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PALMISTRY AND ASTROLOGY


Two Articles

I. FROM PALMISTRY TO A REVISED CHIROLOGY
II. DOMINANT PLANETS IN HAND AND HOROSCOPE

I. FROM PALMISTRY TO A REVISED CHIROLOGY



Palmistry has something fascinating: Its origin lies far back in the dark and who hears of it usually thinks of gypsy women with doubtful reputations. If you meet them in Southern French Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer, in the pilgrim’s village of their "Black Madonna”, escapes them only with trouble. They address more or less everyone. And who is not concerned with his own future or predictions about love and money?

What is problematic is the rapidity with which one comes into a fatalistic direction. Later on, one will be surprised, how persistent the prophecies in the memory are and that actually some of it happens. One doesn’t get any information about the interpreting rules, because palmistry is a secret knowledge. Who is interested, must content himself with looking for literary tracing, because real masters (almost only women) are rare.

We find the oldest excessive quantities in India by the time before the Vedanta was written. Together with other techniques, as for instance pointing out legends from omen or dreams, palmistry belongs to the seven classical Indian prognosis methods. It is said, that their founder should not be smaller than the sea God Samudra. Therefore its name is Samudrica Shastra, the science of Samudra. The Hindus are convinced that there are counterparts to all Gods and holy rivers in the hand. Therefore they are holy to them, too. If we replace those by the names and symbols of the classical Gods of Greece, it makes sense.

By Aristoteles fortune-telling palmistry changed to chirology, that later on the well-known Paracelsus used like astrology for his medical diagnosis. With the ascent of the natural sciences, the “irrational” arts came rapidly out of reputation and their official use disappeared. The tragedies of the 20th century and the awakening interest in the human psyche helped the Astrology to get to a new renaissance in Europe. But palmistry, her “little sister”, still leads an existence in the shadow.

In more recent times, it was only taken seriously by few renowned researchers like C.G. Jung. In the 1930s he was a friend of Julius Spier*, a well known German chirologer, who had emigrated from Berlin to Amsterdam in 1938. He came to the following judgment after having the opportunity to attend his consultations several times: “I must say, I was deeply impressed by his results.” He specially appreciated Spier’s use of chirology as a characterology.

It includes primarily:

  • our spiritual, psychical and physical aptitudes
  • what we’ve made out of it
  • striking shapes
  • the view, where the personal development could go
  • associated chances and dangers.


Here something similar to the modern astrology applies:

The more self-confidently humans arrange their life, the more they free themselves from the repetition obligations.

This leads from the old fortune telling palmistry to a new “revised chirology”, which moves humans as self-creators of their fates into the center. For astrologers the relationship to the own subject is specially interesting. In this area lies the main work of my consulting and research.


*Julius Spier

Julius Spier was a German Psycho-Chirologist and worked together with C.G.Jung. His book "The Hands of Children" is still considered by professional chirologists all over the world and was even printed in India. In addition to Dr. Charlotte Wolff, he is the international mot renowed German chirologist, although he's virtually unknown here.







Foto credits:
- Sarah la Kali (The Black Madonna), Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, plaster casting of his right hand when he was 58 (from the privat collection of the author)
- Julius Spier , ca. 1940 with friendly permission from the Collection Jewish Historical Mueseum Amsterdam


Text about palmistry:
- From the first chapter of the book: Manfred Magg, Hand und Horoskop – Was Handlesen mit Astrologie verbindet, Chiron Verlag, Tübingen 2002


II.: DOMINANT PLANETS IN HAND AND HOROSCOPE

When one interprets a birth chart, one often asks the question: What is the most important influence?

Usually it isn’t easy to find the right answer. For those who know palmistry it is much easier, because the hand gives clear indications of dominant elements and planets. Often the trained eye discovers the most important astrological element, sign of the zodiac and planet with one glimpse. Even the outer part of the hands give one important clues, without digging through the confusing net of lines.
The best way to judge the astrological elements is to concentrate on the form of the hand (Chirognomy) and compare this with all the hands in one’s memory:



Big, hard and heavy hands which are broad and thick at the wrist tell of a strong emphasis of earth.

Slim, long-fingered hands with narrow, dainty and insubstantial palms primarily stand for the influence of air.

Full and soft pawn-like hands, always well padded and sometimes moist, reveal much water.

Flexibly tensed, strong hands which bear an impressive thumb and which shake hands very firmly indicate blazing fire.

To establish which of the seven old planets dominates, one mainly has evaluate the fingers. If you want to test it for yourself, lay your relaxed right hand flat on the table. For this the fingers should be stretched out in a straight extension of the arm. They should not be twisted sideways.

  • First you have to put the thumb close beside your index finger. Now look at the middle of the lowest part of the index finger (the lower segment). If the tip of the thumb is above this middle point, you will have a strong influence of Mars / Aries in your birth chart. If the thumb is (much) shorter, your ability to assert yourself and your energy of Mars is lacking.
  • Since ancient times the index finger is said to have normal length if the tip reaches the middle of the nail of the middle finger. If the index finger is longer, you can count on a strong Jupiter / Sagittarius. If the index finger is noticeably shorter, the Jupiter will retreat more into the background, or is somehow damaged. This is especially true, if the ring finger is longer than the index finger.
    A long index finger likes to dominate. It is not a team player and very bossy. If it is short it has a low self-esteem, specially if the life and head line go long together in their beginning.
  • The middle finger represents Saturn / Capricorn. It should always be longer than all the other fingers. Only in this form one can count on having enough sense of responsibility for oneself and toward others. If the middle finger is remarkably long, broad or heavy, the person suffers from his duties very much. In this case he takes everything too seriously.
  • A long elegant ring finger always indicates a considerable influence of Venus / Libra, and sometimes also that of an aesthetic constellation of the Sun. A long ring finger likes to show itself in public. At stage it shows its best. A long ring finger has also a strong empathy and often a good, artistic or aestetic taste. It likes beautiful things and often it has charisma. Usually it is popular and a typical team player.
  • The little finger (Mercury / Gemini) reveals a lot about the ability to communicate. A very short finger set low in the palm indicates childlike behaviour. Someone with a thick base of the finger likes a very easy going and comfortable life. He is very interested in the material and sensual world. The Mercury qualities are said to be normal if the little finger reaches the upper joint of the ring finger. (It’s easier to see this on the palm side of the hand.) A long little finger is regarded as a sign of talent. The person will be able to express himself extremely well. This form speaks of a strong Mercury influence.
  • The attributes of the Moon / Cancer are located on the edge of the hand, opposite the thumb. If there is a very thick and sometimes soft ball on the hand, the influence of the moon is very strong. Moon in the hand means imagination, fantasy, moods, the leaning for changes or journeys, specially voyages. Every artist needs a strong Moon in the hand. It also shows influences from other countries or life styles that are different to the origin family. The Moon in the hand also means folk. If the mount of Moon is accentuated and the head line goes in a slightly, nice curve not too deep down to it, are a lot of public contacts and no routine at work recommended.


The attributes described are not always easily recognizable for beginners. But the longer you train your perception, the better your judgment will be. After the first steps you will see how well astrology and palmistry complement one another.