In palmistry, hands are divided into two groups by shape: square and oblong.
Square Hand
This type of hand is characterized by a wide, almost square palm. A typical sign of a square hand is that the palm width prevails over its length. If the hand is square, then its owner is usually easy to communicate with, practical and capable. He is full of energy, he is resilient, strong and needs to be constantly busy with something. He stands firmly on his feet, is inclined to assess the situation realistically and does not make speculative conclusions, preferring to base his conclusions on obvious and real evidence. He is a good worker and, when such a need arises, is able to work hard and for a long time.
Oblong hand
This hand has a narrow palm, which is longer than it is wide. This hand shape looks more elegant and sophisticated visually, and its owner often dreams, occasionally plunging into a world of fantasy. He approaches everything he does creatively, and therefore it is very important for him that the work is varied and gives ground for initiative. He often gives birth to brilliant ideas, but also often has difficulties in implementing them.
Of course, it is impossible to divide all of humanity into just these two groups – many people have hands of a shape that do not fall into either the first or second category, so in various schools of palmistry it is customary to consider up to ten basic hand shapes. And here the most popular is the classification of the famous French palmist d’Arpentigny, developed by him at the end of the 18th century.
Simple or Elementary Hand
Wide, heavy and strong. It has short, slow-moving and seemingly blunted fingers. The thumb is irregularly shaped. It is so short that it ends at the base of the index finger. The skin of a simple hand is usually rough and rough to the touch. No more than three main lines are expressed on the palm.
The elementary hand shape characterizes its owner as a good worker, but stubborn and with limited interests. Such a person finds it difficult to express his feelings and thoughts in words. As long as his basic needs are met, he calmly perceives everything that life brings, but any difficulties that arise lead to outbursts of aggression, during which cowardice, cruelty and selfishness can manifest themselves.
A person with a simple hand shape is physically strong and capable of hard work, but far from culture and spirituality. Low needs, childish naivety and a tendency to superstition make him easy to manipulate.
Practical hand
The palm of the practical hand is square, but its fingers are longer and more graceful than those of the elementary hand. The skin is quite smooth, there are many easy-to-read lines on the palm. The thumb is very well developed.
The practical hand speaks of the many interests of its owner, which gives this person the opportunity to prove themselves in a variety of areas. He is persistent, stubborn, prudent, truthful, disciplined and patient. Such a person has a realistic and sober view of life and never rushes to extremes. Resourcefulness and prudence allow him to stand on his own two feet. He is ready to help at the first call, so he has many friends.
Despite the fact that a person with practical hands can achieve the best results in the material sphere, spiritual interests are not alien to him – he is able to benefit from them too. This is a common psychological type of a financial worker, lawyer, doctor, engineer.
Spatulate hand
The palm is wide at the base and narrows towards the fingers, or vice versa. The fingers are short and almost the same length. Their ends are blunt, as if chopped off. The thumb is strong and short.
A person with such a hand is easy and simple to communicate with, active and energetic. He is original, energetic, persistent and always achieves success. He has a practical mind, strives for great achievements. If the fingers of the hand are smooth, then the person loves comfort and household amenities. He is unreliable as a partner in business, but in matters of the heart he is faithful and constant.
Philosophical or knotty hand
The palm of such a hand is usually characterized by an almost square shape. The fingers are long, knotty, with clearly defined joints. Both phalanges of the thumb are almost the same length.
A person with a philosophical hand analyzes everything without exception and is a realist. For him, not individual facts are important, but the reasons for their appearance and the influence on subsequent events. His inclination towards philosophy results in the need to carefully weigh and accurately calculate words and actions. His life path is a constant analysis of causes and effects.
A person with a philosophical hand is very attentive to details, has an increased ability to analyze, has an analytical mind and a restless character, is very critical of himself and somewhat withdrawn in communication. This is the hand of sages, writers, poets, preachers, philosophers.
Artistic or conical hand
It is distinguished by its elongated shape and smooth lines. The fingers are long, with rounded tips, flexible and graceful. The nails are elongated. The thumb is poorly developed. The palm is soft, with a well-defined pattern of lines.
People with conical hands are aesthetic, creatively gifted and prone to dreaming. They are impractical and endowed with great talent. They are passionate natures, capable of devoting themselves entirely to some kind of art. People with conical hands do not accept any manifestations of vulgarity, rudeness and bad manners. They are disgusted by physical labor, and any monotonous work causes disgust.
The owner of a conical hand has a chaotic nature. He makes choices easily and very often does not think about the consequences. As a companion, he is ideal, but he lacks caution and foresight. Also, such a person is prone to sudden mood swings and impulsive actions. He is fickle, loves rest, change of place and new acquaintances. He is easily carried away and, not having firm moral principles, often acts rather rashly.
Psychic or Spiritual Hand
The main features of the psychic hand are a narrow palm, thin and long fingers, smooth skin. This small hand of beautiful shape looks graceful and refined. The nail joints are long and thin. The thumb is well developed, graceful and narrow.
People with psychic hands are idealists by nature, they have a heightened intuition and are extremely impractical, spending a significant part of their time in the imaginary world, preferring it to the realities of life. Characteristic features of these people are also inexperience, gullibility, disdain for material goods and inability to do physical work.
The psychic shape of the hand indicates that its owner is guided in everything by high spiritual interests. Such a person is not able to defend his opinion. He strives to see only love, beauty in everything and is distinguished by a dreamy, gentle character. Such individuals are prone to occultism, mysticism and religion. Truthfulness and honesty, excessive tact and courtesy make such a person poorly adapted to the harsh realities of modern life, which often leads to deep inner experiences and long-term depression.
The psychic hand shape is widespread in India and the East, and in the West it is quite rare.
Mixed hand
This type includes those hand shapes that for some reason do not fall into the main classification. The mixed form has significant differences in the proportions of the palm, the length and shape of the fingers, the density and color of the skin in different people.
In Eastern (Vedic) palmistry, a classification is used based on the categories of Elements and, accordingly, four forms: the hand of Fire, the hand of Water, the hand of Air and the hand of Earth.
Fire Hand
Has a wide, sometimes square, palm and short fingers. This hand shape makes a person stubborn, and in combination with well-defined joints, haste in making decisions. These people can be hot-tempered and overreact to their surroundings. They are active, enthusiastic and constantly busy with something. Short fingers indicate a tendency to spontaneous actions, and an elongated palm indicates intuition.
These people definitely need activity, they do not like to be under someone else’s command, so they prefer professions that allow them to make decisions independently. The Fire Hand gives a person the ability to convince and motivate, which makes them excellent negotiators and political leaders.
People with Fire hands usually have problems with Water people, but get along well with those whose element is Air.
The Water Hand
has long fingers and an elongated, soft and rounded palm, with clearly visible hills, indicating emotionality, sensuality and the ability to empathize. Such hands also indicate the difficult life of their owners – impressionable and emotional people whose feelings are easily hurt. These people are the best friends you could wish for yourself. Their empathy – the ability to empathize – is absolutely natural, and to understand the state of another person, a couple of phrases are enough for them.
The extreme emotionality of the owners of Water hands can lead them to destructive consequences and nervous breakdowns. These people often take antidepressants and sedatives to regulate their emotional state.
People with Water hands are attracted to humanitarian professions, especially those related to providing assistance, for example, a doctor or a psychologist. They feel most comfortable next to representatives of the Earth element.
Air Hand
Air gives the hand long, beautiful fingers with almond-shaped nails; dry, pale and almost transparent skin, a narrow and elongated hand of an elegant shape. Owners of such a hand move through life very quickly: they walk quickly, speak quickly and think quickly. However, the elongation of the Air hand indicates that these people need a little more time for their thoughts to take shape into complete ideas and be realized.
Such people love to study and set themselves intellectual challenges. They are happy to make contact with others, and many of them make a career in those areas of activity that require communication, for example, in teaching and social work.
Air people usually get along well with representatives of the Fire element.
Hand of the Earth
It is usually characterized by large, square palms and short, strong and tenacious fingers. Their length is proportional to the size of the hand. Hands of the Earth prevail in people who are reasonable, functional, and firmly on their feet. They are practical, calm, reliable and get along well with others. Their main character traits are honesty, devotion, stubbornness and caution. They have a strong sense of ownership and a desire for stability. They are persistent and consistent in their work and do not like to be rushed.
People of the Earth are rarely overly emotional; their pragmatism allows them to lead a measured and calm life. They get along best with each other and quickly find a common language with representatives of the Water element.
An oval-shaped hand indicates impressionability, passion and sensual impulses.
A thin and bony hand indicates cowardice and indecisiveness; its owner is not made for fighting.
An average-sized hand , proportional to the size of the body, indicates a balanced character.
A long and wide hand indicates the cunning and dexterity of its owner.
A short hand , as a rule, is a sign of a bad character, and a long and thin one indicates a tendency to various manias and pettiness.
A long, thin and bony hand indicates selfishness, quarrelsomeness and incompatibility of a person.
People with short and thin hands are most often stingy, envious and talkative.
Short and wide hands are usually found in hard-working, faithful and easy-to-forgive people.
