Runic Palmistry

I'd trust a good palmist over a barrelful of politicians any day . . .
- Alain "Doc" DeLyle

There's little wonder that palmistry has such a wide appeal. Humans have always been fascinated with hands and what could be learned by studying them. Palmistry goes back so many thousands of years nobody knows who the first palmists were. The oldest surviving document devoted to palmistry was found in India and appears to be about 3,500 years old. However, we suspect that the art is even older than this. After all, some of the earliest cave paintings were of the artist's own hands!

Palmistry isn't strictly a psychic ability like clairvoyance or seeing auras. It's really a form of character analysis based on certain features found in the hand. Anyone can learn to read palms after a fashion, but it helps if you're naturally empathic and intuitive. After studying a few thousand hands, the ability becomes ingrained into the subconscious and you stop reading hands and begin to read people. The best palm readers go beyond the hand of the subject and into their soul. Think of the hand as the gateway into the personality.

The Visible Part of the Brain The basic theory of palmistry teaches that the brain and the hand are closely connected. The hand is the visible agent of the brain-an extension of the mind-and through our hands we manipulate the world around us. Our hands reflect our moods and thoughts. When we are angry, we will express this emotion through the hands with clenched fists or a jabbing forefinger. When we're happy or depressed, we hold our hands differently. Over time, these habitual mannerisms and gestures of our unique personalities are recorded on our hands. This is a concept so natural that even most skeptics will agree there must be something to it.

Which Hand to Read?
You will hear this question almost every time you begin a reading. To do a thorough job you should look at both hands. However for a quick reading you will want to see the dominant hand. On a right-handed person, the left hand is considered the hand of past influences and the right hand represents present circumstances.

When we are born, both hands are pretty much the same. As we mature, the dominant hand changes faster, acting as the agent of our thoughts and desires. We write, eat, defend ourselves, and caress our loved ones with this hand. Consequently, as we react to the world, the dominant hand records these changes. The passive hand evolves too, but at a much slower rate. This is why palmists say the right hand represents the present and the left hand reveals the past. Some schools consider the left hand the repository of past-life information and karmic issues, but this concept is beyond the scope of this book.

Different Strokes for Different Folks Different types of people have different types of hands. Obviously there is going to be a difference between the hand of an artist and the hand of a teamster. However, the differences in our hands can be even subtler. It's possible to make a distinction between the hand of a "thinker" and that of a "feeler." The hand of a natural-born counselor will show both thinking and feeling traits, while the hand of a scientist will show the qualities of logic and concentration.

The techniques of palmistry are meant to give you an overall picture of the person for whom you are reading. Everyone is unique, and a good palmist must tailor the information to match the person. It's important to make your reading fit your client, not the other way around. Never generalize!

Nothing Is Insignificant In palmistry, every detail of the hand has meaning. We consider the relationships between the fingers, the lines on the hands, the skin ridge patterns (dermatoglyphics-an art in itself), the temperature and ruddiness of the skin, and even the hair pattern and skin texture. Some palmists believe that there are no such things as accidents and even scars and injuries to the hand may have special meanings.

Science has recently taken a serious look into hand analysis and a number of medical conditions can be detected through the study of the hands and nails. I personally do not diagnose medical conditions and neither should you unless you happen to have medical training.

Practice, Practice, Practice!
If you aspire to exercise your skills on others, be sure to take your time and learn your craft well. Practice on yourself first before starting on your friends' hands. Be careful and considerate. Do not trespass into areas where you're not qualified. Remember that it is not a reader's business to give financial, legal, or medical advice. We're concerned with spiritual and psychological matters and to step beyond these boundaries is illegal and unethical. Make the commitment from the outset to be a good and ethical reader, and always remember to be tactful.

As in any form of psychic reading or divination, you must approach the subject with serious intent. Do not perform palmistry as a psychic magick trick or do it because you like being the "class mystic." Whenever you're giving a reading you are literally holding that person's life in your hands. You have the potential to do great good-but also great harm. Never forget this.

How to Begin A logical procedure is important. In runic palmistry, all aspects of the hand will be considered and it's easy for even an experienced reader to get lost. Therefore, it's important to have a logical sequence to follow or you'll probably overlook something important.

The first thing I suggest you notice is the shape of the hand. This provides a clue to the person's instinctive reactions to life. For example, round hands tend to be feelers and creators; square hands are thinkers and planners, and so on. Don't worry about trying to remember this right now. I'll go into more detail in chapter 3.

Go from General to Specific Details After determining the shape of the hand, you're ready to move on to the fingers. Fingers reveal how people manipulate the world around them. Each finger has a different meaning, which we'll examine in more detail in chapters 4 and 5.

Next you will begin to interpret the branches and mounts in the hands. This will allow you to fine-tune the reading to razor-point accuracy. We'll look at this closely in chapters 6 and 7.

And finally, you'll locate the palm runes and interpret them. This exciting procedure will be touched on in the second half of this book, along with two simple methods of runecasts.

You are about to embark on a wonderful journey of self-discovery. I hope you'll find the trip as fascinating as I have. Have fun!

Cattle die, kindred die Every man is mortal.
But the good name never perishes Of one who has done well.
-- The Poetic Edda