The Minor Lines
The major lines are the important lines on the hand and have a major influence on the person’s life. Conversely, the minor lines have a lesser effect on the person’s life and are read in conjunction with the major lines and the shape of the hand.
Girdle of Venus
The girdle of Venus is a fine line that is situated on the finger side of the heart line and parallels it for part of its length. When this line is present, the person’s emotional sensitivities are heightened. This can create problems, as everything that happens to the person will affect him or her at an emotional level. Sometimes, people with this line will try to handle these heightened emotions by overindulging in alcohol, drugs, or sex. Some are able to channel it into some form of creativity.
Figure 27: Girdle of Venus
Hepatica
The hepatica is also known as the health line or the line of Mercury. It runs diagonally across the palm from inside the life line near the wrist to a position close to the start of the heart line. It is never as clearly marked as the four major lines. When the hepatica virtually crosses the palm, it is sometimes considered a sign of longevity.
Figure 28: Hepatica
If present, the hepatica should be clear and well-marked. This is a sign of good health and shows that the person is taking care of his or her physical body. Funnily enough, people without a health line enjoy extremely good health and bounce back quickly after any illness.
Most people’s hepaticas show variations in quality, and these can indicate periods of ill health. These are not necessarily major illnesses, as they can also indicate lack of energy and small ups and downs in the person’s health.
Islands and chains on the health line usually indicate problems with digestion. Often small changes in the person’s diet are all that’s required to improve the quality of the hepatica.
Breaks in the hepatica mark periods of ill health. The hepatica should be read with the life line whenever health matters are being discussed.
Squares are extremely positive on the health line and show that the person is being protected during the period indicated.
The hepatica is sometimes called the line of Mercury, as it heads toward the little (Mercury) finger. Because of this, a strong, clear hepatica is also related to business success.
Sun Line
The Sun line runs parallel to the destiny line for part of its length and comes to an end close to the mount of Apollo. Because of this, it is sometimes called the line of Apollo. It’s an extremely fortunate sign if this line parallels the destiny line for almost all of its length. However, this is unusual. It usually starts close to the head line and runs up toward the ring finger.
The presence of a Sun line is always fortuitous, as it gives the person confidence, people skills, versatility, creative ability, and the potential for success. Interestingly, it often appears on the hand only after the person has set some worthwhile goals and is working hard to achieve them.
Figure 29: Sun Line
Ring of Solomon
The ring of Solomon is a semicircular line that partially or completely surrounds the mount of Jupiter. People with this line are usually intuitive and interested in the psychic world. They instinctively understand the needs of others and have a desire to serve humanity in some sort of way. People with this line often choose careers in the fields of counseling, healing, teaching, and psychology.
Figure 30: Ring of Solomon
Sympathy Line
The sympathy line is sometimes confused with the ring of Solomon as both are fine lines found immediately below the index finger. The ring of Solomon is curved, while the sympathy line is more straight. As its name suggests, people with this line are sympathetic, understanding, and enjoy helping others.
Figure 31: Sympathy Line
Approval Line
The approval line is a short line that starts between the index and middle fingers and curves onto or around the mount of Saturn. It shows that the person has good self esteem and knows how to work matters to his or her best advantage.
Ring of Saturn
The ring of Saturn is a semicircular line that surrounds the mount of Saturn. It’s a negative line that hinders the person’s progress through life. He or she will experience numerous obstacles and problems in both career and home life and will have to learn through mistakes and setbacks.
The Rascettes
The rascettes, often referred to as bracelets, are the lines found on the wrist immediately below the palm. Gypsies claim that each full bracelet indicates twenty-five years of life. However, as almost everyone has three bracelets, everyone would have to live to at least seventy-five for this to be true. Consequently, the rascettes are ignored by most palmists nowadays.
Although the rascettes have no role in determining length of life, palmists have known for thousands of years that when the top rascette on a woman’s hand arches upward into the palm, she’ll experience difficulties in childbirth. In ancient Greece, women with this sign on their hands became vestal virgins and weren’t allowed to marry.
Via Lasciva
The via lasciva, or via lascivia, is a straight line situated two-thirds to three-quarters of the way down the palm from the little finger. It runs from the side of the palm and heads part of the way toward the thumb. This line is usually straight but can sometimes be curved.
Figure 32: Via Lasciva
People with this line constantly need something exciting to look forward to. Some people with this line have addictive personalities and need to be careful with alcohol and drugs.
Medical Stigmata
The medical stigmata are a group of from three to ten tiny vertical lines that are found below the little finger or slightly offset toward the ring finger.
People with a medical stigmata are naturally empathetic and caring. It’s not surprising that these lines are sometimes called “Samaritan lines” or “healing lines.” People with these lines often gravitate toward careers that involve helping people, animals, or plants. Good gardeners, farmers, veterinarians, naturopaths, doctors, nurses, counsellors, teachers, and psychic consultants are all likely to have medical stigmatas on their hands.
However, many people with this quality use it in their everyday lives rather than directly in their careers. They might, for instance, be naturally good with animals, possess exceptional people skills, or be able to turn a wilderness into a beautiful garden. An elderly man I know worked in advertising for forty years and spent all his spare time volunteering for different charities. When he retired, he was able to spend all his time helping others. I wasn’t surprised to find a medical stigmata on his hand.
Nurse’s Lines
Nurse’s lines are one or more fine vertical lines between the heart line and the fingers. They are usually found under the little or ring fingers. People with these lines have empathy and compassion for people, animals, and plants. Not surprisingly, many people with these lines take up healing as a career.
Family Chain
The family chain is a chained line at the base of the second phalange of the thumb where it joins the palm.
It is a sign that the person has strong emotional ties with his or her family when this line is heavily chained. It means the opposite if the line is thin and unchained.
This line is read from the index finger side of the thumb. It’s common to see a line that is heavily chained at the start but gradually turns into a thin line. This shows that as the person grew and matured, he or she became less emotionally tied to his or her family.
A break in this line indicates a period of separation from the family.
Relationship Lines
Relationship lines, sometimes known as lines of affection, are fine lines that start on the side of the hand between the start of the heart line and the little finger. Many people call these “marriage lines,” which is not correct. These lines indicate a strong relationship that may or may not become a marriage. The relationship may not necessarily be a sexual one.
A good relationship line is clear, well-marked, and comes up the side of the palm and onto the surface of the palm. This is an indication of a strong relationship that will last for a long while. A clear, well-marked line that doesn’t come up and onto the surface of the palm doesn’t last.
The relationship lines indicate the person’s potential. Someone may have three or four relationship lines on his or her hand, but if the first one is successful and becomes permanent, the other lines will never be utilized.
It’s possible for relationship lines to disappear. If you were in a strong relationship that ended badly, your subconscious mind might erase the line from your hand. However, the story of the former relationship will still be visible on your heart line.
Figure 33: Relationship Lines
It’s also possible for new relationship lines to appear. Many years ago, I knew a woman who had never had a serious relationship and had no relationship lines on her hands. When she finally met the right person, it didn’t take long for a strong relationship line to appear.
Some palmists read these lines to gauge the strength of the person’s sexuality. In this system, a strong line indicates a powerful libido, and two strong lines show that the libido is still strong in the person’s old age. Weaker lines show the libido is not especially strong, and people with no lines can live happily without an active sex life.
Children Lines
Traditionally, the children lines are the fine vertical lines immediately below the little finger. They can sometimes overlap the relationship lines.
Once you start reading palms, people will frequently ask, “How many children will I have?” It might have been possible to answer that a hundred years ago, but thanks to contraceptives, people can choose when, or if, they’ll have children. Many couples nowadays choose not to have children, too.
Consequently, unless I’m specifically asked about the number of children a person might have, I ignore these lines when giving a reading. Children lines can be read only as a potential on a woman’s hand. A woman who might have had fifteen children if she’d been alive two hundred years ago will still show that potential but might choose to have just one—or none—in this incarnation.
The children’s lines on a man’s hand reveal the number of children he is close to. A man may have two children’s lines on his hand, for instance, even though he has fathered three. This means he is close to two of his children but is not particularly close to the third. This is further complicated by the fact that men can become close to children they haven’t fathered. When this happens, a line, or lines, indicate the closeness of the relationship. Consequently, children that are adopted, children of his partner, nieces or nephews, or any other children the man is close to may appear as children’s lines on his hand.
Apollo Lines
Apollo lines are short vertical lines that reach up to the base of the Apollo finger. They’re generally about half an inch in length but can be as long as two inches. Some people have up to half a dozen of these lines, while others might have one or none.
The presence of an Apollo line shows that the person appreciates all the blessings in his or her life and expresses gratitude at every opportunity. These lines are highly positive, as they show the person can keep a smile on his or her face even when going through difficult times.
Travel Lines
Travel lines are the fine lines on the side of the hand between the wrist and the heart line on the little finger side of the hand. These lines are sometimes called “restlessness lines,” as they give a degree of restlessness to the person’s character. Not surprisingly, this inner restlessness often leads to travel.
People with restlessness lines on their hands need plenty of variety in their lives. They get bored easily and dislike following the same routine day after day.
Clear, well-marked lines indicate important travel. However, an important trip for one person might not be viewed in the same way by someone else. For some people, a two-hundred-mile trip would be considered important if they seldom traveled away from home, and it would show up on their hands.
If someone travels regularly on business, each individual trip would not be shown on his or her hand. However, unless the person actively disliked travel, he or she would have a number of restlessness lines to indicate his or her interest in travel.
Intuition Line
The line of intuition starts on the mount of Luna on the little finger side of the hand and heads in an arc toward the center of the palm. The intuition line is usually no more than one inch long. However, when it’s developed, it can extend all the way down to touch the head or destiny lines.
The presence of a line of intuition shows that the person relies on his or her hunches and feelings. If the line is well-developed, the person will be highly intuitive and would have the potential to become a clairvoyant, medium, or healer.
Figure 34: Intuition Line
Simian Crease
The simian crease is created when the heart and head line become a single line that runs across the palm. This means that the emotion of the heart line and logic of the head line become intertwined, making it difficult for them to express their feelings. As a result, they lead highly complex emotional lives. The simian crease (sometimes called the “simian line” or “palmar crease”) is found frequently on one hand, but seldom on both.
People with a simian line are usually easy to get along with until they become stubborn and inflexible. Once their minds have been made up, it’s impossible to change them. They are often exceptionally intelligent, have the ability to focus intently on whatever they’re doing, and consequently learn everything they can about their work or important interests. While doing this, they’re able to temporarily forget about their complicated emotions. They possess original, inventive minds that make them extremely useful in many fields of endeavor.
If the simian crease is located on the minor hand (left hand if the person is right-handed), the person will have had a protected childhood and will try to avoid responsibility.
If it’s on the major hand, the person will be single-minded, hardworking, and goal-oriented. However, he or she will find it hard to relax and unwind.
If the simian line is on both hands, the person will be exceptionally rigid and stubborn. Not surprisingly, this causes major difficulties, and the person will need careful guidance and help from his or her family during the growing up years to help get this under control. This single-mindedness can be put to good use in sporting activities and in a career that requires focus and precision with little input from others.
The simian crease is often found on the hands of people with Down syndrome. However, the majority of people who have a simian crease do not have Down syndrome.
Figure 35: Simian Crease