A hand lends itself to many uses in life and in language. In Hindu culture, the father offers the hand of his daughter, the bride in marriage to the groom while in language metaphors abound; for instance, by hand, hands-off, hands down, a full hand, soft hands, hand in glove, etc...

To foretell the future, a palmist thoroughly studies both hands early in the morning when the enquirer has not had his food nor is under influence of any kind. Before studying the hand, several factors need to be kept in mind.

A palmist does not look only at one line or mount, rather studies even the smallest lines and marks on the hand and under it. Every line, mount and sign along with associated features like texture, colour of the hand, temperature when seen in relation with each other create a ‘yog’ thus no line, mount or sign can be read in isolation.

Till we reach the study of combination interpretations or the yog, we shall understand the traditional meanings of various mounts, lines and marks on the hand individually.

Basic rules

Here are some basic rules that palmists follow while reading the hand:
Sit with hands folded avoiding immediate physical contact with the hand as the seeker approaches you with his or her open palm. Touching will exchange subtle auric energies, electric currents causing intermingling of subtle koshas. This will enhance interpreting the genuine features present in the seeker’s hand.

Look at the overall make-up of the body and then place the hands upside down on the floor to check the back of the hand when an evident shape either circular, square, etc, should appear. Once interpreted, the seeker can then turn up his hands with palms facing the sky.

Once the hands are in the correct position begin reading the bracelets of lines on the wrist-joint then follow on to the finger joints which reveal many truths. Notice the length of the fingers, proportion of each and mark the thumb with great focus, see the nails as visible on the other side, if at all. Check the mounts for protrusions or depressions, look at the size, depth, shape and movement of the lines, observe the mounts and lines in conjunction how they relate to each other, then search for signs, marks or spots on the hand. Touch to feel the softness and texture of the hand. Lastly read the fingerprint designs that have loops or horns at the tips.

Preconditions

Palmists prefer early mornings to read the fine lines on the seeker’s hand, which disappear once we start using our hands in our daily routine; ordinarily it can be read anytime. However, immediately after a heavy meal, after consumption of intoxicants or after strenuous exercise getting a reading done is considered unfavourable.

A clean body and hand favour a fortunate atmosphere, while high temperatures ten to get the hands red and sweaty, so extreme temperatures are best avoided for readings.

A thorough palmist can read the fortune of a person as clearly as one can see his own image in a spotless mirror. As a palmist it is essential to involve in hand reading only when in a calm and content state. In case the palmist is in an angry or disturbed state of mind, the questioner should be politely refused. Scriptures suggest that immediate prophesying of any evident good or bad fortune, including death, though evident should not be revealed even in an indirect way.

The final result of reading should be revealed after verification and deep study of both hands. A detached attitude gives the palmist an edge in his reading; thus, reading the hands of family and close relatives poses a challenge.

Studying fingers

We have 4 fingers and 1 thumb in each hand. Each finger has 3 phalanges and is given a particular name while the thumb has only 2 phalanges and is called ‘agustha’.

TARJANI (index finger): placed right next to the thumb Tarjani is the index finger with 3 phalanges. Study this finger by observing its tip. Not all index fingers are straight, some tend to lean towards the thumb and others towards the finger of Saturn or middle finger.  
MADHYAMA (middle finger): the longest finger on the hand, Madhyama is the middle finger or finger of Saturn. Observing the knots in this finger is considered important. Very few hands have the index finger and the middle finger of the same length which indicates unnatural death. 

ANAMIKA (ring finger): indicates the finger of Apollo and is almost marching the length of the index finger. It is considered auspicious if the leaning of this finger is towards the finger of Saturn, however if it leans towards the little finger indicates strife in family life.  

CHOTI UNGLI (little finger): is the finger of Mercury and the smallest in the hand. The tip of this finger generally reaches the upper joint of the finger of Apollo. If this finger is longer than usual, it is indicative of great fortune due to personal efforts.

Study of the hand

The heaviness of the hand, thinness of the bones, hardness, softness, look and feel all together determine 7 types of hands as traditionally indicated in scriptures:
The Primary Hand: unsymmetrical, fat, rough and heavy indicating a primitive persona. Owners of these hands learn by copying, are materialistic by nature with a high focus on food, clothes and a house and not inclined towards subtle values of life or ideals in life.
The Square Hand: characterised by several knots on the reverse side of the fingers, this hand looks asymmetrical with protruding bones. Less rough than the primary hand, the square hand is softer and fingers supple.  
The Workman’s Hand:  more lengthy in proportion to its width, the central part of the palm is fatty with hard and flat mounts over it, while the fingers seem lighter. Belonging to a workaholic who gains success through own efforts; they are known to live a life of harmony of mind, body and soul.

The Philosopher’s Hand: is thick with lean fingers and persons with such a hand are known to keep harmony in emotions with a practical approach. Initiators in their own right, they are generally not moneyed individuals, but learned and intellectuals working for social causes.

The Artist’s Hand: a tender, soft and supple hand, the joints are almost invisible. An artist’s hand has beautiful looking lean fingers. Lovers of all things natural they have a unique perception of life and spend most of their wealth in artistic pursuits, mostly star-crossed in love and lazy by nature.