I know that the world of hand analysis, aka pragmatic palmistry is not well understood. Most people fit into one of three camps when it comes to palmistry: 1) those who think it’s bogus at best and the devil’s work at worst; 2) those who are curious but can’t figure out what fortune-telling has to do with business profitability; 3) those who are on-board and see palmistry as a tool much like the Myers-Briggs, Kiersey Personality Type Indicator, and the DISC system.

I’ve been doing this work for nearly 12 years and I know it’s not worth the time or energy needed to try to educate, inform or otherwise convince the first group that palmistry is a useful tool.

Odds are you’re in the second group – curious but skeptical. This column is for you.

Wise, world-weary and curious people come in every day to see what their hands have to say, and each one leaves saying, “I had no idea there was so much in my hands!”

Here’s why:

1. Your hands change over time. With the exception of your fingerprints, everything else in your hands can change. By and large this happens as you change your beliefs, your habits and your inner conversations. Watch your hands over the coming months and years, take note of the lines and freckles and other markings. Those changes are important because they map the direction of your life.
2. You always have free will. You might think you want to know the future, but even if someone told you the future today, you still have the capacity to change the outcome. It’s the beauty of being human.
3. Your hands are like roadmaps not actual destinations. Together, we examine what’s vexing you and creating roadblocks – in your career, in your relationships, in your bank account – then we formulate a process for detouring around or through the current rough spot, taking into consideration the specific signs your hands are giving you.
4. Your fingerprints can be translated to a specific code that delivers your life purpose. Ten fingers, each with their own fingerprints form a one-of-a-kind map of your highest potential.
5. Your fingerprints combine with other markings on your hands, stars, particular sets of lines and more to detail your specific life purpose fulfilment formula.
6. Your heart line (which is the upper most line on your palm) begins under your pinky and runs horizontally across your hand. Not only does your heart line indicate how you love and how you wish to be loved (sort of like Your Five Love Languages described by Gary Chapman in his books) but also how you communicate and show up in all of your relationships.
7. Your head line (which begins in the space between your first finger and thumb and runs horizontally toward the outer edge of the hand) indicates how you think and process information. It can’t tell me what you think, but rather it gives a great picture of how much data you need before you make a decision and take action on a new idea or project. Many “wannabe” entrepreneurs have very long and straight headlines – which can keep them in the planning phase of their business. This need for more information, more certification, more knowledge is great for certain types of professionals (cardiac surgeons come to mind) but for most entrepreneurs, there comes a time where taking action is required and the long, straight headline needs to move aside to make this happen.
8. Your life line (which begins at the same point as the head line and curves around the base of the thumb) does NOT indicate the length of your life. Remember that everything in your hands can change – including the length of your life line! Your life line indicates how grounded you are at the given moment in your life. Are you enjoying life? Do you have meaningful relationships and connections? Do you take care of your body? Your life line lends insight to these questions, but how long you live isn’t something it reveals.
9. Each of your fingers has its own meaning. Simply looking at the spacing curves and size of your fingers tells a story about your life up until this moment. Everything from your ability to complete tasks, to step into the spotlight can be surmised, simply through a look at your fingers.
10. Your dominant hand represents you in the world and your non-dominant hand represents you as you see yourself.

Your hands are a fascinating composite of you, right now. After an hour discussing their wisdom your head may be spinning, but you’ll have a deeper appreciation and compassion for the bright light you are.

Written by: Peggie Arvidson