A Look at Palm Reading

Palm reading also known as "Chiromancy" is the art of telling the future through the study of the palm. Those who practice palm reading are called chiromancers or palmists. The practice of palm reading is regarded as pseudoscience. Some studies have been made in medical journals that give palm reading some validity.

A reader will usually begin by reading the person's dominant hand. The dominant hand is the hand a person uses to write with. In some traditions the other hand is believed to carry past-life information.

There are three lines that are on almost all hands: the heart line, the head line and the life line. These three are the main three lines used in palm reading.

The heart line is the first line examined by a reader. This line is found under the fingers, toward the top of the palm. This line represents matters of the heart, both physical and metaphorical. The reading of this line starts at the edge of the palm under the little finger and going across the palm towards the thumb.

The head line is the next line to be examined by a reader. This line represents a person's mind and how it works. This includes things like their learning style, communication style, intellectualism and thirst for knowledge. To read this line a reader will start at the edge of the palm under the index finger and go across the palm toward the outside edge. Often the head line will be joined with the life line.

The reader will then examine the life line. This line represents a person's vitality and physical health. This line is also believed to represent major life changes, physical injuries and relocations. Modern palmists generally do not believe that the life line is tied to the length of a person's life. To read this line a reader will begin fro the edge of the palm above the thumb and go across the arc toward the wrist.

Other lines that are looked at during palm reading include the fate line, sun line, union lines, travel lines and the mercury line. Other than the fate line these lines are considered to be minor lines in palm reading.