This book on Palmistry by Hassan Jaffer will give you a good understanding of your hand type, the shape of the fingers, mounts and a good knowledge of the major and minor lines. By the end of this book, you should have a good handle on what weaknesses and talents you have, the timing of events and answers to questions relating to marriage, the type of partner you are attracted to and if you have the potential for fame and recognition.

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General
The fleshy pads below the fingers and on other parts of the hand are called Mounts and indicate the degree of emotional involvement of the individual. They may be either very full or totally absent and "flat" depending on the intensity of emotional involvement. Those who are very nurturing and nourishing have very full mounts.
The eight "Mounts" are listed below and their normal positions are given in Fig. :

The "Apex"
of the mount can be easily determined by finding the center of the three
inverted triangular lines that appear below each finger.
When the mounts are displaced from their normal positions, then the
qualities of the mounts on either side must be taken into account, or
the meaning of the mount itself combined with that of the next closest
mount.
People with developed mounts are always more emotional and sensitive
to feelings than people who have no mounts or relatively flat mounts.
The mounts below the four fingers are named after the corresponding
fingers i.e. - the mount of Jupiter, the mount of Saturn, the mount
of Apollo and the mount of Mercury.
A developed Mount of Jupiter increases the ambition and the need for ego-gratification in the individual. With a long finger of Jupiter as well, it is indicative of excellent administrative skills and the ability to lead, manage and organize people and large projects.
Located below the second finger, this mount when developed, increases the serious nature of the person. These people have a more or less fatalistic attitude to life. The prominent mount of Saturn also increases the love of solitude, the sense of duty and responsibility, religious devotion, interest in the occult and mysticism.
These people also tend to be very studious with leanings towards classical and serious subjects.
The Mount of Apollo
The mount of Apollo or Sun as it is sometimes called, when developed, adds the desire for public recognition, flamboyance, showman-ship, appreciation of drama and theater, generosity, pride and spontaneous enthusiasm.
Among the negative qualities of an overdeveloped mount of Apollo are extravagance, exaggeration and conceit.
Fame and Notoriety? The mount of Apollo is an excellent and necessary mount to have for those who are in the public eye. However, this mount combined with a long finger of Apollo (relative to the Jupiter finger) as well as a Line of Apollo (Sun Line) almost guarantees fame as well as notoriety!
The Mount of Mercury
A well developed mount of Mercury increases business sense, scientific and literary talents as well as a flair for communication when combined with a long first phalange (the tip) of the finger of Mercury.![]()
With a pointed finger of Mercury, the intuitive intelligence will increase; eloquence in speech when conical; inventiveness when square and discoveries when spatulate.
This mount increases the wit, mental adroitness and the ability to convince others by creating an emotional response
The Mount of Venus
This is an extremely important mount to check along with the hand type and fingers to evaluate the degree of passion, emotional intensity and involvement, warmth compassion and the love of luxury and comfort.
This mount is prominent among most singers, musicians, artists and those who put their "hearts and souls into everything that they do. This mount is also an indication of personal magnetism, charisma and general good health and vitality. The type of hand and fingers will determine whether the force of passion is being sublimated or wasted.
If the hand tends to be quite soft, then the person with a prominent mount of Venus will tend to waste life though an overindulgence in the good things of life, and by using passion only for the gratification of the senses. A flat mount of Venus is a sign of coldness and an unhealthy disposition.
The Mount of Mars
This mount lies just above the mount of Venus and constitutes the upper portion of that mount.
This mount denotes the degree of aggressiveness, impulsiveness, daring, love of challenge and action, competitiveness, resentment of criticism and the need for immediate gratification.
Although a prominent mount of Upper Mars gives tremendous amount of confidence and optimism to the individual, it can lead to recklessness, lack of continuity of purpose, inconsistency in plans, rebelliousness, outbursts of temper and violence if not channeled in physical activity.
The Lower Mount of Mars
This mount lies above the Mount of Luna and below the Heart Line, and indicates the degree of passive resistance in a person.
These individuals tend to become very stub-born in their view-points especially be-cause their emotions (closeness to Mount of Luna) get involved. They are more inclined to be vindictive in a secretive way than with those with the Upper Mars who are more physical and open in their grudges.
These individuals must guard against sarcasm, vindictiveness, harboring of slights, scheming and mental perversion. Usually they are cause oriented and need some "helping profession as an outlet, otherwise they tend to hang on to lost causes.
Mount of Luna
The development of this mount is indicative of the degree of imagination, sensitivity, feelings, romanticism, intuition and the emotional vulnerability in a person.
An over developed mount of Luna can lead to being hurt easily, especially because such people have an excellent memory and tend to remember vividly each time that they were hurt in life. The only way to sublimate this tendency would be to get involved with romantic writing or to indulge in art or music.
These people tend to be easily depressed and suffer periodically from feelings of inadequacy. These people always need to have imaginative outlets and human contacts in their work.
Over sensitivity can make them withdraw into their own dream worlds where they remain for a long time feeling self-pity. They have a strong need to protect others and are usually very caring and compassionate. There is also a natural interest in mysticism, the occult, nature, healing, art, music and history.
What Your Fingers Reveal
The description and meaning of the fingers can be understood easily if you relate them to the hand type e.g. artistic (long and tapering), philosophical (knotty), spatulate or psychic.
The description and meaning of each of the fingers corresponds with the description given before for the mounts that are below each of them.
The length of the finger and whether it is low set or high set distinguishes it from the rest. The longer the finger the more obvious will be the qualities represented by that finger. The same principle applies if the finger is higher set at the base than the rest. (Refer to the description given previously for the mounts below the fingers.) The meaning of the fingers is essentially the same as the mounts below them, except for the fact that the mounts show the degree of emotional involvement as well.
Long Fingers
The longer the finger, the more analytical and methodical is the person. It also makes one more cautious in everything they do mainly because they think of the pros and cons of everything. This can make one somewhat less generous as well. This is a good if you have separated from the Life Line because it tones down some of the recklessness. Long fingers also indicate a more studious nature and one who has patience in teaching and counseling.
Short Fingers
If the fingers are short, then the individual will tend to be much faster in forming immediate impressions and will not be interested in making long-term analyses or in having theoretical discussions about a given situation. These are the people who like managerial positions where they can assess an overall project and then delegate the work to others.
Smooth or Knotty Fingers?
People with smooth-jointed fingers are more appreciative of beauty, whereas knotted fingers indicate that the individual is more interested in truth rather than beauty.
There can be many variations and combinations of the types of fingers and the joints, e.g. square-tipped with smooth joints or with philosophical knots, or pointed tips with different types of joints etc., and this must be thoroughly evaluated before moving on to the lines of the hand.
There are four main points to observe in the analysis of the thumb: the length, the flexibility, whether the thumb is low set or high, and the length of the first and second phalanges.
Length of the Thumb
You will find that the longer the thumb, the more intellectually inclined is the person. A long thumb always gives a flexibility of the mind as the thumb will seldom be stiff. A short thumb represents weak reasoning ability and much more cautiousness in accepting new ideas.
Flexibility of the Thumb
The degree of flexibility of the thumb indicates the degree of adaptability of the mind. The stiffer the thumb, the more stubborn but also more dependable the person. Supple jointed thumbs indicate versatility, adaptability and quite often linguistic talents. Flexible thumbs indicate people who are less dependable because of their changeability.
High-Set or Low-Set Thumb
People with high-set thumbs tend to be more close-minded and secretive than those with low-set thumbs. The lower thumb is found to be on the hand, the more intelligent is the person. This also indicates more extravagance and spendthrift tendencies.
First and Second Phalanges of the Thumb
The first phalange indicates the will power, whereas the second one represents the amount of logic phalange tend to justify their actions by appealing to the emotions of others rather than to pure intellect. People with the second phalange longer are entirely ruled by logic. They have excellent reasoning faculties but tend to rationalize too much and to discuss everything to an extreme.
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Long Nails
Long nails are usually indicative of diseases of the chest and lungs, especially when they are also fluted or ribbed. These people tend to be generally more broadminded than people with short nails. Broad nails emphasise the generous temparament.
Short Nails
Short nails normally indicate a weakness of the heart, especially if there are no "moons. If the nails tend to have a bluish colour, then the person may be experiencing circulation problems. When the nails are very short, they are hallmarks of a critic especially on a hand with short fingers. These people tend to be very critical and fault-finding but are good for professions where they are being paid to be a critic or for finding faults and defects as in quality control!
Fluted Nails
When the nails are fluted i.e. have lines running parallel to the fingers, it is normally an indication of sensitivity to lung related problems like pneumonia and the person should take extra precaution in this regard.
White or Bluish Nails
When the nails are devoid of colour and bluish or almost white in colour, it is normally one of the surest signs of a weakness of the heart. This usually occurs at a point when the heart is already in a very stressful stage and should be immediately checked with a doctor. The person also needs to give up fatty foods and those which stimulate more cholesterol, give up any smoking and start exercising under a physician,s supervision.
Lines of the Hands
As mentioned earlier, the lines on the "writing hand (i.e. the hand that you write with) are constantly changing according to one's actions.
The hand that you do not write with is used only as a reference i.e. to get an indication of inherited traits and genetic predisposition and also to see if the lines on the writing hand have changed for the better or for worse.Types of Lines
If you can overcome your limitations, then you will find the following improvements in your the hand which you write with (with reference to the other hand): (Fig.)
Left Hand Right Hand
When a defect in a line is repeated in both hands and at the same time (in terms of age), then the event as indicated by this weakness is almost certain to happen because the individual is not likely to make any effort to offset this liability.
It should be noted that the stress indicated at the time of the island or break cannot be avoided, but if these indications have either completely disappeared or are protected by the "square in the writing hand, then the capacity to deal with the stress has been developed within the individual.Main Lines of the Hand
The main lines of the hand and the direction in which they are read are shown below in Fig. :
The clarity and depth as well as the colour of the lines gives an indication of their strength and weaknesses. It is important to take the hand type into consideration when analyzing the lines because the same line could have different meanings on different hands.
As an example, a sloping Head Line is much more unusual on a Square Hand rather than an Artistic Hand (on which it is natural for it to be sloping) and makes the person much more sensitive than one would expect. Similarly, it would be just as unusual to find a straight Head Line on the Artistic Hand in which case, it would make them more practical).The Major Lines of the Hands
The following are the Major Lines (or Principal Lines as they are sometimes called:
The Minor Lines are:
The following are the Minor Lines which are not as common as the Major Lines:
How to Read Age on the Lines:
One of the
most fascinating aspects of palmistry is the facility with which the timing
of events can be read on the hands. Although it takes years of practice
to become really proficient in predicting the timing of events in every
hand, it is relatively simple to follow one's own hand and to get an idea
of the age at which different events and major moves occur.
Any major event will be indicated in every major line and therefore it
is extremely important to look at every principle line for the timing
of a particular event before making any hasty conclusions. Helpful Hints
in Reading the Age:
It is useful to note that the line of Saturn crosses the Head line at
approximately age thirty-two (Fig. ) and crosses the Heart line at about
fifty (Fig. ).
Similarly, a line dropping from the middle of the finger of Saturn on
the Heart line indicates the age of twenty four (Fig. ), a line from the
center of the finger of Apollo will cross the Heart line at age forty
(Fig.), and a line from the finger of Mercury will intercept the Heart
line at the age of sixty.
Fig.
The Life Line
This line which runs right around the mount beside the thumb, indicates the state of health throughout an individual's lifetime, any delicacy of constitution at any time, and major events and moves.
The length of this line does not necessarily denote a short or long life, however if this line is clear, deeply marked and without chains or islands, then it is indicative of good health free of major illnesses.
Any lines rising above the Life Line indicate major moves and successful periods in life, whereas the lines descending from the Life Line indicate setbacks and general deterioration of the body. (fig. 1)
The point of intersection of these ascending and descending lines is the point of consolidation of one's achievements. Most of the groundwork for future success should be laid before this intersection occurs.
Personal Magnetism
The wider the curve of the Life Line, the more robust the constitution and personal magnetism of the individual especially if the mount inside the curve (Mount of Venus) is quite full as well. (compare figs. 2 &3)
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Any line extending upward from the Life Line and joining the Fate Line (Line of Saturn) indicates the rise in power at that time in a person's life. (fig. 4)
Immigration?
A forked Life Line usually indicates an immigration, and the inner prong of the fork represents the original place of birth, whereas the outer prong denotes the new place the person has reached. The person will either stay in the new land or return to their homeland depending on which prong is the deeper one. (fig. 5)
Any lines running parallel to the Life Line from inside the mount of Venus (sister lines) increase the physical health of the person and protect the life against any weaknesses in health. (fig. 6)
Health Weaknesses?
A chained Life Line indicates poor health at the time of the formation of the chain. Weaknesses and health hazards are often shown by islands.
The Head Line, or the Brain Line as it is sometimes called, extends from the middle of the hand (from below the finger of Jupiter) to the percussion (side of the hand). This line gives an accurate indication of the type of mentality a person has as well as their intellectual strength or weakness. It is important to take into consideration the different types of hands in relation to the variations of the Head Line.
The lower the slope of the Head Line, the more imaginative is the person, whereas the higher the termination of the Head Line, the more business-minded is the mentality (Fig. ).
Straight Head Line
The Head Line lying straight across the palm is an indication of being levelheaded and practical in business matters. Such a line makes a person self-willed and capable of making decisions with-out letting sentiments or emotions get in the way (Fig. 7).
Sloping Head Line:
(Fig.6)
The sloping Head Line endows the person with imagination, creativity and sensitivity in thought. It also makes a person,s nature more romantic and affectionate.
Extremely Sloping Head Line
(Fig.9)
Although this type of line points towards an extremely imaginative mind, it can also lead to escapism, daydreaming and melancholy if not channeled into poetry, art, music or literature.
Such individuals can be very easily hurt, do not forget anything negative that happens to them and can remain periodically depressed and feeling sorry for themselves. It is very important for them to be involved with any helping profession, or where they can use all of their extreme sensitivity to best advantage.
...continued
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I would like to give a few suggestions which apply to all Divine arts including
palmistry and astrology.
- Before a reading, always clear your mind of negative thoughts. Do not
scare the person with nodding and saying "Hmm" without any explanation!
- Remain optimistic and always give hope. Do not let personality clashes
affect your interpretation.
- Read hands to guide people rather than to impress them. Avoid trying to
"blow people away"! Just guide them to the best of your ability.
- Exaggerate (especially the positive elements) only to clarify, not to
distort the truth!
- Never let temptation of money betray you from your moral obligations to
the one you are counseling. You have been blessed with a sacred knowledge.
Let no coercion of any form procure a wrong analysis from you.
- Never underestimate the power of prayers. As we said before, the lines
develop as a result of neural activity from the brain. Prayers directly
influence this very source of nervous energy where lines originate from.
- Remain humble. After all, itis God's Plan, you are merely its interpreter
even if you feel you are the best! Your "fantastic" readings should
only glorify Nature.
May God always help you and guide you in your quest for Truth. All the best
and Good Luck,
Syed Hassan Jaffer

originally written 1990 (revised August 1994)
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