In
looking at your client's fingers, they will impress you either as being smooth,
or as having knotty joints (55). These smooth and knotty developments indicate
two exactly opposite kinds of people. The smooth fingers are more often found
on young persons, while knotty joints belong to maturer years. This is not an
invariable rule, however, for the philosophical qualities shown by knotty joints
are often born in a subject, in which case the knots developed early; but as
most persons become more analytical as they increase in years, knotty fingers
are more often found on older subject. On some fingers only the first joints
are developed.
This first joint is what we call the knot of mental order,
and refers to the symmetrical qualities of the mind. On other hands the second
joints are developed, and these are called the knots of material order,
indicating the love or order that manifests itself in neatness of the home,
the office, or, in short, in all material things.
A combination of the two knots shows both mental and material
system, and consequently one who acts more slowly, thinks over things more carefully,
and applies the gauge of mental and material neatness to whatever they do. This
way of gauging things by rule, of judging them form the stand point of a systematic
mind and body leads to a habit of analyzing everything, of reasoning
out all questions, of tracing back the thing as it stands, to the elements which
compose it, and thus we find that analysis, reasoning, investigation, and thoughtfulness,
are the ever-present qualities of knotty joints. For these people to accept
anything as true means that they first hear it, think of it, and digest it.
They examine every statement, refer it to their systematic minds, and gauge
it from the additional standpoint of common sense and practical reasoning indicated
by the second knots. They are not carried away by enthusiasm or impulse, but
bring to bear on everything, the light of thorough investigation and thought.
These knotty fingered people are well name philosophical, as they are hunting
for truth. They do not analyze from any frivolous motive, but because they wish
to arrive at the facts, so while they do not seem to respond as quickly as smooth
fingered subjects, always remember that they are honestly striving to get at
the bottom of the matter, and will be guided by the result of their investigations
as the facts may appear to them. With this analytical tendency, it follows that
the knotty fingers are seldom emotional, not easily led by sentiment, but that
reason (head), not impulse (heart) is their guide. Knotty fingers cannot be
suddenly rushed into anything. Give them time to think, something to think about,
and abide the results of their investigations. If you have a hobby or a pet
plan, do not expect them to adopt it, or at once to fall in with your ideas.
Put the case as strongly as possible and give them time to think it over. Knotty
fingered persons are studious; they do not rely on impulse or inspiration to
carry them through life, but depend upon a well-stored brain, in which information
is classified and ready to be used when occasion demands. For this reason knotty
joints belong to scientists and historian, rather than to romance writers. Knotty
fingers always give an impression of energy and common sense. You realize the
study and labor necessary to arrive at all their philosophical conclusions.
Knotty fingers often make original deductions, but they never swerve, once convinced
that they are right.
In religion they are as likely to be atheists as Christians,
for knotty fingers require much proof before they will believe anything. They
are the doubting Thomases, are naturally skeptics, ready to be convince, but
wishing to hold in their own hands the evidence. If they cannot do
this, they may conclude there is no evidence, and as it is often easier
to prove that a thing is not than that it is, they become
atheists. Whichever side they are on, however, they honestly believe it is right.
Philosophical and analytical they are; reasoners, investigators, searchers for
truth; honest, energetic, hard to change, thinkers, doubters, slow to arrive
at conclusions, patient and sympathetic. Knotty fingers thus hold the world
in check, and prevent its going too fast. If you remember the life current bringing
its flash of intelligence into the ends of the fingers, and think of it as stopped
by the first, or knots of mental order, until these knots can digest it and
let it pass; and then think of it as stopped by the second, or material knots,
until these knots can digest it and let is go by, you will have a mental picture
of how hard it is to get an idea through the philosophic knots. Smooth fingers
may and do develop knots. I have seen many such cases in people who have developed
reasoning faculties as they have grown older. This is why I say, knots are oftener
found on the hands of old then of young people, for these persons have passed
from a way of acting by impulse to a habit of analyzing and reasoning. You will
often have people tell you that the knots on their hands came from labor of
baseball. This is not true. It is the habit of analysis that has produced them.
Every analytical reasoner may not be a scientist of renown; don't get that into
your head. You will find reasoners in the gas trenches, who analyze everything
in their sphere of life just as carefully as the sage.
I
have seen the smoothest of fingers, whose owners have done hard manual labor
for years. Labor does not produce knots (20); mental qualities do (see 55).
I have make a thorough investigation of this matter, for it is one of the first
questions one hears from those who wish to argue against the accuracy of hand-reading.
If
only the knot of mental order is found on the hand (56), it will indicate an
intelligent mind, a systematic way of thinking, and mental processes that are
careful and regular; this, of course, if this knot is of normal size. The good
results of mental system can be largely overdone, however, as it is responsible
for pronounced cranks and even insanity. I once met a man who had a tremendous
development of this knot. As it is my custom to investigate any pronounced formations
I led him into conversation, and found him most intelligent and well educated.
it was not long before he unfolded a plan by which he hoped to concentrate all
the business in the world under one management. He had figured it all out on
paper and was sure it could be done. Men called him crazy, but, in view of the
organization of trusts during the past few years, he may not have been so insane
after all. At any rate, he had immense knots of mental order. He had no sign
of the second knot, however, and was careless to an extreme in his personal
appearance. The mental development had entirely displaced the material. He was
out of balance.
If the second or knot of material order
is found well developed (55), it will tell of the method in material affairs
possessed by the subject. They will want their home neat and well kept, their
place of business clean and orderly, and in all material matters will be careful
and systematic. They will be neat in appearance, though their clothing may be
old and worn, methodical in their daily life and habits, and with square tips
they will be carried away by system. When knotty fingers are seen, look to the
tips.
- If square tips are found, add square to knotty qualities. In this case you
will have a sever disciplinarian and taskmaster, how, whether husband, wife,
or employer, will be almost fanatical in red-tapism.
- Spatulate tips, with the first knot, will give you the most obstinate kind
of a person, one cranky in the extreme. Remember that the vital spark has increased
difficulty getting though the tips of these spatulate fingers with the added
knot, and realism in the greatest degree will be indicated.
- Conic or pointed tips lighten the intensity of the knots, and give them the
best possible complement. This is the deal knotty hand, one which lightens the
severity of the philosophical disposition by letting in a little idealism. The
conic tip and knotty fingers are the hands which are religious, for the conic
tips allow the analytical doubting qualities a little idealism, and this formation
is the only one willing to take anything for granted.
- Spatulate and square tips, and knotty joints are so bound down to materialism
that they will not believe in what they cannot see and touch. Thus people with
these formations are usually skeptics.
Examine the consistency of the knotty hands
before pronouncing fully upon them, for softness or flabbiness will make them
only lazily analytical. Before you say they really expend time and effort in
study and research, be sure that they have hard or elastic consistency. Flexibility
is not often found. The knotty minds are not elastic, they achieve results from
labor and study, not from elasticity of mind or brilliancy.
In speaking of knots on the fingers understand that these knots must be so pronounced
as to be recognized at first glance. Unless they are thus plainly marks do not
class fingers as knotty. If they are so bulging that they distort the fingers,
consider the knotty qualities very pronounced. If they bulge out at the sides
of the fingers, and in addition at the back, so that it looks as if a ring were
around the bone under the skin, it is an excess in development of the knots,
which entirely spoils their good effect. In such developments the first phalanx
of the fingers is bent inward, and the stiff qualities of the mind predominate.
Flexibility is absent, the brain is hard, not elastic, does not take new ideas,
but rides hobbies to death.
References
The Laws of Scientific Hand Reading- A practical Treatise on the Art Commonly
called Palmistry 1946 Benham, William. Printed and published by R. J. Taraporevala
for D. B. Tarporevala Sons & Co. Bombay
In
looking at your client's fingers, they will impress you either as being smooth,
or as having knotty joints (55). These smooth and knotty developments indicate
two exactly opposite kinds of people. The smooth fingers are more often found
on young persons, while knotty joints belong to maturer years. This is not an
invariable rule, however, for the philosophical qualities shown by knotty joints
are often born in a subject, in which case the knots developed early; but as
most persons become more analytical as they increase in years, knotty fingers
are more often found on older subject. On some fingers only the first joints
are developed.
