Palmistry Basics

Palmistry Basic Guide Hands And Lines of Palmistry

Our hands are fascinating things from a spiritual perspective. With a friendly gesture of our hands, we can call people, say hello or even play TV or video games (Xbox being my personal favorite) I now have a “handy” guide here to the main basics of palmistry so you can amaze your family and friends with your spiritual insight and predictions. 

What is palmistry?

Palmistry, the study of the palm of the hand, is an ancient art that finds its roots in many regions, from India to China. According to Hindu Brahmanism records, it was popular in ancient India and depicted in many murals. It’s also existed in China since the Zhou Dynasty, some 3,000 years ago! The first recorded palmistry system in China appeared in 206 BC. It’s that old!

People have been reading palms for centuries to try to determine the path their life will take, whether they will have good or bad luck, and what their innate character traits might be. Some people believe you can tell when a person will die, marry, or fall in love from the lines on their palms. Skills palmistry practitioners take in more than the major lines: they look at the palm’s shape, colour and spirals of the fingers, too.

For the purposes of this quick guide, we’ll look closely at the major lines in palmistry - but be aware there is a lot more to learn about the ancient subject and it’s not limited to the major lines!

Which hand do I read?

When it comes to reading palms, the hand is also important: palmistry notes that the left hand is congenital information, whilst the right hand is postnatal information. That means that the left hand relates to genetic information and inherited traits, whilst the right hand contains the individual’s information after birth. For this reason, the right-hand takes priority in palm readings. The left palm can still be used for some readings and isn’t ignored completely, but it’s about an 80-20 split between the right and left hand in palmistry estimates. The left hand might add some value to information gleaned from the right palm by providing a genetic history!

There are three major lines to read in palmistry: the lifeline, head or wisdom line, and heart or love line. The minor lines include the marriage line, fate line, sun line, children line, money line, health line, travel line, bracelet line, and ring of Solomon. Let’s take a closer look at these lines now!

The Four Major Lines

The major lines on your palms are the lifeline, wisdom line, and heart line. Opinions vary about whether the fate line is counted as a major line or not, but I like to think they are. These are the foundations that are supposed to pave the way in the future. These major lines should be deeper than the other lines, and if they are equally strong and deep they indicate a good balance between the body, mind, and heart. If they are crisscrossed with other lines, then they indicate life and personality that is confused and chaotic!

The heart line is the first line on your right hand, closest to the beginning of your fingers and vertical. In the middle is your vertical wisdom line, and finally, the lifeline stretches down to your wrist diagonally. The fate line runs up your hand, starting from your wrist. See my picture below:

Palmistry all lines and mounts basics

mounts on hand palmistry


Palmistry is the art of analysing our hands to uncover the future, as well as this we need to look at their physical features to understand certain personality traits and characteristics. We can easily see cool things in the hand, such as when we will go through difficult times in life or if we will have a career change. As well as predicting if predicting future events and happenings, the hands can be a pathway of our unconscious mind. In this article I am diving deeper into the meaning of the mounts.


When we first start practicing palmistry it can be helpful to focus on larger observations before we get into the small, nitty-gritty details which can become confusing and throw off the practice. The first thing to look at in palmistry when we are focusing on mounts is the shape of the hand in relation to the four earth elements. There are 4 basic hand shapes: Earth, fire, air and water. As some will know the earth signs are also seen in astrology again reinforcing the idea that astrology and palmistry are closely related. 

However, your hand sign may not relate to your astrological sign for example you can be a fire Aries in astrology, but you may have air hand shapes. It is important to know our hand shape so you can identify were the mounts sit on your palm.

  • Earth hands: Earth hands can be identified by square-shaped palms and short fingers. They can also be characterized as having firm but fleshy hands. The traits that follow those with earth hands as logic, practicality, and reliability. However, they can fall into the trap of not planning ahead and focusing to much on the here and now which can affect their ability to achieve and meet goals.
  • Fire hands: Alternatively, to Earth hands fire hands are known for their long palm and short fingers. They are also characterized by having deep clear creases and defined mounds (I cover mounds further down the article). As with star signs fire hands are known to be confident, assertive, and passionate. They are very driven but can sometimes be thoughtless in their mission to get what they want which causes them to lack empathy and patience.
  • Air hands: Air hands as with earth hands have square palms however, they differ in that the fingers are long and thin sometimes showing prominent knuckles. They may be described as bony. Those with air hands tend to be calm and collected, they are thoughtful people who can be quite analytic and base decisions on facts not impulsion as with fire hands. However, they can be sensitive and easily distracted.
  • Water hands: Lastly, we have water hands which have both long palms and fingers with a narrow look. Water hands are in touch with their emotions and are known for having a greater spiritual ability. They are also sensitive and empathetic with vivid imaginations. Their sensitivity can lead them to get their feelings hurt easily and experience stress from social situations.


What is a mount in Palmistry?

The mounts correspond to major event in our lives and can help tell the story of our future. The mounts are the fleshy soft areas on the palm, they play a big role in the art of palm reading. They are called mounts as they look like rolling mountains on your palm. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and will vary person to person.
The mounts are linked to the 7 classical planets in our solar system. These are Apollo (the sun), Luna (the moon), Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Depending on how developed these mounts are and if they have any markings we can deduce certain things. Mounts can appear appear sunken or dipped can help us identify undeveloped qualities that need work or elevated smooth mounts signify the opposite. They show our well balanced, developed qualities and areas of our life that we may find success. Mounts that are well defined can also show us the more prominent and dominant characteristics in our personality.

Below is the location of each of the 7 planetary mounts and the features that they help us read about a person:

The Mount Of Apollo (The Sun)

This mount gets its name from the sun god and is located at the base of the ring finger. This mount and area of the hand corresponds with a person’s optimism and vitality and can often show us if a person’s outlook is generally positive. This mount can also hint to how artistic a person is and their future happiness and success.

The Mount Of Luna (The Moon)

In opposite to Apollo the Luna mount is named after the ancient Roman goddess who personified the moon. Located below the outer Mars mount (detailed below), it is at the base of the palm on the same side as the little finger. The Luna mount symbolises imagination and intuition. It also tells us something of the persons psychic abilities. Additionally, the Luna mount is linked to compassion and empathy just as the moon lightens the darkness for us at night.

The Mount Of Mars

The Mars mount is named after the Roman god of war and has three distinct sections which show a person’s aggression, resilience and temperament. Below are the three different mounts:

  • Inner Mars Mount: This mount is also sometimes referred to as the Lower Mars this is located on your palm between the Jupiter and Venus mounts. This area symbolises physical strength and boldness.
  • Outer Mars: Alternatively known as the Upper Mars Also on the palm but between the mounts of mercury and Luna (the moon). This part of the Mars mounts is linked to a person’s emotional resilience and bravery as well as their perseverance in situations.
  • Plain of Mars: Lastly is the plain of Mars, this lies in the lower part of the palm near the centre and demonstrates how well the Inner Mars and Outer Mars are balanced. The Plain of Mars is usually flat, and the significance is determined by which lines run through this part of the palm.


The Jupiter Mount

This is seen at the base of the forefinger and above the inner mars mount. This mount is considered to symbolize confidence and ambition and can be telling to our leadership skills. It is also connected to the spirits and divinity.

The Saturn Mount

Located at the base of your middle finger. The Saturn mount is linked to wisdom and responsibility. It can hint to our integrity and the persons capacity to deal with life’s changes, both negative and positive.
Mercury. This mount is seen above the Outer Mars mount at the base of your little finger. Mercury Mount is attached to our communication skills and intelligence. It can also be associated with our adaptability, sense of humor as well as our social skills. Lastly it can reveal an individual’s strategic abilities and resourcefulness.

The Venus Mount

Our last mount Venus is at the base of your thumb below the inner mars mount. The life line tends to go around this mount. Venus is the goddess of love and this mount is linked very much to our sexuality, attraction and passion. It can showcase a person’s ability to make emotional connections and experience romance.

Something to bear in mind when reading palms is that these mounts are not fixed. The mounts and hand shapes are open to interpretation and it takes practice to recognize and decipher meanings. By studying your own mounts and becoming familiar with them you can begin to develop a deeper understanding of yourself and help you in the reading of other people’s palms.

Mounts can also develop and recede over time as we age of have new experiences. Sometimes you may be surprised to observe new elements and learn new things about yourself and others!

If you look on the picture above you will see things called mounts. If you look at your hand you might see some of these areas are developed and others are not so. These all mean little things. So go ahead and examine your hand to see if the mounts are developed or undeveloped. Here is the meaning of the mounts: 

The Apollo (The Sun) Mount

  • Developed: Indicates confidence, kindness and cheerful nature. They also are generally truthful and deal well with friends. However, you can be possessive towards love and money.
  • Undeveloped: If the mount is low or flat you will not be very artistic, and you may be unlucky in sourcing wealth.

Luna (The Moon)

  • Developed: A developed Luna mount shows you are imaginative and prone to day dreaming.
  • Underdeveloped: This indicates you are prone to depression and low spirits.

Inner Mars Mount

  • Developed: You are usually courageous and adventurous. This mount is often found among soldiers.
  • Underdeveloped: This can indicate that the person is indecisive. It can mean they miss out on success due to being timid.

Outer Mars Mount

  • Developed: A prominent Outer Mars mount indicates strength and fearlessness. It suggests financial stability over time.
  • Underdeveloped: Lack of stamina and endurance is often seen with an underdeveloped Outer Mars mounts. Often lacking the ability to stay calm when problems arise.

Plains of Mars Mount

  • Wide and flat: This is seen as a good sign, you are high in energy.
  • Raised: If the mount is raised so it is in line with the Inner and Outer Mars mounts this indicated the opposite. It shows low energy and lots of life challenges.

Jupiter Mount

  • Developed: Prominent Jupiter mounts show ambition, responsibility, and honesty as well as a promising career. However, it can show possessiveness towards money and love. If too large a person will be pessimistic and overly sentimental.
  • Underdeveloped: Low Jupiter mounts indicate clumsiness and dishonesty and these people tend to not like being the center of attention.

Saturn Mount

  • Developed: This indicates high intelligence and independence. These people are often very patient. If too large a person will be pessimistic and overly sentimental.
  • Underdeveloped: Low Saturn mounts often relate to sadness, depression, and loneliness. However, it is linked to being good at keeping secrets for others.

Mercury Mount

  • Developed: These belong to quick-witted people who are good in stressful situations such as emergencies. However, too developed and you can be prone to being tactless and making unwanted remarks.
  • Underdeveloped: Low Mercury mounts indicate negatively and lack of ability to put in hard work when needed.

Venus Mount

  • Developed: Developed mounts show sympathetic people who are gentle and often have good luck when falling in love. But overly large mount show you are often taken over by being sentimental.
  • Underdeveloped: This shows you are lacking energy, especially if the life line stays close to the thumb so that the mount is narrow.

By Flo Saul
Jun 16, 2020

Palm reading Life Line

Palmistry Life Line

Many people regard the life line only as a measure of how long we will live. Unfortunately, this is not true, it doesn’t actually tell us how long we will be on earth for! After all, accidents happen and so do our life long habits - these contribute to how long we will live or how quickly we meet our demise!

What the life line does tell us about is our innate energy. It shows us how to balance our energy and increase our vitality - it also shows times of stress and success in our lives.

The arc of the life line follows the root of the thumb, and the larger the arc the stronger the person’s natural physical energy is. If the arc is big, the individual concerned has a lot of stamina and enthusiasm to share with the world and dedicate to their life’s cause.

The depth of the line is also important. The deeper the line, the better quality the individual’s vitality - a deep line suggests the owner can express their energy and takes every opportunity to live a long and successful life. On the other hand, a deeper line suggests the owner may become impatient with individuals who tire easily, unable to understand that not everyone has their energy! The owner of a deep life line needs to cultivate empathy, patience, and understanding to get on with those with gentler energies.

A short life line doesn’t mean an early death - it just means a lack of energy for the life laid out in front of them. There may be many problems to overcome before they can tap into their natural energy and live the kind of life they want. There are elements that occur on the life line like dots, stars, forks, stars, fish and lot are more. I have written all about these in another article you can access by clicking here

Head Line Palmistry

Palmistry Head Line

The head line, also called the wisdom line, describes how an individual thinks and the direction of their thought process and normally career. It begins when our psyche and consciousness begins, from early childhood and onwards. It’s length doesn’t necessarily speak of how intelligent we are, but of how many interests we have - it’s arc and depth describe the strength of the mind.

Strong, clear head lines indicate the owner is a very strong-willed person who can stay on track no matter the obstacles thrown in their way! They will have no trouble concentrating for long periods and seeing projects through to completion. Often the head line does deepen over time as a person develops their powers of concentration in studying and working, and finds out what they are interested in and what their purpose is.

The curve of the head line is also important: a straighter line means a person with more common sense, someone who is driven by logic and less by their emotions and impulses. They may be more inclined to study science or law, something that follows the rules and has standards and structure!

The more curved the head line, the less level headed a person will be. They may be more creative and artistic, or open to experimenting and trying out theories. They will tend to be more impulsive, too, and less driven by reason than others!

Finally, the longer the line, the more interests the individual has. A short line indicates a lot of focus on one thing for their whole life - a longer line indicates a rich life full of varied interests. Click here to learn more about the head line and the areas of the headline

Palmistry Basic Guide heart line

Palmistry Heart Line

Oftentimes with palmistry, the owner of the hand jumps to know the meaning of the heart line. They want to know when they will marry, fall in love, or meet their soulmate. The truth is, emotional lives are very complex and influenced by many factors - not just one line! We can’t look at the hand and tell if they will meet a tall dark handsome stranger by the time they’re 30!

What the heart line can tell you is what is in your own heart. Knowing this will help you in relationships throughout your life. The heart line starts underneath your pinky finger, curves across the hand and ends usually between the index and middle finger. The deeper the line, the more comfortable we are meeting new people and making new friends, maintaining relationships and how we relate to other people.

A short heart line (that ends before the middle finger) shows that an individual is lacking in emotional intelligence, likely to be impulsive in their actions and not think about the consequences. A very long line, on the other hand, shows that you are a doormat - you let other people walk all over you rather than standing up for yourself. Somewhere in the middle means you are a balance between these qualities of arrogance and meekness!

If the heart line curves upwards, you tend to be good at conversation and creating a happy and welcoming atmosphere with all you meet. This makes you popular amongst friends and lovers alike. A curved down line indicates an inability to express emotion, and you may be afraid to chase your love or make deep friendships! A straight line indicates a stable and balanced social personality, possibly a little shy in love but affable and friendly nonetheless.

To fully understand the heart line, the palm reader should take into account the minor lines like the girdle of Venus and the lines of affection on the side of the hand. For more information on this line with strange things such as lines, dots, stars then see my specific page on the heart line by clicking here

Fate Line Palmistry

Palmistry Fate Line

The next line on my list is the fate line. This is normally found between the life line and head line. See my picture for placement. Some people don’t have a fate line, which makes its position as a major line slightly dubious! What’s more, it’s not about fate as in irreversible, unchangeable destiny. Instead, it’s about how much energy the individual puts into their life’s ambition and dreams. It’s about the fate we make for ourselves.

For instance, a person who studies and works hard but isn’t necessarily seen as ‘successful’ by the world will have a strong fate line. This is because they have the ambition and desire to improve themselves and their lives. A person can be very successful but not put much work into their ambitions - they might just inherit wealth or the family business and live a comfortable life of ease! They will have a very weak or non-existent fate line.

So the deeper the fate line, the more drive a person has to improve themselves and make something of themselves. Self-made millionaires, entrepreneurs, and those who do well despite generational inequality and coming from a poor background will all have strong fate lines.

As noted, these are just the three-four major lines in palmistry and they cannot give more than a broad picture when alone. To gain a detailed insight into palmistry and individual’s lives, you should look at the minor lines and how they influence and interact with the major lines. By doing so, you can build a complete picture of a person’s life and character.