Palm reading basics: hand shapes, major lines and mounts

Which hand?

A common tradition reads the right hand for men and the left for women; another reads your dominant hand for the present and the other for what you were born with. Many readers simply look at both.

The four hand shapes

• Earth: square palm, short fingers. Practical, steady, hands-on.
• Air: square palm, long fingers. Curious, talkative, thinks things through.
• Water: long palm, long fingers. Sensitive, imaginative, intuitive.
• Fire: long palm, short fingers. Energetic, bold, quick to act.

The major lines

• Life line (jeevan rekha): curves around the thumb. Read for vitality and big life changes. Its length is not a measure of how long you'll live.
• Head line (mastishk rekha): across the middle of the palm. Thinking style: straight is practical, sloping is creative.
• Heart line (hriday rekha): across the top of the palm. Emotions and relationships.
• Fate line (bhagya rekha): runs up the middle towards the middle finger. Career and direction; many people have a faint one or none.
• Sun line and marriage lines: smaller lines read for recognition and close relationships.

The mounts

The pads at the base of each finger are named after planets: Jupiter (index), Saturn (middle), Sun (ring), Mercury (little finger), plus Venus at the base of the thumb and the Moon on the opposite edge. A full, firm mount is read as that planet's qualities being strong.

Taking a good photo

• Use daylight, not a flash.
• Keep the palm flat with fingers open.
• Fit the whole hand in the frame.

Keep it in perspective

Palmistry is a traditional art for reflection. Lines change over time, and effort and choices matter more than any line.

This guide describes traditional Vedic astrology for general information. Astrology is guidance, not a guarantee, and isn't medical, legal or financial advice.