How to Read Palms

There are skeptics who will tell you palm reading is BS (as in bad scam -- remember, family website). But for those who think there may be something to it and would like to try their hand at it (no pun intended) -- here are some basics.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Determine which is the active hand and which is the passive. For instance, if you are a rightie, the active will be the right hand and the passive, the left. The passive hand should be studied more for inherited characteristics and the active hand to reflect changes.

2. Identify the three main lines in your palm: the heart line (or love line) is the top line closest to the fingers, the head line is the middle and life line is at the bottom.

3. Look at the heart line, which relates to emotions and love. If the line begins right under the index finger, you are more likely to be in a loving relationship. If it begins below the middle finger, you are more self-centered and tend to pull back from love. A line that begins between the middle and index finger signifies something in between.

4. A heart line that goes across the hand suggests a person who is more controlled or closed off emotionally. A line that curves upward towards the index finger indicates a more affectionate person.

5. Observe the length of the heart line. The longer it is, the more concerned you are with love. The shorter it is, the more interested you are in sex. If the heart line points downward and touches your life line (which is on the bottom), then it's easy for you to have your heart broken. A line that is long and curvy indicates that you freely express your emotions and feelings. A heart line that is straight and parallel to the head line indicates that you have more of a handle on your emotions.

6. Observe the head line, which relates to the way you think. The space between the beginning of the head line and the beginning of the life line, indicates how cautious you are. When these lines are joined at the beginning, you tend to have a more cautious and possibly fearful nature. The further apart, the more of a risk-taker you are.

7. Look at the length of the head line. The longer the line, the more emphasis you put on thought and intellect. A wavy line indicates that you have a shorter attention span and tend to avoid deeper thinking.

8. Study your life line (which begins at the edge of your palm, in between your thumb and index finger) and reflects the quality and length of your life. If it runs close to your thumb, it indicates that you have less energy. The more curvy the line, the more energetic and optimistic you are. If the line swoops around in a semicircle, you are extra strong and enthusiastic. If the line is straight and stays close to the edge of your palm, you are more cautious.

9. Observe the length and depth of the life line. The longer and deeper the line, the longer and healthier the life.

10. See if you have more than one life line. If you have two or three, this means you are very positive with a zest for life. If you have lines that extend up and beyond your life line, you are resilient and recover well from bad situations, but if you have lines that extend below your life line, you tend to dwell on the negative.

Tips & Warnings

• Contrary to popular belief, the lines on your palm do not remain the same throughout your life. The lines change as we change.

• For a frame of reference, it helps to have an additional palm to look at aside from your own.

• Palm reading is a not a form of fortune telling. It doesn't predict the future.

• Don't make life-changing decisions, become unfaithful or break up with your partner based on the lines in your palm.