Over the years, little shops tucked back in alleyways or calling out to people from the boardwalks have become increasingly popular. Ai??Whether people are looking for a way to start preparing for the rest of their lives, or just curious skeptics wanting a laugh, they find themselves sitting in front of a palmist wanting to hear every word they utter.

Based on a survey of over 100 Stroudsburg High School students, although 63% of students do not believe that palmistry can predict the future, 47% of the students would attend a palmist. Ai??Even those who believe palmistry is based upon nothing canai??i??t wait to learn what their lines are holding.

Palmistry is the foretelling of the future through the study of the palm. Ai??Cultures in areas such as India, Tibet, China, Persia, Sumeria, Ancient Israel, and Babylonia have practiced palm reading for thousands of years. Ai??Rulers such as Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Alexander the Great popularized palmistry by using the technique to find which people were best to work with based on their hands.

No person in the world has the same lines on their hands. Ai??These lines could be thought of as fingerprints or even snowflakes, each one is unique and has no known repeating pattern. Ai??Aristotle himself said, ai???Lines are not written into the human hand without reason. Ai??They emanate from heavenly influences and manai??i??s own individuality.ai???

People from all walks of life have been exposed to palmistry through movies and television. All groups of people have been introduced to palmistry whether they are aware of it or not. Ai??Movies such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame present information regarding palmistry to young children in a way they can understand, while a TV show such as The Simpsons (in Season 4) allows palmistry to be presented in a way that brings the information forth as funny or entertaining. Ai??But thatai??i??s just it: is palmistry just for entertainment, or can you trust this ai???science?ai???

Many palmists refer to themselves as doctors, although there is no medical education needed to acquire the job. Ai??As usual, there are two sides of debate in the world of palmistry: those who believe palmistry is a science, and those who believe it is a pseudo-science.

Although this profession has been referred to as science in numerous books and websites, it is said that palmistry is not based upon anything other than the skill of inferring things based upon the appearance and personality of the customer. Ai??Many believe that it is simply human nature to want to know what is going to happen in the future and that a simple ai???nudgeai??? in the right direction gives hope to those looking for change. Thomas Fuller sums up the reason for the appeal of something like palm reading rather well: ai???If it were not for hopes, the heart would break.ai???

Another debate in the palmistry world argues forewarned vs. forearmed. Ai??To be able to look into the future is considered a natural skill that one must be born with. Ai??Those who use their skills are said to be helping the rest of the human population.

Many people believe that predicting the future by the use of palms helps prepare them for what is to come, while others believe that palmistry helps them prevent what is to come. Ai??Each side is based upon the personai??i??s outlook on their life and future. Ai??These outlooks can become known (though maybe not completely correct) when a palmist reads the lines on a hand.

One of Irelandai??i??s most successful authors, Michael Scotts, captures the essence of reading a personai??i??s lines when he proclaims, “Just as a pebble thrown into the water creates ripples, so our thoughts create similar effects on our palms.”

Each line has a separate meaning and gives insight to character traits that a person possess. Ai??The left hand is believed to tell the potential one was born with while the right hand tells what one has done with their potential. Ai??Lines on a hand run both vertically and horizontally relating to all different areas of life.

Everyoneai??i??s hand has three main lines: the headline and heart line, and the life line. Ai??Palmists believe that the life line is the most important in predicting the future of a person. Ai??Along with reading someoneai??i??s lines, palmists also obtain information by reading the type of hand a person is born with.

There are four major types of hands, which are as follows; earth hands, air hands, water hands, and fire hands. Ai??Not only does the type of hand describe a personality, but also the temperature of the hand. Ai??If a hand is clammy, that person is said to be lazy and unstable but also well-intentioned. Ai??If a hand is always hot, that person is wild and successful but also insincere. If a hand is cold, that person is generous and reserved but may tend to be a hermit.

A more in depth palmist will not only read the characteristics of the palm, but also the mounts. Ai??Unlike lines on the hand, a mount is the raised area under the finger. Ai??They can either be flat, normal, or high and are named after planets. All mounts represent different things.

Palmists use all of this information and their natural skills to, some might say, provide entertainment, and to others, predict the future. Whether we believe in foretelling the future or not, Ai??we may all need a ai???nudgeai??? in the right direction to allow life to become exciting and worthwhile.

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Lines

Types of Hands

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Mounts