Palm reading is believed to have originated in India before spreading to China and Greece during the days of Aristotle. Because palm reading has found roots in a variety of cultures, there are many methods and ideologies behind how to do it.

We’ll be going over the most commonly used practices in modern palmistry, but be aware, this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you want to go deeper into this art, there are some excellent books and YouTube videos that discuss this topic.

What Palm Reading Can Tell You

Similar to other divination techniques, such as scrying, tarot reading, or reading runes, palm reading has its limitations in terms of what it can tell you. It can’t tell you specifics like who you’ll marry or when you’ll die.

Palm reading is best used for identifying a person’s strengths and weaknesses, natural tendencies, personality traits, and general guidance on love, relationships, career path, and emotional or physical health.

How To Start Reading Palms

Though I personally believe everyone is at least a little psychic, you don’t have to be psychic, clairvoyant, or experienced in channeling to learn this magical skill. Anyone can master the art of palm reading, so don’t be afraid to give this a try! Everyone was a beginner at some point.

Before you begin, make sure you feel comfortable and grounded. If possible, create a sacred space for yourself by lighting candles or incense—whatever your preferred method is to prepare your space for magic.

You may want to begin by reading your own palm. Then once you know what to look for and the specific meanings behind each identifying feature, move on to reading the palms of your family and friends. Ask for feedback and see what resonated with others and what didn’t.

Right Hand Or Left Hand?

You have a few options here, so try them out and see which way gives you the best results.

Option One: Always read the person’s dominant hand.

Option Two: Read the person’s dominant hand for information regarding their outward image, how they like to be perceived by others, their conscious mind, and career information. Read the person’s non-dominant hand for insight into their subconscious energies, personal relationships, home life, hopes, and fears.

Option Three: Read the left hand to learn information about a person’s childhood and read the left hand to learn about who the person will become as they grow.

Option Four: Read whichever hand the person gives you without guiding them.

Again, as you experiment with different palm reading techniques, you’ll discover even more ways to pick which hand to use.

The Signs To Look For

Hand Shape

Each hand shape is associated with one of the four elements and a general personality type.  As a witch, you might be familiar with the different characteristics and energetic associations with earth, air, fire, and water.

Earth Personalities: The Pragmatist

Hand Shape: Square hands with palms and fingers of equal length

Character Traits: Practical, grounded, stable, a hard worker. These people make decisions based on logic over emotion.

Air Personalities: The Thinker

Hand Shape: Square hands and long fingers

Character Traits: Intellectual, excellent at problem-solving, a philosopher. These people make decisions after analyzing all sides of an issue.

Fire Personalities: The Enthusiast

Hand Shape: Large wide palm with shorter fingers

Character Traits: Passionate, adventurous, tenacious, a “doer”. These people make decisions quickly, trusting their gut instinct.

Water Personalities: The Creative

Hand Shape: Long narrow palm and slender fingers

Character Traits: Intuitive, artistic, a dreamer. These people make decisions based on emotion.  

Hand Lines

The Three Most Important Hand Lines:

When you’re ready to look at the actual creases on a person’s palm, start by locating the head line, the heart line, and the life line. These three lines will tell you the bulk of the information you’ll need to know, and the other lines and hand mounds will provide you with details to fill in the blanks.

Note: If you can’t see these lines on the palm, curl the hand slightly and hold the palm under a bright light.

The Head Line

This is the line that starts between the index finger and the thumb and moves across the middle of the palm. Sometimes the life line and the head line start out connected. Other times, they are two distinct lines. This line deals with how a person thinks and acts. This has nothing to do with the intelligence of the person—it’s more about the way they think.

Things to look for:

• A long line could mean that the person is more likely to keep going after their goals in the face of adversity. It might also mean they take longer to make decisions. A short line could mean that the person will shift their goals and adapt when obstacles arise. Also, they may make their decisions quickly.
• If the head line and the life line are connected, the person enjoys having the support of others around them. If the head line and life line are completely separate, the person may place a high value on self-reliance.

The Heart Line

This line starts at the outer edge of the hand and ends under the middle finger or index finger. This line deals with what drives a person, what they’re passionate about, and what their relationships are like.

Things to look for:

• The length of the line is significant. If there’s a long line, the person is probably good at sensing other people’s feelings, and they act with thoughtfulness and consideration. A short line means they value freedom within a relationship and enjoy spending time one-on-one with friends rather than a group setting.
• Check to see if the line is curved or straight. A straight line means a person is more analytical and rational when it comes to choosing and working in a particular career. A curved line means the person will do whatever it takes to follow their passions.
• Any X’s on this line could indicate a betrayal by a loved one (a friend, family member or a romantic partner).
• A double heart line (two small lines running parallel) it might mean that person has a tendency to put other’s feelings ahead of their own.
• If the head line and the heart line intersect, it could mean the person listens to his or her head more. If the heart line doesn’t cross the head line, this person may trust his or her heart or emotions over logic.

The Life Line

This is the line the runs in an arc from between the thumb and index finger and ends near the wrist. It represents a person’s health over the course of their lifetime and their general level of comfort.

Things to look for:

• Check for how deep and visible this line is. The easier it is to see, the more resistant that person is to illness. If the line is faint, it could indicate that the person needs to be extra intentional about staying healthy, and they could benefit from simple changes like drinking more water and getting enough sleep.
• Any breaks in the line may indicate some kind of traumatic event or a potential health issue in a person’s life. However, these events can be avoided by making self-care and healthy habits a priority.
• Don’t worry about the length of the life line. Many palm readers believe it has nothing to do with the length of a person’s life.

Other Hand Lines to Look For:

The Fate Line

This goes from the base of the palm and moves up toward the base of the middle finger. A deep line can mean the person will have a successful career. A shallow line or broken line can mean the person pursues several careers during their life. If the fate line is forked at the top, it could mean that person is destined to be famous.

The Intuition Line

This line slopes around the outer edge of the palm (the pinkie side). A deep line indicates that the person has a strong connection to their intuition.

The Relationship Line

This line starts under the pinkie finger, right above the heart line. This line can give information about long-term romantic relationships. This line is likely to change as the person grows. A long, deep relationship line could mean that the person is committed (or is ready to commit) to a partner.

Hand Mounds

Each hand “mound” tells a story about a different part of a person’s life and personality. If any of these mounds are larger than the others, that can mean the person is stronger or more dominant in that area of their life.

The main “mounds” are:

Mount of Venus: (near the base of the thumb) deals with love, confidence, and romantic passion.

Mount of Jupiter: (near the base of the index finger) deals with self-image and leadership abilities.

Mount of Saturn: (near the base of the middle finger) can indicate a person’s level of integrity.

Mount of Apollo: (near the base of the ring finger) can indicate general stability in a person’s life.

Mount of Mercury: (near the base of the pinkie finger) deals with success in finances, business, and communication in a professional atmosphere.

General Advice On Palm Reading

Take notes when you’re reading your own palms. Try to create a story out of all the different elements. There’s a lot to look for, so trust your intuition as your reading, and go by what information jumps out at you first.

When you’re reading other people’s palms, take a minute or two to just look at their entire hand. You might find it easiest to combine the meanings of different marks and lines in your mind before you say anything at all. If you take your time and go slowly, you might be less likely to overwhelm the person with too much information or potentially contradictory information.

Also, tell the person you’re reading for (or yourself) that all the guidance that comes from palm reading should be filtered through the querent’s intuition. Only take the guidance that resonates. Anything that doesn’t resonate might not be relevant to that person’s spiritual journey right now.  

Above all, bring a sense of play and exploration to this magical practice. There is some much more to palmistry, so if this article sparked your interest, consider reading a book on this topic to go more in-depth on the different lines, mounds, fingers, and nail shapes. Enjoy discovering the spiritual insights you may hold in the palm of your hand!

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Updated on August 20, 2023 by Avery Hart