Hand Shapes in Palmistry

Hands are classified into two groups based on shape: square and elongated. To determine your hand type, mentally remove all your fingers, including the thumb, and observe the palm. This is the first step in revealing a person’s character. Look at both hands. If you’re right-handed, the right hand represents real life, while the left hand reflects innate abilities, talents, and imagination strength. For left-handed individuals, the left hand represents real life, and the right hand represents the imaginary world.

Square Hand

If the hand has a square shape, we can conclude the following:

This person communicates easily, is practical, skillful, and capable. They are full of energy, resilient, strong, and need to always be engaged in something. They are grounded and realistic in their assessments, preferring to base conclusions on real evidence rather than speculation. They are good workers and, when needed, can work long and hard.

Elongated Hand

If the hand is elongated, we can conclude the following:

This person is often a dreamer and occasionally immerses themselves in the world of fantasy. They approach everything creatively, so it’s important that their work is varied and encourages initiative and imagination. Otherwise, they lose interest and retreat into the illusionary world of their dreams. They often come up with brilliant ideas but may struggle to implement them practically.

Naturally, some hands may not fit clearly into either the square or elongated category. It is impossible to classify all people into two distinct groups since many have hands with shapes that fall between these categories.

For instance, a hand might have a square palm, but its outer edge may be convex and nearly round. Such a hand should still be considered square. You may have read about other systems for hand classification. The classical system divides hands into simple (primitive), practical, philosophical, conical, and psychic. This system, developed by the famous French chiromantist D’Arpentini in the late 18th century, suited the historical period when it was easier to classify people than it is now.

For example, a peasant’s hand was typically primitive, while an aristocrat would likely boast an elegant conical hand. Few people work the land today, and our hands have changed accordingly, making D’Arpentini’s classification system largely outdated.

Nevertheless, it’s useful to familiarize yourself with this system, as you may encounter people whose hands fit one category perfectly.

Primitive Hand

The primitive hand looks somewhat rough, recognizable by its square palm and short, thick, relatively shapeless fingers. The skin is rough and coarse to the touch. There are few lines on the palm, sometimes no more than three.

People with primitive hands can be very stubborn and uninterested in much. They find it difficult to express their thoughts and feelings in words, so they may become aggressive when frustrated. As long as their basic needs are met, they accept whatever life offers without thinking about the future.

Practical Hand

The practical hand follows the primitive hand in progression. Its palm is also square, but the fingers are longer and more graceful than those of the primitive hand. The skin is less coarse, and the palm contains many lines. People with practical hands tend to have diverse interests and can engage in almost anything.

Conical Hand

The conical hand is soft, elegant, and smooth. The palm is more elongated than square, and the fingers are typically long with rounded tips. The palm is soft and fleshy.

People with conical hands are highly aesthetic, creatively gifted, and inclined to dream. They imagine a beautiful, magical world where everything is perfect and harmonious. They dislike vulgar language and any displays of rudeness or poor manners.

Psychic Hand

This hand type has always attracted artists’ attention. The palm and fingers are long, thin, and graceful. People with psychic hands are idealists by nature, with sharp intuition and extreme impracticality.

They spend a lot of time in an imaginary world they create, preferring it over the harsh realities of life. The psychic hand shape is common in India and the Far East but quite rare in the West.

Philosophical Hand

The philosophical hand is usually square-shaped. The fingers are long with pronounced joints. People with such hands love to analyze everything. To better understand their meticulous nature, consider the analogy of thoughts originating at the fingertips.

When thoughts reach the first knuckle, they must navigate around it several times before proceeding, undergoing multiple rounds of analysis. The process repeats at the second joint. By the time a thought reaches the palm, it has been thoroughly considered and analyzed.

Mixed Hand

In practice, most people’s hands fit into one of the groups created by D’Arpentini. Hands that don’t fit his classification are categorized as mixed.

Fortunately, with this simple classification system and the division into square and elongated hands, almost everyone can be classified. However, hand shapes represent only half of the system. To complete the introduction to D’Arpentini’s classification, you must also consider the fingers.

Combining Palms and Fingers

After determining whether the palm is square or elongated, move on to the fingers, which can be long or short. For beginners in chiromancy, quickly and accurately determining finger length may not be easy, but with practice, you’ll learn to do it by sight.

Fingers are considered long if, when bent, their tips reach a point equal to seven-eighths of the total palm length. Unfortunately, there are many exceptions due to individual variations in hand flexibility.

Moreover, someone with a long palm may have long fingers, even if they only reach the middle of the palm. With experience, you’ll be able to identify long or short fingers at a glance. The only difficulty arises when encountering a hand whose fingers seem neither long nor short.

There are several ways to resolve this situation, which will be discussed below.

Long Fingers

If a person has long fingers, they tend to pay attention to details, and the following conclusions can be made:

They enjoy meticulous, diligent work. They are patient and appreciate the finer points, as they enjoy dealing with small details. Whatever they do, their work must be engaging and absorbing. If it’s too simple, they quickly lose interest.

Short Fingers

If a person has short fingers, the opposite conclusions are made. They are more interested in the “broad strokes” rather than in details, as they lack patience. Such a person is always busy, often starting new projects before finishing previous ones.

They may be involved in several things at once and want to achieve everything immediately, so patience is not their strongest trait. Impulsiveness may lead to problems. In a sense, they are a jack of all trades.

Medium-Length Fingers

Obviously, a person whose fingers are neither long nor short falls into the middle category. Sometimes they can be very patient, while other times they may act impulsively without thinking about the consequences.

If something genuinely interests them, they delve deeply and master every detail. If their interest is fleeting, they settle for surface-level information and don’t bother with details.

As a result, we have four possible combinations: square palms with short fingers, square palms with long fingers, elongated palms with short fingers, and elongated palms with long fingers. This classification system is often used by Chinese chiromants.

The four groups are named after the four elements or natural forces: fire, earth, air, and water. These groups correspond to the descriptions of fire, earth, air, and water astrological signs, but it does not mean that, for example, a Sagittarius (fire sign) must have a fire hand. Each zodiac sign can have people with hands from any of the four groups.

Fire-Type Hand

Fire is hot, energetic, and always in motion. It can spread pleasant warmth around itself, but it can also burn. As a result, fire must be handled carefully.

The fire hand is characterized by an elongated palm and short fingers. A person with a fire hand is usually emotional, strong, full of enthusiasm, and tends to approach everything creatively. The short fingers indicate a lack of interest in details, while the elongated palm signifies strong intuition. We can confidently say the following about a person with such a hand:

They have a sharp and lively mind, constantly generating great ideas that spark bursts of enthusiasm and inspiration. This enthusiasm is often short-lived, but while it lasts, it gives a boost to all of the person’s actions. Sometimes it is difficult for such a person to control their emotions, but thanks to their emotionality, they live a bright and fulfilling life, enjoying it and its positive moments as much as possible.

They don’t pay much attention to details and are more interested in the big picture rather than individual fragments. They feel happy only when they are busy, overloaded with work, and in demand. One of their fields of activity is probably related to creativity in some way.

Earth-Type Hand

Earth, or soil, forms the dry, solid part of our planet. Everything that happens on the planet follows the natural cycle of “birth – growth – death – decay.” The earth has no age, and therefore it symbolizes stability and permanence. However, beneath the surface, there is constant movement and change. Sometimes this leads to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters.

The earth hand is very similar to the practical hand. It is characterized by a square palm and short fingers. People with earth hands are reliable, consistent, practical, unpretentious, and easy to communicate with. They enjoy monotonous work, as well as all types of activities where their hands are actively involved.

Such people are conservative, reserved, but jealous, and have a strong sense of possession. They may have outbursts of anger and behave quite aggressively when forced to do so.

We can confidently say the following about a person with an earth hand: they can be called a good, conscientious worker. They are not afraid of hard physical work, and their skilled hands seem to “think for themselves.” Sometimes they can be stubborn; once they’ve made a final decision, it’s impossible to divert them from their path.

They enjoy movement and have a good sense of rhythm. They do not know how to work with details unless, of course, they are making something with their own hands. Most likely, they prefer working outdoors. They are interested in practical fields of activity. They are reliable, honest, and somewhat reserved.

Air-Type Hand

Air is necessary for life. We take it for granted and rarely pay attention to it, except on windy days. Airborne creatures like birds and flying insects are active and fast. The air hand is characterized by a square palm and long fingers.

People of this type prefer to trust logic rather than intuition. They are smart, insightful, witty, and express their thoughts clearly. They love to communicate and often build successful careers in professions that require communication skills. Due to their tendency to rely on logic, people of this type do not trust emotions – neither their own nor others’. We can confidently say the following about a person with an air hand:

They are smart, critical, insightful, and tend to think logically and clearly. Relationships with people are important to them, but they sometimes allow logic to guide their feelings. They are reliable, and you can depend on them. They love to do things “the right way.” They possess a quick, analytical mind and can express their thoughts extremely clearly and competently when necessary. They are a great companion, and life with them is never boring or monotonous.

Water-Type Hand

Finally, we have water, whose natural state as an element is complete stillness and calm. For water to move, it must be influenced by external forces. Water itself is formless; it only fills the shape it can penetrate.

The moon exerts a strong influence on water, causing ocean tides. The phrase “still waters run deep” is the best way to describe the water hand type. The water hand is characterized by an elongated palm and long fingers.

This type of hand is sometimes called the intuitive hand because people with such hands are incredibly sensitive, perceptive, and receptive. They are also subject to rapid mood changes, emotional, and impressionable. They are idealists with a well-developed and vivid imagination. We can say something similar about a person whose hands belong to the water type:

Their spiritual life is incredibly rich and diverse. Because they have a highly developed imagination, they tend to indulge in fantasies and dreams. They are influenced by others and often change their views. They have strong intuition. They are emotional.

If someone has caught their attention, they are inclined to spend more time in their company, but they also need solitude to reflect on what is happening in their life. They feel happy when they are with a loving and understanding person whom they can rely on.

Soft and Firm Hands

First, notice whether the person’s hand is soft or firm. In some cases, the hand may feel elastic to the touch, meaning it is neither soft nor firm. If the hand is fleshy and soft, it indicates that its owner loves luxury and pleasure and readily gives in to passions and desires.

If the hand has opposite qualities, that is, it feels firm to the touch, then you are dealing with a strong person who steadfastly endures the ups and downs of life and is not afraid of difficulties. Such a person can resist any temptation for the sake of what seems more important and significant at this stage of their life.

Rough and Smooth Hands

Now pay attention to how the hand looks and feels: rough or smooth. Don’t be misled by calluses from hard physical labor. A person who earns their living through physical work can also have smooth hands. A rough hand is primarily characterized by large skin pores. This is usually more noticeable on the back of the hand.

People with very rough hands tend to have strong primal instincts and a corresponding appetite. Their needs are very limited, and if met, people of this type feel happy and content. If given the opportunity, they are prone to indulgence. Such people are called “thick-skinned.”

People with smooth hands are much more cultured and aesthetic in everything they do. As a rule, they have a great interest in all forms and types of creativity and strive to make their homes and workplaces as attractive and beautiful as possible.

Hair on Hands

When looking at the back of the hand, note the amount of hair growing on it. A small amount indicates masculinity and is a favorable sign on a man’s hand. An abundance of hair indicates a person with significant physical needs who can only be happy when they are completely satisfied.

How a Person Offers Their Hand for a Handshake

When someone extends their hand to you, observe whether the fingers are closed or slightly spread apart. People who keep their fingers tightly pressed together tend to be careful, cautious, introspective, and suffer from a lack of self-confidence.

People who extend their hands with fingers spread apart are much more confident and open. They are less likely to doubt their own strength and abilities than those who keep their fingers closed. Sometimes people extend their hands with spread fingers and a fully open palm but gradually start closing their fingers and tightening their palm during the movement. This process of slowly tightening the hand means they fear revealing their secrets.

Four Quadrants

The palm is divided into four parts by two imaginary lines. A vertical line running along the length of the middle finger (the finger of Saturn) through the entire palm down to the wrist divides it into two parts, outer and inner. The outer half includes the thumb and is associated with actions we take in the world around us. The inner half is associated with internal thoughts and decisions known only to us.

The horizontal imaginary line runs below the base of the fingers and also divides the palm into two parts, upper and lower. The half that includes the fingers is associated with activity, while the lower half is more passive and less receptive. As a result, the palm is divided into four quadrants: outer active, inner active, outer passive, inner passive.

When examining your hand, note which quadrant is most prominent and obvious. Of course, this is very relative. One of the quadrants may appear more pronounced and larger due to the mounts (small bumps) present on it or simply because one part of your hand seems more important than the others. You should always listen to your intuition; it will never hurt.

If no part of the hand seems dominant over the others, it means the person has achieved balance in various areas of life.

Active Outer Quadrant

The active outer quadrant includes the upper phalanx of the thumb, index finger, and half of the middle finger. This part of the hand symbolizes a person’s ambitions and goals. If the active outer quadrant is dominant, it indicates that the person will spare no intellectual or physical effort to achieve success.

Passive Outer Quadrant

Directly below the active outer quadrant is the passive outer quadrant, which includes the lower phalanx of the thumb and the mount located lower in the palm (the Mount of Venus). This quadrant is associated with physical endurance and sexual activity.

A well-developed passive outer quadrant indicates that the individual has great physical strength and stamina, as well as significant sexual energy. If this area of the hand appears to be the weakest of the four, it suggests that the person is physically passive and rarely experiences excitement.

Active Inner Quadrant

The active inner quadrant includes the ring finger, pinky finger, and half of the middle finger. If this quadrant is dominant, the person is more interested in science and the arts rather than in ways to achieve success and recognition.

Passive Inner Quadrant

Finally, we arrive at the passive inner quadrant. It includes a part of the palm known as the Mount of the Moon. The Mount of the Moon is associated with creativity and the subconscious; therefore, when dominant, the passive inner quadrant indicates that the person has a deep understanding of their emotions, perceives even the slightest nuances and shifts, and has strong intuition.

This quadrant is also linked to imagination and is usually well-developed in individuals professionally engaged in creative activities, such as artists, poets, and musicians.