The first thing to notice when studying character from handwriting, is the direction of a hand. Is it even, upward, or tending to meander down the page? The even hand suggests honesty, conscientiousness, and a calm, well-balanced nature. The upward hand tells of will power and ambition, cheerfulness and energy. The hand that slopes downward tells of a timid and weak nature, depression and melancholy. It must always be remembered, however, that temporary ill-health, and even a temporary wave of depression, will frequently alter the direction of a hand.
Sometimes a beginner is puzzled by the varying direction—now upward, now downward—of a hand; generally this betokens a mind struggling at the time with adverse circumstances or ill-health.
Capital letters and terminals are both important. The more clearly formed and beautiful the letter, the more refined and artistic the nature.
The graphologist picks out certain letters as being especially important—M, A, L, and D in the capital letters. The small d and e in terminal letters are certainly the most important.
The Principal Letters
Taken in alphabetical order, the following are the principal letters to study:—
A. Well made, and simple in outline, indicates refinement, gentleness, intelligence, perhaps poetic feelings. Flourishes are always bad, and tell of pretension and egotism. If a small a is unjoined—open-mouthed as it were—the subject is something of a gossip. This also applies to the small o.
Artistic—refined—loves poetry.
