The Fingers in General     

 

After viewing the hand as a whole, and separating it into the three worlds, the next observation should be of the fingers in general. This will lead to a classification of the fingers as either long or short, as belonging to the smooth or knotty class, and will cause you to look at the tips to see whether they are square, spatulate, conic, or pointed.

Do not try to class any set of fingers in a group, but consider each one, and judge it by itself. Every finger is names for, and partakes of, the qualities of the Mount under it. The first finger is the finger of Jupiter, and second, Saturn, the third, Apollo, the fourth, Mercury. The thumb we do not consider as a finger, but in a class by itself.

Length
In examining the fingers first note their length. If the fingers appear unusually short, apply measurements given in a subsequent chapter, being careful not to class as short fingers those which belong to a normally short hand. Observe the joints to see if they are developed or smooth, using great care in judging the degree of development for each joint, and looking to see if the first or second joints alone are prominent. If you find very knotty joints, apply knotty qualities; if entirely smooth, give the subject smooth- finger attributes. Examine the flexibility of each finger by itself; if one finger is mote flexible than the others, then the qualities of the Mount type it represents are more pronounced in this subject. See if the fingers are straight or twisted. See if the bending is lateral or if the finger seems to twist around its own axis. Fingers bend laterally (35) increase the shrewdness of the qualities of the Mount on which they are placed, while a twisting on the axis shows a liability to moral or physical defects in the Mount qualities. To determine which, use the nails, the lines on the Mount, the Life line, and the line of the Mount itself. You can easily separate moral from physical defects in this way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note carefully the tip of each finger, and apply the square, spatulate, conic, or pointed qualities to the individual finger and its Mount. Note whether any finger seems to stand more erect than the others, with one or more fingers inclined toward it (36). This will show you the strongest finger on the hand. Every finger leaning toward another gives up some of its strength to the finger toward which it leans. this applies if the leaning finger be only straight and merely appears drawn toward another. If the leaning finger is bent it accentuates the strength of its own Mount and you will generally find other fingers leaning toward it.

A straight, leaning finger and a bent finger must not be confounded. Fingers to be well balanced should set evenly on the palm (37); one finger should not be placed lower down or higher up than the others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any finger set lower than the normal line (38, two illustrations) reduces the strength of the Mount under it,

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and any finger set higher than the normal line (39), increases the force of the Mount under it. The best development is the evenly set, normally placed finger.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At some part of your examination get at the normal way in which the subject carries their fingers, in order to find out which are bound together and which are widely separated. In this examination it is indispensable that the fingers should be held naturally. Any strained position would defeat the object. You can ask that they place their hand in a perfectly natural manner on a piece of white paper as though you were to draw an outline of it. By asking that they lift the hand up and place it on the paper several time in succession, you will get the natural pose accurately. Another way is to ask them to hold the hand up, clear of every support, and extend the palm toward you. When this is done, the fingers assume their natural pose.
When the hand thus held shows the s pace between the thumb and side of the hand to be very wide (40), your subject is generous, loves freedom and independence, and it intolerant of restraint, there being the qualities belonging to the low-set thumb. If the finger of Jupiter and Saturn separate widely (41), the subject has great independence in though, is not bound down by the views of theirs, but forms their own opinions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the finger of Saturn and Apollo widely separate (42), the subject is careless of the future, Bohemian in ideas, and is entirely devoid of stiffness and love of formality. When the fingers of Apollo and Mercury widely separate (43), the subject is independent in action. they do what they wish without caring what others may think, These separations of the fingers will be very useful and very accurate in their results. You will find the separations variously combined. Oftenest you find freedom in though combined with freedom of action, with Saturn and Apollo close together, showing care for the future. You may find freedom of thought with the other fingers close together. Then you subject is a free thinker, but one careful in actions and of the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When all the fingers separate sidely (44) you have free thought, Bohemianism, and freedom of action. This subject will be easy to et acquainted with, entirely lacking in conventionality, and not tied down to rules of etiquette. If the separation is very wide, they will be a "hail fellow well met"; if only moderately side, the person will be easy of approach.
If all the fingers are held tightly together (45), the subject will be hard to get acquainted with, stiff, and lack independence in either thought or action. They are a slave to formality, and to make their acquaintance one must approach in a respectful manner. They are also stingy, for they are self-centred and constantly looking out for the future.

You must compare the fingers with each other as to length, tips, and thickness. Saturn should be the longest finger always, for it is the balance-wheel of the character. The fingers of Jupiter and Apollo should be of equal length to be in balance; the one which is the longer of the two will have its qualities dominant over the other. Tips must be considered, for spatulate or square tips are stronger and more practical than conic or pointed. The fingers of Jupiter and Apollo being of equal length, the one having a square or spatulate tip will be stronger in a practical way than the one having a conic or pointed tip, which, however, is likely to indicate greater keenness.

Consider carefully both length and tips of the fingers, in estimating which finger is the strongest.
- Mercury is naturally the smallest finger. The Mercurian is the smallest of the seven types, Saturn is the tallest, the fingers following the respective height of their types. Mercury, normal, should reach the first joint of the finger of Apollo. shorter than that it is not a leading finger. Longer than this, the Mercurian type is predominant.
- If the finger of Jupiter is of normal length normal Jupiterian qualities are shown; in excess, excessive Jupiterian qualities are present; if deficient, the Jupiterian qualities will be deficient. This rule must be followed with Saturn, Apollo and Mercury. The Mounts of Mars, Moon, and Venus have no finger, and all judgment of them must be from the Mounts alone.

Three Phalanx
Examine the individual phalanges of the fingers, counting first, second, third from the tip down. Here, again, we finger the three world of Palmistry, mental, abstract, and material, represented by the firs, second, and third phalanges of the fingers. This is a very important matter to understand thoroughly, for it will tell whether the qualities of the Mount types will be expended in the mental, the practical, or the baser worlds.
- If the first phalanx of any finger is the longest and larges, the mental will rule, and the qualities of the type will be expended in that direction.
- If the second phalanx is longest and largest, the business side of the type will prevail, and the efforts will be expended in pushing the commercial side of the type.
- If the third phalanx be strongest, the material qualities will prevail, and either coarseness or brutishness in the attributes of the type will be the moving force, in proportion as this phalanx is thick or narrow. The long the first phalanx (46), the more will mental matters absorb the attention, and if this phalanx is found short (47), it will tell that the enjoyment of mental occupation is lacking, and that qualities more material absorb the attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


- If the second phalanx is thick and long (48), the money-making side is uppermost.
- If the third phalanx is very long and very thick, it will show that sensualism and the gratification of appetite and luxury are the pleasures which the subject seeks (49). The extreme thickness of the third phalanx shows a great love for eating and drinking.
- If with this subject the first phalanx is short, the second normal, and the third very thick, they will not care for mental pursuits at all, but only care to make money and to have plenty to eat and drink. It is not the sexual sensualism that is shown by the thick third phalanx, but the sensuous gratification of appetite and a love of luxury and comfort. The more pronounced the thickness, the more these traits are strengthened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the third phalanx is moderately developed, then there is only a fair degree of these desires. Love of sensual pleasures will always be shown by the thickening of these third phalanges, and the degree of strength will be graded by the degree of thickness. This indication will have added force in different types, for the Jupiterian, being naturally a large eater (as is also the Martian), will be much more so if the third phalanx be thick. Length of the phalanges shows strength of the qualities, thickness shows coarseness and liability to excess. when the third phalanx, instead of being thick, is narrow and waist-like in shape (50), it shows that the subject eats to live and does not live to eat. They are one who expends their strength in either the mental or business worlds, not in the sensual. They do not care for money except for what it will buy and the pleasure it can bring. it slips through their fingers for whatever suits their fancy. They have an inquiring mind, as shown by the chinks between the fingers. if the fingers are very long and the chinks very wide, the subject becomes, not an investigator, but one who is merely curious. They pry into the affairs of everyone from innate curiosity. I have reasoned that as this phalanx, when thick, shows gluttony, and as a gorged stomach produces and inactive brain, the subject with a thick third phalanx is too busy digesting to be an investigator. If the phalanx is waist-like, the subject is only a slight eater, and their brain, instead of being clogged and heavy, has force to expand, and does it through its faculty of investigation. This waist-like indication, so estimated, is very accurate in its results, and may be used freely as showing little care for money, an absence of gluttony, and the inquiring, even curious, mind.

Finger tips
In the study of individual phalanges, take account of the tips. On each finger the long first phalanx represents the mental attribute of the qualities of the finger, which are those of its Mount. Conic or pointed tips will show the idealism of these qualities; square tips will show the practical application; spatulate tips will show active and original mental application.
The long second phalanx shows the business side of the type; conic and pointed tips give an artistic, impulsive turn; square tips a practical, common-sense application; spatulate tips an active and original method in business matters.
The third phalanges indicate the sensualism of the finger qualities; conic tips make them more pronounced, square tips less liable to excess, and spatulate tips active and original in devising ways for expending their efforts. With every finger, the phalanx which is in excess shows which is the strongest side of its qualities, and the tips show whether these qualities are idealized by conic tips, made practical by the square tips, or active by spatulate. This system of thoroughly analyzing each finger by its phalanges and tips gives the ability to minutely dissect a subject, and in the attempt to estimate their future success, these things cannot be overlooked.



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