Health, Wealth, Love,
and Happiness
Everyone wants to be healthy, wealthy, deeply in love, and happy. Consequently, as a palmist, you will be asked more questions about these subjects than any other topic. In the next chapter we will do a complete palm reading, and you will see how all of these subjects are incorporated into the reading.
However, many people have specific questions on these topics and you will need to explore them more deeply. The range of questions that can be asked about these three subjects is enormous, but basically boil down to just four questions: Will I live a long life? Will I be financially secure? Will I have a long-lasting, loving relationship? and, Will I be happy?
Fortunately, it is possible to answer these questions by a close examination of the person’s hands.
Health
Our health is our greatest single asset. Consequently, it is not surprising that so many people worry about their health. They are concerned that they may die young, be incapacitated by some illness or accident, or be bedridden and senile in their old age.
Whenever I am asked any question about health, I first determine if the person means physical or emotional health. Obviously, the two are closely connected as the state of our emotional health determines our physical well-being. The person may be under severe pressure and suffering from stress and strain. We can all sustain pressure for a short while, but if it is ongoing, it will ultimately affect our physical health.
The state of our emotional health is revealed in every part of the hand, not just in the number of stress or strain lines. We need to see if the heart line is relatively smooth. Along with this, we need to look at the mount of Venus and the lines of sexual satisfaction. Then we examine the head and destiny lines. If all of these factors appear happy, the person will be enjoying good emotional health.
However, any problems in these areas need to be addressed and corrected before they start affecting the person’s physical health.
For physical health, I first look at the hand as a whole. People with broad hands have more energy than people with narrow hands. Consequently, they usually enjoy better health, since they have the energy to overcome minor health problems.
The number of lines on the hands is another clue. Speaking generally, the fewer lines the better from a health point of view. This is because most lines are caused by stress and nervous tension, both factors that can cause ill health.
Only after this will I look at the life line. Ideally, it should be clear, well marked, and reach well across the palm. A large mount of Venus gives vitality and energy, which has an enormous effect on the person’s health.
I will look at the number of worry lines. This has a bearing on how the person thinks. Worry lines are only likely to cause health problems if they cross the life line.
Naturally, I also look at the hepatica (health line). Ideally, this line should be absent, since this denotes excellent health. However, if someone is asking questions about his or her health, the chances are high that this line will be present on the palm. Naturally, this line should be clear and free of any islands or breaks.
There is a great deal of research going on today that aims to determine people’s predisposition to certain illnesses by examining their palms. In fact, scientists are now confirming many of the things that palmists have known for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.1
Always remember that you are a palmist, not a medical practitioner. You must not give medical advice. Be encouraging and supportive when people ask you about their health, and always suggest that they see a medical professional.
Wealth
Money problems are part of life. Charles Dickens’ character, Mr. Micawber, expressed the matter very well: “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.”2 Since no one ever has enough, you will be asked many questions about this subject.
Money is indicated in three ways on the palm (figure 48). Inherited money is shown by a small line between the third and fourth fingers that curves part of the way around the third finger. Unfortunately, this line is not very helpful. It gives no indication as to when the money will be inherited or how much money is involved. It is simply an indication that the person has, or will, inherit money.
Figure 48: Indications of Money on the Palm
Figure 48: Indications of Money on the Palm
Easy money is shown by a triangle on the inside of the life line. One side of it is made up by the life line, and the other two lines are minor lines. This triangle always indicates a large amount of money.
However, the term “large” depends on what the person considers to be a large amount. A large lotto win, for instance, would be shown as a triangle on the life line. A win of a thousand dollars on a horse race would probably not be shown, because that is not considered a large amount of money these days. However, if you were living on the streets and suddenly won a thousand dollars, that might very well be indicated on the palm, since you would consider that to be a fortune.
Most people have to earn their own money. Their potential is indicated by a small triangle in the center of the hand. Two sides of this are created by the destiny and head lines, and a minor line on the little finger side of the palm creates the third side. This triangle is extremely small and shows the person’s potential. It does not necessarily mean that he or she will earn that amount of money over a lifetime.
First, we have to see if the person is motivated to achieve it. We determine this by looking at the top two phalanges of the thumb to see if willpower and logic are roughly even. If the second phalange (logic) is much longer than the tip section, the person is probably not going to make much money, since he or she will think, and think, and then think some more. This person is likely to achieve very little.
We also have to look at the head line to see if the person has the necessary brain power to make much money. Remember that a short head line does not mean a lack of intellectual ability. It denotes a quick, sharp, and often highly shrewd thinker. Someone like this could well make a great deal of money, compared to someone with a long head line who enjoys learning for its own sake.
We also need to see if the money triangle is open or closed. If it is closed, the person is able to hang on to some of the money after earning it. If it is open, most of the money will disappear.
A thin line that bisects the minor line (third side of the money triangle) indicates financial difficulties at different times. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing because it can be a spur to progress. This person often takes two steps forward, and then slides back one step. Ultimately, this person may very well be extremely successful, but will be a plodder rather than a “whiz kid.”
Sometimes you will see a double money sign. In this case, there are two minor lines that each join the destiny and head lines, creating a small triangle inside a larger one. This is a sign that the person will make money, and will then have investments which create additional money. It is a sign of both earned and unearned income.
I always tell my clients that the amount of money indicated is a potential, and it is up to them to achieve it.
Love
Almost everyone wants to love and be loved in return. It can be exciting to be single and have many different relationships, but sooner or later, most people want to settle down inside a strong, stable, loving, and supportive relationship. People sometimes think that love is only for the young. This is totally wrong. In the course of my career as a palmist I have had people of all ages ask if there would be a “special someone” in their lives.
For questions about love, I look first at the shape of their hand. I then examine the heart line, mount of Venus, and the relationship lines. Finally, I make sure that the thumbs are compatible.
A relationship is much easier if both partners have similarly shaped hands. They will think along similar lines and will tend to agree with each other on most issues. Imagine the potential conflicts that would arise between two people, one with short, stubby fingers and the other with long, graceful fingers.
You can also use the relationship between the four types of hand (fire, earth, air, and water) and the interpretations of what each element means. For instance, fire and water is not usually a good combination, since water puts out fire. However, this is just one factor to look at. I am a Sagittarian (fire) and have been married to my Piscean (water) wife for almost thirty years. However, we both have air-shaped hands and both have physical heart lines ending between the Jupiter and Saturn fingers. Our mounts of Venus are also similar in height and degree of firmness.
The heart line determines the person’s emotional life, and you can read the person’s ups and downs as he or she progresses through life. A long, clear, and well-marked heart line is an indication of a long, happy, and successful relationship.
Ideally, both people will have heart lines that end in the same place. There will be many difficulties if one person’s heart line ends under the Jupiter finger (idealistic) and the other’s heart line ends under the Saturn finger (selfish). Naturally, it is also easier if both partners have the same types of heart lines. If both people have a physical heart line, for instance, they will tend to understand each other much more easily than another couple, one of whom has a physical heart line and the other a mental.
The mount of Venus shows how loving and passionate the person is. If this mount is deficient, either by being flat or extremely small, the person will have no need or desire for a vibrant relationship. However, he or she might desire a relationship for companionship.
The relationship lines are only present if the person has important relationships. I have seen married men who have no relationship lines on their hands, but this is rare. The presence of a relationship line that comes up the side of the palm and on to the palmar surface is an indication of an important relationship that lasts for a considerable length of time.
The thumb should also be examined for compatibility. Imagine the potential conflicts between two people who each have incredibly stubborn thumbs. Also, someone with a strong, stubborn thumb would overpower and dominate someone with a small, flexible, giving thumb. This combination might work well for a while, but eventually the person who is being dominated is likely to decide that he or she has had enough, and walk away from the relationship. Almost as difficult is the combination where both people have flexible, giving thumbs. Each would want to please the other, and they would be likely to have problems in making decisions on anything.
Ideally, we want the thumbs to be reasonably similar. The best combinations occur when both partners have strong, but not overly stubborn, thumbs. This means that neither tends to dominate the other, and each will tend to stick up for what really matters to him and her, and will be more flexible in other instances.
These factors all indicate the potential for a relationship. I then look at the heart line to see what the person’s future looks like from an emotional point of view. I also look for a fine line running parallel to the heart line at the end to see if the person will, or will not, be lonely in his or her old age.
Every now and again, I will see the hands of a couple wanting to know how compatible they are with each other. I love doing this if they are clearly compatible, but find it much harder when there are major differences in their hands. Obviously, in these instances, I stress the areas of potential disharmony, and how the couple can best handle these areas. The two most important factors for compatibility are the ending positions of the heart lines and the height and firmness of the mount of Venus.
It is better for the relationship if both partners have the same type of heart line (either physical or mental). This is because someone with a mental heart line will constantly need to be told by the other partner that he or she is loved. Someone with a physical heart line will not have that necessity, and will be inclined to underrate the importance of saying words of endearment to his or her partner.
Interestingly, it also pays to check the Mercury fingers as well, when doing a compatibility analysis. A long little finger (reaching past the line dividing the top two phalanges of the ring finger) provides the person with good communication skills. (It is also strongly related to the sex drive—the longer this finger is, the better.) Problems can arise if one person has a long little finger, and is in a relationship with someone with a short Mercury finger. Ideally, we want both partners to have similar-length little fingers.
Happiness
Happiness can be extremely elusive. Most people who come to see me for a palm reading have a problem that they need help with. Consequently, they are unlikely to be happy. However, they have probably had periods of intense happiness in the past, and will have more in the future.
The wisest and most profound advice I have ever been given about happiness was the saying: “If you want to be happy, be happy.” It is as simple, and as difficult, as that.
Some people are happy most of the time, no matter what happens to them, and other people seem to enjoy wallowing in misery. It is possible to determine these people, and everything in between, by looking at the person’s hands.
For happiness, I look first at the breadth of the hand and the quality of the life line. Both of these are related to the person’s energy levels. If the hand is broad and has a well-marked life line that comes well out into the middle of the hand, I know that the person has the potential for great happiness.
I then look at the head line to see if the person is using the intelligence he or she was given at birth. People with questioning, inquiring minds also have the potential for great happiness, because they are always learning and life is a process of discovery.
I also examine the thumb to determine the person’s willpower and logic. As you know, in palmistry, we are always looking for balance and want the top two phalanges of the thumb to be roughly equal in length. However, the happiest people usually have a second phalange (logic) that is slightly longer than the first (willpower). People with an abundance of logic enjoy thinking about things. They are not driven or impelled to do things the way someone who has more willpower than logic is. Consequently, they are generally happy.
People who are always nervous and tense are less likely to be happy than people who are calm and placid. Consequently, people with few lines on their hands are generally happier than people who have a network of faint tension lines on theirs.
Finally, I look for the small markings such as squares, triangles, and grilles. These have the potential to upset what would otherwise appear to be a happy hand. Hopefully, the person will have more positive indications than negative. I will have covered the meanings of the different markings in the course of the reading and, if necessary, will suggest which ones should be worked on to create more happiness in the person’s life.
I am not asked about happiness very often. Usually, the person will be concerned about the direction of his or her love life, career, or finances. Once the area of concern has been rectified, the person is likely to be content once more. However, contentment is not as strong a feeling as happiness.
Some hands are naturally happy, while others are naturally the opposite. Most people have hands that are somewhere in the middle. Someone with plenty of vitality, an inquiring mind, and few negative markings is likely to be naturally positive and happy. Conversely, someone who is high-strung, with little energy, and a variety of negative markings is equally as likely to be naturally unhappy.
Fortunately, we all have the power to change. This change has to come from within, and takes a great deal of time and effort. However, the rewards can be tremendous.
One of the most satisfying aspects of reading palms is to see how your positive suggestions have been accepted and acted on by your clients, and made visible on their palms.
Success
The degree of success can be measured in the hand. However, the type of success can not. Success means different things to different people. Many people equate it with money, while others relate it to a generally happy life. I consider people to be successful if they are doing what they want to do and are making progress with it. Consequently, according to my definition, a struggling artist may be more successful than a rich and famous film star. If the artist is doing what he or she loves to do, and is learning and growing in the process, that person is successful. The film star might have plenty of money, and appear to be extremely successful. However, he or she might be dysfunctional and desperately unhappy. I would not consider that person to be a success.
A lady I know gave up a promising career in medicine to bring up three children. Some people may believe that she gave up the opportunity for success because of her children. In fact, she considers it to be the other way around. She has done a wonderful job in keeping the family together and in bringing up three happy, well-adjusted children who are now all doing well in their own careers. I consider her to be an extremely successful person.
Another example is a well-known street cleaner in the city I live in. He has swept the streets of the same part of town for some thirty years, and recently published a book about the people he has met in the course of his work. Being a street cleaner is not an obvious choice of career for someone whom I consider to be successful. However, he is an amazing man who takes pride in his work and has become a local celebrity. He also has a happy home and family life.
Any discussion of success is complicated by the fact that someone may have an extremely successful business career, but fail completely in every relationship. I do not consider people to be successful unless they are well rounded and well balanced in their lives. All of this, of course, is easy to see in the hand.
The presence of a destiny line is essential for success. Someone without a destiny line may be lucky every now and again, but will not be working towards a specific goal.
A Sun line is also a major indicator of success. It helps provide the necessary motivation and desire to succeed.
Successful people also have well-developed mounts, and at least one of these will give a clue as to where the person will achieve success.
We have now covered all the essential elements in palmistry. In the next chapter we will put it all together and give someone a palm reading.