The Mounts of the Hand
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.
The mounts are the soft, raised pads of the palm: one at the base of each finger, one at the base of the thumb, and a long one on the outer edge of the hand. Each is named after a classical planet, and each is said to show how strongly that planet's qualities run in a person.
How to judge a mount
Mounts are read by sight and touch together. Relax your hand, cup it slightly and look at it from the side so the light shows the contours. Then press each mount gently with a fingertip. Palmists describe a mount in three broad ways:
- Full and firm: the mount's qualities are strong and well expressed.
- Flat: those qualities are quieter or less developed.
- Overdeveloped: very high or soft and spongy, read as the qualities in excess.
Everything is relative. Compare the mounts on the same hand with each other, rather than with someone else's hand. A slender Water hand has lower mounts than a broad Earth hand, and that is not a weakness. Most hands have one or two mounts that stand out; those are the ones to read first.
The Mount of Venus
Where: the large, fleshy pad at the base of the thumb, enclosed by the life line.
Associations: love, warmth, sensuality, vitality and the enjoyment of life. A full, firm Mount of Venus is read as affection, generosity, a love of music, food and company, and a robust energy. A flat Mount of Venus is read as a more reserved, cerebral or ascetic temperament. An overdeveloped one is said to show indulgence. Because the life line forms its border, a wide life line arc gives a larger Mount of Venus, and the two features are read together.
The Mount of Jupiter
Where: beneath the index finger.
Associations: ambition, leadership, confidence and a sense of purpose. A well-formed Mount of Jupiter is read as natural authority, self-belief and a desire to guide others. A flat one is read as modesty or a dislike of the spotlight; an overdeveloped one, as pride or a need to dominate. A ring of Solomon around the base of the index finger, described in the minor lines, sits on this mount.
The Mount of Saturn
Where: beneath the middle finger.
Associations: responsibility, wisdom, patience and seriousness. Unusually, palmists say this mount is best when it is fairly flat, which is the most common form. A moderate Mount of Saturn is read as good judgement and a thoughtful nature; a prominent one as a studious, solitary and sometimes melancholy temperament. The fate line traditionally ends here.
The Mount of Apollo (the Sun)
Where: beneath the ring finger.
Associations: creativity, beauty, happiness and success. A full Mount of Apollo is read as artistic talent or appreciation, warmth, charm and an optimistic outlook. A flat one is read as a practical person less drawn to the arts. Overdevelopment is said to show vanity or extravagance. The Sun line rises toward this mount.
The Mount of Mercury
Where: beneath the little finger.
Associations: communication, wit, business sense and adaptability. A well-formed Mount of Mercury is read as a quick mind, persuasive speech and a talent for commerce or science. A flat one is read as shyness or difficulty expressing oneself. The relationship lines sit on the edge of the hand next to this mount.
The Mount of the Moon (Luna)
Where: the long pad on the outer edge of the palm, from below the little finger down toward the wrist, opposite the thumb.
Associations: imagination, intuition, emotion and the subconscious. A full Mount of the Moon is read as a rich imagination, sensitivity, creativity and a love of travel and the sea. A flat one is read as a realist with little patience for daydreams. When the head line slopes down onto this mount, the imaginative reading is reinforced.
The Mars region
Mars, the planet of energy and courage, has three areas in palmistry:
- Inner Mars (lower Mars) sits on the thumb side, between the base of the thumb and the start of the life line. It is read as physical courage, assertiveness and the will to fight for what one wants.
- Outer Mars (upper Mars) sits on the opposite edge, between the Mount of Mercury and the Mount of the Moon. It is read as moral courage, persistence and the ability to stand firm under pressure.
- The Plain of Mars is the hollow in the centre of the palm between them. A firm, slightly raised plain is read as self-control and confidence; a deep hollow as a person who is less sure of themselves or easily discouraged.
Balanced Mars areas are read as courage tempered by restraint. A strong inner Mars with a weak outer Mars is read as someone who charges in but tires; the reverse as someone slow to anger but impossible to move once committed.
Displaced mounts
Mounts do not always sit directly under their finger. When a mount leans toward its neighbour, palmists say it borrows some of that neighbour's character. A Mount of Jupiter leaning toward Saturn is read as ambition tempered by caution. A Mount of Apollo leaning toward Mercury is read as creativity with a commercial streak. The small ridge patterns in the skin, called apexes, can help locate the true centre of each mount if you look closely.
Mounts and fingers
Each mount is read together with its finger. A strong Mount of Jupiter under a long index finger reinforces leadership; the same mount under a short index finger suggests ambition that lacks confidence. The hand shapes chapter describes what the fingers are said to show.
A worked example
Picture a hand where the Mount of Venus is full, the Mount of the Moon is well padded and the Mount of Jupiter is flat. A palmist might describe someone warm, imaginative and romantic, with a strong inner world but little interest in being in charge, happiest creating something or caring for others, and content to let someone else lead. Add a deeply sloping head line and a curved heart line, and the portrait of a gentle, artistic temperament comes into focus.