of the heart,and so on . It i s a very

bad s ign physical ly,i f the li ne i s almost white and

very wide,espec ial ly under Saturn

,so that i t

almost looks bl u rred ; th is is a great s ign of

disease of the heart,and i f the l i ne be cut and

the two ends pi led on top of each other i t i s also

a sign of severe i l lness .

A hand without any Line Of Heart shows hard

heartedness,cruelty

,and avarice.

L INE OF F ATE .

(S a turnian )The Line of F ate shows worldly success or

fai l u re, and the general course of the l i fe .

There are fou r princ ipal places for the de

partu re of this l i ne

l ines . 49

I st . F rom the L ine of L i e.

-This is good and

common . The line then partakes of the l i fe

qual iti es,shows a generous heart , and , i f un

crossed,shows prosperity and happiness .

2nd. F rom the P la in of M a rs,or middle

,of

the ha nd—This wi l l show a life of trouble, butis also a S ign of hope and energy. There wi l l

always be struggles and obstacles,but if success

is achieved,it wi l l be by merit alone.

3rd. F rom the Bracelet—This wil l show a fine

and uncommon destiny,if found thus in both

hands,and happiness

“

or misery wi l l resu lt from

it according to the direct ion and markings of

the l i ne. I f i t goes from the Bracelet to the

Mount of Satu rn,ending h igh upon it

,i t shows

great success ; i f the l ine is forked , it is stil l more

certain . I f it passes over the mount and enters

the F inger of Saturn,i t shows excessive fatal ity

,

a great desti ny ; shou ld it, however , mount sti l l

h igher and end in a star,it is said to presage an

hero ic career,ending with violence

,or a great

cr ime .

4th . F rom the M ount of L una —When the Lineof F ate ri ses from th is mount it shows that al l the

happiness of the l ife wi l l ari se from the actions ofsome other person or persons . Desti ny is takenout of the hands of the subj ect altogether

,and

arranged for him . This is not altogether theD

50 t he Grammar of Ilbalmistrg.

case i f the l in e ri ses from Luna i n one hand

only , and i n the other from the Life Line or theBra celet. In thi s case the subj ect wi l l e itherh ave given away h is fate voluntari ly i nto a n

other’

s hands , or wil l have freed h imself from

the control imposed upon him by circumStance,

as the l i n e i s found differi ng i n the right or i nthe l eft hand . I f a Luna Line of F ate stop at

the Heart Line,and there i s a wel l-formed cross

on the Mount o f Jupiter,fortune and happiness

wi l l ari se by means of a good marriage .

I f the l ine rises from below th e“Bra celet

,i t

shows a very bad influence of fate and great

gri ef. There are fou r principal places on which

the Line of F ate may end .

I st . .O n or tow a rds the M ount of S a turn .

W hen th is i s the case and the l i ne is a good one,

not much crossed or barred,the career wi l l be a

fine one,and probably successful and adventurous

fu l l Of good chances . These chanceswil l Often

be shown by the end of the li ne being much

forked upon the mount,each fork showing by its

di rection i n what pu rsu i t success wil l beprom ised .

2nd. O n or tow a rds j upiter .

—This wi l l Show

great success and gra t ified ' ambit ion i f the l ine

rises h i gh upon the mount,but if i t runs up

between the fi rst and second finger it Shows

tranqui l,untroubled l ife .

2 t he Grammar ofmalmtstrg.

improvement i n posi tion and wealth but i f they

tend downwards there wi l l be reverses,and

possibly poverty. A corkscrew on the l ine

shows a very unfortunate peri od ; i f near the

bottom of the hand,a very unhappy chi ldhood .

This is also Shown by dents and crosses at the

extreme beginn ing of the Life Line.

Should a l ine ri se o n the Mount Of Luna,and

cross or j o in the Line of F ate , i t shows a great

fol ly,or a fatal i nfluence o f imaginati on . W i th"

other bad S igns concu rring,i t some times ,means

danger of i l lness from over-i ndulgence in intox

ica t ing drink .

I n studying the Line of F ate,both hands,

Should be most carefu l ly compared .

[M . D esba ro lles,M . Serres

,and other F rench

writers have asserted— and i n th is they have

been fol lowed by many Engli sh ch iroman tists

that the Line of F ate is on ly to be found in ' the

hands of the Eu ropean races . That they are

mi staken in thei r a ssertiO n I have mysel f a scer

tanned by exam in ing the hands both of Maori s

and o f Hindoos ; in the former case I invariably

found the F ate Line very strongly marked"

t hree. 5 3

LINE OF F ORTUNE .

(S ola r.)

Shows glory,fame

,and ri ches

,arti sti c and

l iterary talent,and success

,worldly distinction

and prosperi ty . It shou ld be narrow,deep

,

straight,l ong

,and ri se h igh upon the Mount

of A pol lo .

There are fou r places from which the l ine

may ri se .

I st . R ising from the L ine of L ife—This i s

very favou rable,and wi l l show success a nd for

tune gained by i nheri tance,or by meri t. The

low er the l i ne rises,the more surely wi l l honour

or celebrity be attained .

2nd. R ising from the M ount of L una — I n thi s

case su ccess or fortune wi l l be gained unexpect

edly ,and by the help of other people

,by the

influence Of powerfu l fri ends,or by marriage .

3rd. R ising from the P la in of M a rs .

-Middleof the hand . In th is case success wi l l come late

in l i fe,o r towards m iddle—age

,and wi l l be the

resul t o f personal meri t and exertion .

4th . R ising from the L ine of H ea rt —This wi l l

show an appreciative character,a love of art and

of the beauti fu l ; but nei ther wealth nor fame

wil l be gained by it. .

4 t he Grammar of p almtstrg.

O ccasionally the Line of A pollo may be found

ri sing beneath the Mount of Venus,runni ng

paral lel for a Short di stance with the Line of

Life ; fortune and success wil l then be made by

love or marriage,or by the help of a strong

fri endsh ip,but the subject has not been born

to i t .

Cross L ines—These are obstacles i n the way

of success,and i f they bar the l ine without cut

t ing it through,the obstacles may arrive from

envy and i l l-wil l ; i f they bar the l ine near the

beginn ing they wi ll Show loss of fortune by

parents during youth .

B ra nches — A single fork on the Mount of

A pol lo wi l l show s uccess i n one l ine Of l ife ;but if there are many

,and the l ine is

,so to

sa y ,faggoted

,there wi l l be taste and talent in

many different branches of art,pol iti cs

,or l i t

era tu re,but energy being too much distributed

,

nothing wi l l be brought to success o r perfecti on,

except in very exceptional cases,when a h igh

Mount of Jupiter,and a very strong thumb

,wil l

show a subject of uncommon aptitude and deter

m inati on . But when,i nstead of branching

,the

l ines run parallel down the mount,great celebrity

wi l l be atta i ned,and fortune and pos ition wi l l

make complete success . But th is i s on ly when

the l ines are found al ike in both hands . Many

l ines. 5 5

l ines on the mount always Show ambition,but

when faggoted— tied,as i t were , together— it

degenerates into a mere love of display and

des i re to shine ; three l i nes wi ll , nevertheless ,often Show a gain i n wealth .

W hen the Line ofF o rtune i s i nferior in strength

and beauty to that of F ate,there wi l l be more

position than wealth .

U nless there i s a good Mount of J upiter a

Line of A pol lo cannot bring much success,

except i n the shape o f money,and in a very

hollow hand it i s said to be powerless .

T HE LINE OF H EALTH .

(H epa tica )

It i s a Sign of a very strong constituti on to be

w ithout th is l i ne .

The Line of Health shou ld start from the

Bracelet,or from the Line o f Life

,and go on

,o r

towards the Mount of Mercu ry ; but i t i s very

i rregular,and may begin or end almost anywhere

i n the hand . I t shou ld be long,narrow

,clear

,

well-coloured and straight ; th i s wi l l S how good

health,good memory and a kind heart .

If the li ne i s tortuous i t Shows bi l i ousness and

bad temper . I f it jo ins the Heart Line, and does

5 6 t he Grammar of Dalmtstrg.

not cross i t,i t wi l l Show feebleness of Heart ; i f

i t j oi ns the Line of Head it shows a tendency to

brain attack from over-work or over-exci tement,

especial ly if the Life Li ne is forked at the wri st .A cross on the l i ne shows an i l lness

,the date of

which must be looked for on the Line of Life.

Smal l l ines cross ing it Show weakness and del i

cacy,often headaches or neu ralgia . If the l i ne is

broken it wil l show congestion of the l ungs or

, ,pleu risy .

I f the l ine is unequally colou red and very red

near the middle,it shows a tendency to fever

,

and red or black dots show severe i l lness ; if i t

i s red near the Line of Head,i t shows severe

headaches,i f i t i s very pale and white

,ch ronic

indigestion . Very red near the Li ne of Life

shows heart-di sease . A star on the Hepati ca

shows no fami ly ; a star near it on the Plai n of

Mars shows fai l ing Sight, sometimes bli ndness .

Branches from the . Hepatica to the l ine of

F ortune Show changes in business relations or

profess ions,and thi s i s also shown by a cross

near,but disconnected with the Line of Health .

A branch from the Hepati ca to the Mount of

Jupiter shows great changes and much travel

l ing ; if it rises towards the Mount of A pol lo , it

w il l mean the possession of a great deal of

money . When the Hepatica is fol lowed by a

l ines . 5 7

s ister l ine,i t i s a Sign of excellent health and

good fortu ne.

T HE LINE OF INTU ITION .

(L ine of L una .)

This i s not a very common l ine,and is

,as a rule

,

only found on imaginative o r i ntel lectual hands .

I t S hould'

rise upon or beneath the Mount of

Luna,and proceed i n a sort of h a lf circle on to or

towards the Mou nt of Mercu ry .

I f i t i s clear,straight

,and narrow

,i t wi l l show

intu ition , thought-reading ,and mesmerism . The

subject wi l l have a taste for occult science ,divi n ing

,clai rvoyance

,and if there i s an island

near the beginn ing of the l ine, a gi ft of second

sight. I f the l ine is branched,tortuous

,or Short

,

there wi l l be danger of capri ce and over-imagi

nation,cu lminating in l u nacy .

When the Line of Luna forms a triangle with

the Line o f F ate and the Line of Head i t i s sai d

to i ndicate a good chiromant ist,with talent for

palmi stry .

A n island on the l ine,not perfect at one end ,

shows a tendency to somnambul i sm . This i s

also shown in the same way as the Line of

Heal th .

5 8 t he Grammar of IDa Imtstrtz.

Lines crossing the Li ne of Int u ition,going to

wards the F ate o r Life Lines,Show voyages

,ahd

a star on th e Mount of Luna,near the l ine

,a

danger of sh ipwreck,o r fire at sea .

T HE R ING OF VENUS .

The R ing of Venus i s a half-ci rcle,formed by

a l in e starti ng from between the fi rst and second

fingers,crossi ng or surrounding the Mounts o f

S atu rn and A pol lo,and ending

,when perfect

.

between the thi rd and fou rth fingers .

The early wri ters,and the great master of

ch i romancy,D esba rolles

,have chosen to regard

this l ine as indi cative of evi l,a Sign of

“

false

ambition,lying

,coquetry and sensuali ty ; and

I n this they have been followed by most Engli sh

palmists,though the latest wri ters have seen fit

to modify,to a great degree

,the severe j udg

ment o f thei r predecessors ; i n fact, some have

gone S O fa r as to sa y it i s not a S ign Of evi l,

except with other bad s igns concu rri ng,and only

then when the l ine i s broken or tangled .

Now,I fancy if they had not started with the

original idea already prej udged i n thei r minds,

they might possibly have come to the concl usion

with regard to thei r own experience to discard

the earl ier readings hal lowed by tradition,and

60 t he Grammar of IDaImtetrg.

thrown upon the subject . F or myself I may,

perhaps , be allowed to sa y on behalf of a new

view , that during nearly five years of study ando f experience of al l sorts of hands on both sidesof the world— and I have occas ional ly exam ined

as many as forty or fifty i n a day— I have never

i n one Si ngle case found the o ld reading correct,

o r that the l i ne in any way corresponded to the

other s igns of the same disposition found i n the

hand . I have found this l i ne invariably i n hands

of the most refined and i ntel lectual type,hands

with long taper fingers,straight forked Heart

Lines with a few branches,pale narrow l i nes

,

and an enti re absence of the Mount of Ven us .In most cases I have also remarked i n hands

showing the so-cal led R ing of Venus,that whi le

the Heart Line i s cold,the Head Line is very

marked,long

,Sloping deep and narrow

,and the

thumb has a long,strong phalange o f reason .

The h ands are also Often very much lined and

crossed . My own theory,which is as yet only

a supposi tion,and should be considered merely

as su ch,i s that th is R ing of Venus is a sign of

much misfortune ; as i t breaks the Lines o f F ate

and F ortune,so i t deprives them of thei r u lti

mate success,and as i t cuts O ff the “Mounts of

Saturn and A pol lo,so i t deprives the rest of the

l ines. 61

hand of the prudence and worldly w i sdom o f

the former,and of the fame and sunshi ne of

happiness promised by the latter. I t i s a Sign

ef a restless dispositi on,of a vie ma nque

’

e.

PA R T I II.

T HE PLA IN OF MARS .

T HE Plai n of Mars i s the centre of the palm of

the hand,the val ley through which the Line of

Head flows .

If i t i s h igh,i t shows aggress iveness and

dari ng ; i f low ,a peacefu l d i spos iti on ; i f very

hollow,the subject w i l l never ri se to any high

pos ition .

The l ines to be found,and signs marked on it

,

are considered under the headings of the Quad

rangle and Triangles .

T HE QUADRANG LE .

This i s the space found between the Lines of

Head and Heart .

If i t is wide and regu lar , largest nearest the

percussion,and the l i nes bounding i t of good

Colou r,i t shows j ust ice

,loyalty and broad ,

tolerant views,a straightforward and cou rageous

character . Should i t be narrow,i t Shows narrow

views and'

conventiona lity ,a tendency to in

j ustice and indec isi on " with other bad S igns

JLmes . 63

concu rring,decei t and mali ce . In an otherwi se

good hand,but with a weak Line of Health , i t

i s said to Show asthma . When th is narrowness

is cau sed by the Line of Heart descending

towards the Line of Head ,the subj ect i s egotisti

cal ; but i f at the same time the Mount of Venus

i s wel l developed,and the Heart Line long ,

it

wi l l mean an- i nab i l i ty on the subject

’

s part to

see anything from another’s poi nt of V i ew"and

though in this case he wi l l be benevolent,he

wi l l only assi st others at h is own time,and i nhi s O wn manner .

When the narrowness of the Quadrangle i s

caused by the Line of Head mounti ng towards

the Line of Heart,i t i s a S ign of i rresolution and

timidity . W i th red coloured l ines,developed

Mounts of Mars,and a Short Heart Line

,i t wi l l

mean cruelty also . In an otherwise benevolent

hand i t wi l l Show a hard and crit ical j udgment

of other people ’s faults .

Crosses i n the Quadrangle Show the i nfluences

of others on the l i fe of the subject. Those that

fal l from the Heart Line downwards are influences engendered by the opposite sex

,those

that ri se may be the resu lt of e ither friendshipor love

,but i n the latter case the feeling wi l l be

deeper on the part of the other person concerned

than of the subj ect h imself I f the cross i s wel l

64 t he Grammar oi p almtetrg.

formed and does not cross the Lines of F ate or

F ortune, the influence wi l l be good and happy,

and if the branches of the cross touch both head

and heart,the i nfluence wi ll be l i felong.

T HE TR IANGLE.

The Triangle (fig. 6) is found in the centre’

of

the palm of the hand,below the Q uadrangle

,

and is formed by the Lines of Head ,Life

,and

Health ; i f there is no Health Line in the hand ,the Line of F ortune wi l l take its place ; an d i f

that also is w a nting ,then the F ate Line stands

instead ; but i n both these latter cases the Tri

angle must necessari ly be much contracted .

When the Triangle i s wel l traced , wide , and

the li nes of good colou r,i t w i l l Show good

health,l ong l i fe

,and a strong intel lect .

When i t i s very large—audacity , generosity,and a noble character.

When i t is smal l and badly formed , i t is a Sign

of avari ce,tenaci ty

,meanness

,and want of in

telligence .

If the Triangle i s flat and somewhat raised in

the hand,i t wi l l show daring

,c ourage

,and love

of struggle ; but i f i t i s much sunk , the character

wil l be peaceable and unambitious .

F irst A ng le (fig.

— F ormed by the conjunc

68 t he Grammar of flbalmtstrg.

and the Lines of F ate and F ortune are miss ing,

an i ntel lectual career shou ld not be chosen for

him . He may be very clever and capable of

good work,but he wi l l always lose the O ppor

tune moment ; from want of worldly . wisdom

the golden Opportun ity wi l l be missed,and suc

cess i n mental work wi l l never be achieved .

T HE BRACELETS .

(R a scettes)

These are the l ines which enci rcle the wrist.It i s

,however

,only those placed close to the

hand that are of any importance .

The Bracelets Show length of l i fe— each l ine

being said to foretel l some thi rty years Of exI stence—and health

,wealth

,and happiness .

A Single l i ne,wel l made

,uncrossed

,and deep

,

shows a happy,i f Short

,existence

,and a calm

disposition,and the greater the number of l i nes

,

i f equal ly well made , the greater the promise ofgood fortune and happiness . A B racelet of fou r

l i nes i s cal led a “royal B racelet,

" and signifies

that the fortunate possesso r wi l l gain al l thi sworld can give .

If the l i nes rise towards the hand,i t i s a Sign

of elevated ideas and noble views of l i fe ; if they

descend,i t i s a Sign of inferiori ty.

t ines. 69

If the l ines are chained,i t wi l l Show a laborious

l i fe ; but i f they conti nu e without breaking ,suc

cess w i l l be won at last .

I f the l i nes are much broken and badly

marked,i t Shows trouble

,distress

,and with other

bad Signs concurring,even disgrace .

A cross on the B racelets,wel l marked and

even,i s a Sign O f a legacy or unexpected gain .

A n angle promises great inheri tance and an

honoured O ld age.

B ranches on the Bracelets are also signs of

distin ctions and honou r .

Lines ris ing from the Bracelet on to the Mount

Of Luna Show long travel and voyages if they

end i n a star on the mount,i t i s a warning of

shipwreck ; i f i n both hands , a danger of drown

ing . I f‘

a l i ne ri ses from the wrist and passes

up to the Mount of Jupi ter,the subject wi l l

travel very far , probably more than once round

the world . I f the l ine,however

,directs i tself

toward the Mount of A pol lo,i t wi l l Show a l i fe

of fortune and distinction from the favou r of

great personages ; but i f i t crosses the Mount of

Luna,and on reaching the Mount of Mars passes

round the percussi on of the hand,i t wi l l Show

great misfortune and tribulation,especial ly i f i t

i s also i rregu lar in its course,o r broken and

chained .

70 t he Grammar of flbalmtetrg.

T HE MARR IAGE LINES.

The Marriage Lines are found’

pass ing hori

z onta lly across the Mount of Mercu ry from the

percussion of the hand towards the palm .

The long l i nes only shou ld be counted as

marriages ; the others are love affai rs i n wh ich

the feel ings were deeply concerned . I n the case

of a love match there shou ld be also a wel l

formed cross on the Mount of Jupiter,and by

this cross i t i s customary to date the time of

marriage . If i t i s near the root of the finger,the

marriage wi l l take place very—

early ; if i n the

centre of the mount,from twenty-five to thi rty ;

i f lower down,about middle age ; and if upon the

Line of Life , not unti l Old age . W hen the heart

is very deeply concerned,l ines from the Heart

Line wi l l be found ri si ng towards the Marriage

Line on the Mount of Mercu ry,W hen the Marriage Line i s forked i t i s a Sign

of a broken engagement.If it s lopes down on the Line of Heart , i t i s

said to foretel l widowhood ; i f broken with a

black or red dot,the death wi l l be sudden .

Crossed with many perpendicu lar l ings , i t wi l l

Show trouble,strife

,and poss ibly lawsu its .

l ines . 7 1

LINES O N T HE F ING ER S A ND MO UNTS .

F IRST F INGER .

(F ing er of j upiter .)LINES ON THE FINGER .

O NE S ingle l in e from the root to the first pha

lange shows nobi l i ty of character.

Many l ines on the fi rst phalange show i l l

health (this i s the case with al l the fingers) .Transverse l i nes on the second— a power of

lying wel l .Star on the second— a Sign of wi ckedness , un

less the branches mount on to the fi rst phalange .

Cross on the second— the friendship of the

great.Transverse l ines on the thi rd—money

,or an

i nheritance .

Star on the th i rd— an evi l l i fe .

Many lines from the mount across the root,on

to the th ird phalange—. high spi ri t and de term i

nation to su cceed .

LINES O N T HE MOUNT .

A s ingle l i ne on the mount wi l l show success .

A cross shows ambition and happiness .

A gri l l Shows selfishness and absu rd pride .

A triangle—diplomacy .

W i thout l ines—happiness , and a ca lm l ife .

72 t he Grammar of IDaImtstrg.

S ECOND F INGER .

(F ing er of S a turn .)

LINES O N T HE FINGER .

A s ingle l ine traversing the whole finger shows

stupidity and a great fol ly .

M anv l i nes equal and regular— a good fortune

o f money—sa id to be from mining or m i nerals .

W aving l ines— Obstacles .

Star on the first phalange— a great but fatal

event .

A s ingle l ine on the th i rd phalange,not touch

i ng the root Of the finger—prosperity i n arms .

Cross on the thi rd phalange— no fami ly .

Triangle on the th i rd—a bad subj ect,threat

ened by a miserable fate .

Lines from the root to the mount—melan

choly .

Many l ines on al l the phalanges are said to bea S ign of impu ls iveness .

LINES O N T HE MOUNT .

A s i ngle l ine on the mount— a sign of happiness .

M

Many l ines—misfortu ne,especial ly i f tangled .

A cross—a misfort une,or an adverse i nfluence.

R ays tending upwards- happ iness .Cross rays— obstacles .

l ines . 73

Star shows a danger of assassi nation,some

times of paralys is .

A triangle— a talent for mysti c science .

THIRD F INGER .

(F ing er of Apol/o.)

LINES ON THE FINGER .

A single l ine from the root to’

the fi rst phalange

shows a gai n of great glory .

S tra igh t l ines on the th i rd— a happy existence .

O ne or two l ines from the thi rd to the second

Show wisdom and abi l ity .

LINES O N T HE MOUNT.

A S ingle l ine on the mount show s talent and

success .

Two l ines,i f crossed— talent and fai l u re .

Many l ines,tangled or forked— love of too

many arts,and consequent fai l u re.

A cross— i l l-l uck i n art or I n r iches .

A gri l l—vainglory and boasti ng.

A star shows riches and unhappiness ; or

celebrity gained by chance.

A triangle— scient ific art or architectu re .

74 t he G rammar of Ipalmtstrg .

F OURTH F INGER .

(F ing er of M ercury .)

LINES ON THE FINGER .

A single l ine from the root to the first phalange—su ccess i n scientific research i f more than

one,fai l u re from following chimeras and impos

S ibilit ies .

Lines on the first— i l l-health,feebleness of

organization .

Line from the second to the first— a great

intel l igence .

Confused marks on the second—theft or lying .

Straight l i nes on the th i rd— i ntel l igence .

A star on the third— Spi ri t and eloquence .

A cross on the thi rd— theft .A gri l l— cheating and dishonesty .

LINES O N T HE MOUNT .

A s ingle l ine shows a good chance of fortune.

Two deep l ines— a sign of a good doctor or

nurse.

A faggot of l ines shows sci ence and aptitude,sometimes a good chemist .

A star— a s uccessfu l author .A cross— a disposi ti on to theft .

A triangle— diplomacy,a love of polit ics .

76 t he G rammar of palmistry .

Single strong li ne crossing from the Mount tothe Plain o f Mars wi l l show the dominant influences of some one of the other sex

,exercised

during a great part of the l i fe . A mount with

out l ines wi l l Show calm,coldness

,and often a

short l ife . A star Shows trouble connected with

marriage ; a Single c ross— a happy love .

LINES OF THE MOUNT OF MARS .

Many l ines upon the Mount of Mars,next the

percuss ion,show a hot temper and a passionate

dispos ition . A mount w i thout l ines Shows cool

ness and cou rage . Transverse l i nes c ross ing to

the outside of the hand are said to Show the

number of the subj ect’s enemies,and according

as they are broken or not,their power of i nj u ry .

A gri l l i s a Sign of murder , or at least of homicida l tendencies , and a star is sai d to i ndicate a n

attempt at assassi nation,or death i n battle . A

triangle wi l l Show talent for war tactics .

LINES ON THE MOUNT OF LUNA .

A si ngle li ne on the Mount of Luna wil l Show

a cause of disqu iet ; with many l ines , there wi l l

be nervousness,and torments of anx iety

,either

real or imaginary . (To find ou t from what i t pro

S maller S igns. 7

ceeds,consu lt the o ther

'

l ines .) Downward li nes

to the wris t Show voyages or l ong j ou rneys .

A star is a danger o f drowning,fatal on ly if

found in both hands ; but i f on the Head Line ,low on the mount

,i t i s a S ign of a tendency to

madness . A cross Shows ly i ng or hal l ucination .

A gri l l— sadness,timid ity

,and discontent .

O N THE S M ALLER S IGNS .

CROSSES .

A n i l l-made or uneven cross 15 always a bad

sign on a hand,but wel l-made even crosses are

not always harmful .

Cross on the Mount of Jupiter— successfu l

ambi ti on .

Cross on the Mount of Saturn— a great mis

fortune,or an adverse i nfluence .

Cro ss on the Mount of A pol lo— i l l- l uck i n art

o r ri ches .

Cross on the Mount of Mercu ry—a tendency

to steal .

Cross on the Mount of Venus— an unhappy

love affai r,unless there i s a corresponding cross

on Jupiter,when i t i s said to mean a happy

marriage .

Cross on the Mount of Luna— lying,self

deception,or del usi ons .

Cross on the Mount of Mars—murder .

78 t he Grammar of p a lmistry .

Cross on the Line of Life— a serious i l lness or

i nfirmity ; i f the l ines cut deeply acro ss it

probable death .

Cross on the Line o f F ate— a change of life ; i f

near,and not on i t

,the change wi l l happen to a

relative or friend .

Cross on the Line of Health— a n i l l ness .

Cross on a branch of the Health Line— a

change in business or affai rs .

Cross on the triangle—a n important event,

the resu lt.of a struggle

,always a change of ci r

cumstances .

Cross between the Mount of Luna and the

Quadranglen a fortunate voyage .

Cross—i formed i n the shape of S t . A ndrew’s

Cross— in the middle of the Quadrangle beneath

the _ M oun t of Satu rn,with the ends unattached

to any of th e l i nes above or. below,cal led the

Mysti c Cross,i s sai d to Show love of occu lt

sc ience,and spiri tual i sm .

STARS .

S tars are fatal ities , c i rcumstances or events

over which personal ly there i s no control,and

for w hich no responsibi l i ty is attached .

S tar on the M ount Of Jupiter— high honourand fortune .

S maller S igns. 79

S tar on the Mount of S atu rn— danger of sud

den or violent death .

Star on the Mount o f A pol lo— ri ches and un

happiness ; or,with a good Line of F ortune

,

celebrity won by chance,and not lasting .

Star on the Mount Of Mercu ry— danger of

theft or dishonou r,committed either by the sub

ject or someone closely connected . In a good

and talented hand th is star i s said to be the Sign

of a successfu l author .

S tar on the Mount of Mars—murder,danger

of assass ination,death i n battle .

S tar i n the Plain of Mars— honou r and mi li

tary glory .

S tar on the Mount of Luna— danger of drown

ing,or Sign of i l l ness .

S tar on the Mount of Venus— trouble caused

by love or marriage ; i f close. to the Life Line,

lawsu its .

Star on the Head Line low down on the

Mount of Luna—danger of madness or i nsanityin the fami ly ; higher on the Head Line close to

the Mount of Mars— danger of bli n dness .

Star on the Line o f F ortune— a catastrophe .

SQUARES .

A square is generally a good Sign,and gives

force and energy to whichever mount or finger

80 t he Grammar of p almistry".

i t may be found on ,except when found on the

Mount of Venus,when i t foretel ls impri sonm ent

,

a convent,or secl us ion from the world .

O n the l ine s i t i s said to Show preservat ion

from an accident.

TR IANGLES,

A triangle i s a favou rable Sign,and shows

aptitude for sc ientific pu rsu its .

Triangle on the Mount of Jupi ter—s uccessfu ld iplomacy .

Triangle on the Mount of S aturn— love of

O ccult science , mesmerism ,mysti cism , superst i

tion .

Triangle on the Mount o f A pollo— success

i n art or l iteratu re,scientific art

,arch itectu re

,

scu lptu re .

Triangle on the Mount of Mercu ry— success

i n politics ,'

or i n a learned professi on .

Triangle on the Mount of Mars—mil itary

glory,war-tactics .

Triangle on the Mount of Luna— reason and

intuiti on .

Triangle on the Mount of Venus—prudence

in love,calcu lation in marriage.

S maller S igns. 8 1

C IRCLES .

Ci rcles are good Signs on the mounts , s igni fy

i ng su ccess and glory,especially on the Mount

of A pol lo but on the l ines they are bad,show

ing misfortune . O n the Line of Life they are a

Sign of loss of s ight .

DOTS .

Dots are favourable or otherwise,according to

the posit ion they occupy .

W hite dots on the Heart Line— conquests i n

love .

R ed dots on the Heart Line mean the same,

but i n thi s case the s ubj ect has had h is feel ings

also very deeply engaged ; bu t i f there i s a Sign

of i l l ness on the Health and Life Lines,it may

mean heart dis ease instead .

Dark dots on the Head Line— fever.

W hite dots on the Head Line— s uccess i n di s

covery ,according to which mount they are

u nder ; as , beneath Mercury, i n science ; beneath

A pol lo,i n art or l i teratu re ; beneath Satu rn , i n

speculation .

Dots on the Health Line— i l l ness i f dark,

typhoid,or other fever .

D ot on the Marriage Line—widowhood by

sudden death .

t he Grammar of p almistry .

ISLANDS .

Islands are always bad signs i n the hand,but

care shou ld be taken to dist ingu ish them from

sister l ines,and from branches which cross the

li ne from which they rise . A n i s land is made by

the l ine div id i ng itself i nto two even bran ches,

proceed ing a Short distance and j o in ing agai n

into a Si ngle l i ne .

Is land -on the Life Line—i l l ness,general ly

hereditary .

Is land on the Head Line—i l l ness i n which thesubject has been del i ri ous .

Island on the Heart Line— an unfortunate

attachment .

Is land on the F ate Line— happiness marred by

the interference of enemies .

Island on the Health Line— l iver complaint

or i ndigestion ; sometimes robbery or bank

ruptcy .

GRILLS,O R CROSS-BARS .

A gri l l i s an obstacle,and generally a bad s ign

i n the hand,as it takes away the good qual ities

from the mount on which i t is found , which ,if much developed

,wil l contai n on ly the evi l

qualities exaggerated,and i f the mount i s un

developed the gri l l wi l l give great‘

coldness .

P A R T I V .

O N S IGNS OF ILLNESS .

S IGNS of i l l ness on any part of the hand mustnot be accepted unless corroborative evidence i s

found on the Li nes Of Life or Health by means

Of cross-l i nes,breaks

,dots

,stars

,o r other adverse

markings . The colou r and W idth of the l i nes

general ly,and texture of the skin

,Show health

and si ckness with much accu racy .

L in es wide and pale—i l l-health and weakness .

Lines very‘

red— tendency tofever.Lines "very yellow— tendency to i nternal i l l

nesses .

Lines i rregularly colou red—fluctua ted health .

Soft Ski n and cold palmé—good health .

Hot dry ski n— l iabi l i ty to fever .

Hot damp skin— tendency to consumption .

Cold damp skin— l iab i l ity to l iver complaint .

Cold dry crackly

k

skin— i l lness of the nerves.

Thin bri ttle nai ls—del icate health .

F l uted nai ls— tendency to consumption .

84

G n S igns of 1l llness . 85

Curved nai ls— tendency to consumption or

Spi nal complaint.Many l ines i n a hand show the natural con

stitution i s not strong. The fewer the l ines,the

stronger the health .

Many smal l l i nes on the Head and Heart

headache and neuralgia .

Dominant second finger,long F ate Line

,and

chained Line of Health— loss of teeth,or suffer

ing from them .

Is lands on the l ines— hereditary i l lness .

A break or dot on the l ines— a seri ous i l lness ;i f repeated in both hands—often fatal .

S tar on the Mount of Satu rn—paralys is .

Star on the Mount of Luna—dropsy,or i l lness

from anxiety and worry .

Cross on the Mount of Luna— i nsan ity i n the

fami ly .

Cross on the Line of Life— a danger.

Break on the Head Line— a broken l imb,or

accident.

Ci rcle on the Head Line,or a cross very h igh

up— loss o f sight .

S tar on the Head Line—shock .

Star on the Plain of Mars— loss of s ight.Many l ines and chains

,spatulate fingers

,soft

palm,and poor second phalange of the thumb

hysteria .

86 t he Grammar of p almistry .

O N TEMPER .

Temper i s shown by the shape of the hand ,

the nai ls,the sk in

,the Mount of Mars

,and the

general colou ring .

Nai ls wider than they are long— hot temper,

obstinacy .

Nails very short—criti ci sm,contradiction .

Nails square,but ro und at the bottom—pas

s ionate,but not obstinate .

Nai ls very pi nk— hasty temper .

Long nai ls,narrow— sweet temper .

A lmond nai ls— cheerfu lness .

Many smal l l i nes Show an irritable temper ,but i t may proceed fromi l lness or nervousness ,and the Li nes of Life and Health should always

be careful ly consu lted .

R ed l ines— hot temper'

.

Plain of Mars much'

lined—impatience ; sometimes much suffering from the i l l-temper of

others .Mount of Mars h igh and u nl ined ,

with wide

Quadrangle—j ust,tolerant

,gentl e temper .

Thick,smooth

,white sk in , unimpress ionable

to heat and cold— a calm,intensely selfish char

actes with long gquare fingers are never

G n S pecia l G ua lities .

O N SPEC IAL QUALITIES .

P rzde.

&—A very long first finger,espec ial ly

long in the third pha lange . Mount of J upiter

very long and h igh ._A branch from the Head

or Heart Line ri sing h igh on to the mount.

A mbition .

- Very h igh Mount of Jupiter,l ong

fi rst finger,long second phalange . G ood Lines

of F ateand F ortune . Sometimes a l ine from the

middle of the Mount of Luna ending h i gh on

the Mount O f Jupiter.

Conc‘eit— S patu late fingers . Head and Life

Lines widely divided .

V anity .

—G ri l l on Mount of A pol lo . Head

and Heart Lines deeply j oi ned . Many l ines onthe Mount of Luna .

Energy .

—Hard hand,deep lines . S patu late

fingers .

P ersevera nce .

—Long fou rth finger,especial ly

the th i rd phalange .

Enthusia sm—Very long pointed fingers with

out knots .

R eason—Long , thick second phalange of

th umb . Long , square fingers . "not of Phi lo

Sophy .

Wi ll— Large thumb,long first phalange. I f

88 t he Grammar of p almistrg.

the wil l i s obstinate,the j oint wi l l be th ick

,the

end heavy and spatu late,and the second phalange

poon

O rder—Large j oints . F i rst knot,order i n

ideas ; second knot, order in practice .

I mpulse- S hort

,pointed

,smooth

,s upple fin

gers,much l i ned . Head and Life Li nes much

j o ined .

Capa city f or D eta il .—Large hand,long fingers

,

long Line of Head .

l dleness .

— S oft hands,pointed fingers

,very

l imp . Short Line of H ead,low Mount of Jupiter.

A ng er—Low Mount of Mars under Mercury

,

h igh under Jupiter, with the plain between much

crossed and lined . Short first phalange of the

thumb . R ed l i nes . Short wide nai ls,qu ite

square at the bottom .

Courag e—High Mount of Mars on both Sides .

Line of Heart going round the percussi on .

S traight fingers, especial ly the th ird phalange.

Square fingers . F i rm hand .

A va rice .

—Hard hand . F i ngers very close

together,w i th the points cu rved upwards .

Thumb tu rned i nwards towards the fingers .

Very long stra ight Line of Head . Short Line

Of Heart .

S elfishness.

—Soft,fat hand

,with very h igh

G n S pecial Q ua lities. 89

mounts . F i ngers close together,thumb straight

and heavy . S hort l i ne of Heart. No Mounts

of Luna or Venus,but al l the others over-devel

oped .

Hy pocri'

sy—Long Head Line

,with a great

forF a t'

the end,one branch descending on to the

Mount of Luna,and the other ri s ing towards

Mercury. Mount o f Mercury much developed,

gri l led ; Mount of Luna much deve loped , with a

cross On i t . Th ird phalange of the fou rth finger

l ong and th i ck .

G reediness .

—Third phalange o f al l the fingers

long and very th i ck . High Mount of Venus

encroaching on the palm .

G enerosity— Turnedout thumb . Long

,straight

,

narrow Line of Heart forked on the Mount of

Jupiter .

Eloquence—H igh Mount of Mercu ry . Long

fourth finger . Long Line of Head ,S lopi ng

towa rds the Mount o f Luna . Long smooth

fingers .

I mag ina tion—Long pointed fingers . High

Mount o f Luna .

Nervousness (not to be confounded with wantOf cou rage) .—High Mount of Luna , much lined .

A bend backwards o f the fi rst phalange of al l

the finge rs .

Consta ncy .

—Large strong thumb,long first

90 t he G rammar of IDalmistrn.

phalange . Long Head Line . Long,narrow

,

straight Line of Heart,evenly forked .

Cruelty —Tyranny . Long,th in

,s ti ff fingers

,

very pointed,very narrow hand . Tu rned-in

thumb and fingers . No M o iint of Luna . B rutal i ty .

Long,red

,th ick Line of Life . Hard

,th i ck

,

cl umsy hand . Lined Mount of Mars,no Moun t

of Luna . Lines very red . F ingers short,thi ck

,

and sti ff"M oney

—Long uncrossed Line of F ortune .

Branches from the Line of Life to the Line of

Head . G ood Mount of Mercury with two

straight l ines on it—money from business . Verygood B racelets with angle or cross on the fi rst

l ine,and l i nes on the th i rd phalange of the finger

of Jupiter—money from inheritance,legacies .

Long straight Line of F ate risi ng on the Mount

Of Luna and ending on the Mount of Satu rn,

and a branch from the Head Lin e on to the

Mount of Jupi ter—money from appointments

gained by the i nfl uence Of others .

O N THE PROFESSIONS .

The S ervice—Large hard hand . High double r

Mounts of Mars . Lines of F ate and" F ortune

for success . Large thumb , heavy first phalange—for command . S quare or spatu late fingers .

92 t he G rammar of IDalmistrp.

The P rofession — Long supple fingers,tu rned

O ut th umb . Line of F ortune . High Mounts o i

Luna and Venus . Heart Line tu rn ing upwards

towards the Mount of Mercu ry .

M a ia—Long second finger,and good high

Mount of Saturn . Line o f F ortune . Line of

Head descending on to the Moun t of Luna .

Supple fingers— for performers . S quare and

knotted fingers— for composers . High Mounts

of Satu rn and Luna— for harmony . High Mounts

of A pol lo and Venus— for melody .

P oetry—Long pointed finger of J upi ter . High

mount . G ood Mounts of Luna and Venus .

Head Line descending on to the Mount of Luna .

Heart Line tu rning up high upon the Mount Of

Jupiter.P a inting

—Long Line of Head . Long supple

fingers . Short thumb . Line of F ortune . High

Mount of A pol lo , long th ird finger . S econd

finger square i n comparison w i th the rest,and

all the first phalanges short.

S culpture—Spatu late hands . Line of F ortune .

High Mount o f A pollo . Second and th i rd

fingers Of equal length,

first phalanges o f both

very long and th ick .

L itera ture— Large hands , long smooth fingers .High Mount of Luna . Long finger o f Mercury ,

w ith a star on th e mount . Line of F ortune.

G n S pecial Q ualities. 93

Long forked Line of Head descending on to the

Mount of Luna .

B usiness—Long large thumb . Long straight

L i ne of Head . Square fingers,with a very long

and square fourth finger.

P A R T V .

O N R EAD ING THE HA NDS.

W ITH regard to the difference i n the l ines of the

right and left hands,which i s one of the greatest

difficu lties i n palmistry,I think it may be broadly

stated that in the left i s found what i s i ntended

for you i n l ife,and in the right what you do with

it . The left i s the passive hand,the right the

active . The outl i ne of the hand,l ike the

natural di sposi t ion,i s hereditary

,and i t i s im

possible to alter i t to any great degree ; but the

l ines Show the habits y o u encou rage , the character

y ou become, and the events that modify or estab

l ish that character,and therefore the l ines o f the

hand are always changing,more or l ess a ccord

i ng to the eventfulness,mental and physical , of

the l ife led . It i s absolutely necessary that the

outl i ne O f a hand shou ld be thoroughly u nder

stood before any attempt is made to study the

l ines,and it i s by far the best plan for the student

to restrict h imself to the first part of palmi stry

unti l that i s thoroughly comprehended and com94

G n 1Reahing the‘lhanos. 95

mitted to memory before attempting the harder

work comprised i n the second part .

W hen about to read the hands o f you r s ubject,you shou ld take the left in you r own

,and

,

holding i t palm downwards,l ook careful ly at

the outli ne . Y ou wi l l then be able to j udge as

to the class of hand to which i t belongs— long or

Short,pointed

,spatu late

,or square

,with or with

ou t knots,shape of the nai ls

,etc—tel l i ng Of the

temper,tact

,j udgment

,w i l l

,quickness of appre

hension,and so on ,

of y ou r subject . Then turn

the hand over and press the palm,so as to tel l of

the hardness or the softness of the hand,as energy

or laz iness i s the keynote of a character,and

modifies al l other s igns . The hand should then

be laid pa lm upw a rds on a sheet of paper,and

the tops a nd'

bOttoms Of the fingers and edge of

the outl i ne do tted with a penci l,so as to be sure

of the measurements being correct and i n exact

proportion . The subj ect should then hold the

hand in an easy pos ition,Sl ightly horizontally

,

before the student,who shou ld Careful ly draw

the outl ine . The hand should then be laid flat

downwards upon a table in a good l ight for thedrawmg of the l ines

,which

,after being fi rst

drawn in penci l,shou ld be corrected a nd re

drawn i n i nk . This done,the student should

note down upon another Sheet of paper the other

96 t he Grammar of p almistrp.

signs of the hand,the shape and height o f the

mounts,the colou r of the l ines

,the feel of the

hand and texture of the Skin,shape of the nai l s

,

etc . The right hand Shou ld then be observed,

and,i f t ime al lows

,a drawing shou ld also be

made of i t as wel l,and in th e same manner ; but

if time presses and the subject becomes impa

tient,i t wi l l be su fficient to note down carefu l ly

the differences between the two hands . The

drawings shou ld then be thoroughly studied by

the student with the help of the grammar,notes

being taken of every pecu l i ari ty,no one Sign

being taken by i tself wi thou t the corroborative

evidence of others ; a nd aga inst every concl u

si on drawn,the reasons for so th inking shou ld be

noted for future experience , and finally a carefu l

s umming-up of al l the evidence Shou ld be written .

A copy of thi s summing-up shou ld be given to

the s ubj ect,and the drawi ngs Of the hands and

th e fu l l notes written by the st udent shou l d be

entered into a book kept by him for the purpose .

The student shou ld never attempt to read a

hand verbal ly unti l after at least s ix months of

carefu l drawing and study,as I am sure i t i s com

pletely impossible to carry al l the ru les and

directions of thi s d ifficu lt science i a t once i n the

memory,and to produce correct deducti ons Spon

100 t he Grammar of lDalmistrp.

undertaking another ; there is great love of fresh

ai r and exerci se,of games

,of ridi ng and row ing

,

and of walking tours i n al l weathers .

FINGERS .

"notted—P ointed—The fi rst knot gives the

subj ect great order i n ideas,and the second

order i n the material world . The impression

wi l l be qu ick (pointed tips), but they wi l l alwaysbe carefully reasoned out.

Thumb— A very powerfu l one . The first

phalange shows a very strong wi l l,unselfish

(tu rned out), extremely independent, would beoccasional ly very rash

,and always hasty i n j udg

ment . Second phalange shows the reasoning

powers very good,clear j udgment and l ogical

capacity,l ove of argument A very constant

friend,and one who cou ld keep a secret .

F irst F ing er—The first phalange of th i s finger

shows enthusiasm in rel igion,soon checked by

phi losophy (first knot) , love of natu re and of

books . T he second phalange wil l give ambition ,and the thi rd shows bu t l ittle love of ru le .

S econd F ing er .

-This being the dominant

finger,shows that destiny wi ll ru le the career

,

but the mount below wil l prevent i l l-s uccess

from sadden ing the character. I t shows a great

G n 1Reabtng the fianbs. 101

love of an imals,and general ly a want of pru

dence .

Third F ing er—Being pointed

,th i s wil l give

quick Observation and activity i n ideas,but i t i s

too smal l to give ei ther fame or riches .

F ourth F ing er—Thi s finger is too short for

eloquence or bri ll iancy,though the length of the

first phalange wi l l g ive cheerfu lness . By the

poverty of thi s finger the subject w i l l never be

able to manage or persuade other people,how

ever necessary or des irable i t m ight be,and the

career wi l l be very much hampered by this .

A s a whole the fingers i ndicate aptitude and

great i nventiveness,mechani cal ski l l and love of

study,great sensibi l ity and want Of tact

,gene

ros ity and unselfishness,a love of good things

to eat and drink,a strong sense of i nd ividual ity

and enti re absorption i n the s ubj ect ’s own affai rs .

The fingers being both knotted and pointed

Show a cont in ual struggl e between i nspi ration

and analysi s,between religious tendency and the

spi ri t of controversy . A s an artist,the subj ect

wi l l be a painter of truth,not Of imagination ;

w i l l always be occupied w i th masses,general

aspects,and colouring more than detai l

,and wil l

never lose S ight Of the ensemble— th e end to be

Obtained . S he wil l carry out her own particu lar

scheme according to her own i deas ; S he wi l l

102 t he G rammar of ll’

balmistrp.

study al l that has to do with her art,especial ly

chemistry ; She wi l l make trials i n the compos i

tion and in the ameli oration o f the earths u sed

for making paints ; she wi l l make her ow n

colou rs th e effects of her ow n i nvention . (Desba rolles has made a parti cu lar study of the scien

t ific artisti c hand,as the combination of knotted

and pointed fingers is rare,and renders the

character difficu lt to analyze . )

MOUNTS .

Jupiter Shows ambition and much pride ; love

of natu re . There i s no S ign of success on this

mount,and the adverse l i nes denote good

chances spoiled by wrong j udgment or by i nter

ference .

Saturn i s i ns ignificant,and tends towards

A pol lo,which shows fate leads to art .

A pol lo,furrowed by two horizontal l ines

,shows

the love of art ; but the l ines , being broken and

crossed,give bu t l i ttle promise o f success

,as

the Line of F ate i s not strong enough to coun

terba lance the Obstacl es .

Mercu ry is favou rable,and shows Spi rit and

cheerfu lness,love of work arid perseverance

,

promptitude of action and invention . The three

deep l ines on the mount show the subject to be

04 t he Grammar of 1Dalmistrp.

dependence,together with overru l i ng of ci rcum

stances (divi sion O f F ate L i ne), caused the

promise to come to noth ing,and the engage

ment or attachment— marked and crossed ou t on

Marriage Line— to be o f no effect. There i s no

marriage in th i s hand . A S to fri endsh ip,the

subject has been equal ly unfortunate . By the

crossi ng of the branches and of the l ines on the

Head Line,the few sincere friends that the sub

ject has made have been lost to her by death and

distance,and the others sh e has not chosen wel l

,

as they have proved inconstant . A t one time

one friend was able to help her powerful ly,but

the i nfluence coul d only have lasted a very Short

time .

L ine of H ead—This i s a good l i ne,and shows

much common sense and energy,cou rage and

perseverance . Perhaps i t tends too l i ttle to

imagination for a fol lower of art,and the work

wi l l consequently be real i st ic rather than fane i

ful . There i s much self-confidence and audacity

(divis ion of Head-and Life Lines) ; the memoryis not very good . There i s a good deal of i l lness

shown by thi s l i ne,and from the break

,and the

l ines on the commencement of the Li fe Line , and

the direction of the Lin e of F ate,there must

have been at one time a tendency to suicide

(i rregular cross on Mars) bu t i f so ,i t must have

G n 1Rea0ing the thanos. 105

been singu larly early i n l ife; The li ne , taken

with the knotted fingers and the poverty of t h e

fourth finger,shows a want o f tact and diplomacy.

L ine of L i e.

—This l ine shows a very u nhappy

chi ldhood,and much trouble and struggles in

middle l ife. There i s a very seriou s i l lness

between the age of th irty and thi rty-five ; through

which the s ubj ect struggled by means o f a good

natu ral constitution . There is a great change i n

l ife at about twenty-eight,which had a great

effect on the career (l i ne from Li fe to Head) ; i tmade more work and more happiness . Life wi l l

l ast ti l l sixty-five or seventy,and wi l l end sud

denly .

L ine of F a te— This shows a very adventu rous

career. There has been a n unhappy beginni ng ,great poverty

,and many obstacles . The Head

made a very fatal choice,both with regard to

love and fame,and from th irty—five to fifty the

struggle has been very severe (l i ne broken crossing the Plain of Mars) . The l ine beginn ing so

low down and stopping abruptly at the Head

shows fate to be always adverse ; the va ricus

decis ions come to by the s ubject have nearly

always been wrong , w hich i s s ingu lar, consideri ng

the good j udgment shown by the thumb ; but

over-impetuosi ty may have been the cause of

some of them , and inabi l ity to manage or under

06 t he Grammar of Ipalmistrp.

stand other people and thei r prej udices,the sub

j ect having so few h erself,h as probably conduced

a great deal towards the i ll-s uccess shown bythi s l i ne .

L ine of F ortune—This shows a loss of fortune

by parents d uring youth . Beginni ng low,th i s

l ine shows the subject to have earned a good

deal of cons ideration and admiration from many

people,and had the S atu rn ian been better

,might

have gained fame and success . The li ne,i nstead

of going towards the Mount of A pol lo,which i s

its proper di rection,turns towards Mercury

,

which shows that the natural tendency is scientific

and not artisti c ; and had science been fol lowed

instead of art,success wou ld have been more

certain . The li ne is too short to bring money at

any time .

L ine of H ea lth—This Shows.

a natu rally hardy

constitution,but the subj ect has been most rash

in throwing away health . There have been bad

i llnesses from over-work and over-exposu re,and

danger of death in the break and crosses (th is i srepeated on the Life Line) . Health wil l improve

as l ife advances,and the subj ect wi l l be very

strong in Old age . There i s a great warn ing

against fal ls on the l i nes,and i t shows a l iabi l i ty

to fever and inflammation,and to neu ralgia on

the left s i de o f the head and face . F ru it wi l l

t he Grammar of IDalmistrp.

T HE SUBJECT CONSIDERED A s A TY PE OF MARS .

The subject being a type of Mars,should be

above middle. height,strongly bu i l t

,and some

what cl umsy. A short,thi ck head

,large

,high

forehead,a

'

nd much-developed cranium . A red

brown complex ion and fi rm sk in . Thick hair,

bright i n colou r ; large, bright , bold eyes , gray

or brown,very straight and fixed wh i le speaki ng .

A large mouth,with th i n l ips sh utti ng tight ;

large teeth,very even

,not very white. A h igh

nose,wel l shaped ; a rather prominent chi n . A

short neck,wide chest

,and substantial figure .

The head is carried wel l i n the a i r,and the walk

i s firm,with large steps .

“ The movements are

rapid and somewhat brusque,accompanied by

“devastat ing gestu re ;" the voice clear and

strong,l ibera l to prodigal i ty

,j u st and generous ,

those born types of Mars love bright colou rs ,and movement

,and animated conversation .

Quick to anger,and i rri tated by contradiction ,

they despise danger,and attach no great value

to thei r l ife .

PA R T V I .

T HE HANDS OF D ISTINGU I SHED PERSONS .

F ig . I I . T he H and of a Nursing S ister.

F ig . 1 2 . T he H and O f a distingu ished S oldier.

F ig . 1 3 . T he H and of an A uthor.

F ig . 1 4 . T he H and of a S culptor.

F ig . 1 5 . T he H and of an A ctress .

F ig. 1 6 . T he H and of a M usician .

T HE opposite hands,inserted for the benefit Of

the student,have al l been carefu l ly drawn from

l ife. F or obv ious reasons,the names of the

owners of the hands are nOt given,but the reader

may rest assu red they have been chosen as

typi cal examples of successfu l hands i n the

different professions and cal l in s to which they

belong.

P A R T V I I .

G LOSSARY OF TERM S .

F INGER and Mount of Jupiter—“ the first finger

with the mount at i ts base .

F i nger and Mount o f S atu rn—the second

finger with the mount at i ts base .

F i nger and Mount of A pollo— the th i rd finger

with the mount at i ts base .

F inger and Mount of Mercu ry—the fou rthfinger with the mount at its base .

Mounts of Mars—the first,the space between

the thumb and the bottom of the Mount of

Jupiter ; the second , the mount on the ou tsi de of

the hand,immediately below the Mount of

Mercu ry

Mount of Luna— space between the Mount of

Mars and the wri st .Mount of Venus—large mount at the base of

the thumb .

Line of Life,or Vital—l i ne that enci rc les the

Mount of Venus .

t he Grammar of lDalmistrp. f ,

4

Triangle— space between the Lines of Head,

Life,and F ate

,or Health .

Marr iage Lines— ru nni ng horizontal ly across

the Mount o f Mercury .

T HE