Excerpt from
“CHEIRO’S LANGUAGE OF THE HAND: A COMPLETE PRACTICAL WORK ON THE SCIENCES OF CHEIROGNOMY AND CHEIROMANCY, CONTAINING THE SYSTEM, RULES AND EXPERIENCE OF CHEIRO THE PALMIST”
Published in 1894

The Lines of the Hand

There are seven important lines on the hand and seven lesser lines. The important lines are as follows:
– The Line of Life which embraces the Mount of Venus.

– The Line of Head which crosses the center of the hand.

– The Line of Heart which runs parallel to that of the head at the base of the fingers.

– The Girdle of Venus found above the line of heart and generally encircling the Mounts of Saturn and the Sun.

– The Line of Health which runs from the Mount of Mercury down the hand.

– The Line of Sun which rises generally on the Plain of Mars and ascends the hand to the Mount of the Sun.

– The Line of Fate which occupies the center of the hand from the wrist to the Mount of Saturn.

The seven lesser lines on the hand are as follows:
– The Line of Mars which rises on the Mount of Mars and lies within the Line of Life.

– The Via Lasciva which lies parallel to the line of health.

– The Line of Intuition which extends like a semicircle from Mercury to Luna.

– The Line of Marriage the horizontal line on the Mount of Mercury.

– The three bracelets found on the wrist.

When an important line, such as the line of head or of life, is found with what is called a sister line, namely, a fine line running by its side, it is a sign that the main line is thus strengthened; consequently any break in the main line will be, as it were, bridged over by this mark, and the danger lessened or prevented. This is more often found in connection with the line of life than with any other.

If there is a fork at the end of any line, except that of life, it gives greater power to that line; as, for instance, on the line of head it increases the mentality, but makes more or less of a double nature.

When, however, the line ends in a tassel it is a sign of weakness and destruction to any line of which it forms part, particularly at the end of the line of life, where it denotes weakness and the dissipation of all the nerve qualities.


Branches rising from any line accentuate its power and strength, but all branches descending denote the reverse.

At the commencement of the line of heart, these lines are most important when considering the success of marriage for the subject: the ascending lines at this point indicate vigor and warmth of the affections; the descending, the opposite.

On the line of head ascending branches denote cleverness and ambitious talent, and on the line of fate they show success in all undertakings made at that particular point.

A chained formation in any line is a weak sign: if on the line of heart it denotes weakness and changeability of affection; if on the line of head, want of fixity of ideas, and weakness of intellect.

Breaks in any line denote its failure.

A wavy formation weakens the power of the line.

Capillary lines are those little hair-lines running by the side of the main line, sometimes joining it, sometimes falling from it; they denote weakness, like the chained formation.

When the entire hand is covered with a network or multitude of little lines running aimlessly in all directions, it betrays mental worry, a highly nervous temperament, and a troubled nature.

As the little grains make mountains so do these little points make this study great. I therefore recommend their close consideration.