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What is a Chiromancer?

A Chiromancer is a person who practices Chiromancy; the art of fortune telling and by reading the palms of other people. Another term for this is Palmistry, palm-reading and chirology, the idea of this art is just like tarot reading but the client will have to present his palms so the chiromancer can interpret and read his palm lines and make predictions about the career, happiness, relationships and love life of the client.

The perception of palm-reading is considered a pseudoscience among scholastic studies as there are many possible interpretations of the lines and features of the palm, which are sometimes conflicting and inconsistent.

Origin of Chiromancy

It was believed that the origin of the practice of chiromancy started in India, then it had spread throughout China, Egypt, Greece and then to Europe. From India, chiromancy advanced to Greece where it was practiced by a Greek philosopher, Anaxagoras. The art of palm-reading was first studied by the ancients and considered and deliberated it as a science like astrology and not just a superstition. Long ago, a Hindu sage named Valmiki wrote a book known as The Teaching of Valmiki on Male Palmistry. In the middle ages, chiromancy was prohibited and subdued by the Catholic Church as they believed that it was a pagan belief. And in the Renaissance period, chiromancy was classified and withheld as a forbidden art along other divinations such as aeromancy, necromancy, geomancy, hydromancy and pyromancy.

Revival of Chiromancy

A society known as the Chronological Society of Great Britain was found by Katherine St. Hill in London in 1889. The organization’s main goal is to provide advancement and elevation in the art of Chiromancy to prevent frauds from deceiving people and misusing and corrupting the art. Following the foundation of the society in Great Britain was the start of the American Chirological Society established by Edgar de Valcourt – Vermont in 1897.

A certain Irish man named William John Warner took interest in chiromancy and studied in India under the care of Indian gurus and started a palmistry practice when he got back to London. He was often visited and called upon by famous clients such as Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Edison and Joseph Chamberlain. Mark Twain was skeptical and was not even a believer but when he had his palms read he was taken aback, he said something like, "…exposed my character to me with humiliating accuracy."

Techniques used

The art of chiromancy practices the evaluation and appraisal of one’s personality, character and what lies ahead in a person’s future by palm-reading. There are various lines and bumps in a palm and all of these suggest different and indefinite interpretations depending on the size, shape, numbers, and junction. Some of the chiromancers also consider the fingers, fingerprints, fingernails, skin texture, skin color, skin patterns and shape and flexibility of the hand when reading.

Chiromancers start with the dominant hand, the one used for writing as they believe that it is linked to the conscious mind; while on the contrary, the other hand represents the subconscious mind yet other chiromancers think that the least dominant hand can tell them about hereditary of familial traits, which they can use to determine the person’s past life, mood and aura.

It is believed that chiromancy is cradled from Greek mythology and that every finger and space in the palm is connected to a god or a goddess and everything that can be seen at the palm corresponds to an aspect of a subject. One example is that the ring finger is regarded to be in relation with the Greek god of the sun, Apollo and the finger’s trait are known to deal with wealth, music, fame, aesthetics, harmony and art.

The hand shape and lines

The shape of the hands matter in palm-reading and there are eleven types; each equates to a certain element and behavior. Here is a list of the most common taxonomy used by the contemporary chiromancers regarding the shape of the hand:

1. Water – you can tell when the palms are long and oval in shape, with extended and flexible fingers shaped like cones.

2. Earth – you can tell when hands are broad with thick skin, square fingers and reddish in color.

3. Air – you can tell when the palms are square in shape, with extended fingers and knuckles that stick out. Usually dry skin and low set of thumbs.

4. Fire – you can tell when the palms are square in shape, pinkish in color and have short fingers.

There are three major lines on our palms, the heart line, the head line and the life line. The Heart line is found on the top part of the palm, just under the fingers. This depicts situations and problems of the heart, or in another term, our emotional state. Being the emotional line, a chiromancer may also be able to read about the romantic harmony and intimate connection to other people. With this line, why would be able to see if a person easily falls in love or how they handle their relationships. The Head line is located just under the index finger continuing up to the edge near the pinky finger. Chiromancers would be able to see how a person’s mind works and their intellectual capacity, learning styles and their desire to learn more. This is where the ability to analyze things and creativity can be read. The last line is called the Life line, this is located beside the thumb and goes down in an arc and ends just above the wrists. Chiromancers would be able to read a person’s well-being and health with this line. Though it doesn’t necessarily mean that a person’s life span depends on how long their life line is.

There are 4 minor lines on the palm that represent minor concerns like the Girdle of Venus which describes the ability to manipulate people and their emotional intelligence. The Mercury line depicts health issues and ability to excel in business. The Union lines speak for close relationships with other people. The Travel line represents the trips made by the person ad longer the line is the more significant the trip is to the bearer. The Sun line shows fame.

As mentioned above, there is a lack of corroboration and validation regarding the effectiveness and accuracy of chiromancy. It can be read in so many ways and not a single theory can actually explain the art of palm-reading. Hence, a lot of people are skeptic and doubtful about the practice. Some even think that some of chiromancers or palm readers are frauds and scams.

 

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