Introduction To Palmistry

THE THUMB

THE thumb is in every sense so important that it calls for special attention, not only in the domain of cheirognomy, but also in its relation to cheiromacy. The truth of palmistry could rest upon the solid foundation given by the study of the thumb alone, in its relation to the most important characteristics of the subject.

In every age, thumb study has played a conspicuous part, not only in the hand, but also in the world itself. It is a well-known fact that among many of the tribes of Oriental nations, if the prisoner, when brought before his captors, cover his thumb by his fingers, he is in this dumb but eloquent fashion giving up his will and independence, and begging for mercy.
Gypsies, in their judgment of character, make the thumb the great foundation for all their remarks. In India they have a variety of systems by which they read the hand, but here, again, they make the thumb the center and foundation, no matter what system they work out. The Chinese also believe in palmistry, and they, too, base their remarks on the position of the thumb itself.
Again, it is an interesting fact to notice that even in Christianity the thumb has played an important role, the thumb representing God. The first finger symbolises Christ, the indicator of the will of God, and the only finger that by virtue of its position, has the power to point or to stand upright independent of the rest; the second representing the Holy Ghost, as the attendant to the first.
In the Greek Church the bishop alone gives the blessing by the thumb and first and second fingers, representing the Trinity; the ordinary priest has to use the whole hand. And again, in the old ritual of the English Church, we find that in baptism the cross must be made by the thumb.
Another very interesting point is the old idea of the midwives—an idea, by the way that can easily be seen to contain a good deal of truth. They believed that if the child, some days after birth, was inclined to keep the thumb inside the fingers, it foreshadowed great physical delicacy, but if, seven days after birth was inclined to keep the thumb inside the fingers, it foreshadowed great physical delicacy, but if, seven days after birth, the thumb was still covered, then there was good reason to suspect that the child would be delicate mentally.
If one will visit the asylums of the country, he cannot fail to notice that all congenital idiots have very weak, poor thumbs; in fact, some are so weak and not properly developed, even in shape. All weak-minded individuals have weak thumbs and the man or woman who will stand talking with the fingers covering and concealing the thumb has little self-confidence or self-reliance.
It is D’Arepentigny who has said, ‘The thumb individualises the man.’ This is remarkably true, particularly when one follows out Sir Charles Bell’s discovery that in the hand of the chimpanzee, which is the nearest approach to the human, though well formed in every way, yet the thumb, if measured, does not reach the base of the first finger.
The deduction to be made is therefore, that the higher and better proportioned the thumb, the more the intellectual faculties rule, and vice versa. This point the student will prove by the most casual observation.

The man with the short, clumsy, thick-set thumb is coarse and brutish in his ideas and animal in his instincts, while the man or woman with the long, well-shaped thumb is intellectual and refined, and in the attainment of a desire, or the carrying out of an object, such a person will use the strength of intellectual will, as opposed to that of brute force, which will be applied by the man with the thick, short formation.

The thumb therefore should be long and firm upon the hand. It should not stand at right angles to the palm, nor yet should it lie too close to the side. It should have a slope towards the fingers, and yet not lie too close to the side. It should have a slope towards the fingers, and yet not lie down on them.

When it stands off the hand, at right angles to it, the nature will fly to extremes, from sheer independence of spirit. It will be impossible to manage or control such natures; they will brook no opposition, and they will be inclined to the aggressive in their manner and bearing.

When the thumb is well formed, but lying down cramped toward the fingers, it indicates the utter want of independence of spirit. It denotes a nervous timorous, but cautious nature; it will be impossible to find out what such a person is thinking about or what he intends to do; he cannot be outspoken, because his nature is the reverse.

If the thumb however is a long one, he will use his intellectual faculties to outwit his opponent, but if it were short and thick he will cautiously await his opportunity for any deed of violence that he may mediate.

When a well-formed thumb, therefore strikes the happy medium of these two extremes, the subject will have sufficient independence of spirit to give him dignity and force of character, he will also be properly cautious over his own affairs, and have strength of will and decision. It therefore stands; the long, well-formed thumb denotes strength of intellectual will; the short, thick thumb, brute force and obstinacy; the small, weak thumb, weakness of will and energy.

From time immemorial the thumb has been divided into three parts, which are significant of the three great powers that rule the world – love, logic and will.

The first or nail phalange denotes will.

2. The second, phalange denotes logic.

3. The third, which is the boundary of the Mount of Venues, love.

When the thumb is unequally developed, as for instance, the first phalange extremely long, we find that the subject depends upon neither logic nor reason, but simply upon will.

When the second phalange is much longer than the first, the subject, though having all the calmness and exactitude of reason, yet has not sufficient will and determination to carry out his ideas.

When the third phalange is long and the thumb small, the man or woman is a prey to the more passionate or sensual side of the nature.

One of the most interesting things in the study of the thumb is to notice whether the first joint is supple or stiff. When supple, the first phalange is allowed to bend back, and forms the thumb into an arch; and on the contrary, if the thumb is stiff, the first phalange cannot be bent back, even by pressure; and these two opposite peculiarities bear the greatest possible relation to character.

The supple thumb is the distinctive peculiarity of the Latin races; the stiff joint is more the property of the Northern. The supple joint, for instance, is very rare among the Danes, Norwegians, Germans, English, and Scotch, whereas it is found in large numbers among the Irish, French, Spanish, Italians, and wherever these races have congregated. I am more inclined to consider that the unconscious influence of the surroundings, prenatal or otherwise, has more to do with his peculiarity, for the characteristics that it shows in the individuals are also the characteristics of the nation to which that individual belongs.

THE SUPPLE - JOINTED THUMB