Counting from the top joint nearest to the nail, the meaning given by palmists to the three phalanges of each finger are as follows:—
(Length of phalanx, or distance between the respective joints, is the deciding factor.) For simplicity, we have made a small table.
| Name of Finger | 1st Joint. | 2nd Joint. | 3rd Joint. |
|---|---|---|---|
| JUPITER | Religion. | Ambition. | Despotic or fondness for governing others. |
| SATURN | Fondness for spiritual mysticism. | Out-door life. | Earthly ambition. |
| APOLLO | Excess or foolish optimism (Micawber). | Caution. | Love of show. |
| MERCURY | The orator's finger. | Great tenacity. | Cunning and greed. |
THE LINES OF YOUR DESTINY
We now come to the most fascinating side of Palmistry—the actual study of the network of lines upon the hand, and their relation to the mounts and to each other.
This is where your magnifying glass will be of enormous value. There are very many small signs, seemingly of little matter, but in reality of very great importance, such as stars, crosses, squares, and triangles, little marks with frequently great meanings.
One word of warning must be given before we go farther. If you see evil in a palm never on any account tell of it. But if you see some misfortune approaching which a little foresight might avoid, by all means warn your subject. Should you by any chance see, or think you see, anything calculated to alarm another, keep it to yourself. Always remember that human intelligence is frail and finite but life is infinite. Palmistry shares in this frailty; it is interesting and intensely fascinating, but far from infallible. It is not an exact science in the sense of mathematics, where two plus two equals four, no more and no less.
Let us take these lines in turn and discuss the meaning of each.
THE LIFE LINE
When the Life line rises high in the hand, great ambition is shown. If you see a Life line circling well into the palm (thus forming a large Mount of Venus) emotional characteristics such as love and generosity are shown. If, on the contrary, the line forms a small Mount of Venus, coldness will be predominant.