(If you have not read, please read Lesson #3 first)
In the previous lesson we have learnt the names and portfolios of major lines. In this lesson we propose to describe the minor lines.
Minor Lines in the Hand
1. Line of Mercury
It starts from the centre of the lower portion of palm or near the mount of the Moon and runs upwards towards the mount of Mercury. It could have been included in the major lines except that it is absent in a very large number of palms. It is also known by some other names, e.g., line of health, line of liver or hepatica. This line is a very important indicator of the state of health specially related to the digestive system and functioning of the liver, hence the related names. If this line is clearly marked, is straight and faultless, not joined to the life-line, it indicates good health, good memory and good business acumen. In this sense, the line of Mercury has remarkable resemblance to the astrological characteristics attributed to Virgo, the moolatrikona sign of Mercury, the planet. Virgo being the 6th house of Kaalapurusha is also the custodian of health and disease in general.
Cheiro disagrees with other authors on palmistry and suggests that this line actually starts from the mount of Mercury and travels down the palm as a man grows older. If and when it touches the life-line, it may cause death, even if the life-line is long. In such a case the line of health would be strongly marked in the hand. If it is weak it only indicates weak constitution and not death. It is best to be without this line at all, since, in practical terms, if a line is there, it is bound to have some defect, however small. Complete absence denotes a robust and healthy constitution. It is absolutely imperative to closely examine the line of Mercury for any kind of health problem. When the line is twisted and irregular it indicates biliousness and liver complaints, when formed in small pieces, bad digestion, when made up of small islands with long filbert nails danger to lungs and chest. If the line is the same but the nails are broad, it indicates throat trouble. If this line is heavily marked and exists only between head and heart lines, it indicates brain fever. This line should always be seen along with nails, life-line defects and other health marks in the hand.
2. The Via Lasciva
This line is often seen as a sister line to line of health. It is a short segment of line. It gives lasciviousness and a force to one’s sexual passions. If it originates from the mount of Venus, it shows a craving for excitement and may shorten life due to excesses committed. If wavy, it shows drug addiction and indulgence. It is often confused with the line of Mercury but thankfully, it is not found in most hands.
3. The line of Intuition
This line would rarely be found on square or spatulate hands as this is more in tune with the conic or psychic hand. It is like a semi-circular segment lying on the mount of the Moon and sort of connecting it to the mount of Mercury. It is nearly in the same position as the line of Mercury but it distinguishes itself by its curved formation. It indicates a person keenly sensitive to his surroundings and influences. Such a person has an intuitional (beyond reason or logic) feeling of presentiment pertaining to others. Such people receive uncanny vibrations from others and their judgement of people or places or happenings turns out to be true. If one is conscious of it one can develop this attribute, otherwise it can also fade away with time. A deep, well-marked line of intuition indicates strong intuition, well utilised by successful mediums and clairvoyants. A broken or defective line shows only a limited or unreliable intuitive power.
4. The Girdle of Venus
It is a semi circular line that starts from between the fingers of Jupiter and Saturn and ends between the fingers of Sun and Mercury. It should not be mistaken for a second heart-line as the heart-line ends on the percussion. Any way, it denotes the qualities that may be ascribed to a sister heart-line. That indicates a double supply of heart-qualities. The earlier palmists always attached an extreme meaning to it. They named it after Venus and considered it causing license, profligacy and debauchery or derangement of sexual functions. In actual practice, this meaning can be attributed to girdle of Venus if rest of the hand supports it, i.e., a swollen and heavily rayed mount of Venus, a drooping line of head, a lot of lines criss-crossing the hand. But whatever the kind of hand, it surely indicates an intense state of nervousness and, therefore, proneness to hysteria. Subjects possessing the girdle of Venus are likely to indulge in self-abuse like masturbation and/or drug-addition specially around the teens and after. A broken girdle of Venus indicates nervous excitability and the deep cut girdle indicates excessive side. At the same time, if the physical side is strong or the animal heat is high, one actually commits excesses, otherwise it is all in the mind. Cheiro has written that when it is unbroken it certainly gives a most unhappy tendency toward hysteria and despondency.
Some palmists relate this line to perversions in sexual habits. Many gay people have this line. This line can also be often found amongst artists, musicians and writers because it indicates a high degree of sensitivity and intellectual nature. It requires a very balanced judgement of the Cheirognomy of the entire hand to give an accurate reading of this line for an individual.
5. The line of Marriage
This is a small segment of a line that starts from the percussion and cuts across the mount of Mercury. This line is also called the line of affection or union or liaison. It does not necessarily show marriage, but it surely shows affection whether or not solemnised into a legal marriage, since the law and custom in different countries and in different ages can be vastly different. If this line is well marked, long, free of defects, it shows strong and lasting attachment. Defects such as a break, island or cross on the line indicate troubles in marriage. If the line droops towards the heart-line it may indicate lessening of affection and the spouse may die earlier than the subject.
Different lines indicate different affections. The lines closer to the heart-line indicate love affairs of youth. The higher the line towards the finger of Mercury, the later the affection it shows. Duration of the affections may be seen by the length of the line.
If the line is altogether absent, it shows an incapacity of the person to feel deep affection. If there is a deeply marked short line running parallel to the main affection line, it indicates that a previous love affair has not completely been terminated.
If a line of affection sends a branch into the mount of Sun and ends in a star, the subject will have an affection for some one brilliant and famous.
If an influence line comes from the lower mount of Mars, it may indicate legal hassles in marriage or divorce. If such a line comes from the mount of Venus, it indicates that a relation is causing disturbance in the marriage. If the line of affection is broken it can indicate divorce or death of the partner. But if the break is enclosed in a square, it means the affection will be restored. Small fine lines cutting the line of affection may indicate financial difficulties to the subject or health problems to the spouse.
6. Line of Mars
It is a line that runs inside and parallel to the life-line. It is also known as the inner vital line or inner life-line. Essentially, it is a sister-line to the life-line. It rises on the mount of Mars and sweeps down the palm by the side of the life-line. When it is present, it is well marked. Thin and faint lines are merely influence lines and do not possess the properties attributed to line of Mars. The most important characteristic of this line is that it denotes excess of health and in this sense it repairs the defects which may otherwise be present on the life-line of a delicate subject. Rising from Mount of Mars it adds Martian qualities to the subject and thus it is an excellent line on the hands of a soldier or someone in police or military service. On a broad hand it may indicate fighting or quarrelsome disposition. If the life-line and the line of Mars both are strong and deep, the subject will have tremendous vitality, great endurance and much aggression. Such people are very intense and the danger lies in their overdoing things.
If there is a break in the life-line, the line of Mars, if running close to it, will make the subject recover from a close- to-death experience. If the line is not too deeply marked and is not too close to the life-line, it indicates a close relative’s influence on the subject. If the line starts close to the line of life but slowly increases its distance and finally fades away, it indicates that the influence has slowly withered.
If a line emanates from the line of Mars and goes to the line of affection which has a fork at its end, it is the unfaithfulness of the subject that will ruin the happiness of the married life.
7. The Ring of Solomon
This is a small curved line around the mount of Jupiter or at the base of the finger of Jupiter. It is a sure indicator of love of occult studies. Whether a person is proficient or evolved in these studies will be confirmed by the other necessary Cheirognomic indications. It is generally found in a much lined hand. These people almost invariably take deep interest in psychology. But any accomplishments in the field of occult come to those who have energy, ability to study and show perseverance at it. There are enough of mere talkers around.
8. The Ring of Saturn
This line is similar to the Ring of Solomon but it is present on the mount of Saturn instead of Jupiter. Sometimes it makes a perfect semi-circle but often it is composed of a couple of lines which cross the mount of Saturn. There is a lack of continuity of purpose and persistence in one direction in a subject having this marking. This results in poor success or unsustain growth in his undertakings. This line will often be found in the hands of unsuccessful people, prisoners or cases of suicides. At best it is an unfortunate marking to have in the hand. It turns the subject into a bad Saturnine who loses the balancing qualities of the mount of Saturn.
9. The Rascettes
At the base of the palm generally there are one, two, or three lines that are called rascettes. They are also called bracelets because that is where a bracelet will rest if it is worn. Clearly marked bracelets indicate a robust constitution and a happy and prosperous life. In contrast, when the lines are chained, broad or shallow, they indicate weak constitution. The most significant reading derived from the bracelets is when the top line is curved into the palm significantly. In such a case it indicates that the person is nervous and may lack sexual vigour. In the hand of a woman this would indicate difficulty in child birth. In very bad cases it may even indicate sterility.
10. Travel lines
Long lines rising from the rascette upwards to the mount of the Moon indicate travels. Very long lines mean long journeys. In a soft and flabby hand these lines may appear even if the subject is mentally travelling along with a travelogue. Some authors consider the horizontal lines marked on the mount of Moon as indicating travels. But in our experience those lines more often indicate health defects specially pertaining to kidney or intestines. This is more in keeping with the idea that vertical lines are good lines and horizontal lines are obstructions, in general.
11. The lines of Children
It is one of the most uncertain areas of palm reading to predict the number of children and also tell how many sons and how many daughters. The western palmists call the vertical lines on the mount of Mercury as the lines of children. When the lines are thin, slanting and weak, they indicate daughters. When the lines are deep, upright and clear they indicate sons. Healthy children will be indicated by clear, faultless lines and sickly children are indicated by weak, islanded or fuzzy lines.
The Indian palmistry considers children from other places in the hand. Vertical lines on the mount of Venus below the thumb are said to indicate the number of children. Children can also be seen from the horizontal lines on the mount of upper Moon or upper Mars. Some tell from vertical lines on the second phalange of Mercury finger and also from second phalange of Saturn finger.
Some authors have found the ‘yuv’ on the second joint of the thumb as a sure sign of at least one male issue.
© Vinay Aditya, Vedic Astrology