Life lines are a continuing topic of fear and consternation for clients and palmistry-voyeurs.

The life line begins in the space between the first finger and thumb and it curves around the base of the thumb, also known as the Venus mount. It may be short (not going all the way around to the wrist) or it may be long (going down and to the base of the wrist). Either is perfectly great. It may be deep or it may be wispy, again, this is not indicative of “good” or “bad” but rather in alignment with the type of hand you have. When I read hands, unless I’ve been asked about it specifically, I rarely read the life line, not because there’s anything wrong with it, but because I find most clients seeking information about money, love or career have more significant markings in their hands!

If you want to know about your life line, definitely ask. I promise it won’t be scary!

You might be the strongest bad-ass in the world, leading legions of people in their work and purpose, but when you’re confronted with the possibility that a stranger may look at your hands and tell you the time of your death you shiver in fear or defiantly walk away before learning what the line can really mean for your life.

Life lines are often glossed over in training, given a few hours or a half day at most in a year-long training program. It seems, at first, that all you need to know as a hand reader is that the life line doesn’t show the length of one’s life, but rather how grounded and focused one is in their physical being.

However, deeper study over the past 12 years indicates something more involved. The life line shows your self-identity. It’s the “life you are leading” right now, how you’re showing up in the world and how you’re identifying with that role you’re playing in your daily life.

Sometimes I see multiple life lines. From a textbook perspective, if you had multiple life lines we’d talk about you “burning the candle at both ends” or protecting a part of you/your family. That’s an excellent place to start the discussion, but the deeper meaning is often that this burning the candle at both ends or creating a protective layer is a result of leading two (or more) lives. For instance, you might be an animal advocate by day, but had to take on a night job at the meat processing plant by night to pay the bills. Obviously you’d feel that you were leading two lives!

Many years ago I read the hands of a delightful woman who had three very distinct jobs in a relatively small town. Generally holding down multiple jobs may be indicated in a strong Saturnian configuration, often coupled with intensity in the Mercury zone. Some of us are hard-wired to put money in the bank and the discussion would revolve around value and identifying when there is “enough.” That was part of the conversation with this lady. However, the consulting went deeper when it was revealed that she used a different NAME at each of her jobs. There were three distinct personalities that she brought to life in each role she performed in the workforce.

Throughout our work together she at first felt very attached to the three separate personas and felt that if they blended together she’d be “outed” at work and that it could have a negative effect on her ability to earn her income. There was no history or indication of mental illness, this was simply the way she had chosen to express her very distinct skill sets in order to earn her income.

While you may wonder how you can combine your accounting background with your interest in design and your certification as a Reiki Master, this kind and diligent woman didn’t bother to merge her various skills into one united business but rather brought each skill individually to a separate endeavor. (By the way, these weren’t her three careers, it’s just an example.)

Over the years we’ve kept in touch and I’ve watched as she’s released the jobs and work that weren’t serving her. I also delight in the way she’s blossomed into embracing her most “woo-woo” of gifts and brought that into the world professionally. She’s gleefully bringing joy and healing into the community and world at large by doing her work without worry about being “found out” as a woo-woo practitioner.

Does it surprise you to learn that she now has ONE life line?

As a hand analyst, I tread lightly on this topic and present various options for a client with multiple life lines. After all, some people have been living a double life for a long time and having their “cover blown” could be emotionally or physically dangerous.

As you can see, there’s so much in your life line, but not one iota of information about the time of your death!

Written by: Peggie Arvidson