CHAPTER XVIII

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THE LINE OF HEART AND LINE OF HEAD

The Line of Heart is placed immediately beneath the mounts at the root of each finger. This line, when clear, straight and well coloured, rising in the Mount of Jupiter and extending to the outer edge of the hand, signifies that its possessor has a good heart capable of strong affection. If, instead of commencing on the Mount of Jupiter, it does not take its rise till the Mount of Saturn, then the love will, in that nature, be rather of a sensual character. The Line of Heart sometimes stretches across the whole of the hand; such a line announces a too great amount of tenderness--a passionate and blind devotion in affection.

When the Line of Heart is broken in several places, it means inconstancy, both in love and friendship. Should the breaks be seen immediately beneath the Mount of Saturn, it indicates a tragic end to the love; if beneath the Mount of the Sun, by pride;[18] but if between the Mount of Saturn and the Mount of the Sun, the heart-break will be occasioned by folly; if between the Mounts of Apollo and Mercury, by cupidity--the desire to make a better marriage in a worldly point of view; if the break occurs immediately beneath the Mount of Mercury, the evil issue of the love will be from caprice.

[18] If the Sun is one of the dominant planets, the Line of Heart broken under the Mount of the Sun shows serious physical affection of the heart; if this sign is on both hands it is fatal.

When the Line of the Heart appears in the form of the links of a chain instead of in one clear line, it indicates inconstancy and indecision--a tendency towards a series of _amourettes_ rather than to a high and serious affection. If it goes round to the percussion of the hand it indicates jealousy.

The Line of Heart of a deep red colour indicates a power of love ardent even to violence; but when, on the contrary, the Line of Heart is pale and wide, it is an indication of coldness of temperament.

When, at its starting-point, the Line of Heart is seen to turn round the base of the Mount of Jupiter somewhat in the form of a circle, it is what the ancient Chiromancists called "Solomon's Ring," and indicates an aptitude for the occult sciences. If the Line of Heart joins the Line of Life between the thumb and forefinger, it is a sign (if the mark is in _both_ hands) of a violent death; if only in one, of a serious, but not fatal, illness connected with the heart.

Should the Line of Heart droop towards the Line of Head and touch it, it is a sign of coldness in the affections: the instincts of the heart are swayed by worldly considerations. Red punctures on the Line of Heart mean as many wounds in the affections as there are spots. White spots, on the contrary, show the persons of the opposite sex who, at some time of the subject's life, have given him, or her, a strong love. Should the spot be at the beginning of the line, above the Mount of Venus, the person will have the appearance and qualities given by that planet; if under the Mount of Jupiter he would be a Jupiterian; if under Saturn he would have the appearance and character of a Saturnian; under the Sun of a Sun person; if under Mercury the appearance and character would be those of a Mercurian; if near the side of the hand, of Mars; and if quite at the percussion of the hand, the qualities and physical appearance given by the Moon would describe the person.

If, on starting, the Line of Heart is bi-forked and one branch of the fork rises towards the Mount of Jupiter, it indicates great happiness of a glorious nature; but if the other branch stops between the finger of Jupiter and that of Saturn, it is merely negative happiness--a life passed without great misfortunes. When a hand (but this is rare) is entirely without the Line of Heart it indicates an iron will, wickedness and cruelty, unless the Ring of Venus is deep and goes towards the Mount of Mercury, in which case it would supply the place of the Line of Heart.

The Line of the Head rises between the Line of Life and the Mount of Jupiter and, when it is long and clear, it denotes a sound judgment, good memory and masterly intellect; but it must not extend across the hand in a _straight line_, as that signifies a disposition to avarice, or at any rate of extreme economy, because unless corrected by a rich Line of Heart, it would indicate an excess of calculation in the character.

If the Line of Head is long, but droops towards the Mountain of the Moon, it signifies ideality in excess. Life and its numerous duties and cares will be considered from an artistic and unreal point of view, for the Mount of the Moon, it will be remembered, represents imagination in excess, romanticism and superstition; and if the Line of the Head droops very low to the Mount of the Moon, it indicates more than superstition--it is then mysticism.

If, instead of drooping towards the Mount of the Moon, the Line of Head rises towards the mounts at its close, the intellect will partake of the qualities of that mount towards which it rises: thus, if it rises beneath the Mount of Mercury, the intellect will be employed successfully in affairs or on the stage; if towards the Sun, in art and literature.

The Line of the Head pale-coloured and wide indicates a want of intelligence; so also does a very short line, only extending half-way across the hand. This is often seen in persons of medium intellect.

The Line of the Head broken in two immediately under the Mount of Saturn means, where the sign is on both hands, death on the scaffold, or at least, a fatal wound on the head. When this sign appears in only one hand (no matter which), it indicates a probability of madness from an unfortunate passion, or a broken limb, or a blow, but not fatal, on the head. When it is broken under the Mount of the Sun it shows injury to the right arm or, in a very artistic hand, illness from over-strain of the mental powers.

If the Line of the Head is long, thin and not deeply marked, it shows infidelity and treachery. If, towards its close, it mounts suddenly to the Line of the Heart, it signifies early death.

When the Line of Head is cut by a number of small hair lines, it indicates continuous nervous headaches; a cross in the middle of the line is a sign of approaching death, or of a mortal wound.

When the Line of the Head is not joined to the Line of Life at its starting-point, it indicates self-confidence and impulsiveness, jealousy and that sort of untruth which springs from exaggeration of facts, from over-impressionability. With the planets of Mars and Jupiter in excess, the Line of Head separate from the Line of Life gives audacity and enthusiasm and, therefore, success.

If large, round, red spots are seen on the Line of Head, they indicate so many wounds on the head; whilst white spots on the Line of the Head indicate as many successes in literature as there are spots to be seen.

A star on the Line of Head means a wound on the head, or madness if the line droops much to the Mount of the Moon, and the star appears at its termination.

A sister (or double line) of Head is rarely seen; but if it appears it is a sure sign of fortune by inheritance.

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