Plato and the Palm of your Hand…how to measure the human beyond the handshake by palm reading

Plato and palm reading…

Over the last hundred years or much ancient knowledge has been slowly taken apart, turned into fiction or down right demonised. There are a fair few reasons why … but that is for another, far longer discussion.

I was twelve when I stumbled upon one of those little ‘Guides to…’ this one happened to be Palmistry … I was hooked. As a lifelong palm reader, my greatest joy has been helping others unveil their own potential, strengths, and desires through the intricate art of palmistry. To me, every line and curve on the hand speaks volumes - whispering truths that can empower and enlighten. It is this beauty and guidance, quite literally at your fingertips that I hope to share with you by tracing its roots and offering you tools to better understand yourself and your unique path.

Would it shock you that each and everyone of us have probably, at some point or another, used palmistry to make a fast-paced judgement? The good old handshake - it is said that ‘palm to palm you get a measure of the man’. For many years, and still in many cases today, we reach for someone's palm to introduce ourselves. The firmness of that initial, and when you think about it, very intimate connection, creates a sometimes spontaneous response. 

But … and this is your number one palmistry take-away - palmistry is a little more complex than the firmness of a handshake and we cannot all be measured against the same yardstick as a meeting I had last week proved. But more on that later. 

Palms showing a strong life line, interrupted career, flexible mindset, dislike for restriction and the ability to see beyond what many can. Artist, creative, but structured thinker - you would want to bring them into challenging situations where you need an out-of-the-box but very logical and action-able perspective.

A Brief History of Palm Reading

Palm reading, or palmistry, is an ancient art believed to have originated in India over 5,000 years ago, eventually spreading through China, Egypt, Persia, and Greece. One of the earliest recorded references to palmistry appears in the ancient Indian text, the "Vedas." Over centuries, palmistry developed unique traditions within different cultures, each emphasizing various aspects of the hand to glean insight into a person's life and character.

In Greece, the philosopher Anaxagoras is said to have practiced palmistry, while Aristotle, a student of Plato, wrote about the subject in his work "De Historia Animalium." The art made its way into Europe during the Middle Ages and experienced a resurgence during the Renaissance, embraced by both scholars and mystics alike.

Palmistry has developed distinct branches across cultures, with the most recognized being Western Palmistry and Vedic Palmistry, also known as Samudrika Shastra.

• Western palmistry, rooted in ancient Greece and Rome and further developed through the works of medieval European scholars, focuses on interpreting lines, mounts, finger shapes, and the texture of the skin among other things. The tradition emphasizes the major lines—such as the heart line, head line, and life line—while also considering secondary lines, mounts, whirls and finger shapes/lengths for deeper understanding.

  
  

• Vedic palmistry, originating from the Indian subcontinent, forms part of the broader Samudrika Shastra, a holistic science encompassing body reading. Unlike Western palmistry, Vedic palmistry integrates astrological principles, associating various parts of the hand with planetary influences. The hand is viewed as a cosmic mirror, reflecting one’s karma, dharma, and spiritual journey. The lines are not the only focus; the mounts—prominent fleshy areas beneath each finger—play a critical role. Each mount is associated with a planet, and their prominence, texture, and markings provide insight into a person’s spiritual strengths and challenges.

Whatever branch of palmistry appeals to you - its important to remember that the lines on your palm are not fixed. The stem cells of the hands and the cerebral cortex develop at the same time, creating a life-long connection between the two. Your every thought is a chemical vibration that ultimately registers in the hands. The end result is that the hand is a perfect data printout of the brain. If you have a huge shift in mindset, the greatest representation of the connections and the lines they create in your brain can be found upon your palm. Yes, the lines on your palm can change (but not your fingerprints!). 

Key Areas of Western Palm Reading

When approaching a Western-style reading, I find it helpful to analyse the fingers first, and notice the texture of the skin. This tells me both about the innate skills that person holds, and how they implement them currently. Rough, calloused hands often belong to practical, hardworking individuals, while smooth, soft hands suggest sensitivity and openness. I also pay attention to finger length, particularly the ratio between the index and ring fingers. A longer index finger often indicates natural leadership, while a longer ring finger may suggest creativity and spontaneity. It gives me a basic measure of the human infront of me. 

My favorite part is turning the hand and reviewing the lines. It is as intimate as it sounds - all intuitive work is. I deal with humans, and I am always humbled whenever anyone permits me to do a reading - whether tarot, palm or astrology - to be entrusted with their innermost world - many parts of which they have learnt to hide or protect from the outside world. 

The lines tell us so much. The heart line, which curves near the top of the palm, speaks to our emotional world and relationships. Whether it arches deeply or flows straight and steady, it reveals how we navigates love and compassion. The head line, typically located below the heart line, offers insight into intellectual tendencies, decision-making abilities, and creativity. A line that runs straight suggests practicality and logic, while a more wavy or fragmented line hints at imaginative thinking. The life line, curving around the base of the thumb, is often misunderstood. It doesn’t dictate how long one will live but rather the energy and enthusiasm with which life is embraced. A deep, clear line often speaks of resilience, while a faint or broken line can signify periods of uncertainty or transformation. The time held within the lines are roughly measured by a thumb width for every ten years… but a lot of this falls on intuition. 

It is essential to look at the entirety of a palm before you begin to make judgments. I had the opportunity to meet a very skilled gentleman last week and the first thing I did, as you may have guessed, was reach for his palm to shake his hand and get a measure of the man in front of me. 

If I didn’t know his trade I would have been incredibly confused - his fingers were short - suggestive of a manual trade but his palm was unbelievably soft - so someone who works inside; and his grip, well I shook his hand and left worrying I might have broken one or two of his knuckles to be honest. Where do you find a mix of manual labour but in an office like environment, delicate and with immense adaptability? A surgeon - who performs intricate operations on babies - the short fingers combined with the delicate nature of his handshake was testament to his trade and his ability in it. Needless to say, I was more than happy his mind and his hands would be performing the operation on my baby. 

The hands often reflect the work we do, which may not always be obvious

Practical Tips for Beginners and Self-Reading

If you are just beginning your journey into palmistry, approach each reading with a sense of curiosity and compassion. Hold your own palm or another's gently and allow yourself to notice the details without judgment or rush. Think how you would view a book - start with the genre, the subject matter, the title then the chapters. So on a very basic level think: the genre - your hand shape and texture; the subject matter - your fingers; the titles - the lines - heart, head, and life. It is the detail and your intuition around these lines which will give you the full chapters.

Allow your eyes to soften as you observe the patterns. Ask yourself questions about what you see. Are the lines bold or delicate? Do they intersect, or run parallel? Notice the texture of your skin and the shape of your fingers. Is your hand warm and soft, or cool and firm? All of these details have meaning.

The Art of Self-Discovery Through Palm Reading

In many obvious ways our hands give a quick and often fast insight into the owner’s life. They are what comes into the greatest contact with what that person does on a daily basis. But they can also tell us a little more about the potential of that person behind the role we know them in. 

Palmistry is a practice of listening—listening to the hands, to intuition, and to the deeper desires and concerns of those who seek insight. When I read palms, I am not predicting fate so much as illuminating pathways. The hands are like maps, intricate and personal, revealing not a fixed destiny but a landscape of potential and growth.

If you choose to explore this beautiful art or delve into it deeper with a reading, allow it to guide you gently toward greater understanding of yourself and others. With practice and patience, palmistry can become not only a means of discovery but a lifelong conversation with the deepest parts of your mind.

The palm of the hands can illuminated you with the knowledge they provide to your inner world