Hand Shapes Reveal Character

Okay, it's not that simple.  Each of us is a complex, multi-faceted being.  Still, the shape of our hands can reveal a great deal about what we show on the surface, as well as the general go-to characteristics we use when we're moving throughout our life. 

The following is an excerpt from the soon to be released 4th Edition of Palmistry 101: A Beginner's Guide by yours truly. 

Think of the shape of a hand as the container for everything held within the hand.  Without a container all the goodness and nuance and individuality of a person would just be flying loose and unfettered.  Containers give us boundaries, help us focus and provide clarity and a foundation for all that is within.

Over the centuries there have been many schools of palmistry and variations of the hand classification system.  Palmists have created basic systems (like the one I use most often) based on the 4 elements to very in-depth and complicated systems covering 48 different hand types.

Character in the hands is first discerned through an evaluation of the hand shape.

Generally in readings, I focus on the elemental system – water, air, earth and fire.  I prefer it because it allows an easy entree to the study of hands and it allows my students to learn the basic phraseology and traits used throughout the most prominent schools of palmistry.

It's also easy for clients to understand and assimilate the description of the natural elements.

A key to learning this system is to understand what constitutes a particular element, both from a physical as well as characteristic approach.  It’s also important to realize that humans are unique, most of us have a combination of elements in our hands.  

While it’s important to study the data and learn how to identify the general characteristics of a particular hand shape and it’s meaning, it’s equally important to trust your instincts when faced with a hand having the characteristics of multiple elements.

Today we'll talk about the Water Element and hands.

A water hand is long with a relatively narrow palm.  The fingers are long and there are lots of tiny, finely etched lines. Generally you’ll find a curved head line on a Watery hand.

Often the heart line is the “ring leader” for those with a water hand.  You’ll notice the heart line on the hand heret is quite dominant. (heart line is the upper most horizontal line, beginning under the pinky and heading toward the thumb side of the hand).

Water as an element takes on the shape of the container in which it’s held.  Those with primarily water hands need to create effective boundaries in order to stay on time, protect their hearts, and own their own value.

This hand shape is the most likely to have blue showing through the base of the palm.  The skin is often translucent.

Water-handed people are emotional, empathetic and giving. They are sensitive, receptive, caring and very impressionable. They tend to be intuitive and in tune with the needs of those around them.  They are altruists and idealists.

They connect with others through nurturing and giving of themselves.

Challenges for water-handed people include being martyrs.  They can also be over-sensitive, impractical, instable and wishy-washy and lack effective boundaries.

The water hands also tend to print the lightest making it hard to scan for effective teaching purposes.  Think of the narrow shape of a lotus – this is often what a water hand with the fingers closed will look like.