Chinese Palmistry

The General Shape of the Hand

There are two alternative systems in Chinese palmistry. The 5 Phase system is based on the five traditional Chinese elements and is more similar to Western and Vedic palmistry. Eight trigram palmistry is based on the ba gua figure placed over the hand and interpreted according to the traditional meaning of the trigrams. According to traditional Chinese palmistry (shǒu wèn xué 手问学 or shǒu xiàng shù 昳相术) a man's left hand and a woman's right hand reflect their actions, thoughts, hopes and fortune. This hand shows how we have changed our life through our thoughts, actions and personality. A man's right hand and a woman's left hand shows the influence of the family and inherited characteristics. This hand reflects the qualities we start our life with. If you possess strong, firm hands that are not too bony, this shows that you can spot a good business venture and have a skill for making money. Longevity is shown by a thick strong hand with a powerful thumb coupled with a strong Earth Line. The 8 Stars of the Palm (5 Phase System) These eight divisions are known as stars and correspond to the mounts and plains of European palmistry. Chinese Star Position Western Equivalent Wood Star under the index finger Mount of Jupiter Earth Star under the middle finger Mount of Saturn Sun Star under the ring finger Mount of Apollo/Sun Water Star under the little finger Mount of Mercury First Fire Star under the Wood Star Active Mars Second Fire Star under the Water Star Passive Mars Five Stars Field middle of the palm Plain of Mars Metal Star at the base of the thumb Mount of Venus Moon Star lower palm area opposite to the thumb Lunar Mount

Sometimes a ninth star is included called the Soil Star. This corresponds to the Mount of Neptune and is found centre base of the palm.

The Lines of the Palm (5 Phase System)

Chinese Palmistry and Health (5 Phase System)

China has a long and respected tradition of medical palmistry. Illness is diagnosed by expert practitioners by careful observation of the appearance of the palm, the hand in general and the fingernails. Chinese palmistry tends to identify tendency towards disease whereas fingernail diagnosis identifies actual disease present.

For example:

• Migraine: indicated by a upwards slanting line from the upper ulnar edge of the thumbnail.
• Dental caries: indicated by a upwards slanting line from the lower radial edge of the thumbnail.
• Bronchitis: indicated by a upwards slanting line from the upper radial edge of the index fingernail.
• Nearsightedness (myopia): misty or cloud-like shape on the bottom radial edge of the thumbnail.
• Diabetes: indicated by a white round dot on the lower radial edge of the ring fingernail.