| "Cross my palm with silver, luvvie" smiles the deeply | | | | a person takes, once a line has developed, it's there to |
| tanned, middle-aged palmist in true gypsy tradition, her | | | | stay. Even if the skin is surgically removed, when it |
| beautifully manicured hand held out across the | | | | grows back those same lines will again be present. |
| velvet-clad table. I duly hand over my 10-pound note, | | | | While some lines will appear on the passive hand, the |
| as instructed by the sign at the entrance, and my | | | | hand that shows our future rather than our past, most |
| reading begins. | | | | will develop on the dominant hand--the hand that we |
| The palmist asks to see my left hand and promptly | | | | write with--and are connected with events of that |
| tells me that I've experienced a recent relationship | | | | have gone before. Our hands are, in other words, our |
| crisis. How clever! The fact that there's a slight white | | | | personal diaries. |
| band around my third finger where a wedding ring | | | | Most curiosity towards palmistry is based around the |
| once sat might have been a clue, but I let it slide. "Yes, | | | | palmist's potential to foresee the future. But can they |
| that's right," I confirm, not wanting to show my | | | | really do that? With the passive hand being the hand |
| scepticism towards palmistry. | | | | that holds the key to future events, you'd think 'fortune |
| "You have children, but I see at least one more in your | | | | telling' would be an easy enough task but never forget |
| future." Another good guess. My two children are | | | | that we're personally in control of our own destinies, so |
| waiting outside with a friend, andit's certainly not | | | | palmistry can only give us an indication of possible |
| uncommon for a woman entering into a new | | | | future events and of the strengths and weaknesses |
| relationship whilst still in her twenties to have another | | | | on which we can base future choices. |
| child, is it? | | | | It's said that some health problems could be avoided |
| The 'reading' continued in much the same tone, with | | | | by reading the hands, as forewarned is forearmed. |
| the palmist--'Gypsy Rose Lee', was it?--offering vague | | | | Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen both used |
| information about events that would happen in the | | | | palmistry as a clinical aid and today's medical |
| future. A few warnings were thrown in-- "beware of a | | | | profession acknowledges that certain generic and |
| serious health problem around your 40th birthday"-- | | | | psychological abnormalities are reflected by unusual |
| and by the time I left her tent, I was firm in my belief | | | | markings in the hand. |
| that ten pounds had just gone sailing up the Swanee. | | | | However, it isn't just the lines and markings in our |
| A Short History of Palmistry | | | | hands that palmists look at. The colour of the skin, the |
| Cave drawings of hands showing the major lines are | | | | shape of the hands, the length of the fingers, the finger |
| commonplace and indicate that there has been some | | | | nails, and even the way in which we present our |
| kind of interest in palmistry since prehistoric times. | | | | hands, all say something about us. |
| Medieval stone, wood and ivory carvings of hands are | | | | Finding A Reputable Palmist |
| abundant and are almost certainly part of the first | | | | Palmistry is practised all over the world, although not |
| gypsy traditions. | | | | every practitioner is a true palmist. |
| Modern palmistry was once part of "Samudrik | | | | Flamboyant hoaxers abound at funfairs and along |
| Shastra" or, translated into English, "The Ocean of | | | | many seaside promenades, most basing their |
| Knowledge", a set of skills that originated in India over | | | | deceptions on old gypsy traditions, often bringing the |
| three thousand years ago. These ancient traditions | | | | true gypsy palmist into disrepute. Such 'palmists' should |
| eventually spread from the Far East through Egypt | | | | be avoided, as while some may be honest, it's |
| and Greece to the West, where they were quickly | | | | impossible to know beforehand. |
| condemned by the Catholic church as part of the | | | | Instead, seek advice with a reputable association such |
| "Devil's work". With the threat of torture looming, very | | | | as the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain or a |
| soon only rebellious gypsies dared practise them. | | | | similar, local body. Ask to be recommended a palmist in |
| How Palmistry Works | | | | your area. When you contact the reader to request an |
| Just as every fingerprint is unique, so it is with palm | | | | appointment give no information about yourself other |
| prints. Every line and mark has its story to tell, | | | | than your first name and a contact number. |
| connected either with our past, our present, or our | | | | Oh, and just for the record. I did have another child, and |
| future. | | | | I did become very ill around my 40th birthday. Hmmm ... |
| The lines and markings we're born with are added to | | | | maybe I shouldn't have knocked this particular 'gypsy |
| as we progress through life and no matter what action | | | | tradition', after all. |