The Three Major Lines
There are many strong lines on the hand. The ones we will look at first are the three major lines of Life, the Head and the Heart. These are the most prominant lines on the hand and so are the easiest to learn from. They are also the lines most often asked about so a general study should give you the basics for your own hand analysis work. Take a look at your own hand, and locate the Life, Head and Heart lines using the chart below. In general, each line of the hand has it's very own characteristics which help define it's meaning even further. The line may be deep or shallow, straight, curved or sloping, broken into sections, knotted, dotted or the line may not even be there at all. Don't worry if you can't find a line, this does not mean the person is unhealthy or not intuitive - nature just has a way of being selective about the information it gives out. The three major ones are the Life line, the Head Line and the Heart line.


A. The Life Line

B. The Head Line

C. The Heart Line




A. Life Line
Starts: - at the right edge of the hand
Ends: - often near the wrist

Sometimes known also as the Vital Line, the Life Line runs around the fleshy pad at the base of the thumb in a gentle curve. It may be continuous or there may be gaps in it (which can show poor health). It may end near the wrist or in lots of other places such as towards the center of the palm. If the line fades away at the end, this simply means it is no longer possible to predict a possible lifespan of your sitter - so please don't estimate. A short Life line doesn't necessarily means early death either, nor does an extra long line show extended life. A good indication of long life would be a well formed line without breaks, deep and long with a dark pink colouring, and which sweeps out well into the center of the palm. This shows a good constitution and vitality. If the Life line is stronger (more well defined) than the Head or Heart lines, this shows that health playes quite a roll in the persons life. The more effort you put into one area of your life, whether it be your head (knowledge), heart (love) or your life/health, the deeper the representitive line will be - so deep sections of the life line can show periods of healthy living.

A key skill as a palm reader is to compare both hands before making a desition about the owner. On a right handed person. the left hand showns what the person was born with, and the right hand shows what they have made of their gifts as an adult. If yor sitter is left handed then this is reversed. So try first of all to compare the Life lines on both hands. If the life lines on both hands sweep equally towards the palm, it is a good indication of individuality and a determined effort to get on in life. Break in the life line also need to be checked on both hands. If the line breaks on the left hand but is clear on the right, it can show that an inherited or otherwise serious illness may occur. Breaks on the right hand only may just be mild illnesses caused by poor health managment. 'Chaining' on a line (looks like small circles all joined together) shows an interference, so if the line starts under the Jupiter finger and immediately tangles itself in knots, this can be a significant sign of ill-health in childhood. Be sure to remember that these indications are only rough guides to the sitters life, so consider peoples feelings before you tell them about possible health problems.

We can also get an idea of a pesons career by looking at the life line. As a general rule, a person with a well developed career and with good opporitnities, will have a line which goes well towards the center of the palm. This is also a good indication of ling life. Should the line stay close or on the Mount of Venus (the fleshy pad under the thumb) the peson is more likely to suffer from poor health. Sometimes, the line may appear to stop, and then start again. If this second section sways into the palm, this may show a career which takes off later in life. The line may start high, on the fleshy pad under the Jupiter finger (known as the Mount Of Jupiter) instead of at the side of the hand. This can show ambition, but is the line start low under this mount it show a lack of ambition. There may be what looks like a double life line - the one which runs parallel is actually the Line of Mars, and this will add extra strength to the life line. Finally, if the line ends in a small two-way fork, it may show someone who wants to travel.

The most often asked question is about longevity of life. How long we live is quite often a hard element to pin down exactly, but we may be able to get a rough idea. There are two schools of thought about life timings, the old school method involves using a pair of compasses. To try this, place the point of the compass to the exact base of the Jupiter finger, and the other end to the center of the base of the Saturn finger. Now swing the compass towards the life line, and the point where the pencil crosses is said to represent the 10th year of life. Now move the pencil over to the base of the Sun finger, again swinging the compass around to the Life line, and this point marks the 30th year of life. From this you may be able to double this point and add a bit to aproximate a lifetime. This is a hit-and-miss method as the life line can be in all sorts of positions which through the readings out. Other palmists work out timings by dividing the line into 15 sections, each representing 5 years of life. This too is an approximation and so you must not presume and definite figures from these guides. The advantage is that we can now put events into some kind of time-scale, for example, breaks in the life line can now be shown as 'past', 'present' and 'future' possible illnesses rather than just vague occurances. TOP


B. Head Line
Starts: - on the right hand edge of the hand, above the life line.
Ends: - Usually below the middle of the Mercury finger or between the Sun and Mercury fingers.

The head line is the lower of the two parallel lines which run along the upper hand, and shows mental abilities and temparament. So if the line is faint or missing altogether, this shows a person who lacks powers of concentration. The ideal line, which ends under the Mecury finger, is also a good indication of strong intellect, independence and realism. The line may also start in a number of places. If it starts low, within the life line, it can show a born worrier, insecure and lacking in confidence. A head line which joins the start of the life line shows a nervous and sensitive hand. However, if the line starts high, near the mount of Jupiter, the person is more logical, honest and intellectual. And if the line actually starts on the Jupiter mount, this may show a very strong, ambitious and talented character, especially if the line is long.

Long head lines, and sloping ones, are a sign the the person will have many interests, probably of a creative nature, may lack concentration but will have a good imagination. These people will be interested in the arts, music and literature. The degree of slope represents the amount of interest. A head line which runs fairly straight can show a more self-centered nature, often obstinate or selfish, but may be intelligent, especially of the line seems long. Short head lines show someone with a more down-to-earch character, often with good memories but lacking in imagination. If the line fails to reach the middle of the hand, it can show practical yet materialistic sides. Double head lines show idealism and possibly two differing careers or unusual talents. Chaining shows lack of concentration and possible problems with stress. And a fork at the end relates to creativity, possibly in writing, or who has two careers at one time.

Now to compare both hands again. A strong line in the right hand shows someone who has followed their desires and has been successful, and a weak right line will show a less determined person. Should both lines appear similar, this is a person who has made the best of situations. If the line on the right hand seems to fade and then reappear, it may show someone who has had trouble keeping going at times, and again, the left hand will show if this is a family trait or not. A broken line on both hands can also be a sign of an accident to the head. If you wish to time events, generally divide the line in two. The first half starts from the edge of the hand and ends under the Saturn finger, and represents 0 - 40. The second half shows 40-75 or 80. TOP


C. Heart Line
Starts: - between the Jupiter and Saturn fingers
Ends: - below the Mercury mount at the edge of the hand

The upper of the two parallel lines is the heart line, and shows everything to do with love and attractions, moods, and past and future relationships. In it's ideal position, the heart line shows a well-balanced person, warm, sentimental, caring and and often an outgoing personality. The closer the line starts to Jupiter, the more passionate the individual, espesially of the line is deep and well-marked. If the line is the strongest on the hand, this shows the body is ruled by emotion and love, and the goals of these people will often revolve around loving attractions. If the line starts more towards Saturn, the person is likely to be less inclined to show their feelings. Faded or missing heart lines show the person is likely to appear cold and indifferent.

Again, the position of the line and where it starts and ends is an important point, and the heart line can also start in a number of places. Should the line seem high up on the hand, it can show a sociable and happy individual. Should the line run near the head line, the person is likely to be more selfish and often introverted. The more the line drops towards the palm, the more likely the person will be of a physical nature, whereas a line which runs high will show a more emotional nature. A strong sweeping Heart curve usually belongs to a passionate or otherwise emotional person, but a line which curves like this may also show a self-centered side. Little or no curves indicates little surface emotion. A long line may indicate romance, but if the line is straight as well, the individual may need emotional support and companionship to balance their own shortfalls. If the line starts under the center of the Jupiter finger, there is reliability and trustworthyness, but if the line starts on the Mount of Jupiter, this may be a very emotional and often very idealistic character.

Forks on the Heart line are a common feature, both at the start as well as at the end of the line. If a fork can be seem at the start, with one branch starting at the base of the Jupiter finger (known as 'On Jupiter') and the second branch between the Saturn and Jupiter fingers, the person is likely to be happy, well adjusted and a good companion. If the fork is wider, with one branch on Jupiter and the other on Saturn, a more temperamental character may be shown. Should the line clearly start on Saturn, with a branch between Saturn and Jupiter, the person may be more of an idealist and quite intellectual. The Heart line can also show a much smaller fork at the end, on or below the Mercury Mount, which indicates a natural communicator, friendly and an accumplished charmer. A fork with three prongs is also said to be a sign of luck and good fortune in life.

Now look at the other hand to compair the form of both Heart Lines. Should the difference between the two be small, the sitter is likely to have used the heart wisely and is likely to have a happy character. Should the differences be more marked, the sitter may have had a harder time, with more emotional ups and downs. The emotional health of the individual can be judged by studying the Heart line in even finer detail. As with all lines, the deeper the line and more well defined, the signs are good and health and direction are well in balance. If the line fades or disappears, the heart is likely to be tested, possibily through relationship problems, tragedy or by separation. This is especially common if the line appears of chain itself in knots, and obviously if the line breaks altogether. Continuial chaining or a series of small breaks may also show an inconsistency with the emotions, a possibility of poor relashionship judgments or maybe someone who likes to flirt and keep the ties of the heart rather loose. By tradition, such signs only at the start of the line indicates possible hearing problems, especially if the Heart line begins under the Mount of Saturn. If the line ends under the Sun Mount, there may also be possible eye problems. Remember, these are still generalisations and may only represent token attributes reserved for the later years of life. There are various theories to help time these events on the Heart line. In the East, it is traditional to run a piece of string along the line, bend it in half and mark this spot to represent 35 years of age. This rule also applies to all major lines, although it is limited in the fact that not everybody lives for exactly 70 years.


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