Over the many years I have been teaching palmistry, the question most often asked is about destiny and free will.
Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, once said, “The hand of cards dealt to us at birth is destiny, but how we play those cards is free will.”
In today’s climate, the Marxist doctrine of political correctness has infiltrated nearly everything—even astrology and palmistry—and destiny has become something of a taboo topic.
Consider a handprint with a powerful Destiny Line, such as this one, starting from the center of the hand’s base. In India, such a marking is an accepted sign of reincarnation. The line is unbroken on its path to the Saturn finger and contains a succession of very small dots. This is called an Enfiladed marking. The dots indicate possible embarkation points on life’s pre-destined journey, which can even be timed and dated along the Life Line.
Shakespeare spoke of the “seven ages of man,” which fits perfectly with most Destiny Dot markings.
The hand shape in this case is a large square palm with relatively short fingers. In the Chinese system of four hand types, this is classified as an Earth Hand. Karma in Earth Hands is usually physically based. The early part of the Life Line indicates ENT difficulties (ear, nose, and throat), reinforced by a line that runs from the base of the hand to the Mercury (little) finger.
In medieval times, the Mercury finger was called the “Ear Finger,” and it was said that nothing smaller than this finger should ever be inserted into your ear. Good advice, indeed.
There are four kinds of karma, which loosely correspond to the four hand types:
- Sanchita karma – the accumulated karma you carry
- Parabardha karma – actions already begun or in motion
- Kryamana karma – current karma being created
- Agami karma – karma that is yet to come
Earth Hands usually experience Sanchita karma, often worked off through activities connected to the ground—farming, tree work, building—or with large animals.
This particular Earth Hand, however, has many markings, which is not typical for this type. All fingers point to the past, except for the Jupiter (index) finger, which leans forward and away. Its relatively short length indicates self-deprecation, anxiety, and concern for the future.
Earth types are hard workers, yet they like to travel. Interestingly, the word “NEWS” originally referred to the cardinal directions—North, East, West, and South—and one can often pinpoint accurately where this type feels destined to go.
Strong Destiny Lines like this one make life reading easier for the palmist. In general, karmic lessons differ by hand type:
- Fire Hands: emotional lessons
- Air Hands: intellectual lessons
- Water Hands: lessons related to fluids, in the body and on the planet
- Earth Hands: lessons related to physical work, usually in rebuilding or construction
This handprint was sent in by Jim from Nebraska. He is 50, divorced, and has been through a very difficult time. He asks how one can distinguish what was destined in his life from what was the result of free will.
This hand corresponds to the mesomorph body type. The developed musculature suggests he is accustomed to holding tools, likely a builder or someone who works outdoors. His Jupiter finger indicates he was self-employed, but work has recently dried up. His Relationship Line shows a recent split around ages 47–48, leaving him questioning which direction to take.
Key insights from his hand include:
- Good things are to come, but significant changes are expected around age 54.
- The end of his Life Line forms an adjunct square—the most positive sign in palmistry—indicating security, both financially and emotionally, in old age.
Palmistry is excellent for analyzing an entire life, while Tarot is best suited for guidance in the here and now.
Good luck, Jim!
More insights can be found in my best-selling book 50 Case Histories in Modern Palmistry, now in its 8th reprint.
Happy palmistry!
T. Stokes
www.tstokes.co.uk
