Guide

Palmistry for Beginners: The Lines, Mounts and Hand Shapes

Palmistry, or chiromancy, reads the shape of the hand, the mounts and the lines of the palm. It is a traditional practice for reflection, and its basics are easy to learn.

Which hand to read

Traditionally the non-dominant hand shows what you were born with and the dominant hand shows what you have made of it. Most readers look at both and compare where they match and where they differ.

The four hand shapes

Earth hands are square with short fingers and are practical. Air hands are square with long fingers and are curious and communicative. Fire hands have a long palm and short fingers and are energetic and bold. Water hands have a long palm and long fingers and are sensitive and imaginative. Our scanner estimates your hand type from a photo.

The three major lines

The heart line runs across the top of the palm and relates to emotions and relationships. The head line runs across the middle and relates to thinking style. The life line curves around the base of the thumb and relates to vitality and major changes, not to how long you will live.

Other lines and the mounts

The fate line runs up the middle of the palm and relates to career path, and many people have none. The sun line and marriage lines are shorter. The mounts are the pads of flesh at the base of the fingers and the thumb: Jupiter, Saturn, Apollo, Mercury, Venus, Moon and Mars, each linked to a theme such as ambition, discipline, creativity or intuition.

A good way to practise

Study a line at a time and compare it to the descriptions. Look for patterns across the whole hand rather than focusing on one crease, and remember that lines change over the years. For fun, use the SimplyAstro palm scanner to mark your zones and read each line.

Frequently asked questions

Astrology, tarot, numerology and related practices are offered for reflection and entertainment and are not medical, legal or financial advice.