Palm Reading Hand Chart

A palm reading chart can help you understand palmistry, but it's is more science than psychic ability according to Portland-based palm reader Clay Faulkner. "It's a human science," he says. "There's no guesswork, but I do encourage people to incorporate their intuition." Faulkner is a seasoned palm reader who shares his gifts and teaches classes at local fairs including the Oregon Ghost Conference. He has shared his palm reading tips with LoveToKnow.

Basic Palm Reading Chart

Below is a basic palm reading chart that shows some lines Faulkner discusses, as well as some of the most commonly read palm lines. You can consult the palmistry chart as you read through Faulkner's tips. To print the chart, click on the image and it will download to your computer. If you need help, please use this Guide for Adobe Printables.

Reading Palms Using the Palmistry Chart

When he reads palms, Faulkner likes to look at the aspects of the hand and palm that are the most accurate and predictive. "I don't dabble in things that are about 50 percent accurate because I like to have a high accuracy rate," Faulkner notes. Therefore, while some of what he does includes looking at the lines of the palm, he also considers other aspects of the hand in his readings.

Reading Between the Primary Palm Lines

When it comes to the lines on the palm, Faulkner notes some are highly accurate while others are less so. However, they can help clarify information, and most palmistry charts focus on the lines of the hand.

Heart Line

The heart line is one Faulkner feels is an accurate predictor of personality. According to other palm readers, the heart line indicates one's attitudes towards love and relationships. What's important, Faulkner says, is how deep and clean the line is. He notes the following:

• If the line is chained (that is, there are a bunch of lines weaving across the heart line), it shows there may be issues with emotional things. This person may have been bullied growing up or it may show there were emotional issues as a child.
• If the heart line ends in a trident (three prongs at the end of the line), it shows an ability to connect with others on many emotional levels and suggests that person is emotionally well-rounded. It also suggests the person looks for a stability and security in a romantic partner.

Other things to look for with a heart line:

• Islands in the heart line (little round parts) may suggest areas of problems in a person's life or emotional obstacles they need to overcome.
• Various lengths of heart lines also tell a tale. A short heart line indicates someone may be self-centered throughout life. A long line may indicate a warm and emotional life. A deep line may indicate a highly emotional person or a stressful life. A faint heart line may indicate someone is aloof.
• Upward branches from the line indicate the person has positive relationships, while downward branches may suggest the person is prone to heartbreak.

Head Line

Also known as the wisdom line, the head line provides insight into intellectual and psychological traits.

• A long head line indicates someone who is thoughtful in their actions, and who has a good memory. A short line suggests the individual isn't terribly complex and may be blunt in their self-expression.
• If the head line is deep, it may indicate the person is sensible with good powers of memory and concentration. If it is shallow or faint, it may indicate someone is a day dreamer or lacks concentration.
• A chained headline may be a sign of inner conflict or confusion.

Faulkner uses the head line as one of his more accurate predictors of personal traits. He notes:

• If the head line dips down below the middle finger, it indicates the person may have an interest in metaphysics or a belief in things that are possibilities but unproven.
• If there is a trident or fork at the end of a headline, it is called a "writer's fork" and indicates someone with psychic powers or the ability to look at issues from all sides.

Life Line

Faulkner also reads the life line. He cautions about the life line, "It doesn't tell you how long you will live. You can't tell somebody how something will happen in the future, because the future is fluid." He does note the life line is predictive of certain traits, however.

• If it continues to the heel of your hand, it shows vitality and strength. It also suggests you have a strong support system and are grounded and secure.
• Lines crossing the life line indicate speed bumps or obstacles you may experience throughout life.
• You can also divide your life line into fourths - starting at the middle and then dividing evenly from there on either side. Each fourth is about 20 years (this is a rough estimate), and by looking at lines that cross, islands, and other things that cross the life line, it may give you an indication of obstacles that may occur in life roughly during those 20 year periods.
• If there's a fork at the end of the life line, it indicates a soul that is a "wanderer...someone who likes to travel or wishes they could," Faulkner says.
• If the life line merges with the head line at the beginning, it shows that the values your parents raised you with will continue throughout your life. The longer the merged area, the stronger this effect will be throughout life.

Other things the life line may indicate include:

• It may show how much stress you encounter throughout life and how resilient you are (or how you bounce back).
• A short and/or thin line may indicate lower vitality or someone who has lower energy and needs to replenish it throughout the day.
• A double life line shows the person has a good and strong support system from family or friends throughout life, or it may indicate the person is a risk taker.
• A long, thick, or deep life line shows deep vitality and life force - someone who is highly energetic.
• A broken life line indicates a hard worker; possibly even a workaholic.

Secondary Lines

According to Faulkner, the remaining lines are secondary and tend to be less predictive and accurate than other lines. However, he offers the following.

Fate Line

The fate line, or destiny line, shows the direction life is taking. It shows career and character and mirrors your life. For example, if it starts at the heel of your hand, it indicates you had a good sense of yourself at an early age.

Marriage Line

The marriage line, or lines of affection, shows your approach to relationships. Faulkner notes, "The only thing that's really accurate is if one wraps around your little finger and cuts it off from the hand, it indicates you may shy away from relationships or be sexually inhibited." He also notes if it dips down and touches or crosses over the heart line, it may indicate you tend to be attracted to the "wrong" person. If the line is long and goes straight across, it indicates a person who knows what they want in a mate and is willing to search to find that person.

Money Line

Faulkner doesn't really discuss the money line, but according to Chinese Palmistry, money lines indicate how good you are with finances and abundance. Many clear lines suggest you are good with money and investing, waved lines suggest financial instability, and intermittent lines show poor abundance or lack of prosperity.

Sun Line

The sun line, or Apollo line, is another Faulkner considers secondary. However, according to Astrogee, the line complements and boosts the fate line. A long line indicates luck at a young age, and a strong line indicates success in artistic pursuits.

Health Line

Though Faulkner considers the health line a less accurate line than others, Chinese Palmistry notes it may provide an indication of a person's physical well-being. If it is absent, it indicates excellent health and few health issues. A wavy line suggest possible digestive issues, and if it is cross-hatched or very short, it may indicate poor health throughout life.

Other Aspects

Lines are just a start for palm reading, Faulkner notes. In fact, before he even gets to reading the lines, Faulkner assesses the following traits.

Reading the Wave

The first thing Faulkner does is asks people to raise their dominant hand as if waving hi. "I look at the hand position," he notes. Faulkner checks to see if the fingers are spread or if they are closed. "This gives me an overview of the person's character," he says.

• If the fingers are spread, "It tells me you're an extrovert and open to people," Faulkner explains.
• He also states if the fingers are closed or close together, the person tends to be introverted or more shy.

Skin Texture

Next, Faulkner looks for skin texture on the palm. He points out there are four basic types.

• People with silky, smooth, fine, delicate, possibly moist skin, "like a baby's skin," says Faulkner, tend to be highly sensitive. "They are very in tune with other people and their environment," he notes. They may also be sensitive to sensory input, like bright lights and lots of noise, and they may be sensitive to the effects of drugs and alcohol. Faulkner notes a very small percentage of the population has this skin type.
• The next group, which is about 50 percent of the population Faulkner explains, has drier skin with slightly visible ridges. The color of the skin, especially under their fingers, is yellowish. According to Faulkner, "These people tend to be in tune with and happiest in a world of imagery, ideas, words, and the exchanging of ideas."
• People with a coarse or grainy skin type with a rougher texture and visible ridgelines thrive on pressure and love deadline driven activities. They often like competitive sports or activities where they need to beat the clock, and they may be highly competitive.
• People who have very coarse skin are a rare type, Faulkner states. Their skin is very tough, and they may lack touch sensitivity due to the toughness of their skin. "These people prefer to be close to nature," Faulkner explains. "Because they lack physical sensitivity, they may also lack emotional sensitivity." These may be emotional "bull in the china shop" type of people who inadvertently insult people without realizing it. However, as Faulkner notes, it goes both ways. "Someone might insult them, and it will go right over their head."

What Your Fingers Say

Faulkner also likes to evaluate finger length, a complicated process involving relative length to other fingers. In general, Faulkner explains that people with longer fingers may be more detail-oriented and organized, while people with shorter fingers may be bigger picture people with less attention to detail.

While there are numerous finger length comparisons, Faulkner offers a few as examples.

• If the index finger is significantly shorter than the middle finger, this may indicate a person is insecure, or they lack confidence, most likely due to something that occurred in childhood.
• A longer index finger (when compared to the middle finger) may indicate the person had to grow up quickly as a child, possibly because a mother figure placed too much responsibility on them as a kid.
• If the middle finger is only about 1/4 of a phalanx (finger bone) taller than the ring finger, this may indicate one who marches to the beat of their own drum, and that they're an unconventional sort. Faulkner calls them anti-authoritarian saying they, "buck the rules to do the things the way they want to."
• If the thumb is about 3/4 of the length up the phalanx of the index finger, this indicates a person who is very driven in life; someone who makes opportunities from thin air. For people with shorter thumbs that go lower along the index finger are more opportunistic. Instead of making things happen, they wait for opportunities and take them.
• People with ring fingers and pinkies that are longer than average tend to have a good sense of humor and be good communicators. If the second line on the pinkie is in line with where the ring finger meets the hand, they may have had a very close relationship with a father figure.

Fingerprints

Faulkner also notes fingerprints can be highly accurate in predicting personality traits and showing how people interact with others. He offers general insight into the meaning of each finger.

• Little finger - How you communicate

• Ring finger - Your creativity

• Middle finger - Values, ethics, and rules

• Index finger - Ego, persona, and how you project yourself to the world

• Thumb - The engine of your life; it's what propels your life. The shorter the thumb, the less direction you have, the longer the thumb, the more direction.

Tips for Reading Palms

Reading palms is an advanced art that takes significant study to understand all the nuances, so the above information is a basic primer to get you started. Some tips as you move forward:

• Faulkner suggests using a bright light and a magnifying glass so you can see all the subtle lines, many of which are difficult to see with the naked eye.
• He also suggests using the most accurate predictors as you start out to help keep your accuracy high. These include waving, skin texture, finger length, and the heart, head, and life lines. Master these before moving on to secondary lines.
• Once you have the basics, consider deeper study with an experienced palm reader, or find a good book about palm reading, such as The Benham Book of Palmistry.

The Story of the Hands

According to palm readers like Clay Faulkner, your hands tell the story of you. "Our bodies have the ability to forecast situations that may come in our future or imprint things we've dealt with in the past on our hands; our hands are a mirror of our lives or minds," Faulkner says. They suggest personality traits and tell you how you'll interact with the world. What they don't do, however, is predict the future, tell you how long your life will be, or tell you when you are going to die. As a tool to better understand yourself or others, they offer valuable insight. As a way to predict what you will do or what will happen to you - that is up to you and the choices you make throughout your life.