Party Palmistry  FREE
See what shows on people's hands! Party palmistry is irresistibly alluring and entertaining and will always capture your guest's curiosity!
Invite me to read hands at your party or corporate event - anywhere in the world.
I'll warmly greet your guests and introduce myself, then I'll offer mini-readings (either privately or amongst the group) for those who would like me to look at their hands.
This facilitates relaxed 'ice-breaking' conversation amongst your guests.
FREE
See what shows on people's hands!
For bookings please Contact me.
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The Language of the Elements
The Principle of Graduated Materiality
The five elements reflect all of life in varied degrees of interconnectedness, some complementary and some antagonistic. Each element is an energy vibrating at a different frequency, from slow (earth), to quick (air). Earth, the most dense manifestation, can be seen and touched, and represents a primary stage of evolution. Through increasing levels of refinement, to water, which can be touched yet has no form without being contained by earth, to fire, visible yet formless and untouchable, to invisible formless air, we have in chi, the association to the discrete and intangible spiritual essence of life.
This suggests a natural law of elemental progression of the grading of matter (earth) toward that energy which is intangible (air/chi). This graduation of the elements, and the qualities, principles and correspondences of each element to human life is fundamental to the interpretive language of chirology. The principle of graduated materiality reflects and symbolises our ability to evolve from ignorance to consciousness.
Chi has no manifestation of its own and is not discernable by ordinary means of perception. Ether can only be understood in terms of the other elements. In a sense chi is the complete element, and the container and the space for all elements. The rest are manifestations which are each a different vibrational frequency of chi. Chi (ether) is that which never dies, the innate principle which synthesises, integrates, and unifies earth, water, fire and air.
All life is permeated and animated with the energy of chi. Some of the names given to ether by different belief systems and cultures are ether, qi, ki, prana, spirit, prima materia, holy spirit, spiritus sanctus, elan vital, aqua vitae, life force, manna, akashya and orenda, representing the highest evolutionary states of spirituality, higher consciousness, transcendence and enlightenment. The principles of ether permeate the hand reader’s craft, symbolising intention of the Highest Order. Expertise in identifying and encoding the meanings in the markings of the hand is developed by studying a five element system, which forms chirology’s interpretative language.
Earth, water, fire and air each have many associated principles. For example, one water principle is cohesion. Water in nature will always seek water, and flow to the lowest point, in the attempt to connect and to pool together. Therefore for the owner of a pair of hands with many water characteristics, connection to, and merging with their friends or group is very important to them. They would be good networkers, often found working in public relations, human resources or in social services.
This richly textured vocabulary of element principle provides the accuracy needed for hand readers to define people’s predominant character traits. From this foundation deeper matters needing attention emerge and can be articulated. These encompass every realm of human experience, from health, to family matters, to intimate relationships, career choices, spiritual issues and many more.
There are different five element traditions. The Chinese / Taoist constituent materials of existence are earth, water, fire, wood and metal – composing a system that is integral to Chinese medicine and acupuncture. In Chinese medicine the syndrome of correlates relates to each organ system, and associated energy feeds into and is related to the other systems and energies.
This system differs from the ‘Pancha Maha Bhuta’ or ‘five great elements’ of the Vedas, earth, water, fire, air and prana (chi), which are fundamental constituents of being (wood is not a fundamental constituent of being). These are the elements used in chirology; they are basically Indian / Buddhist in origin. The five element system of hand reading is more Buddhist than it is Taoist (or European) in origin.
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The features of our hands often reveal our predominant archetypal traits. Archetypes are collectively inherited unconscious ideas, patterns of thought, images, or models, which are universally present and personified in individual psyches.
The language of the elements in chirology teaches that by mixing the four elements earth, water, fire and air in pairs of opposites, we find twelve generalised archetypes. In fact there are hundreds of archetypes that, like everything else in existence, resonate with two predominant elements, but here are twelve common types.
Which of these archetypes describe parts of you or people you know?
Twelve Elemental Archetypes
Air and earth: The detached, dry and uncommitted Observer who steadily watches.
Water and fire: The emotional, passionate and melodramatic Actress.
Air and fire: The probing, analytical and enquiring Psychoanalyst.
Earth and water: The sacred, nurturing and safe Mother Nature.
Fire and air: The light and witty Joker who effects transformation.
Water and earth: The soulful, mesmerising and deep Enchantress.
Air and water: The exacting, idealistic and correct Patriarch.
Earth and fire: The loyal, strong, energetic and hardworking Slave.
Fire and earth: The dominating, protective and defensive Warrior.
Water and air: The dreamy, wondrously enraptured and innocent Child.
Fire and water: The impulsive, generous and jolly Fool who brings people together.
Earth and air: The responsible, fussy and hoarding Old Woman.
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As Hand Readers we open ourselves as channels through which energies flow. These energy flows are an intricate blend. The initial ingredients are love, care, compassion and a service orientation. Combined in the mix is an interest in the handreading craft, with a developing knowledge of how to interpret the forms and markings of the hands. We must also have an authentic interest in the energy resonance of the person, and develop our vocabulary and understanding of human emotion so as to give wise counsel.
Inextricably woven into the definable component parts of our craft is the fact that a wealth of information about the person does come from the indefinable Universal Source. Chiromantic divination and intuitive perception play a huge role in our work, and the images, metaphors, colours, sensations and impressions received by you beg trust and development.
Intuition, the wisdom of knowing that is more senior than belief, lies in a still place within your core. Belief is an action of thought, and comes from the mind. Knowing is conscious awareness from soul, and comes from spirit and heart. Information is first felt – and sometimes seen – somewhere inside yourself, somewhere instinctive, and then only is it thought about. Intuitive perception has little to do with intellect and analysis.
The emotional state of another is readily perceived just from looking into their eyes and holding their hands. With experience, deeper insights will fine tune, whether or not you try to actively cultivate your psychic ability.
To develop intuition, practice ‘scanning’, without necessarily looking into the person’s eyes. To scan, you need to ‘look’, without looking with your eyes. The person may not even physically be present, or if they are seated in front of you, you may be looking at their prints, and not into their eyes at all.
Ask your higher self for guidance and for assistance to expand your awareness. Imagine that your third eye, the portal or doorway of your sixth chakra centre in the middle of your forehead, can see. By ‘running’ your third eye up and down and around their body, you will begin to sense differences in their energy field. You can also ‘look’ with any other of your energy centres, for example, the second chakra, below your navel, is a powerful receptor for information, or try to simply feel with your heart.
You may sense a feeling in your body, an emotion, or have a more visual experience. You may sense colours, light or darkness at a certain organ, a feeling in your own body, or a series of metaphors in the form of visualised images. If you feel a physical symptom in your body, decide where exactly in your body you feel it. Does the feeling inside you contract or expand? Is the feeling empty and deficient, or is there a sense of fullness, or excess? Is it hot or cold, tingly, painful, creepy, light or dark, heavy, hostile, nauseating or exhilarating? These are just a few of a range of infinite possibilities. Be attentive to the subtle nuances of possible sensations.
By focusing your awareness on even the slightest sensation in your body or image in your mind, you will soon begin to link the sensing to a possible physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or circumstantial situation in their lives, and to trust and to know that this information is accurate. For example, does a tingling sensation in your solar plexus indicate that they are excited, or are they anxious? Your inner voice of knowing will answer.
Practice in the supermarket queue, while watching the television, or with those closer to you. Perhaps you are already very aware that you have hunches or senses about people, that they are depressed, trustworthy, or cruel, or sensitive, the list is endless. Try to be sure, by paying attention to your own emotional state, that whatever you are sensing is not linked to your own emotions.
As with every aspect of handreading, only articulate if there is no uncertainty as to whether it would be ethical and appropriate to speak of your impressions.
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The five human realms are the physical, emotional, vocational, intellectual and spiritual areas of our life. Governed by earth, water, fire, air and chi respectively, the five realms are fundamental to chirology counselling. In referring to related markings of the hands and then systematically addressing each of the realms in a reading, the client is heard, understood and encouraged while insight enters every level, to help them to find balance physically, emotionally, vocationally, intellectually and spiritually. This structured approach ensures that the chirology reading is not a random hit and miss affair and that the person genuinely feels that the component parts of their life have at least to some extent been identified, enabling them to look at the bigger picture and to gain perspective.
The Spiritual Realm
Governed by principles of chi. This level of discussion and energy transference symbolises and honours religious and spiritual orientation and relationship with the higher power of our understanding.
The Intellectual Realm
Governed by air principles. Here we identify and define our intellectual propensities, hobbies and interests, and look at how to improve communication subjectively and with others.
The Vocational Realm
Governed by fire energy. This level of chirology counselling pertains to our work and career and to how we express ourselves in life. Here we discuss people’s fundamental available energy for living and degree of evolving creative expression (as opposed to destructivity).
The emotional realm
Governed by water. Often the core of the consultation, as this relates to the well being and functions of emotional balance, rewarding friendships and intimate relationships.
The physical realm
Governed by earth. In a reading it is here that we categorises those aspects of life which provide security. These include health, finances, family life, home life and country of habitat.
For optimal happiness, each of these elemental realms (or levels) will ideally be working in balanced inter-relationship in our lives. Clarity and fulfilment is sought by every person at each level. If there is an excess in one, there is often a deficit, or certainly there will be ramifications, in another. Identifying imbalances helps people to make more informed choices. Helping a person to understand which arenas need focus can aid self acceptance and insight. I sometimes describe the realms to the client by writing them down and asking if he or she would like to discuss any aspect in greater depth. The teaching of the realms brings a greater sense of potential integration into their consciousness.
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 Long Life Line There remains in traditional palmistry a pervasive myth, which suggests that a palm reader is able to foretell the length of your life, from the length of your “life” line. Yet many people with a short life line live a long life, just as many who die young have long life lines.
 Short Life Line From whence this fatalistic idea, that a short line puts you at risk of a short life? What does it mean if you have a short line, if it doesn’t mean a short life? The myth dates back to mediaeval times, when markings on the hands were believed to have literal and specific interpretation, and superstition was rife. The focus of palmists of the day was on prediction of events, such as marriage, children, monetary gains or losses, and death. The future was described chronologically, and chiromancy, the divinatory component of Cheirology, prevailed.
In those years people were born into their station in life. Whereas today we understand the principle of free will, and we have more freedom to determine our destiny, they had little opportunity to elevate, nor to in any way improve their circumstances. Fate and destiny were one and the same, and there was none of the social mobility that we enjoy today. Fortune tellers, who assumed the position of being able to foretell the future, were consulted for their opinion of not just of when death would occur, but often of the manner of death, such as by hanging.
Now hundreds of years have passed, “fate” has lost it’s meaning, and “destiny” is a component of the raw material with which we are able to craft our lives. The tradition of predicting the length of life has neither authenticity nor value. Our evolution of consciousness and circumstance has changed the interpretation of the short “life” line.
The term “earth line” is used in chirology, rather than the palmistic term, “life line”. The element earth is the building block upon which the most basic requirement for life, our physicality and our health, rests. The presence of a well formed earth line assures us of vitality, vigour and strength, all earth principles. An earth line clear of markings, even if it is short, bestows endurance, and a reliable (another earth principle) regenerative energy.
A distinction is now made between identifying a possible early death, vs. the indication of the degree of will to live. If a short earth line appears of good quality, deep and pink, clearly visible, neither too faint nor too dark, the owner has a resource of joie de vivre and vitality, which those with a longer but poorer quality line may be hard pressed to keep up with. For this person, all must be done as if there is no tomorrow. A great deal of activity can be crammed into a short amount of time.
If the short earth line is very faint, it shows that the person’s health and vitality is diminished. Low energy and tiredness are characterised, but neither time nor date of death can be predicted from short earth line.
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In observing the fingers on which you place your rings, chirologers can determine aspects of your personality. Some handreaders see the wearing of rings as rather a negative trait, as mostly we wear our rings without conscious awareness of why it is that we place them upon a chosen digit. Placement of a ring is an unconscious attempt to literally “add weight” to the area of life that finger represents, and may reveal imbalances in the areas of life associated with that digit.
Knowing the significance of where you put your rings may be helpful to you, that you may wear your rings with newfound awareness. Rather than reveal a weak character trait, a ring placed with conscious awareness can enhance and strengthen these areas of your life; more so if the ring is set with a crystal that resonates with that digit’s element principles.
Chirology ascribes each finger a “rulership” of an element, and an “identity” based upon principles of that element. “Negative” interpretation applies to unconscious placement. “Positive” value lies in your being aware of your intention as you place your ring.
Rings on Earth Fingers
The middle finger is ruled by earth. It is the finger of cultural identity – from it we see something of how you handle responsibility, and how you relate to law, order and traditional values. Your sense of inner security and stability is also represented.
Rings on middle fingers positive: Reduce anxiety, improve emotional stability and affirm your desire for self development.
Rings on middle fingers negative: Domestic unhappiness, insecure, yearns for security, fixed in opinion, judgmental.
Recommended stones: Garnet, Onyx, Agate, Topaz, Tiger’s Eye, Jade.
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Rings on Water Fingers
Index fingers are ruled by water. Our pointing fingers show our personal identity – how we relate to and see ourselves. Potential leadership ability and personal authority are also represented.
Rings on water finger positive: Boost self-esteem, increase authority, improve confidence.
Rings on water negative: Esteem damaged in childhood, petty tyrant – controlling personality, egoism – not good enough / better than.
Recommended stones: Tourmaline, Lapis Lazuli, Peridot, Opal, Emerald.
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Rings on Fire Fingers
The ring fingers are the fire fingers and they represent extra-personal identity. Ring fingers tell of self expression, your creativity and your love of beauty. They also represent your persona or image.
Rings on fire fingers positive: Activate creativity, show friendliness and improve aesthetic awareness.
Rings on fire fingers negative: Creative frustration, need to be liked, concern with image.
Recommended stones: Garnet, Ruby, Pink Tourmaline, Diamond.
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Rings on Air Fingers
The baby fingers are ruled by the air element, and they represent your impersonal identity – that is, how honestly you communicate, and something of your sexuality.
Baby finger rings positive: Improve communication, express sexuality/sexual identity.
Baby finger rings negative: Deceptive communication, difficulty with sexuality/sexual identity.
Recommended stones: Blue Topaz, Sapphire, Aquamarine
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Rings on Thumbs
Thumbs are ruled by chi, symbolising your spiritual identity.
Thumb rings positive: Boost energy levels, increase will, gives comfort.
Thumb rings negative: Energy is depleted, person feels powerless, out of control / in crisis.
Recommended stones: Moonstone, Diamond, Amethyst.
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Rings on all the Fingers
Show that there are negative circumstances in the person’s life. They probably don’t feel a sense of safety or security, but hide behind a display. Person may prefer to avoid dealing with painful issues. Wearing rings on every finger also shows the person is more conventional than they perhaps would like to admit.
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Knottiness is defined by the width at the knuckles being noticeably wider than the phalanges above and below. Smooth fingers do not have any “swollen joint” appearance, as they flow smoothly from base to tip.
Whether working as in the field of traditional western palmistry, or within the principled system of five element chirology, the handreader will carefully examine the lengths, relative sizes, spaces between and the bends or leans of your fingers. The length and form of fingers (including the nails and the placement of rings that adorn hands) describe something of the habituated mode in which you think.
The smoother the fingers, the quicker the thought processes. Smooth fingered people are impatient and much more impulsive in their thoughts. Mental energy flows rapidly and decisions are made spontaneously. There is a dislike for protracted analysis. Quick to action, and often impatient, details and reason are not their strong point. Perceptive responses may be very accurate, based upon a finely tuned intuition. Intuition is activated and increased by smooth fingers, especially if they taper to pointed fingertips, indicating the antenna type mind that “picks up” information.
Knotty fingers show the philosopher and analyst. Thought processes are slowed down by the knots. Governed by reason, these folks need time, quietness and stillness as they patiently deliberate, research and analyse information or a given situation. Perceptions, decisions and actions are based upon the details. A dislike of being badgered, and of having deadlines, is indicated. A shrewd insight is often evident, as these are the researchers and investigators. The subject calculates, reasons and deduces, and is pre-occupied with thinking.
Knotty fingered types are often very open minded, as they attempt to see things objectively, as they really are, without moral judgement. Knotty fingers are not given to extremes. Never fanatical, and moderate in their pleasures, they have concern for detail, planning and list making.
Traditional palmistry describes “knots of the material order”, found between the lower (close to the palm) and middle phalanges. These knots indicate the need to make order from chaos – although the bearers may not be physically tidy, they do have tidy minds. Material possessions are carefully tended and valued.
“Knots of the mental order” are found between the middle and tip phalanges. These folks have deep rooted convictions and are concerned with detail and method.
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When you arrive for a chirology reading we shake hands. From this initial touch I can determine your skin texture. We make a distinction between those people who present with a temporary or slight moistness of the palmar surface, and those who suffer from palmar hyperhidrosis, a disorder characterised by excessive sweating of the hands.
I may ask “are your hands often, or always moist?” Sometimes sweaty palms signify a temporary emotional crisis (for example, a recent shock, or divorce, or substance withdrawal) and in time, with the integration and healing of the impact of the situation, the perspiring stops. Rules of conduct in society define a firm, dry handshake as signifying a trustworthy and confident type, and a moist, damp or clammy handshake to generally indicate anxiety, nervousness, vulnerability and stress. Much of your success in life depends on how other people perceive you, and the negative effects of a condition over which you have no control inhibits both social and professional aspects of life. Sweaty hands are interpreted as a sign of insecurity and lack of self-confidence. This can prove disastrous in business, for example, when shaking results in literally wetting the other person’s hands and is embarrassing. Sweaty palms also affect intimate relationships and increase the tendency to withdraw.
People with palmar hyperhidrosis have hands that sweat spontaneously, without necessarily any outside stimulus such as emotional distress, although the condition is aggravated by stress. There is a constant need to wipe your hands, and this interferes with grasping of objects. Writing, putting on makeup, handling documents or money, typing etc are stressful, which aggravates the situation further.
Some people turn to certain medical treatments to eliminate the condition. Oral medications, astringent ointments and antiperspirants may help to dry the sweat glands. A treatment of electrical stimulation, called iontopheresis, which requires the hands to be placed in water though which an electrical current is passed, “stuns” the sweat glands. This treatment can decrease the secretion of sweat for temporary periods. A more recent treatment is the injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) into the area of excessive sweating. This reduces the transmission of the nerve impulses to the sweat glands resulting in decreased sweating, but repeated follow-up injections are required to maintain dryness. When less invasive medical treatments fail, severe cases of heavy hand sweating can be treated with more invasive surgery. Sweating is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system. The Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy entails clamping, removing or cauterising the appropriate segments of nerve and ganglion near the back, top and inside the chest. Young people with this condition are advised to avoid surgery of any kind, as I know of two cases where hyperhidrosis spontaneously retracted as their confidence and emotional maturity developed.
Our skin is the membrane between our self and the outer world. We experience much of life through our skin. In chirology there are four skin types, and each corresponds to an element. The elemental quality of your skin represents your element of impression (how you receive) and gives information as to the type of environment to which you are best suited and attuned. Moist palms aspect the water skin type. Some descriptions that define this skin type are: moist, soft, fleshy, podgy, pale and mostly warm, although some water skin feels cold and clammy. When running the fingertips over the palmar surface, we notice that, besides the moisture, the skin ridges cannot be felt, and that the pores are fine and almost invisible.
Whether your palms are mildly moist, or if you suffer from the more extreme condition of palmar hyperhidrosis, a chirologer will recognise that you experience life in terms of feelings. You have enormous emotional sensitivity to moods and vibes, and you need a loving, kind environment where there is co-operation, not conflict. Crudeness and vulgarity are loathed, discord hurts you, your ideals are strong, and you are more than likely caring and considerate about how others are feeling.
Unredeemed aspects of your water skin personality are less pleasant. Water skin types are acutely sensitive therefore are also easily offended, but if you have the courage and honesty to reflect upon the reasons for your unconscious shadow and your negative character traits, much self awareness can be gained. These are: the tendency toward egocentric self absorption, manipulative attention seeking, dependency, neediness, moodiness and (if the truth be told) an underlying complete disinterest in what others are experiencing. When provoked, your emotional responses can also be very volatile, expressed in an uncontrolled rage and temper that may frighten and amaze.
In chirology sweaty palms show that your water element is rampant and out of control. Whether this is a slight bother, or a challenging affliction needing medical intervention, healing can be aided by becoming more conscious of two aspects of your soul’s needs. One is to activate the yang, drying fire element within yourself, for example to engage in a dynamic sport or martial art, and to increase your commitment to creative endeavour, all of which will help manage your underlying anxiety. The other is to use the water element more consciously, by swimming and bathing and applying gentle, forgiving nurturing to yourself. Relaxation methods, meditation and quietly attuned visualizations aimed at comforting your acute levels of sensitivity are advised. Lastly, any form of empathic emotional encouragement from therapists, family and friends can help you to manage this challenging condition.
Comments:
“My mother, who is 70 years old now, has always suffered from sweaty palms. She used to tell me how she wrote her exams when she was still at school with a handkerchief under her hand. And throughout our growing up she had wet wet hands and feet. I am a reflexologist who used my mother as a guinea pig with the Vacuflex boot therapy treatment and she said it was the first time in her life that her hands had stopped sweating. They would literally stop for the rest of the day and be very minimal for about two days after. She lives in Greece and visits South Africa over Christmas. Now this year she said she can’t wait till she comes over so I can do the boot therapy on her. I will try and give her treatments twice a week and see if we can get the sweating to stop for longer.” – S. L.
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Reasons for NAIL BITING – from the perspective of chirology
It’s not often that I do readings for people who bite their nails. That’s because in chirology biting your nails shows that you have inner resistance to personal growth. So people who munch away at their fingertips might be unconsciously stunting their own growth, and they tend to be less likely to seek counsel from others.
When someone with bitten nails does come for a reading, we first discuss the obvious meanings associated with nail biting such as stress, tension, anxiety, that things feel out of control and worry is their middle name. Then we look a little deeper to try to identify the significant issues of their life where they could do with some help, where there is inner turmoil, each of which fall into categories of our five elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether.
First we discuss which nail you favour and which takes the most punishment. If you bite your middle (earth) finger more than any other, your problem may lie in the realm of the physical (earth). Do you have health or financial woes, or perhaps a difficult family life, or maybe you are moving house? Or are you stuck, plain and not so simple, with everything feeling in a state of complete inertia?
People who bite mostly at their water (index) fingers reveal their emotional vulnerability. If a person has heartache they may favour these two fingernails most, to comfort their gut wrenching pain of loneliness, or perhaps a specific relationship crisis, or maybe a friend has let them down.
Is your fire element running self destructively rampant, perhaps gambling or other addiction has you in a grip? Are you unhappy in your work, or perhaps you have no fire energy, instead an emptiness that aspects a crisis? If so, chances are that your ring fingernail (fire finger) is often between your teeth!
The condition of your baby (air) fingernail gives clues to your relationships too, but more specifically to your sexuality as well as to interests and hobbies and to matters to do with money. Are you on the edge financially, or unable to immerse yourself in a body of knowledge? Are there are communication blockages, with others, or perhaps you are blocked and denying aspects of and intimacy with self.
Bitten thumb nails often show some kind of separation in the person from their spirituality, or their religious identity, as thumbs are governed by the spiritual principles of chi. Thumbs also represent the will and bitten thumb nails could point to the owner feeling disempowered in their life.
If all your nails are battling to survive, many or even all of the above situations may apply! To sum it up, generally speaking nail biting shows stress, reluctance to grow or to face the truth about certain issues, a deep sense of inner loneliness, diminished self-confidence along with the sense of being unable to solve the problem.
Comments
“Hello Jennifer. I thank you for an interesting article on nail biting. I read hands from another system than you, a mixture of cheirology and the old Indian-Gypsy form, but I see nail biting as a problem the client has in grasping life in the area that finger represents, and if it is all fingers the client is afraid of grasping her/his life. And if there is a lot of flesh around the nail the client needs a lot of protection. Love from Hanne Hofsøy, Denmark.”
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Chirology in practice is about spending time holding someone’s hands, listening to them, and helping them to understand some of the traits of being which are revealed in the forms and markings of their hands.
Your handshape shows your deepest element of expression. Quite simply, your hand’s shape shows if you are more earthy, watery, fiery or airy in your character and temperament.
The shape of your hands is only the foundation of a chirology analysis; interpretations should not be taken in isolation, as many other factors about a set of hands are considered. Analysis of the hands is reliant on a system of codeification. The principles and characteristics of the elements earth, water, fire and air provide chirology’s ‘language’.
Determine the shape of your hand by first evaluating the shape of your palm. Is it square or oblong? Then compare the length of your middle finger to the length of your palm. Are your fingers short, or nearly as long as your palm? If your palm is square and your fingers are ‘short’ (shorter than the length of your palm), you have an earth hand. If your palm is oblong and your fingers are ‘long’ (about as long as the length of your palm), you have a water hand. If your palm is oblong and your fingers are ‘short’, you have a fire hand. If your palm is square and your fingers are ‘long’, you have an air hand.
If you have an earth shaped hand your palm is square, and your fingers are short, shorter than the length of your palm, that is. Think about an “earthy” type person. What comes to mind? Solid as a rock, perhaps, or salt of the earth? This describes earth’s basic character. Earth people are stable and reliable, and are happiest as providers and supporters within an enduring traditional relationship. As partners and friends earthy types are loyal, and if betrayed, won’t forget, nor easily forgive. They may quietly and secretly harbour resentment, while neither those around them nor they themselves know what emotions churn within. This can cause havoc with their digestion. Earth’s tendency is to bury deeply, where neither they nor those close to them are able to access. Earthy types could express themselves through craft, sport or gardening. As parents they are nurturing and responsible. “Family first” is a motto, and sweet Sunday lunches secure the domestic harmony so fundamental for their well being. As lovers, earthy types are powerfully physical, sensual, gentle and kind. Regular, but somewhat routine sex (of the three times weekly in the missionary position variety) is vital for their well being. Earth likes punctuality, and is likely found working in a longstanding position – in food, farming, in civil service or government, or in insurance. Averse to risk, earth may appear lazy and/or lacking in initiative. They dislike change. Earthy people remain steadily simple and uncomplicated, perhaps dull, but safe, the type one wants to come home to.
Negative: Lazy, dull, lack of initiative, harbour resentment, self-satisfied.
Positive: Stable, loyal, sensual, reliable, nurturing.
Earth shaped hands have square palms and fingers that appear short in relation to the length of the palm.
If you have a water shaped hand, your palm is oblong, slender, and your fingers are almost, or as long as, your palm. You have some beautiful talents. In your aspirations toward elevation and refinement, your standards are high, both for yourself, and in your expectations of others. Water people have adaptable imaginations and immerse themselves in music, the arts and design. Water types help keep our world beautiful for they absolutely must have beauty around them. Their preferred environment is stylish, upmarket, and elegantly harmonious. Persevering in nature, they seem to get what they want, even if they resort to a bit of manipulation. Their families may find them oversensitive, and too easily hurt, or even egocentric and self absorbed, yet there can be no doubt as to Water’s level of caring. Water needs the containment of the family, for their very security. Watery types could become aware of their idealism, and of how easily they become despondent. Their challenge is to learn the spiritual lesson “enough is the moment unto itself”. Partners will have of water’s best only when they seduce with all the romance possible. Choose the music, open the wine, light the candles, play with exquisite lingerie, and delight is guaranteed. Take water for granted, and sex is rapidly reduced to being of lesser importance on their agenda. Friendships, platonic in nature, will always be very high on water’s priority list.
The natural behaviour of the water element gives clues as to the water person’s optimal vocational environment. Water is naturally cohesive and will flow downward to join and pool with more water. Water people will be of value to a public relations company, because they are concerned about how people feel emotionally. Water types like to connect with others. They need empathy between themselves and those around them. Discord is hurtful to them, and ugliness of the spoken word brings distaste and distress. As a social worker, psychologist or nurse, water types can excel as the compassionate counsellor. Water is the most sensitive element, and those with water shaped hands often have a level of intuitive perception that enables them to see through the surface to what lies beyond.
Negative: Manipulative, over sensitive, egocentric, idealistic, indecisive.
Positive: Imaginative, persevering, empathic, intuitive, emotionally attuned.
Water shaped hands have oblong palms and long fingers.
If you have a fire shaped hand, the palm of your hand is oblong, and your fingers are short, in relation to the length of your palm, that is.
Fire types have one resource constantly at their disposal – energy. Hopelessly unable to do nothing, and never the couch potato, the more active they are the better. Continual change and stimulus is essential, as fire cannot burn without fuel to consume. Fire types are predisposed to burning the candle at both ends, in their constant desire for peak experience. Fire, in nature, reaches ever upward and outward. Whether constructive or destructive, fire types live with intensity of purpose. Health wise, they are at risk of fevers and flu, of over stressing, and of hypertension. Meditation and creative expression are highly recommended. Their intimate relationships absolutely must be dynamic. Shared activities, and passionate sex – these are criteria for the foundation of the fire partnership. Watch that low boredom threshold though, commitment may not come that easily. Or, if Fire ends up on the receiving end of infidelity or rejection, the pride can be irreparably damaged, and ego mortally wounded. Fire has effective get up and go. They ring the changes, make the difference, lead the field. Management and strategy are Fire’s strong points. Fire is brave, often innovative or even transformative, in their chosen field, and they attract people too, as Fire radiates warmth and vitality. At worst, Fire is dictatorial, loud-mouthed, domineering or even cruel. At best Fire is enthusiastic, excited and spontaneous, wanting to know where is the action? and courageously willing to drink from life.
Negative: Domineering, impatient, demanding, destructive, obsessive.
Positive: Energetic, creative, transformative, warm, spontaneous.
Fire shaped hands have oblong shaped palms, with fingers that appear short in relation to the length of the palms.
If you have an air shaped hand, your actual palm is squarish, like that of the earth hand, however, your fingers are long, nearly as long as your palm. What best describes an airy person? Perhaps a “space case” or an “absent minded professor” type? What substance is there to the invisible, intangible and formless element air? When not communicating, Air types withdraw to desks, books and computers. They often need to talk, and this they do well, with plenty of gesticulation. Literary matters are likely fields of interest and talent. The media is a natural habitat, as are the corridors of schools and universities. Ever the objective researching scientist, air types seek to make sense of experience. Their very food consists of concepts and ideologies. Airy folks often forget to eat, and do those socks match? They may often be alone, having felt alienated from early childhood. Disappointed air then became preoccupied with observing and analysing. Air is in search of meaning, and excessive emotion makes little sense, yet air types can be nervy, high strung and fine-tuned, and worry might be their middle name. A critical nature predisposes them to stiffness of joints. It’s a case of head first, body please follow and keep up!
Unless they share the same intellectual interests, as a partner air may leave their beloved lonely. Intimacy needs emotion for sustenance but air can be detached, or even asexual. Air types who are alone for too long may find the voyeur emerges – they who watch, but do not participate. With the right partner, air’s visual orientation becomes their point of departure into bliss. No love in the dark for air! No one can straightjacket an air person – they feel hemmed in and trapped if restricted in any way. They need space, the independence to be unconventional, and at times, to be eccentric. Air people have wide perspective and are often knowledgeable and informative, always asking why? and what does it show?
Negative: Alienated, high strung, detached, eccentric, critical.
Positive: Communicative, observant, analytical, unconventional, independent.
Air shaped hands have square palms and long fingers.
People often want to know what work they are best suited to and a binary analysis of their skin texture with their basic hand shape can suggest their ideal working environment. While the hand shape describes their element of expression, the membrane between them and the outer world, their skin, indicates their element of impression; the ‘give’ and ‘take’ of their personality.
For example, fire-shaped hands suggest action orientation, but if combined with a ‘water’ skin texture, the bearer is likely be too idealistic and sensitive to carve out a successful career in the corporate environment. However, if the same fire-shaped hands feature an ‘air’ skin texture instead, the person is likely to have fewer expectations and to be able to disassociate from emotion, an ideal combination for thriving in a competitive environment.
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Power in the Palm of their Hands
Jennifer was asked to present a brief comparative analysis in one day from two photographs of the hands of two controversial South African politicians, Jacob Zuma and Helen Zille.
This article featured in the Cape Weekend Argus, Saturday 16th May 2009.
There is little in common between Zume and Zille besides the love of their land and its people. They are two very diverse individuals. He functions from his brilliant mind, and Helen Zille more from her passionate heart. It could be that somewhere long ago in their careers, trust or respect was broken between them. Let us start with Jacob Zuma.
The hand of Jacob Zuma – President of South Africa
 The hand of Jacob Zuma Perhaps the most noticeable feature of Jacob Zuma’s hand is the relative largeness of his fingertips. Large tip phalanges show tremendous mental energy. He likes a challenge, he truly is a visionary who wants words and thoughts to become deeds, but lacks follow through with some projects. Large finger tipped people might tend to get a bit dispersed. Another feature of large fingertips is that owners spontaneously express their thoughts and might make verbal faux pas and antagonise other people with what they say.
The narrowed second phalange of his index finger shows that he lives in a theoretical world and with the larger tip, that he has many brilliant ideas, as well as having a lot of opinions about a lot of things.
The powerful hands of Dr Zuma feature a firm thumb, that is to say the tip does not bend back, showing his firm resolve and constant application of discipline, especially to control his impatience. Firm thumb tips show discipline: owners have great potential for self mastery. They also hate delays.
The base of this forefinger is full – a well known sign in handreading for a good appetite for and even a knowledge of food and wines. The skin of his palm looks full and soft, showing that he is very emotionally sensitive, while also having tremendous sensuality. The slight translucent glow to his skin evidences a deepening of religious or spiritual beliefs and interests which will accelerate with age.
His popularly called life line is called the earth line in chirology. His head line, or air line, is separate at the start from his earth line, a marker commonly found on children who seek their independence at a young age. The line flows around his full Venus mounts, and wraps close in towards the wrist. This shows loyalty, and deeply abiding allegiances to his family and country.
His minor earth (fate) line accompanies his life line in its curve around the base of his hand, and ends up under the base of his middle finger. A very strong marking of a healthy ego, a strong sense of self and purpose, and a deeply committed nature. He also has a narrowing of the ‘quadrangle’ which is the space between his air (head) and water (heart) lines evidence that he is private to the point of secrecy. The wider this space on a hand, the more open the person.
He has a truly magnificent air line which slopes to end on his Moon mount, indicating the brilliant mind of a man who loves, and enjoys, his own mind. He looks at things in an incredibly imaginative and creative way.
He has a long baby (air) finger which shows verbal charm and seductiveness, as well as being an articulate communicator and orator. On a personal level Jacob Zuma is considerate to his wives (polygamy is the Zulu tradition). He is a man with a strong core ego, that is to say a strong sense of self identity, supported by conditioned mind-sets of the generations of Zuma’s before. He is a man who truly honours his ancestors, and he will do it their way.
The hand of Helen Zille – Premier of the Western Cape
 The hand of Helen Zille A striking characteristic of Helen Zille’s hands is the length of her palm compared to the relative shortness of her fingers. Hands with such noticeably oblong palms and short fingers are ascribed governance of the fire element, as these people are full of ‘raw’ energy, who hate inactivity, and who do not take kindly to being told what to do.
They are the very practical no-nonsense do-ers, forceful, active to the point of wearing themselves out, but with a remarkable ability to recharge. They recover quickly from any crisis.
It is likely that Helen Zille is so hardworking that she races around as if she has a perpetual time limit. She endeavours to resolve things faster than is possible and over the years will have learned to curb her impatience and instead, with much frustration, have had to accept time, and process.
The photograph of Helen Zille’s hand does not show her hand’s features very clearly. Based upon what few pointers I can define, most notably the shape, I would say that throughout her life she has been emotionally steady, not moody or overly emotional, unless she consciously engages and uses her passion to emphasise something. One could say she has emotional surges, and not lingering moods, perhaps a temper that shocks and amazes those around her, that flares up and dies down very fast.
One’s eye is drawn to the tip of her index finger, which appears to have been injured. Index fingers in chirology represent one’s ‘personal identity’, meaning that the length and form of this digit reflects how we see ourselves. It is possible that she fought long and hard to develop her confidence, which more than once, even as a child, was knocked. On a more personal note, she might feel very misunderstood, and have to fiercely resist any feelings of disillusion. Early in her career she was motivated by idealism, which over the years she has had to temper with realism.
Unlike Jacob Zuma, her earth (life) and air (head) lines are joined at their start, whereas his are separate. Separate starts to these lines show more self will in youth, whereas Zille’s lines suggest that she honoured her parental influences and did what was expected of her. Her family environment moulded her mental development and allegiance to her family is deep and loyal.
The tip of her baby finger is noticeably large, a sign of a good communicator with a refined mind, but one who more fits the archetype of the ‘hermit and scholar’ rather than a person who craves visibility. Although Helen Zille is ‘a celebrity’, it is not in her true nature to be in the public eye, but instead she would want to make a difference. She is a leader made of a passionate heart and deep seated beliefs, not as a result of egoistic ambitions.
She has tremendous mental energy, and takes hold of a thought or an idea, and with ‘a terrier like mentality’ will take in and absorb information rapidly – exploring, researching and investigating until thoroughly understood. Fire handed people often love the outdoors and nature more than luxury and glamour. It is likely that her greatest dream is to retreat to nature to express her multitalented artistic side, perhaps through writing, for she finds beauty in the simple, and deep down has a gentle life philosophy. The low set and shortness of this finger also paradoxically hint at her underlying shyness and distaste for exposing her personal life.
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