The Hand as a Map of the Self
Palmistry (chiromancy) is one of the oldest and most widespread divination practices in the world, with roots in ancient India, China, and the Middle East. The hand has been read as a map of the self for at least four thousand years.
Three Traditions
The Indian tradition (hasta samudrika shastra) reads the hand as a miniature horoscope. The Chinese tradition (shou xiang) reads the hand alongside the face and body. The Western tradition, codified by Cheiro (Count Louis Hamon) and William Benham (The Laws of Scientific Hand Reading, 1900), systematised the lines and mounts. The Palm Reading tool on SpiritWave Labs works across all three traditions. Photos are never stored.
Related Traditions
- Palm Reading tool — the working tool (photo never stored)
- Indian traditions — the hasta samudrika context
- Chinese traditions — the shou xiang context
- The Cosmic Library — all divination traditions