The Minor Lines
No advice. For entertainment and self-reflection only. Palmystique, its Chiromancers, and this guide do not provide medical, legal, financial, psychological, relationship, or other professional advice. Do not make important decisions based on a reading or on what you read here.
Beyond the four major lines, many hands carry a handful of shorter lines that palmists use to refine a reading. Most people have some of them and few people have all of them. Their absence is never a bad sign; a minor line, when present, simply adds emphasis.
The Sun line (line of Apollo)
Where: a vertical line under the ring finger, usually in the upper half of the palm, sometimes rising from lower down and running parallel to the fate line.
Traditional reading: creativity, recognition and contentment. The Sun line is associated with the ring finger and the Sun, which in palmistry stand for self-expression and pleasure. A clear Sun line is read as a person who finds joy in their work and is appreciated for it. A short Sun line just below the ring finger is read as a happier, more fulfilled later life. Several short parallel lines are read as many creative interests.
Where the Sun line starts adds detail in the same way as the fate line: from the life line, success through one's own effort; from the Mount of the Moon, success involving the public; from the head line, success through thought and study after mid-life.
The Mercury line (health line or hepatica)
Where: a slanting line running from near the base of the palm up toward the little finger.
Traditional reading: despite its old name, this line is best read for communication, business sense and nervous energy. A clear, unbroken Mercury line is read as a good head for practical matters and an articulate speaker. A wavy or broken line is read as a restless or easily stressed temperament. Many palmists say the healthiest sign is no Mercury line at all.
Older books used this line to make health predictions. We do not, and neither should anyone else: palm creases are not a medical test.
Relationship lines (marriage lines)
Where: short horizontal lines on the outer edge of the palm, between the base of the little finger and the end of the heart line. You may need to curl your little finger slightly to see them.
Traditional reading: significant emotional bonds. The old name "marriage lines" is misleading; modern palmists read them as important relationships of any kind, romantic or not. A single long, clear line is read as one deep and lasting bond. Several lines are read as several meaningful relationships. Lines closer to the heart line are said to come earlier in life, those nearer the finger later.
A fork at the end of a relationship line was once read as separation; we prefer to read it as two people who keep their independence within a partnership. Small vertical lines rising from a relationship line were traditionally called children lines. They are one of the least reliable features in palmistry and best left out of any reading.
The girdle of Venus
Where: a curved line, or a series of short broken segments, running above the heart line from between the index and middle fingers to between the ring and little fingers.
Traditional reading: emotional and aesthetic sensitivity. A person with a clear girdle of Venus is said to feel things intensely, to be moved by art and atmosphere, and to need emotional stimulation. A broken girdle is read as sensitivity that comes and goes. It is common on Water hands.
The bracelets (rascettes)
Where: the horizontal creases across the inner wrist, at the base of the palm.
Traditional reading: most people have two or three. Clear, unbroken bracelets were traditionally read as good fortune and stability, each one standing for a portion of a well-lived life. A top bracelet that arches up into the palm was once read, especially in women, as a health warning. Modern palmists dismiss that idea, and so do we.
The intuition line
Where: a rare curved line on the outer side of the palm, arcing from the Mount of the Moon toward the Mount of Mercury below the little finger, roughly parallel to the edge of the hand.
Traditional reading: strong intuition, empathy and the ability to read people and situations. It is often found on Water hands, and palmists treat it as one of the special signs.
Travel lines
Where: short horizontal lines on the outer edge of the palm, below the heart line, running in from the percussion (the outer edge of the hand) across the Mount of the Moon.
Traditional reading: journeys and a love of travel. Long, clear lines are read as significant journeys or living abroad. Some palmists also read travel from branches of the life line that swing toward the Mount of the Moon.
The ring of Solomon
Where: a small curved line around the base of the index finger, on the Mount of Jupiter.
Traditional reading: wisdom and insight into people. Palmists traditionally call it the teacher's or counsellor's sign, and associate it with an interest in psychology, philosophy or mysticism.
The ring of Saturn
Where: a small arc around the base of the middle finger. It is uncommon.
Traditional reading: a serious, solitary and self-contained temperament. Older books treated it as a gloomy sign; modern palmists read it more kindly, as a person with deep reserves who values time alone.
Small markings
Beyond lines, palmists note small markings anywhere on the palm. The meaning usually depends on where the mark falls:
- Stars: a bright moment or sudden event, positive on the mounts of Jupiter and Apollo.
- Crosses: a point of challenge or decision; on the Mount of Jupiter, a famous sign of a happy partnership.
- Squares: protection, especially when they surround a break in a line.
- Triangles: talent and skill in the area governed by the mount they sit on.
- Grilles: a crisscross of fine lines, read as scattered energy on that mount.
Reading minor lines well
Minor lines change more over time than major ones, and they vary a great deal between hands. Treat them as seasoning. A clear Sun line on a hand whose fate line also bends toward the ring finger reinforces a theme of creative work. A lone relationship line on the edge of a hand with a deep, curving heart line fits a portrait of loyal, wholehearted affection. On their own, minor lines rarely carry a reading; in combination, they give it colour.