Palmistry is an ancient practice that can be found dating back thousands of years. The prehistoric caves in France and Spain display hand drawings of palms with the major lines portrayed in amazing detail. Judging by the number of hands painted in prehistoric caves it would seem the human hand held a interest for humans since the stone age. Archaeological discoveries have discovered hands made of stone, wood and ivory by ancient civilizations. The use of the palm of the hand as a tool for healing, a link between man and god, as been repeated over and over again in history.

The basic framework for Classical Palmistry (the most widely taught and practiced tradition) is rooted in Greek mythology. Each area of the palm and fingers is related to a god or goddess, and the features of that area indicate the nature of the corresponding aspect of the subject. For example, the ring finger is associated with the Greek god Apollo; characteristics of the ring finger are tied to the subject's dealings with art, music, aesthetics, fame, and harmony. Aristotle (384-322 b.c) discovered a treatise on Palmistry on an altar to the god Hermes. The Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen (ad 130-200) were both knowledgeable about the use of palmistry as a clinical aid.

The emperor of China used his thumbprint when sealing documents in 3000 BC. Information on the laws and practice of hand reading have been found in Vedic scripts, the bible and early Semitic writings.

The ancient Vedas, the earliest sacred Hindu writings, studied the hands as a means to unveil and understand the self and relationships with others. Here began an understanding that the unique patterns of lines and signs in the hand are a direct result of the way we think - consciousness creating the human blue for experiece.

Julius Caesar is said to have judged his men by palmistry.

An early writing using the word Palmistry - spelled 'Pawmestry' - was written in 1420 by John Lyndgate in his Assembly of Gods documents.

The first book on Palmistry was Michael Scotts De Philsiognomia written in 1477 on the physiognomy of the human body with a chapter on all the aspects of the human hand. He wrote, Just as a pebble thrown into the water creates ripples, so our thoughts create similar effects on our palms.

In the seventeenth century many books were written that included the early gypsy ideas about the hand that had been handed down through tradition since the early 1400s.

The practice of palmistry was unfortunately forced underground by the Catholic Church who branded it devil worshiping.

By the eighteenth century books were written blending some scientific information about the hand with mysticism. Since then Palmistry was aligned with the idea that a person read the hand with a scientific eye and spoke from intuition. Palmistry then was a form of prediction that was as individual as the hand.

Just as today's consciousness is awakening from the darkness into the light - religious paradigms losing their ontrol over humany thinking - so too did palmistry awakening as a tool of divination linked to the working of the mind. One must never forget that consciousness creates reality.

And so evolved the gypsy fortune teller as the hand of hate created the 18th century grid experiences for humanity.

Marie Anne le Norman was a famous French fortune teller in Napoleon's court who created great interest in Palmistry because of her predictive successes with Napoleon and Josephine. Two other Frenchmen DArpentigny born in 1798 and Desbarrolles born in 1801 wrote on the subject.

Dr Carl Carus, physician to the king of Saxony in the 19th century matched palms to personality.

Patrick "The Mysterious" Goodden, was said to be able to predict someone's exact date of death by looking at someone's hand. He died in 1875 and ironically predicted the completely wrong day of death.

Alex "The Mighty" Bernas, it has been said, could not only predict date of death but also the cause of death. He was known to heal as well and was not only revered as a chiromancer but also a witch doctor.

Cheiro, as he is known by nickname, was said to have predicted correctly dates and events in the lives of many renowned celebrities, including Marilyn Monroe, and even his own death.



Cheiro (1866-1936), was one of the most famous and colorful occult figures of the early Twentieth Century, Cheiro was a clairvoyant who used palmistry (or cheiromancy), astrology, and Chaldean numerology, to make startlingly accurate predictions, including world events. Born in Ireland as William John Warner, Cheiro also went by the name Count Louis Hamon, claiming a noble ancestry that may or may not have been accurate. His name, Cheiro, derives from the word cheiromancy.

There has always been skepticism about palmistry. Yet in the 21st century people study the lines on the hands with children born with various challenges such as autism, Downs Symdrom, ADD, among others. There often is a correlation which one day may help in early diagnosis of childhood illnesses which go undetected in early childhood.

As a special education teacher for many years, I can tell you that patterns do follow with learning challenges and genetically inherited diseases.

As we know, homosexuality is inherited. There is a 'V' shaped line on the hand that is found in all gay people and which I have shown to my clients.

All genetic markers are prominent on the hand if one knows where to look -- this is science not metascience.

As we came to study the lines on the fingers as a personal blueprint of signature for an individual, forensic research would determine that fingerprints were unique to each individual. In 1901 Scotland Yard adopted the technique of fingerprinting in criminal investigation and identification. Fingerprint identification is sometimes referred to as dactyloscopy. It involves the process of comparing questioned and known friction skin ridge impressions from fingers, palms, and toes to determine if the impressions are from the same finger. The flexibility of friction ridge skin means that no two finger or palm prints are ever exactly alike even two impressions recorded immediately after each other. Fingerprint identification occurs when an expert (or an expert computer system operating under threshold scoring rules) determines that two friction ridge impressions originated from the same finger or palm (or toe, sole) to the exclusion of all others.

Medical researchers studying skin patterns - Dermatoglyphics - have discovered a correspondence between genetic abnormalities and unusual markings in the hand. Research has confirmed a link between specific fingerprint patterns and heart disease.