THE MAJOR LINES

The Life Line

The life line is the lowest of the three. It begins on the edge of the hand between the thumb and forefinger, and extends in a downward arc. Contrary to popular belief, the length of the lifeline does not necessarily correspond to the length of your life. It is a measure of how you live, not how long you live. Quality, not quantity. This is because your palm is changeable—it reflects the course you're currently on, but if you alter it, it will reflect your new direction.So if your life line is short, fear not. Many people with short life lines have led long, full lives. In fact, some parents become frightened when they notice that one of their children has a short life line (the three major lines actually form only eight weeks into the embryonic stage of a baby's development). What they fail to realize is that the length will change as the child grows older.It's more important that the life line extend as far as possible across the palm. If your life line fits this description, you have a great zest for living, you look forward to waking up and greeting each day, and you are blessed with an exceptional amount of energy and stamina. It stands to reason that with your great enthusiasm for life, you are likely to live much longer.Conversely, if your lif e line is shaped like a semicircle that arcs inward back towards the thumb, you need to work on your stamina and attitude. You are more likely to be depressed, to encounter more day-to-day problems, and you tire easily. You need to balance your life so you get enough exercise and stimulating activity, but also more quality rest and relaxation. This will improve your overall outlook on life, and thus help extend it.What if you show a break in the life line? Does that indicate a serious calamity? Not usually. You're likely to experience a change in your outlook at that time, brought on by a change in another area—it could be your health, or your relationship, or your career. By examining the lines that represent those areas later, you can perhaps find a clue, and so avoid unneccessary crises in your life.If you see a break in the life line surrounded by a box, this is very promising. It means you can handle the problem the break suggests and overcome it smoothly. But if the box does not surround a break, it suggests confinement, perhaps even prison. Knowing this in advance will help you avoid it, and the box will disappear. Really.How do you chart time on your life line? Once again, the length of the line does not accurately reflect the length of your life. But you can still estimate time on it. The best method is to draw an imaginary line fronvyour second finger down to the life line. The point that it meets the life line is about the age of thirty-five. So if you see a break in the life line just beyond this point, you can prepare yourself for a change in your life just after that age.If you know of a major event in your life that happened earlier than age thirty-five, such as an accident or breakup or death of a loved one, you might see a mark on your life line before the thirty-five point. From there, you can figure the number of years by the difference in length, and then use the same distance to figure events in the future. So if you broke both legs in a skiing accident at age twenty-five, which is indicated by a break in your life line an inch before the thirty-five point, you can assume that an inch beyond that point indicates age forty-five, and so on.You might also notice a large number of very fine lines around the base of the thumb. Some may even cross the life line, or be more prominent than others. These are worry lines, and the more you have the more worrying you've done in your life, and will continue to do. Worrying, however, is not healthy. It leads to all sorts of health problems and psychological unhappiness. Learn to relax and enjoy life more, and these lines will gradually disappear.

The Head Line

Logically, you would think the head line would be the uppermost of the three major lines. But no. The head line is the middle one, and it represents intelligence and the quality of your thinking.In general, the longer the head line, the more intellectually gifted you are. If you have a very long head line—one that extends all the way across the palm to the outer edge, you have a wide range of interests, great powers of insight, and enormous capacity for learning.If your head line extends to about the area under the little finger, you are bright, quick-thinking, and have several main interests.If your head line ends in the area under the ring finger (the average length), you are practical. You get to the point and get on with it, rather than debate and analyze like those with longer head lines are prone to do.Head lines can also be divided into two distinct types: practical and imaginative. Practical head lines extend in a virtual straight line across the palm. If this is yours, you are a logical thinker, not one to take something on faith. You are best-suited for a career that emphasizes logic and analysis over imagination.Imaginative head lines extend in a downward arc towards the wrist. The further the arc extends downward, the more imaginative you are. If it extends so far downward it actually connects with the wrist, you are so imaginative as to be somewhat out of touch with the workings of the real world. If it has a more gentle arc, you are highly creative, and you know how to succeed with your gifts. You also have a need to surround yourself with natural beauty or things that inspire your imagination.Some people show a fork on their head line. This is very positive—it indicates a head suited both for practical matters and imaginative ideas. If you show this, you've probably learned how to succeed by using both qualities to your advantage.If the head line slopes upward, it indicates a need for material possessions. You want to get rich, and the sooner the better.It's also useful to examine the point at which the head line begins. There are two main scenarios here—dependence and independence. First, if it's joined to the life line at its origin, it indicates a cautious personality. If it begins beneath the life line, it means you needed the protection of your parents early in life, and still lack a good deal of confidence in yourself. If it's actually joined with the life line for a short distance, you were not able to separate yourself from your parents for awhile, and needed their help and guidance to make decisions.But if your head line does not connect with your life line, you were born independent and remain so to this day. It didn't take you long to affirm your identity, and you might even have had some conflicts with your family in your youth as a result. The farther away from your life line, the more independent you are. If your head line starts at the base of your forefinger, you are so determined to get your way in life that nothing will stop you.

The Heart Line

The heart line is the uppermost of the three major lines, and extends in the opposite direction of the other two. It begins on the outer edge of the palm and ends somewhere under the first two fingers.There are two main types of heart lines: physical and mental, which are rather like the popular classifications of personalities as Type A or Type B. The physical heart line, for instance, curves upward at the end, finishing either on one of the first two fingers or between them. If this matches your heart line, you are able to express yourself and your feelings well, and are capable of overcoming emotional pain. If you have a relationship breakup, for example, you have your share of hurt feelings, but you get over it and move on.If your heart line simply goes straight and ends before the first two fingers, without curving, ifs the mental type. You are very sensitive, and you don't recover from emotional trauma well. You keep your feelings to yourself, and so suffer the blues a great deal. You are emotional to the point where it often blocks your practical sense.No matter which type of heart line you have, the point where it ends is quite important. If it stops somewhere between the first two fingers, you are well-balanced. The first finger represents the ego and self-concern, the second worldly judgement, so in this case your needs are met, but in the context of reality. This offers the best chance for happiness.If your heart line stops on the first finger, you are selfish to a fault: your ideals are often unattainable in the real world, and so you will be so selective as to hurt your own chances for finding a mate.If your heart Line ends on your second finger, especially after curving downwards, you are gifted with a special love for humanity. You are a care-giver, a nurturer, and simply all heart. But you place the needs of others before your own happiness, so while this is a wonderful, rewarding quality to serve the world, it is often at your own expense.Many heart lines will fork near the end. This is not a negative sign, just an indication of emotional complexity. If you have three or more lines that look like branches, you are the ultimate romantic—extremely emotional and in love with love. This is actually considered a lucky mark, but only if you're in a relationship with a partner who is just as supportive emotionally.You might notice marks in the early stages of your heart line that look like chain links. These are indications of emotional stresses. They're very common in the first half of life; if the line continues onward smoothly, you'll have a happy, stable romantic life thereafter.Finally, you might notice a small companion line that runs parallel with your heart line towards its end. If so, you're a lucky soul. This is an indication of a long-lasting relationship that extends through the later years of life. What could be better?