The Mixed Hand Shape Palmistry

The mixed hand is the most difficult of all to describe. In the chapter
on the square I gave an illustration of that type with mixed fingers. In
that case, however, the mixed fingers have the foundation of the square
hand, whereas with the true mixed type no such foundation can be cited for
the student's guidance.
The mixed type is so called because the hand cannot possibly be classed
as square, spatulate, conic, philosophic, or psychic; the fingers also belong
to different types—often one pointed, one square, one spatulate, one philosophic,
etc.
The mixed hand is the hand of ideas, of versatility, and generally of
changeability of purpose. A man with such a hand is adaptable to both
people and circumstances, clever, but erratic in the application of his talents.
He will be brilliant in conversation, be the subject science, art, or gossip.
He may play some instrument fairly well, may paint a little, and so on ; but
rarely will he be great. When, however, a strong line of head rules the hand,
he will, of all his talents, choose the best, and add to it the brilliancy and
versatility of the others. Such hands find their greatest scope in work requiring
diplomacy and tact. They are so versatile that they have no difficulty
in getting on with the different dispositions with which they come into
contact. Their most striking peculiarity is their adaptability to circumstances:
they never feel the ups and downs of fortune like others; almost
all classes of work are easy to them. They are generally inventive, particularly
if they can thereby relieve themselves of labor. They are restless
and do not remain long in any town or place. They are fond of new ideas :
one moment they determine to write a drama, the next, perhaps, they invent
a gas-stove or go into politics ; but as they are always changing, and unstable as water, they rarely succeed. It must be remembered that when the
palm belongs to a certain type these characteristics are much modified ; as,
for instance, mixed fingers on the square, the spatulate, the philosophic, or
the conic will often succeed where the pure development of the type would
fail. When the entire hand is mixed it is then that, through versatility of
talent and purpose, the subject is inclined to become the " Jack of all trades,"
to which class of unfortunates the individual possessing this type of hand is
so commonly relegated in works on palmistry.

The Psychic Hand Palmistry

Psychic Hand Shape

The most beautiful but the most unfortunate of the seven is what is
known as the psychic. This in its purity of type is a very rare
hand to find. The name explains itself—that which appertains to the soul.
The very word seems to suggest to one's mind the old fable of the envy of
Venus toward the maiden Psyche—the war of the goddess of passion against
the more spiritual charm of the daughter of the soul. In its pureness of type
it is a hard hand to find: nineteenth-century civilization does not encourage
such rare flowers of lily whiteness and icy purity; the calmness, coldness,
and dreamy chastity of such a type are not sought after by the present-day
sons of the soil, whose heads are bowed in the quest for gold, and whose Blood is heated by the closeness of the cattle. But although the exact type
may be hard to find, yet there are hundreds of men and women who so approach
the psychic that they must be considered part of it, particularly
when the customs that control our present-day life are taken into consideration.
The psychic is the most beautiful hand of all. It is in formation
long, narrow, and fragile-looking, with slender, tapering fingers and long,
almond-shaped nails. Its very fineness and beauty, however, indicate its
want of energy and strength, and one instinctively pities such hands if they
have to try to hold their own in the battle of life.
Individuals with the psychic hand have the purely visionary, idealistic
nature. They appreciate the beautiful in every shape and form ; they are
gentle in manner, quiet in temper; they are confiding, and they instinctively
trust every one who is kind to them. They have no idea of how to be practical, business-like, or logical; they have no conception of order, punctuality,
or discipline ; they are easily influenced by others ; against their will,
they are carried away by the strong rush of humanity. Color appeals to
this nature in the highest possible way ; to some, every tone of music, every
joy, every sorrow, every emotion is reflected in a color. This type is unconsciously
a religious one ; it feels what is true, but has not the power to seek
truth. In religion such people will be more impressed with the service, the
music, and the ceremony than with the logic or truth of the sermon. They
are innately devotional, they seem to dwell on the confines of the spiritual,
they feel the awe and the mystery of life, without knowing why. All forms
of magic and mystery attract them ; they are easily imposed upon, and yet
bitterly resent being deceived. These individuals have the intuitive faculties
highly developed ; they are good as sensitives, mediums, clairvoyants, because
they are more alive to feelings, instincts, and impressions than are their more
matter-of-fact brothers and sisters.
Parents having such children generally do not at all understand how to
treat them. The strange thing is that they are often the offspring of matter of
fact, practical people. The only way in which I would account for such
a fact is by the theory of balance : nature, working through hereditary laws,
finds a point of balance by producing the direct opposite of the parent ; thus
the law of reaction produces the type under examination. Alas ! too often
a temperament of this kind, by the ignorance and stupidity of the parents,
is forced into some business life, simply because the father is in business.
The' utter wrongness of the life so crushes and dwarfs the nature that very
often the result of such environment is insanity or an early grave. There is
no question but that the asylums of the world are largely filled by the utter
inability of parents for such a position of responsibility ; and the sooner this
fact is recognized, the better.
Possessors of these beautiful, delicate hands, the indicators of the purely
sensitive nature, usually feel their position in life so keenly that they too
often consider themselves useless, and become morbid and melancholy in
consequence. Such, however, is not the case ; there is nothing useless that
nature calls into creation; the beauty and sweetness of such temperaments
are often of more use and do more good than those who, by the accumulation
of this world's goods, build a convent or endow a church. They may be
placed here to establish a balance in the laws of humanity ; they may be here
to increase our love and appreciation of the beautiful ; but they are not use less—of that we may be assured ; therefore let us encourage and help them,
instead of crushing and destroying them as we too often do. Alas ! in the
worldly sense they are generally left far behind in the race for fame and
fortune. I cannot refrain from drawing the following picture, as illustrative
of such types;

They are as lilies thrown, by some ruthless hand, upon the tempest-tossed
river of life—they seem so helpless in the onward sweep of that terrible current.
One sees them at times clinging to the banks for pity Ah ! those
beautiful hands have no strength ; they are swept on again by the rising tide
of bubbling, babbling, frothy humanity. A little lower, one sees them, soiled
and stained, crouching beneath the shadow of some rock, trying, as it were,
to look happy amid the weeds that for a moment mock the stream. Again,
it is the rush of the onward tide or the wash of some passing barge that
drags them from the shelter of the stone and hurries them nearer and nearer
to the sea. The river is broader now, quieter, calmer, wider : we expand in
our views as we leave the narrow banks of youth. See, now, as the night
is nearing, how those lilies rest and dream upon the tide. The river is silent
now, the rush is past, the day of life is done. See how it bears the broken
flowers tenderly, as if sorry for the roughness of its early tide. All is quiet
now, all is calm. Wider and wider yet it grows, calmer and yet still calmer.
The end has come. The mists fall now, thicker and closer and whiter. How
still it is ! The silence hangs like a coldness on the heart. The river widens
out into the sea, and lilies and flowers and weeds drift—it may be to the
garden of God

The Conic Hand Or Artistic Hand Palmistry

Conic or Artist Hand Palmistry

The conic hand, properly speaking, is medium-sized, the palm slightly
tapering, and the fingers full at the base, and conic, or slightly pointed, at the
tip or nail phalange. It is often confounded with the next type,
the psychic, which is the long, narrow hand, with extremely long, tapering
fingers.
The main characteristics of the conic hand are impulse and instinct.
People with the conic hand are often, m fact, designated "the children
of impulse." There is a great variety in connection with this type, but it is
more usually found as a full, soft hand, with pointed fingers, and rather long
nails. Such a formation denotes an artistic, impulsive nature, but one in
which love of luxury and indolence predominate. The great fault with
people possessing this type is, that though they may be clever and quick in
thought and ideas, yet they are so utterly devoid of patience and tire so
easily, that they rarely, if ever, carry out their intentions. Such people appear
to their greatest advantage in company, or before strangers. They are good
conversationalists, they grasp the drift of a subject quickly, but they are
more or less superficial in knowledge, as also in other things ; they have not
the power of the student, through want of application ; they do not reason,
they judge by impulse and instinct. It is that quality which makes them
changeable in friendship and affection ; one can easily offend them over little
things. They are also very much influenced by the people they come in contact
with, and by their surroundings. They are impressionable in affaires de
cmur ; they carry their likes and dislikes to extremes ; they are usually quicktempered,
but temper with them is but a thing of the moment. They, however,
when out of temper, speak their mind plainly, and are too impetuous to
study words or expressions. They are always generous and sympathetic,selfish where then* own personal comfort is concerned, it is true, but not in
money matters; they are easily influenced to give money for charity, but,
alas ! here they have not the power of discrimination, consequently the money
is given to anybody or anything which may rouse their sympathies at the
moment. These hands never get that credit for charity which falls to the
lot of the more practical types. To get credit for charity very often consists
m savmg what we give to the beggar and giving it to the church, but the conic
fingers never think of that. The beggar comes, and if the impulse to give is
there—well, they give, and that is all.
This interesting type has been called, and deservedly so, the artistic, but
such relates more to temperament than to the carrying out of the artistic
ideas. It would really be more correct to say that the owners of such hands
are influenced by the artistic, than that they are artistic. They are more
easily influenced by color, music, eloquence, tears, joy, or sorrow, than any
other type. Men and women possessing this class of hand respond quickly to
sympathetic influences; they are emotional, and rise to the greatest heights
of rapture, or descend to the lowest depths of despair, over any trifle.
When the conic hand is hard and elastic, it denotes all the good qualities
of the first-mentioned, but accentuated by greater energy and firmness of will.
The conic hand hard is artistic in nature, and if encouraged for an artistic
life the energy and determination will go far toward making success. It
will have all the quickness of the first, with all the brilliancy and sparkle in
company and before strangers, and it is for that reason that the conic hand
has been chosen to represent those who lead a public life, such as actors,,
actresses, singers, orators, and all those who follow a purely emotional
career. But it must not be forgotten that such people depend more upon
the inspirational feeling of the moment than thought, reason, or study.
They will do things well, but will not know why or how they do them.
The smger will carry away her audience by her own individuality mor&
than by study of the song ; the actress, from her own emotional nature, will
stir the emotions of others ; and the orator will move multitudes by the eloquence
of his tongue—not by the logic of his words. It must, therefore, be
remembered that the type of hand but relates to the natural temperament
and disposition of the individual ; it is the foundation upon which the talent rises or falls. For instance, a woman with square fingers can be as great a
singer, and may often be capable of rising to greater things than the
woman with the pointed formation ; but she will reach that point by different
means—by her application, by her study, by her conscientious work, and
by the greater power of endurance and patience that she possesses. Study
and development are one half the ladder of fame. Genius sits on the rungs
to dream, Study works and rises rung by rung; it is the earthworms alone
who, dazzled by the heights above them, confound the two, and oft crown
Study and call it Genius. The artistic type as a type but relates to temperament
; the variety of fingers indicates only where that temperament is
strongest: as, for instance, the artistic hand with square fingers indicates
more the student, and, consequently, more exactness in foundation, method,
and correctness ; such persons will try and try again until they are successful.
The spatulate fingers on the artistic hand will give, say, to a painter
the greater breadth of design and color, the more daring ideas that will make
the man famous for his originality. The philosophic will give the mystical
treatment of the idea—the tones and semitones that subdue the already subdued
colors. The lights and shades that creep across the canvas, the poem in
the petals of the asphodel, the Benedictus in the hands that soothe the dying
all will be detail, but detail leading to the regions of the spirit ; all will be
calm, but with that calmness that awes one with the sense of the mysterious.

The Philosophical Or Knotty Hand

Illustration

The name of this type explain itself,the word "philosophic"being derived from the greek philos,love,and sopia,wisdom.This shape of hand is easily recoginzed:it is generally long and angular,with bony fingers,developed joints,and long nails.As far as success in the form of wealth is concerned,it is not a favorable type to have;it gleans wisdom,rarely,ifever,gold.People with such a type are,as a rule,student,but of peculiar subjects.They study mankind;they know every chord and tone in the harp of life;they play upon it,and are gratified with its responsive melody more than with the clink of coin.In this way they have as much ambition as other types of humanity,only theirs is of a different kind,that is all.They like to be distinct from other people,and they will go through all kinds of privations to attain this end;but as knowledge of man kind give power over man. Such people love mystery in all things.If they preach over the heads of the people;if they paint,they are mystic;if they are poets,they discard the dramatic clash and color of life for the visionary similes and vaporish drapings of the spirit. Theirs is the peace of the aestheic;theirs the domain beyond the borderland of matter;theirs the cloudland of thougt,where the dreaded  grub-worm of materialism dare not follow.Such hands are found very largely among the oriental nations,particularly in India.The Brahmans,Yogis,and other mystics possess them in great numbers.In England,striking examples are found in the hands of carinal Newman,Cardinal Manning,and Tennyson.They are also largely seen among the Jesuits of the Catholic Church,rarely in the English Church,and more rarely still in Baptists,Presbyterians,and Independents.In character they are silent and secretive;they are deep thinkers,careful over little matters,even in the use of little words,they are proud with the pride of being different from others;they rarely forget an injury,but they are patient with the patience if power.They wait for opportunities,and so opportunities serve them.Such hand are generally egotistical,which is in keeping with the life they lead.When in any excess of development they are more of less fanatical in religion or mysticism.Of this the most wonderful examples are found in the east,where from the earliest childhood the yogi wil separate himself from all claims of relationship and kindred,and starve and kill the body that they soul may live.

With these hands,therefore,it must be borne in mind that the developed joints are the peculiar characteristic of thoughful people,while the smooth,pointed fingers are the reverse.Such development gives the love of analyzing,but it is the shape of type of hand which determines whether that power of analysis be for chemicals or for mankind.The end of the finger being square and conic combined gives solemn tone to their inspiration and fits them specially for the religious thought or the mysticism with which,as a rule,they become associated.Again,these hands,in the pursuit of what they consider truth,will have the patience of the square type,with that love of self-martyrdom which is the characteristic of the conic.It is the blending of these almost opposite characteristics which brings about the peculiar ideas that make men and women with the philosophic type of hands so different from the practical drones in vast hive of humanity.

The Spatulate Or Active Hand

Illustration

The spatulate hand is so called not only because the tip of each finger resembles the spatula that chemists use in mortars,but also because the palm,instead of having the squareness of the preceding,type,is either unusually broad at the the wirst or at the base of the fingers.
When the greater breadth of formation is at the wrist,the palm of the hand becomes pointed towards the fingers;when on the contrary,the greatest breadth is found at the base of the fingers,the shape of the hand slopes back towards to wrist.We will discuss these two points a little later,but we must first consider the significance of the spatulate hand itself.
In the first place,the spatulate hand,when hard and firm,indicates a nature restless and excitable,but full of energy of purpose and enthusiam.When soft and flabby,which often the case,it denotes the restless but irritable spirit.Such a person works in fits amd start,but cannot stick to anything long.Now,in the first place,the peculiar attribute that the spatulate hand has is its intense love of action,energy,and independence.It belongs to the great navigators,explorers,discoverers,and also the great engineers and machanics,but it is by no mean confined to such people,and may be found in almost every walk of life.As a rule,it is a large hand,with fairly long,well-develpment fingers.The most striking characteristic of all is the singular independence of spirit that characterizes individuals possessing such a develoment.It is doubtless this spirit that makes then explorers and discoverers and causes them also to depart from the known rules of engineering and mechanics to seek the unknown,and thus becomes famous for their invention.No matter in what grade or position in life these spatulate hands find themselves,they always in some form strike out for themselves,and assert their right to possess a marked in dividuality of their own.A singer,actress,doctors,or preacher with such a development will break all rules of precedent-not bu any means for the sake of eccentricity,but simply because they have an original way of looking at things,and their sence of independence inclines them to resent suiting their brain to other people ideas.It is from the hand that we get out only our great discoverers and engineers,but also the whole army of men and women we pleased to call cranks,simple because they will not follow the rut made by the centuries of sheep that have gone before them.Such men and women with spatulate hands are the advance agents of thoughts.They are,it true,very often before their time;they are often wrong in the way they set about their work;but they are,as a rule,the heralds of some new thoughts or life what will,years laters,give life to their fellow-men.
This brings us down to the two divisions i have just mentioned.We will now consider their meaning.
The spatulate hand with the broad development at the base of the fingers it the more practical of the two.If he be an inventor,he will use his talents for making locomotives,ships,railways,and all the more useful things of life,for the simple reason thats he comes nearer the formation of the square type.But if he has the greater angular development at the wrist,his bent will be for action in the domain of ideas.He will invent flying-machines if he has the inventive talents,hunt for new flowers if he be a botanist,be the demigod of some new gospel if he be a priest.These people wonder that God took six days to make the earth-with the little power that they possess they would revolutionize the world in a day.But they all have purpose in the evolution of life;they are necessary,therefore they are created.

The Square Hand With Mixed Fingers

Illustration

This is a type that is often seen,and more so among men than among women.It consists of every finger being different in shape,sometimes two or three,sometimes all.It is often found that the thumb of such a hand supple,or bends back very much in the middle joint;the first finger is generally pointed,the second square,the third spatulate,and the fourth pointed.Such a hand indicates great versatility of ideas;at time such a man will be full of inspiration,again he will be scientific and extremely logical;he will descend from the most imaginative idea to the most pratical;he will discuss any subject with the greatest case;but from want of continuity of purpose,he will rarely,if ever,rise to any great height of power or success.

The Square Hand With Conic Fingers

Illustration

Now,though at first sight it may appear strange to say that musical composition comes under this head,yet a little cosideration will show that such not only the case,but that there is a logical reason that it should be so.In the first place,the square hand is more the hand of the student.It gives more the power of application and continuity of effort,while the conic fingers give the intuitive and inspirational faculties.The musical composer,no matter how imaginative,no matter how inspired in ideas,is certainly not without the student's side to his character.If we consider,for a moment the quality of brain and the disposition which is absolutely necessary,we will understand more clearly why the hand must be thus wonderfully balanced-why the inspirational,imaginative nature must be linked to that of the thoughful,the soild,the methodical,and that which also proceeds from the foundation of the known-as,for instance,harmony and counterpoint-to reach the world of the unknown,through the gates of imagination and idealism.That shape of the hand must be commonly called the conic or artistic;but the smallest observation of life will show that though the people with purely conic or artistic hands have the artistic nature and the appreciation of what is artistic,yet they may not have-and I have most often observed that they have not-the power or the ability to bring their ideas before the world in the same masterful way which the mixid square and conic do.

THE Square Hand With Spatulate Fingers

Illustration

This is the hand of invention,but always on practical lines.Men with this formation run the gamut in invention,but on the practical plane.They make useful things,instruments,and household articles,and are,as well,good engineers.They love mechanica work of almost every kind,and the finest useful mechanism has been turned out by men with square hand and the spatulate fingers.

The Square Hand With Knotty Finger

Illustration

This type is generally found with long fingers,and gives,in the first place,extreme love of detail.It is also fond of construction;it builds plans from any given point to any known possibility;it may not produce great tors ,and if it applies itself to medical work,or to science of any kind,it will choose some specialty and use its love of detail in the perfection of its own particular study.

The Square Hand With Short Square Fingers

Illustration

This peculiarity is very often found,and very easily recognized.The subject with such a type is materialistic in every sense of the term.He would be the kind of man who sould say:"Except i hear wih my ears and see with my eyes,I cannot belive."And even then i very much doubt if such a man would be convinced.It also denotes an obstinate kind of nature,as a rule,narrow minded.These people make money,but by plodding;they may not be miserly,but they are business-like and practical;they like to accumulate wealth;it is the material they seek.

The Shapes Of The Hand

We now leave the domain of what must be considered Palmistry, the study of the Lines of the Palm--or
Cheiromancy, as it was called by the Greeks from the word [Greek: cheír], the hand, and proceed to consider the meanings that can be derived from the shapes of the hands, fingers, etc., which is called Cheirognomy.

These two studies may be taken up separately, but by a knowledge of both the student will be doubly armed, especially in the reading of character.

To a judge of horseflesh the limbs of the horse give him such a fund of information as to the animals' breed,
training, etc., that it enables him to draw conclusions that he could not otherwise obtain.

In the same way the shape of the hand gives an enormous wealth of information as to breed and peculiarities
of human beings.

In a book of this nature I shall be able to give only the leading traits denoted by each type, but if readers wish
to carry out this study further, I must refer them to my larger works on the subject, in which the shapes of the
hands are described in the fullest detail.

The most casual observation of character as shown by the formation of hands will soon convince any person
of the value of this study. Even in itself it possesses the most far-reaching possibilities in helping to a clear
understanding of the difference that exists in races, their various blends of types, that have now spread
themselves by intermarriage and travel over the surface of the earth.

For example, the difference in the shape of the hands of the French and German or the French and English
races would convince any thinking person that temperament and disposition are indeed largely indicated by
the shape of the hand itself.

It is even a remarkable thing that though work and exercise may enlarge and broaden the hand, yet the type to which it belongs is never destroyed, but can be easily detected by anyone who has made a study of such
matters.

The Seven Types or Shapes of Hands are as follows:

(1) The Elementary--or lowest type.
(2) The Square--or the useful hand.
(3) The Spatulate--or nervous active type.
(4) The Philosophic--or jointed hand.
(5) The Conic--or the artistic type.
(6) The Psychic--or the idealistic hand.
(7) The Mixed Hand.

Rules For Rapid Observation - Hand, Hard And Soft

Even in the simple act of shaking hands, one can form conclusions about character.
Beware of any man or woman whose hand seems to slip from yours when you grasp theirs in greeting. Such
persons are deceptive and treacherous. They may smile at you with their lips, but instinctively they regard you
as their prey and will only use you for their own object.
A soft, fat hand is the indication of an indolent and more or less lazy person.
A firm hand is the sign of an energetic, reliable nature.
A very thin hand denotes a restless energetic disposition, but one that is given to worry, and fretting and is
generally discontented.
A thin hand that feels listless in one's grasp denotes a weak constitution that has only sufficient energy to live.
A cold, clammy hand is also a sign of poor health, but generally that of a very sensitive and nervous person.
A person who keeps his hands closed while talking, is distrustful in his nature, has little self-reliance and can
seldom be relied on by others.
A man or woman who gives a good firm grasp of the hand, is self-confident, energetic, and generally reliable.
When all the fingers (especially if the fingers be long) are seen always clinging, sticking, as it were, or folding
over one another it denotes very doubtful qualities in the nature of their possessor and a decided tendency
towards thieving and general lack of moral principal.
Remember that the hands are the immediate servants or instruments of the brain. There are more motive and
sensory nerves from the brain to the hand than to any other portion of the body and, whether sleeping or
waking, they continually and unconsciously reflect the thought and character of the mind or soul of the
individual.
It will, then, be seen from these observations that without looking at the lines of the hand, one may be able to
obtain certain details of character that are more trustworthy than those given by the face, and that these rules,
if followed, should be of the greatest assistance and value to people in all walks of life.

Rules For Rapid Observation - The Thumb

The thumb is in itself more expressive of character than any other member of the hand. It was D'Arpentigny
who wrote "the thumb individualises the man."

Illustration

Medical science has proved that there is such a thing as a "thumb centre" in the brain and any pressure or
disease in that part of the brain shows its effect in the thumb.

A large well-made thumb is the outward and visible sign of a strong-willed, determined person, be he man or woman.

The longer the thumb, the more the power of will rules the actions; the shorter the thumb, the more brute force and obstinacy sways the nature.

The shorter and more thick-set the nail phalange is, giving the appearance of a club, the more ungovernable is the person in his or her temper. Such people have no control over themselves and under the least opposition will fly into a blind rage of fury. This curious formation has been called the "Murderer's Thumb" because so many who have committed murder in a mad fit of passion have been found with this curious formation.

An employee with this class of thumb should never be given any position of authority over others, for he
could not curb his ungovernable temper. He would also be absolutely unbalanced in his jealousy, and no
woman who has the ambition to live to the usual "threescore-years-and-ten" should risk marriage to a man
with one of these thumbs. But as "love is blind" it is useless, I know, to give advice in such a case.
The first joint or nail phalange of the thumb, when long and thin, denotes the opposite of the above
characteristics. In such cases the person has the most absolute control over his temper, his will power is also
strong but quick and unobtrusive, and in a firm, determined way people with such a thumb manage others and bend those around them to their purpose.

The second joint, if delicately shaped, almost "waist like," indicates tact, diplomacy, and gentleness, also
subtlety in argument; but if this part of the thumb be full looking or equal in size to that of the nail phalange, it
denotes the person who cares nothing for tact but who, on all occasions, will speak his mind plainly, and with
brutal frankness.

When the thumb looks as if it were "tied in" close to the hand, the person is timid, easily frightened by both
people and circumstances, narrow-minded in his views, and miserly in his habits. It is a well-established fact
that the thumbs of all misers are "tied in" and cramped-looking. It is perhaps this very fear of things and
people that in the end makes them misers with their gold.

One need never waste one's time asking a person with one of these cramped-looking thumbs to do a favour,
and may God help the business man or woman who ever gets into such a person's clutches!
A thumb with the nail joint supple (bending backwards or as it is also called "double jointed") indicates a
character the exact opposite of that associated with the "tied in" thumb. Possessors of such a thumb are
generous, adaptable to others, extravagant, and impetuous in their actions and decisions. They promise things
quickly and are more often heard to say "Yes" than "No"; but if they have time for reflection, they very often go back on their promises.

Individuals having a "stiff-jointed" thumb, on the contrary, cannot easily adapt themselves to others. They are
distant and more reserved with strangers. When asked to do a thing, they generally first say "No," but on
reflection or when reasoned with, they often give in to the other and generally regret having done so. It is
useless to oppose such people--if one cannot lead them, it is no use attempting to force them against their will.

This type has more self-control than the type of people with the "supple jointed" formation, and is not so
generous or extravagant. Individuals of this group, however, make more reliable friends, so their friendship,
though difficult to obtain, is generally worth having.
A thumb standing very far out from the hand (almost at right angles to the palm) is not a good sign for
ordinary success. Such people go to extremes in everything they do and are generally fanatics in religion,
social reform, or whatever line of thought occupies their attention.

Rules For Rapid Observation - The Fingers

The Fingers:-

Illustration

Observe the fingers. If they look short and stumpy in proportion to the rest of the palm--one may be sure that
the individual to whom they belong is of an animal nature, possessing coarse instincts, devoid of real
intellectuality, and belonging to the lower order of humanity.
If the fingers and the palm appear equal in length, the owner belongs to a more cultured race. He has inherited
from a more intellectual line of ancestors and for all work requiring intelligence and a higher mentality he or
she could be depended on, whereas the first-mentioned type could not--no matter how well he might talk or
advocate his own superiority.
If the fingers look unusually long and thin, and in this way out of proportion to the palm, the man or woman
will err on the side of too much ideality and refinement and is not suited to business or work requiring "level
headedness" and practicality. It would be useless, for example, to put such a person in charge of work-people
or over work-rooms. His ideality and refinement would be thrown away in such positions, and even with the
best will in the world he would be completely out of harmony with his surroundings.
Such a man, however, could be depended upon in all positions requiring personal mental work, research,
science, literature, philosophy, educational work or, in fact, anything relating to the higher qualities of the
mind.
If his fingers, in addition to their length, were also knotty or jointed (joints much pronounced), he could be
depended on to a still greater extent for all work requiring great thoughtfulness, detail, and concentration of
mind.
If, on the other hand, these long fingers were smooth jointed, he would, while having the same desire for
ideality and for everything intellectual, be impulsive and inspirational, would lack a sense of detail and a love
for detail in his own work, would be visionary, artistic, emotional. Such a person would be suited to artistic
work, such as painting, making designs, models, etc., but could not be trusted to perform anything requiring
detail, research or science, and would be utterly useless in any position where discipline or control of others
were required.


4THE FINGERS CONSIDERED SEPARATELY

Let us now observe the fingers separately from the rest of the hand.
The first finger is considered as the Dictator, the Lawgiver, the finger of Ambition, the Indicator, the Pointer,
etc.
If this finger is unusually long and nearly equals the second, all these tendencies are extremely pronounced.
Therefore, if your employee has this finger long, you can safely entrust him with control over, and charge of
others. You will be amazed how well he or she will make rules and regulations and see that they are obeyed;
but beware, Mr. Employer, lest your first finger is short in proportion as that of your employee is long, for, if
such be the case, you too will have "to toe the line" and you may find yourself in a very disagreeable position.
But let me give you a further warning: Should this man or woman have a first finger that is long and crooked,
you will assuredly find out to your cost that the personal ambitions of such an individual are "crooked." Such
an employee would be perfectly unscrupulous in finding out your secrets and getting you into his power.
If the second finger is straight and well shaped, its owner will be very serious, a little inclined to melancholy,
but will pay due regard to whatever responsibilities with which he may be entrusted, but again beware if this
finger is crooked. In this case the owner would be, however, more subject to what may be called "a crooked
fate" than wilfully "wrong." Such people are, as a rule, the children of strange circumstances over which they
seem to have no control. They are continually getting themselves into trouble and into false positions, but, I
must admit, more by a strange fatality of things than by their own wilful actions. Nevertheless, such
infelicities might be very unpleasant for their employer, especially if he has more heart than brains.
The third finger, if extremely long and straight, indicates an extraordinary desire for glory, celebrity, publicity
and the like; and although this might be an extremely good quality in the case of an actor, preacher, politician
or public man, it may be most undesirable if such a person is to occupy the position of a private secretary, or
the confidential clerk to some family lawyer.
If this finger is crooked as well as very long, all the above qualities will be intensified and exaggerated. The
love of spending money and fondness for show will also be more marked, the gambling tendencies very
pronounced. No position involving the handling of money, should be entrusted to the possessor of such a
finger.
The fourth, or little finger, if long (passing the nail joint of the third) is indicative of power of speech and
subtlety in choice of language--the saying "to twist a person round one's little finger" originated from this very
sign. Such people have a marvellous gift of speech, eloquence and flow of language, valuable gifts, of course,
for orators and public persons, but not desirable qualities in a wife if a man is fond of sleep.
A short "little finger" denotes the reverse of the above. Such persons find the greatest difficulty in expressing
what they want to say, but they can write better than speak and should be encouraged to do so.
These individuals have, however, not much power over others and the shorter the "little finger" is, the more
timid and sensitive they are in the presence of strangers. If this finger is crooked, then these weaknesses are all
the more emphasised, but if formed crooked and long the power of eloquence is also crooked. Such people
will tell any "fairy tale" to suit their purpose--they are natural born liars and the position of President of the
Ananias Club is their rightful inheritance.
The first and third fingers absolutely of equal length is the best sign of an equally balanced mind, but such a
sign is rather rare to find.
When the fingers are very supple in the joints and turn backwards or outwards from the palm, it is an
indication of a quick wit and clever brain; but such persons lack continuity of purpose. They have no "hold,"
as it were, on any one thing.
Fingers slightly curved inwards towards the palm, denote persons slow to grasp an idea, or a subject, but such

people have retentive memories and "hold" or grip, as it were, any one thing they may take up.