What we know as life is but existence,
A waiting-place, a haven by the sea,
A little space amid immeasured distance,
A glimpse, a vista, of that life to be.
Cheiro.
As I remarked in an earlier portion of this subject, in that period of the world’s history when the greatest study of mankind was man, as there came to be recognized a natural position on the face for the nose, eyes, etc., so also on the hand there came to be recognized a natural position for the line of life, the line of head, and every other mark that the hand possesses. Thus, if the lines take abnormal courses it is only reasonable that abnormal characteristics are to be expected; and if so as regards temperament, why not in relation to health? People who consider this subject lightly object to the power given to the palmist in his ability to predict disease or death; but a little thought will show that nothing, after all, is more reasonable than one’s ability to do this by careful study. It is admitted that in the body of every person there lurks a germ or tendency that will some day prove fatal. Who, therefore, can have the presumption to deny that this germ by its presence affects the nerve-fluid, which in its turn affects the nerves, and they the hand? Again, without touching on the presence in the body of the all-knowing, omnipotent soul or spirit life, if we acknowledge—as we do—the unexplained mysteries of the passive and active brain, we must also acknowledge that the slightest germ of disease or weak point in the system must be known to the brain in all its stages of advance and attack, and will, therefore, be registered by the brain on the hand through the nerve-connection between the two, as has already been demonstrated. Thus, by the p. 80 development or non-development of this line or that mark is the palmist able to say that a certain disease at a certain time will cause illness with such and such a result. Bearing these arguments in mind, we will now proceed to an examination of what has become known as the line of life.
The line of life (Plate XIII.) is the line which, rising under the Mount of Jupiter, goes down the hand and embraces the Mount of Venus. On it is marked time, also illness and death, and events foreshadowed by the other important lines are verified.
The line of life should be long, narrow, and deep, without irregularities, breaks, or crosses of any kind. Such a formation promises long life, good health, and vitality.
When the line is linked (Fig. 10, Plate XIV.) or made up of little pieces like a chain, it is a sure sign of bad health, and particularly so on a soft hand. When the line recovers its evenness and continuity, health also is regained.
When broken in the left hand and joined in the right, it threatens some dangerous illness; but if broken in both hands it generally signifies death. This is more decidedly confirmed when one branch turns back on the Mount of Venus (c-c, Plate XVII.).
When the line starts from the base of the Mount of Jupiter, instead of the side of the hand, it denotes that from the earliest the life has been one of ambition.
When the line is chained at the commencement under Jupiter, bad health in early life is foreshadowed.
When the line is closely connected with that of the head, life is guided by reason and intelligence, but the subject is extremely sensitive about everything which affects self, and more or less cautious in enterprises for self (d-d, Plate XVI.).
When there is a medium space between the line of life and that of head, the subject is more free to carry out his plans and ideas; it also denotes energy and a very go-ahead spirit (d-d, Plate XVII.).
When, however, the space is very wide, it is a sign of too much self-confidence and dash; it indicates that the subject is foolhardy, impulsive, hasty, and not guided by reason.
When the lines of life, head, and heart are all joined together at the commencement p. 81 (a-a, Plate XVIII.), it is a very unfortunate sign, denoting that the subject, through a defect in temperament, rushes blindly into danger and catastrophe. This mark, as far as temperament is concerned, indicates the subject’s want of perception, both in personal dangers and in those arising from dealings with other people.
When the line of life divides at about the center of the hand, and one branch shoots across to the base of the Mount of Luna (b-b, Plate XVIII.), it indicates on a firm, well-made hand a restless life, a great desire for travel, and the ultimate satisfaction of that desire. When such a mark is found on a flabby, soft hand, with a sloping line of head, it again denotes the restless nature, craving for excitement, but in this case the craving will be gratified in vice or intemperance of some kind. This statement, as will be seen, can be logically and easily reasoned out: the line crossing to the Mount of Luna denotes the restless nature craving for change, but, the hand being soft and flabby, the subject will be too lazy and indolent to satisfy this craving by travel, and the sloping line of head in this case showing a weak nature, the reason for this statement is apparent.
When little hair-lines are found dropping from or clinging to the line of life, they tell of weakness and loss of vitality at the date when they appear. They are very often found at the end of the line itself, thus denoting the breaking up of the life and the dissipation of vital power (b-b, Plate XVI.).
All lines that rise from the line of life are marks of increased power, gains, and successes.
If such a line ascend toward or run into the Mount of Jupiter (c-c, Plate XVIII.), it will denote a rise in position or step higher at the date it leaves the line of life. Such a mark relates more to successful ambition in the sense of power than anything else. If the line, on the contrary, rise to Saturn and follow by the side of the line of fate, it denotes the increase of wealth and worldly things, but resulting from the subject’s own energy and determination (d-d, Plate XVIII.).
If the line leave the line of life and ascend to the Mount of the Sun, it denotes distinction according to the class of hand.
If it leave the line of life and cross to Mercury, it promises great success in business or science, again in accordance with the class of hand p. 82 —whether square, spatulate, or conic. For instance, such a line on the square would indicate success in business or science; on the spatulate, in invention or discovery; and on the conic it would foretell success in money matters, reached by the impulsive action of such a nature, as in sudden speculation or enterprise.
When the line of life divides toward the end and a wide space is shown between the lines, it is an indication that the subject will most probably end his life in a country different from that of his birth, or at least that there will be some great change from the place of birth to the place of death (a-a, Plate XIX.).
An island on the line of life means an illness or loss of health while the island lasts (b, Plate XIX.), but a clearly formed island at the commencement of the line of life denotes some mystery connected with the subject’s birth.
The line running through a square (c, Plate XIX.) indicates preservation from death, from bad health when it surrounds an island, from sudden death when the life-line running through is broken, and from accident when a little line cutting the life-line rises from the Plain of Mars (d, Plate XIX.).
A square, whenever found on the line of life, is a mark of preservation.
Of the great attendant line (Plate XIII.) found parallel to and within the line of life, otherwise called the line of Mars, I shall speak later. This attendant line, the line of Mars, which rises on the Mount of Mars, must not be confounded with those springing from the line of life itself, nor with those that rise upon the Mount of Venus. The simplest rule to bear in mind is, that all even, well-formed lines following the line of life indicate favorable influences over the life (f-f, Plate XVII.), but that all those rising in the opposite direction and cutting the life-line show worries and obstacles caused by the opposition and interference of others (g-g, Plate XVII.). Where these lines end and how they terminate is, therefore, an important point in this study.
When they cut the line of life only (g-g, Plate XVII.), they denote the interference of relatives—generally in the home life.
When they cross the life-line and attack the line of fate (e-e, Plate XVI.), they denote people who will oppose us in business or worldly interests, and where they cut the fate-line the point of junction gives the date.
When they reach the line of head (f-f, Plate XVI.), they indicate persons who will influence our thoughts and interfere with our ideas.
When they reach and cut the line of heart (g-g, Plate XVI.), they denote interference in our closest affections, and here the date of such interference is given where the line cuts the life-line, and not where it touches the line of heart.
When they cut and break the line of sun (h-h, Plate XVI.), they denote that others will interfere and spoil our position in life, and that the mischief will be caused by scandal or disgrace at the point of junction.
When the line crosses the hand and touches the line of marriage (h-h, Plate XVII.), it signifies divorce, and will occur to the person on whose hand it appears.
When this crossing-line has in itself a mark like an island or any approach to it, it denotes that the person who will cause the trouble has had either scandal or some such trouble in connection with his or her own life (i, Plate XVII.).
When, on the contrary, the ray-lines run parallel as it were to attend the life-line, they denote the most important influences of our lives (f-f, Plate XVII.).
I draw special attention to this system, as it prevails among the Hindus, where its use dates back to time immemorial. The following points have been obtained by close study of the precepts and their practical application by the Hindus themselves, and not a few of them have been translated almost verbatim from the quaint leaves of that ancient work before mentioned. When minuteness of detail is required, the remarkable accuracy of this system makes it especially valuable.
I will give the leading points only, as the subject is well-nigh inexhaustible.
In the first place, if the ray-line rise on the Mount of Mars (e-e, Plate XVIII.), and lower down touch or attack the life-line in any way, it denotes on a woman’s hand some unfavorable attachment in her early life which will cause her much trouble and annoyance.
If the same line, however, only send offshoots or rays to the line of life (f-f, Plate XVIII.), it denotes a similar influence, but one that will continue p. 84 to persecute her at different intervals. Again, such a line on a woman’s hand is illustrative of the nature of the man who influences her, as denoting a fiery, passionate, animal temperament.
If, however, the ray-line should rise by the side of the line of life and travel by the side of it (f-f, Plate XVII.), it shows, on the woman’s hand, that the man who enters into her life has the gentler nature, and that she will strongly influence him.
If the ray-line, rising at any point, in traveling with the life-line, retreats farther in on the Mount of Venus, thus away from the life, it indicates that the person with whom the woman is connected will more and more lose sympathy with her, and will eventually drift out of her life altogether (i-i, Plate XVI.).
When the ray-line, however, runs into an island or becomes one itself, it foretells that the influence over her life will run into disgrace, and that something scandalous will result.
When the attendant line fades out by the side of the life-line, but renews itself later, it tells that the person influencing the life will cease his influence at that particular point, but that it will be renewed again.
When the line of influence fades altogether, total separation—generally death—will be the result of such companionship.
When one of these attendant lines joins a cross-line and runs over the hand with it, it foretells that through the instrumentality of another the affection of the person influencing the life will change to hate, and that this will cause injury at whatever point it touch the life, the fate, the head, or the line of heart (e-e, Plate XIX.).
The farther the ray-lines lie from the line of life, the farther removed from our lives will those influences be. But, as before remarked, one could easily fill a volume on these lines and cross-lines, which with the Hindus are the foundation for all systems connected with palmistry.
By this system alone, then, it is reasonable to assume that the student can predict marriages by considering the relation which these lines bear to the life-line. We will again refer to this point when we consider the question of marriage.
Another interesting phase of this subject is the consideration of the p. 85 number of these lines of influence (it being remembered that only those near the line of life are important). Numerous lines indicate a nature dependent upon affection. Such people are what is called passionate in their disposition; they may have many liaisons, but in their eyes love redeems all. On the other hand, the full, smooth Mount of Venus indicates that the individual is less affected by those with whom he is associated.
When the line of life sweeps far out into the hand, thus allowing the Mount of Venus a greater scope, it is in itself a sign of good physical strength and long life.
When, on the contrary, it lies very close to the Mount of Venus, health is not so robust or the body physically so well built. The shorter the line the shorter the life.
That the line of life does not always show the exact age at which death takes place I am quite convinced. This line merely denotes the natural term of the subject’s life apart from accidental influences. Catastrophes indicated by other lines of the hand may cut short a life that would otherwise be long. For instance, a break in the head-line at certain points, as explained in Chapter VII., will foretell death just as surely as would the broken life-line. Again, and most important of all, the slope and position of the line of health in relation to the life-line is a point which hitherto has not received the attention it deserves. When we consider the line of health, the relation that these lines bear to one another will be treated in detail. I may, however, here remark that, when it is of equal strength with that of life, where these lines meet will be the point of death, even though it be years in advance of when the life-line ends. Such a death will be caused by whatever disease is indicated by the health-line, and the province and one of the many uses of this study is to find out and warn the subject of that germ of disease which is even then the enemy of the system.
In addition to the information I have given here concerning islands, squares, etc., I refer the student back to Chapter III., which treats of them more fully. As regards time and the calculation of events, a special chapter will be devoted to these subjects.