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"Wisdom hath builded her house. She hath hewn out her seven pillars." - Proverbs ix., I.

The science of Palmistry is founded upon the shape of the hand. It is by the development of what are known as the Mounts, seven in number, which lie at the base of the fingers, and along the sides of the hand, by estimating properly their various combinations, that we are able accurately to delineate the character of any subject presented to us. There are other separated elements which enter into and add to a proper understanding of the science, viz.: the manner in which the hand is naturally carried and held when walking, the texture of the skin, consistency of the hand, color of the hand, the nails, hair on the hands, the hands divided into three sections called the three worlds, the shape of the fingers, and their individual phalanges, the shape of the finger-tips, knotty fingers, smooth fingers, long fingers, short fingers, and the thumb. All of these will receive separate and minute attention in subsequent chapters, and a thorough knowledge of them all is absolutely necessary.
Chapters on the above-enumerated subjects comprise the first half of the science of Chirosophy, and collectively form the science of Chirognomy. To this branch has always been allotted merely a study of the character of your subject, but it is capable of much greater usefulness, and a far greater scope than has hitherto been given it. There has been from the beginning of the world a perfectly well-defined plan under which the human species is brought into existence, and while by using the currently accepted type of Chirognomy many attributes and qualities belonging to humanity have been up to now possible of delineation from the hand, the limitations of a really scientific hand-reading from these types have been very quickly reached. This has led practitioners, in response to a demand from the public, to resort to much guessing, where a thorough knowledge of the plan of creation would have made guessing give place to reason; and as no scientific study can depend for its successful application upon guesswork, the whole fabric of Palmistry has of its own weight fallen to the ground. The plan of creation is exceedingly simple, easily understood, and can be verified in very person you meet. You do no have to take anything for granted nor believe in anything you cannot see or touch or hold in your hand, consequently in this very practical and realistic age, the most advanced materialist can embrace the new science of Palmistry without offending in any way there sense of propriety. A knowledge of the plan of creation is gained from the Mounts in the hand, the exact locations and boundaries of which are correctly shown in the accompanying illustration "A."

The names which appear on the Mount are not used in any astrological sense, but because they have been so long in used that the mention of each name instinctively brings to mind certain attributes. I use these names for I have found them a great help to the memory of the student, though any other names would do as well. They are not used because it is considered that planetary influences are necessary, or play any part, in our science.

The ancient theory of the seven distinct type of people begins with the idea that the human race was undoubtedly constructed by its Creator under a definite plan. There was no hit-or-miss in shaping and putting together the inhabitants of this globe. The fact that there are so many combinations in this plan of creation has, however been a source of confusion to those who have not fully understood the matter, but everything in this plan has been worked out by the Creator under the operation of specific laws and rules, and when these laws are understood, the whole plan reveals itself.

Seven distinct types of people were first created. Each of these types represented certain strong qualities, certain strong aptitudes, certain virtues, and certain faults, as well as peculiarities of health and character. The reason for the adoption of this plan was that a combination of the qualities represented in these seven types was absolutely necessary to the harmonious operation of the universe. If all humanity was of one type, progress would be stopped, and diversity of talent and though, with its various methods of expression and operation, would not be present with us to-day. Take out of existence any one of these types, and it would be like removing one wheel in a watch, -the movement would stop. Each type was thus created for a specific sphere in life, and represents some element for a specific sphere in life, and represents some element indispensable to the harmonious operation of the world as a whole.

The fact that there are well-defined specimens of all these types on the streets of our cities to-day, that they can be easily recognized, and that eighty-five per cent of these typical people are at their best in the same occupations, all have the same faults, the same virtues, like the same kind of surroundings, live, think, and act after the same plan in everything they do, proves that the original method in creating humanity has not been changed, but that the laws of creation are in operation to-day just as they were in the beginning. If we can feel sure that there are, as I say, seven types of people, each of which has distinctly separate qualities, and if we can know what these qualities are, it must be a fact that, when we learn to distinguish these seven types from each other as we meet them, we shall at once know their characteristics, what people of their type have done though the ages past, and what the outcome of their life is likely to be, judges by those of the same type who have gone before. From this point of view we can include a knowledge of the past, for we know what ancestors of the same type have always done; the present, for we what the typical people always do; and the possible future, for we know what the outcome generally is. And here I say that the correct reading of the past, present, and possible future is based absolutely upon your recognition of the Mount type to which your client belongs, after which recognition you can apply to them what you know is common to the type which they represent.
For example, the Jupiterian is always ambitious and a leader of men in whatever sphere of life they occupy; the same knowledge would apply to their health, their food, their home life, their religion, their business, their natural proficiency for certain employments, their vices, their passions, manner of living, thoughts, liability to marry or remain single, the kind of person they always marry, and everything else about them.
This type has always the same ideas on all of these matters. Every other type has its own peculiarities. Thus, if your client is a pure specimen, you know they have them all, as have their predecessors of the same type. One type marries young, another marries people older than themselves, another avoids marriage entirely. If you have recognized the type to which your client belongs, you can tell them what they will be likely to do in these matters. Some types are long-lived, some die earlier, and, recognizing your type, you can handle this most delicate subject properly. Length of life, however, is a field that should seldom be approached at all, certainly not unless you are absolutely proficient, careful, and tactful, and no system but that of the types which I am outlining here will enable you to handle this most delicate question without harm to your subject. In fact, all that there is to destiny or fate is this matter of the seven types. Humanity is cast in certain moulds, and unless the course of a type is changed, it acts, thinks, lives, and dies in a certain way; the ancestors of this type have so lived, acted, and died, and it will do the same. If all the people in the world were pure specimens of one or the other of these types, then we might be fatalists in the extreme, but the deeper you go into a study of Palmistry the less will you accept an absolutely fatalistic doctrine. In every case, one type or the other will be predominant, its qualities will be the strong controlling element in the life of your client, and in their course through the world the qualities of their type will largely guide and shape their destiny. But there is nearly always present an ally of some other type, something that may soften the severe lines of their natural mould. If they strongly wish to change their course in life, is fully conscious of what they want to accomplish and has determination enough, they may modify the qualities of their type to a large degree. A knowledge of their shortcomings, coupled with desire and determination, will enable them largely to overcome them. Since they all emanate from the brain, these faults, these desires, these changes, will all be written on the hands.

People do not change their typical qualities until they have a strong desire to change, and are armed with a firm resolution to do it. Thus it will seem that there is no greater truth than that we are indeed free agents, planned for a prearranged destiny, but always able to change it if we determinedly desire to do so. There is, then, no such thing as absolute fatalism, even though we have so strong an indication in that direction from the seven types. The statement, "The Lord helps those who help themselves," applies.

Thus instead of rebelling at what might seem a cruel predestination on the part of our Creator in adopting the plan of the seven types, we can see that there is nothing unkind in the operation of this plan. You see the Esquimaux living always in the same way. One generation succeeds the other, always in the same way. One generation succeeds the other, lives the same way, eats the same food, reaches the same age, and dies. There is nothing cruel in that; you have never thought that fate was unkind to the Esquimaux. They would laugh at you if you told them so. They enjoy life in their way, just as well as you do in yours. Each of our seven types reasons in the same fashion. They are best pleased with their way of living, thinking, and acting, they prefer it to your way. They think you odd that you do not see it as they do. You think it strange that they can be satisfied at a heterogeneous mass, yet in reality possible of subdivision into seven well- classified types of people.

There is another fact about these types: they look alike, and in my future treatment of the subject I shall give you mental illustrations of their appearance. Thus, knowing each type well, what they look like, how they reason, live, think, work, play, treat their fellows, or marry, as well as their natural occupations and peculiarities, you can, when you meet one of a certain type, dissect them with ease, knowing them better than they know themselves.

The Mount of Jupiter is the place from which you locate the Jupiterian type, the Mount of Saturn identifies the Saturnian, the Mount of Apollo the Apollonian, the Mount of Mercury the Mercurian, the two Mounts of Mars the Martian, one of whom is filled with aggression, the other full of resistance, the Mount of Moon the Lunarian, and the Mount of Venus the Venusian. The plain of Mars is a part of the Martian type.

It may be asked with some reason, Why do the Mounts identify these types? To this question the answer must be given, that at this time we have not fully solved the mystery, but there are some facts leading in that direction which will doubtless in time give us a full explanation of the matter; for we know that the human hand, which is the servant of the brain and which executes all of the work we do, only operates in response to the commands of the brain. Sever the connection between hand and brain cutting the complex system of nerve telegraph uniting the two (as in paralysis), and the hand becomes like a lump of putty, dead and useless. The hand, which is the most wonderful instrument ever created, cannot perform one act by itself, for there is no brain or intelligence located in the hand to direct it, but all that it does is by command of the brain, the seat of mind and intelligence, which is located a considerable distance from the hand itself. This shows that the hand is entirely dependent on the brain for its intelligence, and that, being the servant, it reflects the kind of brain behind it by the manner and intelligence with which it performs its duties. It is a well-accepted fact that the center of the brain, which is in connection with the hand, has been located, and dissections show that different formations of this brain center are found accompanies by differently shaped hands. This proves that the hand physically shows what kind of a brain is directing it. if the brain center which controls the hand is of one shape, the Mount of Jupiter will be larges, and we shall have a Jupiterian brain center creating Jupiterian thoughts, way and peculiarities, and the result will be that we have a Jupiterian subject. if this brain center changes its form the subject develops peculiarities of character, aptitude, and disease, and we shall find other Mounts most developed, for the hand reflects all the changes of the brain, and the subject will belong to the type as shown by the best-marked Mount in the hand. This is unquestionably the idea from which future scientific research will gain a full explanation of the Mount. In the Chapter, "Mount and Fingers: How to Judge Them", I have given minute directions for classifying your subject, and when this is done you have solved the secret of their creation, and there is nothing about them which you cannot know. This is the inner secret of Palmistry, which professionals and amateurs, to whom I have taught it, declare has made them able to attain a proficiency they never hoped for nor believed possible.

The good type are the Jupiterian, Apollonian, and Venusian. These types have good health, happy dispositions, and do not easily become evil. The Saturnian and Mercurian easily cross the boundary and produce bad people. They are both bilious and become warped in their views and manner of life. The Martian easily becomes an ardent, intense type, not necessarily bad, but often violent. The Lunar subject is imaginative, cold, and selfish, easily producing a restless, disagreeable person. Thus you have three good types, two that may be bad, one violent, and one which may be disagreeable.

It will be apparent to those who have studies other authorities on Palmistry, that this work, with the Mounts for a basis, opens a rich field for investigation. Many realize how superficial their work has been, and have longed to know why they could go only so far and no farther. Without wishing to be captious, I must say that it is because, so far as I have been able to ascertain, no other work begins upon the proper foundation. The elementary hand (dullness), the square hand (regularity), the spatulate hand (activity and originality), the philosophic hand (ideality), and the mixed hand (versatility) are the accepted types of all other modern works. These formulations show only a certain quality of the subject; they do not reveal the subject in their entirety. They show only certain traits: they will not tell you of their health, how they marry, love, hate, eat, live die whether they are good, bad, cross or cheerful; they do no thus open the hidden recesses of their heart, as they are revealed by the Mount types, nor can you make that subtle distinction between disease and character except though the Mount types. The works of other recent authors start from certain qualities of the subject (regularity, activity, etc); this work starts from the person themselves, created to fill a particular place, and endowed with all the qualities necessary to enable them to do it. Is it any wonder that greater revelation should come from such a beginning?

The success of hand-reading is a matter of combination. The type of a subject must be combined with their energy, brain power, good intentions, vices, health condition, and many other important factors, before a balance can be struck. Herein lies the difficulty in preparing a treatise on hand-reading. If the types are treated first, the beginner has no knowledge of the important underlying force which must be combined with them. If the underlying forces are first discussed, the student is not familiar with the types. In the present work the leading attributes of the types are laid down in this chapter and shown in illustration"A." With this illustration and these attributes in mind, a sufficient knowledge of the type to begin with is obtained, and we pass to a thorough consideration of the underlying forces. When these have been fully mastered, we will take up a thorough discussion of the types, and will then have in our possession all the knowledge to combine with them. Thus the final chapters on the Mount types unfold the entire panorama, the difficulties in arranging the sequence of treatment of the various matter is reduced to a minimum, and put in the best form for the student's use.