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FOR ALL

CONTAINING NEW INFORMATION ON THE STUDY OF THE

HAND NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED

BY CHEIRO

WITH A PREFACE TO AMERICAN READERS

G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS

NEW YORK LONDON [Pg ii]

COPYRIGHT, 1916

BY

G.P. PUTNAM'S SONS Published, May, 1916

Twenty-second Impression

Made in the United States of America

[Pg iii] PREFACE

TO THE AMERICAN EDITION

There is no country in the world where the "study of character" is more indulged in than in the United States of America. During my many visits there I could not help remarking how even the "hardest headed" business men used any form of this study that they could get hold of to help them in their business dealings with other men and also in endeavouring to ascertain the character of their clerks and employees.

In looking over the records of my career I find that in the course of my visits to America I gave private lessons to the heads of two hundred and seventy business establishments in New York, one hundred and thirty-five in Boston, and three hundred and forty-two in Chicago.

All these men were large employers of labour and what they principally wanted was, to have some help beyond that of their own judgment in dealing with those with whom they came in contact in the regular course of their business careers. In no other country did I find the same interest taken in the study of character from a practical standpoint.

It is for this reason that I write a special Preface for this Edition, believing as I do that my American[Pg iv] readers will appreciate the added information I may be able to give regarding the obtaining by a mere glance at a hand a quick grasp of the leading characteristics of the persons with whom they are thrown into contact, or for whatever reason they choose to make use of this study.

Everyone knows that "the face can wear a mask," that a person may be a good actor and put on a certain expression that may deceive even the best judgment.

But hands cannot change as the result of a mere effort to please; the character they express is the real nature of the individual--the true character that has been formed by heredity or that has grown up with the person by long years of habit.

1

The characteristics alluded to below are those which may be easily observed and which are aids to a rapid judgment of character and which I have never before been able to give to the public in such a concise way.

The more elaborate details concerning the ultimate success of the person one is talking to, their more intimate character and their future development will be found in their proper place, in the subsequent chapters.

RULES FOR RAPID OBSERVATION The Fingers

Observe the fingers. If they look short and stumpy in proportion to the rest of the palm--one may be sure that the individual to

whom they belong is of an animal nature, possessing coarse instincts, devoid of real intellectuality, and belonging to the lower order of humanity.[Pg v]

If the fingers and the palm appear equal in length, the owner belongs to a more cultured race. He has inherited from a more intellectual line of ancestors and for all work requiring intelligence and a higher mentality he or she could be depended on, whereas the first-mentioned type could not--no matter how well he might talk or advocate his own superiority.

If the fingers look unusually long and thin, and in this way out of proportion to the palm, the man or woman will err on the side of too much ideality and refinement and is not suited to business or work requiring "level headedness" and practicality. It would be useless, for example, to put such a person in charge of work-people or over work-rooms. His ideality and refinement would be thrown away in such positions, and even with the best will in the world he would be completely out of harmony with his surroundings.

Such a man, however, could be depended upon in all positions requiring personal mental work, research, science, literature, philosophy, educational work or, in fact, anything relating to the higher qualities of the mind.

If his fingers, in addition to their length, were also knotty or jointed (joints much pronounced), he could be depended on to a still

greater extent for all work requiring great thoughtfulness, detail, and concentration of mind.

If, on the other hand, these long fingers were smooth jointed, he would, while having the same desire for ideality and for everything intellectual, be impulsive and inspirational, would lack a sense of detail and a love for detail in his own work, would be visionary, artistic, emotional. Such a person would be suited[Pg vi] to artistic work, such as painting, making designs, models, etc., but could not be trusted to perform anything requiring detail, research or science, and would be utterly useless in any position where discipline or control of others were required.

THE FINGERS CONSIDERED SEPARATELY

Let us now observe the fingers separately from the rest of the hand.

The first finger is considered as the Dictator, the Lawgiver, the finger of Ambition, the Indicator, the Pointer, etc. If this finger is unusually long and nearly equals the second, all these tendencies are extremely pronounced. Therefore, if your employee has this finger long, you can safely entrust him with control over, and charge of others. You will be amazed how well he or she will make rules and regulations and see that they are obeyed; but beware, Mr. Employer, lest your first fin-ger is short in proportion as that of your employee is long, for, if such be the case, you too will have "to toe the line" and you may find yourself in a very disagreeable position. But let me give you a further warning: Should this man or woman have a first finger that is long and crooked, you will assuredly find out to your cost that the personal ambitions of such an individual are "crooked." Such an employee would be perfectly unscrupulous in finding out your secrets and getting you into his power. If the second finger is straight and well shaped, its owner will be very serious, a little inclined to melancholy,[Pg vii] but will pay due regard to whatever responsibilities with which he may be entrusted, but again beware if this finger is crooked. In this case the owner would be, however, more subject to what may be called "a crooked fate" than wilfully "wrong." Such people are, as a rule, the children of strange circumstances over which they seem to have no control. They are continually getting themselves into trouble and into false positions, but, I must admit, more by a strange fatality of things than by their own wilful actions. Nevertheless, such 2 infelicities might be very unpleasant for their employer, especially if he has more heart than brains. The third finger, if extremely long and straight, indicates an extraordinary desire for glory, celebrity, publicity and the like; and although this might be an extremely good quality in the case of an actor, preacher, politician or public man, it may be most undesirable if such a person is to occupy the position of a private secretary, or the confidential clerk to some family lawyer. If this finger is crooked as well as very long, all the above qualities will be intensified and exaggerated. The love of spending money and fondness for show will also be more marked, the gambling tendencies very pronounced. No position involving the handling of money, should be entrusted to the possessor of such a finger. The fourth, or little finger, if long (passing the nail joint of the third) is indicative of power of speech and subtlety in choice of language--the saying "to twist a person round one's little finger" originated from this very sign. Such people have a marvellous gift of speech, eloquence and flow of language, valuable[Pg viii] gifts, of course, for orators and public persons, but not desirable qualities in a wife if a man is fond of sleep. A short "little finger" denotes the reverse of the above. Such persons find the greatest difficulty in expressing what they want to say, but they can write better than speak and should be encouraged to do so. These individuals have, however, not much power over others and the shorter the "little finger" is, the more timid and sensitive they are in the presence of strangers. If this finger is crooked, then these weaknesses are all the more emphasised, but if formed crooked and long the power of eloquence is also crooked. Such people will tell any "fairy tale" to suit their purpose--they are natural born liars and the position of President of the Ananias Club is their rightful inheritance. The first and third fingers absolutely of equal length is the best sign of an equally balanced mind, but such a sign is rather rare to find. When the fingers are very supple in the joints and turn backwards or outwards from the palm, it is an indication of a quick wit and clever brain; but such persons lack continuity of purpose. They have no "hold," as it were, on any one thing. Fingers slightly curved inwards towards the palm, denote persons slow to grasp an idea, or a subject, but such people have retentive memories and "hold" or grip, as it were, any one thing they may take up. CHARACTER SHOWN BY THE THUMB The thumb is in itself more expressive of character than any other member of the hand. It was D'Arpentigny[Pg ix] who wrote "the thumb individualises the man." Medical science has proved that there is such a thing as a "thumb centre" in the brain and any pressure or disease in that part of the brain shows its effect in the thumb. A large well-made thumb is the outward and visible sign of a strong-willed, determined person, be he man or woman. The longer the thumb, the more the power of will rules the actions; the shorter the thumb, the more brute force and obstinacy sways the nature. The shorter and more thick-set the nail phalange is, giving the appearance of a club, the more ungovernable is the person in his or her temper. Such people have no control over themselves and under the least opposition will fly into a blind rage of fury. This curious formation has been called the "Murderer's Thumb" because so many who have committed murder in a mad fit of passion have been found with this curious formation. An employee with this class of thumb should never be given any position of authority over others, for he could not curb his ungovernable temper. He would also be absolutely unbalanced in his jealousy, and no woman who has the ambition to live to the usual "threescore-years-and-ten" should risk marriage to a man with one of these thumbs. But as "love is blind" it is useless, I know, to give advice in such a case. The first joint or nail phalange of the thumb, when long and thin, denotes the opposite of the above characteristics. In such cases the person has the most absolute control over his temper, his will power is[Pg x] also strong but quick and unobtrusive, and in a firm, determined way people with such a thumb manage others and bend those around them to their purpose. 3 The second joint, if delicately shaped, almost "waist like," indicates tact, diplomacy, and gentleness, also subtlety in argument; but if this part of the thumb be full looking or equal in size to that of the nail phalange, it denotes the person who cares nothing for tact but who, on all occasions, will speak his mind plainly, and with brutal frankness. When the thumb looks as if it were "tied in" close to the hand, the person is timid, easily frightened by both people and circumstances, narrow-minded in his views, and miserly in his habits. It is a well-established fact that the thumbs of all misers are "tied in" and cramped-looking. It is perhaps this very fear of things and people that in the end makes them misers with their gold. One need never waste one's time asking a person with one of these cramped-looking thumbs to do a favour, and may God help the business man or woman who ever gets into such a person's clutches! A thumb with the nail joint supple (bending backwards or as it is also called "double jointed") indicates a character the exact opposite of that associated with the "tied in" thumb. Possessors of such a thumb are generous, adaptable to others, extravagant, and impetuous in their actions and decisions. They promise things quickly and are more often heard to say "Yes" than "No"; but if they have time for reflection, they very often go back on their promises. Individuals having a "stiff-jointed" thumb, on the contrary, cannot easily adapt themselves to others. They are distant and more reserved with[Pg xi] strangers. When asked to do a thing, they generally first say "No," but on reflection or when reasoned with, they often give in to the other and generally regret having done so. It is useless to oppose such people--if one cannot lead them, it is no use attempting to force them against their will. This type has more self-control than the type of people with the "supple jointed" formation, and is not so generous or extravagant. Individuals of this group, however, make more reliable friends, so their friendship, though difficult to obtain, is generally worth hav-ing. A thumb standing very far out from the hand (almost at right angles to the palm) is not a good sign for ordinary success. Such people go to extremes in everything they do and are generally fanatics in religion, social reform, or whatever line of thought occupies their attention. HANDS, HARD AND SOFT Even in the simple act of shaking hands, one can form conclusions about character. Beware of any man or woman whose hand seems to slip from yours when you grasp theirs in greeting. Such persons are deceptive and treacherous. They may smile at you with their lips, but instinctively they regard you as their prey and will only use you for their own object. A soft, fat hand is the indication of an indolent and more or less lazy person. A firm hand is the sign of an energetic, reliable nature. A very thin hand denotes a restless energetic disposition,[Pg xii] but one that is given to worry, and fretting and is generally discontented. A thin hand that feels listless in one's grasp denotes a weak constitution that has only sufficient energy to live. A cold, clammy hand is also a sign of poor health, but generally that of a very sensitive and nervous person. A person who keeps his hands closed while talking, is distrustful in his nature, has little self-reliance and can seldom be relied on by others. A man or woman who gives a good firm grasp of the hand, is self-confident, energetic, and generally reliable. When all the fingers (especially if the fingers be long) are seen always clinging, sticking, as it were, or folding over one another it denotes very doubtful qualities in the nature of their possessor and a decided tendency towards thieving and general lack of moral principal. 4 Remember that the hands are the immediate servants or instruments of the brain. There are more motive and sensory nerves from the brain to the hand than to any other portion of the body and, whether sleeping or waking, they continually and unconsciously reflect the thought and character of the mind or soul of the individual. It will, then, be seen from these observations that without looking at the lines of the hand, one may be able to obtain certain details of character that are more trustworthy than those given by the face, and that these rules, if followed, should be of the greatest assistance and value to people in all walks of life. Many of these observations are further amplified[Pg xiii] in subsequent chapters of this work. There is not a single one of these rules that has not been proved by me in my long professional career, and knowing that they will bear the strictest inquiry and observation, it gives me pleasure now to offer them to the readers of the American Edition of Palmistry for All. Cheiro. London. [Pg xiv] [Pg xv] INTRODUCTION It was on July 21, 1894, that I had the honour of meeting Lord Kitchener and getting the autographed impression of his right hand, which I now publish for the first time as frontispiece to this volume. The day I had this interview, Lord Kitchener, or, as he was then, Major-General Kitchener, was at the War Office, and to take this impression had to use the paper on his table, and, strangely enough, the imprint of the War Office may be seen at the top of the second finger--in itself perhaps a premonition that he would one day be the controlling force of that great department. Lord Kitchener was at that moment Sirdar of the Egyptian Army. He had returned to England to tender his resignation on account of some hostile criticism about "the Abbas affair," and so I took the opportunity of his being in England to ask him to allow me to add his hand to my collection, which even then included some of the most famous men and women of the day. As Mr. T.P. O'Connor, in writing recently of Lord Kitchener, said: "One of his greatest qualities, at once useful and charming, is his accessibility. Anybody who has anything to say to him can approach him; anybody who has anything to teach him will find a ready and grateful learner."[Pg xvi] My experience can indeed bear out the truth of this clear judgment of one of the leading traits in Lord Kitchener's character. That very year, 1894, was a notable one in his life; his strong-willed action over the Abbas affair was completely vindicated; he was made a K.C.M.G., and returned to Egypt with more power than ever. Once in his presence he put me completely at my ease, and in a few moments he appeared to be deeply interested in observing the difference between the lines in his own clearly-marked palm and those in dozens of other impressions that I put before him. He was then almost forty-four years of age, and I remember well how I explained the still higher positions and responsibilities that his path of Destiny mapped out before him. The heaviest and greatest of all would, I told him, be undertaken in his sixty-fourth year (1914), but how little either of us thought then that in that year the most terrible war of the century would have broken out. Believing, as I do, in the Law of Periodicity playing as great a role in the lives of individuals as it does in nations, it is strange to notice that the same radix numbers that governed Lord Kitchener's career when he was planning out the Egyptian campaign, which resulted in his great victories of Atbara and Omdurman in 1896 and 1897, are exactly the same for him in 1914-1915, and 1916 gives again the same radix number that in 1898 saw him receive a vote of thanks from both Houses of Parliament, and a gift of PS30,000 from the State. From the standpoint of those interested in this strange study of hands, the accompanying impression of Lord Kitchener's cannot help but be regarded as of[Pg xvii] great importance. In it, the rules of Palmistry that I have given in the following pages are borne out in all their details. Returning to the impression of this remarkable hand; even in shape alone one may read by the rules of this science the following 5 clearly-marked characteristics: Length of fingers--intellectuality (page 134), strong determination and will-power (chapter on the Thumb, page 127), mentality and firm determination of purpose (see Line of Head, page 17). The remarkable Line of Fate running up the centre of the hand and turning towards the first finger, denotes ambition and domina- tion over others (page 52). The Line of Success and Fame, starting on the hand from the Line of Life and ascending to the base of the third finger, exactly coincides with the period in Lord Kitchener's career when he began to find recognition and success (page 63). As in my larger work on this subject I published Gladstone's hand as a remarkable illustration of the truth that may be found in this study, so in this present work with the same confidence I give this illustration of Lord Kitchener's as another proof of character indicated in the shape and lines of the hand, and as it has been said so often that "Character is Destiny," so it is surely not illogical to point out that in following the rules laid down by this study one may obtain a clear idea of the destiny that the Character, Will, and Individuality trace out in advance--tracks, as it were, stretching far out into the distant future for the engine of purpose and achievement to find already laid and ready to be used at the "appointed time."[Pg xviii] In conclusion, as I have now completely retired from all professional work, I may be allowed to point out that I am not publishing this book with the idea of seeking clients. I have no desire but to see this strange study taken up as a useful and practical means of obtaining an exact judgment of the character, qualities, and hidden tendencies that might otherwise be ignored. I think that if all parents knew at least something of Palmistry, the vast majority of children would be more usefully trained and their proper tendencies developed. It is often too late when a child discovers--and most probably by accident--some tendency or talent that had never been suspected by its parents. It is no wonder that so few persons find their true vocations in the world, when it is remembered the random, haphazard way in which children are brought up--educated for the most part in some scholastic mill that grinds down all to the same dead level of mediocrity, and then turns them into the Army, the Church, or into trade. If, on the contrary, all these studies that teach the understanding of character were more encouraged, parents would have less excuse for the supreme ignorance they now show as to the real nature of those children who hold them responsible for their entry into the battlefield of existence. These same parents would lift up their voices in righteous indignation if soldiers were sent into battle untrained, without their proper equipment, and yet these same parents have never, in the whole course of their lives, made the simplest study of any one of those many subjects by which they could in knowing[Pg xix] the nature of their child, have strengthened weak points in the fortress of character, or by developing some talent or gift, doubly armed him for his entry into the battle of life. It is from this standpoint that I earnestly hope this study of hands may some day be taken up. It was from this standpoint that I interested such men as Gladstone, Professor Max Muller, of Oxford, Lord Russell, when he was Lord Chief Justice, King Edward VII., and many others too numerous to mention; and lastly, it is from the same standpoint that I have now written this book, which under the title of Palmistry for All, will, I hope, appeal to all classes, and cause such an interest in the Study of Character that, instead of such an art being left in the hands of a few, it will, on the contrary, become universally used for the benefit of all. Cheiro Note.--Cheiro retired from all professional work some time ago, and the public is therefore warned against persons pretending that they are the real "Cheiro," and endeavouring to pass themselves off as the author of his well-known works.[Pg xxi] CONTENTS PAGE Preface iii Introduction xv PART I 6 PALMISTRY OR CHEIROMANCY CHAPTER I. A Brief Resume of the History of the Study of Hands Through the Centuries To The Present Day 1 II. The Line of Head or the Indications of Mentality 8 The Line of Head and its Variations 10 The Line of Head joined to the Line of Life 16 The Line of Head separated from the Line of Life 19 The Line of Head and its Secondary Signs 22 Changes in the Line of Head 26 Crosses and Squares in connection with the Line of Head 30 Double Lines of Head 31 The Line of Head on the Seven Types of Hands 33 III. The Line of Life and Its Variations 36 IV. The Line of Mars Or Inner Life Line 44 V. The Line of Destiny Or Fate 47 From the Line of Life 50 From the Wrist 50 From the Mount of the Moon 51 [Pg xxii] From the Middle of the Palm 55 Influence Lines to the Line of Fate 57 Double Lines of Fate 57 VI. The Line of the Sun or Success 61 From the Line of Life 63 From the Line of Fate 63 From the Plain of Mars 63 From the Mount of the Moon 63 From the Line of Head 63 From the Line of Heart 63 VII. The Line of Heart as indicating the Affectionate and Emotional Nature 67 VIII. Signs Relating to Marriage 73 The Line of Marriage: At the Base of the Fourth Finger 73 Influence Lines to the Fate Line 77 Influence Lines on Venus 79 IX. Lines denoting Children, their Sex, and Other Matters concerning Them 81 X. The Line of Health or Hepatica 83 XI. The Girdle of Venus 88 The Ring of Saturn 90 The Bracelets 91 XII. The Line of Intuition 92 The Via Lasciva 93 XIII. La Croix Mystique 95 The Ring of Solomon 96 XIV. Travels, Voyages and Accidents 97 XV. The Island, the Circle, the Spot and the Grille 101 [Pg xxiii] XVI. The Star, the Cross, the Square104 XVII. Different Classes of Lines and Right and Left Hands 107 XVIII. The Great Triangle and the Quadrangle 110 XIX. How to tell Time and Dates of the Principal Events in the Life 112 PART II CHEIROGNOMY--OR THE SHAPES OF THE HANDS AND FINGERS I. The Study of the Shape of the Hands 117 The Seven Types of Hands: The Elementary 119 The Square 119 The Spatulate 121 7