Palmistry

Palmistry (also called chiromancy) is not Japanese in a native sense like Shinto or the Eto system (zodiac cycles). But it has become a long-standing, integrated part of Japanese fortune-telling culture, especially from the Heian period (794–1185) onwards, when esoteric Buddhism and Onmyōdō began influencing spiritual practices.

In Japan, practitioners analyse lines, mounts and hand shapes much like in Western or Chinese palmistry. The most commonly interpreted lines include:

• Heart line: Emotions and love life
• Head line: Intelligence and thought process
• Life line: Vitality and life path
• Fate line: Career and destiny

The shape and length of fingers are sometimes read alongside palm lines. Long, slender fingers indicate someone with refined taste, sensitivity or artistic abilities. Short fingers imply a more impulsive or action-oriented person. And thick or knobby fingers are associated with a strong work ethic or a practical mindset.

What's the difference between 'palmistry' and 'chiromancy'?

The words are often used interchangeably, but there is a slight nuance in their usage:

• Palmistry is the more common, modern term. It refers to the practice of interpreting the lines, shapes and features of the hands (especially the palms) to gain insight into a person's character or future.
• Chiromancy comes from the Greek roots cheir (hand) and manteia (divination), and literally means “divination through the hand.” It is more of a technical or classical term, often used historically or in more formal contexts.

Is a reading the same on the left and right hands?

In palmistry, the left and right hands are not typically read the same way - each hand is thought to reveal different aspects of a person.

Here's the usual distinction:

• Right hand (for right-handed people) represents your present and future. It reflects your conscious self - what you've done with your life, your choices, experiences and potential. It is often called the "active" or "dominant" hand.
• Left hand (for right-handed people) represents your past, inner self and potential. It shows inherited traits, subconscious tendencies and natural inclinations. It is often the "passive" or "non-dominant" hand.

If you’re left-handed, some palmists reverse the meanings, so your left hand becomes the active one.

Your non-dominant hand shows your potential, what you're born with.

Your dominant hand shows how you’ve shaped that potential, and where you're going.

A complete palm reading is chirascopic. Only when we read both hands do we get depth, dimension and truth.

What about the ambidextrous?

In palmistry, the dominant hand is generally considered to be the hand you write with most often or the hand you use for tasks requiring precision, such as like brushing your teeth, using tools, etc.

But for truly ambidextrous people (who use both hands almost equally), palmists might take a more nuanced approach by comparing both hands to find differences. The more detailed, marked or developed hand may be treated as the active hand.

Alternatively, some palmists simply treat both hands together, reading them like a dialogue or yin-yang pairing, rather than assigning fixed roles.

Further clues would be for the palmist to ask which hand a person usually uses in emotional situations (e.g. gesturing while speaking, writing in a journal), and take that as the “soul hand”.

There’s no strict rule for ambidextrous hands in palmistry; it’s more interpretive. Most palmists just look at which hand tells a stronger story, or read both as equals.