Skin Types

Before examining the details of the palm, check the back of your hand and assess your skin type, to see what it reveals about you. There are three major categories: smooth, healthy, and worn (obviously, don't cheat and rub lotion on it just before you do this).If your skin is smooth, you are known for your good taste and sophisitication, but you may be a bit lazy. You're more of a thinker than a doer, and need to be reminded of practicalities—like paying bills—often.If your skin is healthy and firm, somewhere between smooth and rough, you are physical and active, something of an outdoorsy type, but not overly so. You love sports and staying in shape, and you are very efficient in everything you do.If your skin is worn and rough, you obviously spend a great deal of time outdoors. To you, physi-cality is your most important quality. You are very strong, love challenges, and often meet dares just to prove your mettle. You thrive in wide-open spaces.The FingersThere are four types of fingers, each of which define a certain characteristic of your personality: thick, soft, thin, and sinuous.If you have thick fingers, which are strong and square at the tips, you are realistic and down-to-earth. You're also pragmatic, hard-working, materialistic, and opinionated.If you have soft fingers, it's not because you're overweight. They're there for a reason. You have a warm, loving, receptive personality. You have an intuitive sense about people—you pick up their thoughts and emotions non-verbally, and by your keen sense of touch. Your fingers are smooth around the knuckles and the tips are shaped like cones.If you have thin fingers, you're more the analytical type. You're idealistic, critical, and logical. Your knuckles are more defined and your tips are square or just a little rounded. The skin tends to be dry as well.If you have sinuous fingers, with knuckles that are barely pronounced and tips shaped like trap-ezoids, you're an active type. You get nervous a lot, but you also get a lot done, and therefore achieve success earlier.It's possible that you can have a combination of these four types, but it's rare. More likely is an unusual combination of fingers and palms. For example, a rectangular palm, which indicates sensitivity and imagination, is most likely to have soft fingers, because they fit closely with the personality type. But you could easily have rectangular palms and thin fingers, meaning your sensitive but logical as well—a good combination of heart and head. We're all unique, so expect the overall picture to be somewhat complex.A fun aspect to the fingers is their mythological associations, as follows:The index finger is associated with Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. It therefore represents leadership and pride. If it's long, you are strong-willed and even a bit dictatorial; medium, you're a quieter, more graceful leader; short, you more of an advisor than a president.The middle finger represents Saturn, as well as the qualities of good judgement, balance, fairness, and planning. If it's long, you're very cautious and must be convinced before making a decision; medium, you're a little more open-minded, a moderate; short, you need to spend more time deciding what's right.The ring finger is that of Apollo, and signifies, as you might suspect, romance and style (you don't wear that symbol of romance there for nothing). If it's long, you're passionate and a tastemaker, one who creates fashion trends; if it's medium, you're quietly tasteful and romantically active; short, you follow the prevailing trends and are very loyal in relationships.The little finger is associated with Mercury, which we learned in astrology represents communications, speed, writing, and conversation. If it's long, you're a great talker and natural salesperson; medium, you make a convincing case when you feel the need to; short, you're a shy listener.The thumb represents the goddess Rhea, and more importantly, the will. Since it's opposed to the other four, it can easily dominate the tendencies of all of them. If it's long, you are stubborn and used to getting what you want; medium, you're a good negotiator, and you understand the nature of give-and-take situations; short, you give up too easily.