CHAPTER XXIII

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CONCERNING THE FINGERS AND THUMB AND NAILS

As the shapes and relative proportions of the fingers to the palm modify the indications given by the lines and mounts, it is necessary to consider them very attentively before giving a judgment in Chiromancy.

Fingers longer than the palm and with pointed tips show idealism; they are the expression of the Moon's influence when she is well-dignified at a birth. The Mount of the Moon in these hands would always be large. People with these fingers see everything in the golden light of imagination and find happiness in dreams of intangible beauty; poetical expression (ethereal, not passionate) is their natural language. They always incline to the marvellous--the sublime, the spiritualistic side of all things. Theirs the belief in omens, in occult literature, in the supernatural. Without, perhaps attaching themselves to any fixed creed, they are, by nature, worshippers; and the mysterious moan of the sea, the song of the brook, the roar of the torrent, and the sighing of the wind, are to them but so many revelations of the Deity. They are loyal to old associations and are never in advance of their age. They are easily moved to tears and are graceful in all their gestures. They can, in exalted moments, do without the necessaries of life and yet, from their intuitive worship of the beautiful, they are lovers of the luxurious superfluities which make up an elegant and refined existence. People with these fingers do not age much; their hearts are eternally young, for they live a life of perpetual illusion and though often, alas! necessarily disappointed in both men and things, they never entirely lose faith in the poetry of existence.

Fingers the same length as the palm, and with slightly pointed tips, show refinement, correct taste and love of art--these are the fingers of those born under the dominant influence of the Sun.

Fingers the same length as the palm, but fleshy at their base and square at the tips, show practicality, family affection, love of animals, good judgment, respect for the world's opinion and much appreciation of material comfort. These fingers show the strong influence of Jupiter.

Long fingers, knotty at the joints and with square tips, show reasoning power and taste for science. Persons with these fingers are always in harmony with progress and have little or no veneration and are, therefore, never stirred by associations; with the antiquity of Catholicism, its mystical and somewhat sensuous worship, its celibate priesthood and golden aureole of saints and martyrs, persons having these fingers have no sympathy. If they belong to any fixed creed (and their logical powers are rather against this) they prefer Protestantism--or its offshoot, Dissent--where their real deity, Reason, is permitted full sway. These people love--with all the force of their nature--the study of history, jurisprudence, mathematics and the exact sciences. They are naturally clever at calculation and have much sense of order. Such fingers show the influence of Saturn, but not when most dignified; Saturn when most exalted gives mysticism, but then the fingers are not knotted at the joints and the tips are always spatulated.

Fingers that are shorter than the palm and with spatulated tips, show sensuality in love and materialism in all things, energy, love of field sports and indomitable courage. Such fingers indicate the influence of Mars at birth.

Fingers shorter than the palm, but with very pointed tips and thick at the base, show self-indulgence and love of luxury. Persons with such fingers are very sensuous and are, therefore, ardent pursuers of material pleasures, but yet with a certain refinement of taste which prevents their becoming grossly sensual. Such fingers are often seen in the hands of singers of both sexes; they indicate the strong influence of Venus in the nativity.

Fingers that are slender and longer than the palm, but with spatulate tips, indicate versatility, wit and intuitive perception. Such fingers show the dominant influence of Mercury.

In the relative lengths of the three divisions of the fingers Chiromancy also recognises the indications of three separate influences--that of the soul, that of the mind, and that of the body. Fingers that have the first division (that containing the nail) long, show high aspirations and power of veneration--soul; fingers with the second division longer than the other two indicate intellectual force--mind; whilst fingers having the lowest division longest show a love of material pleasure: people having such fingers, unless there are other modifying indications in the hand, are slaves to the body.

The first joint of the thumb (that which is nearest the nail) represents _Will_; therefore, when this is short, such a form indicates want of will--a character very impressionable and therefore easily led; when this joint is long, it indicates great power of will and therefore force of character. The second joint represents logic, judgment and reason; therefore, where this joint is long these qualities exist in excess and, where it is short, they are wanting in both.

The third joint (that which is outside the Mount of Venus) represents the power which love--more especially the love between the sexes--will have on the character. If long and thick it implies the existence of strong passion; if short and flat a cold disposition--no attraction towards the opposite sex.

Poets have frequently the first joint of the thumb short (because want of will gives the rein to impulse and impressionability), and whilst the second--the intellectual one--is fairly long, the third is almost always large, full and long. This combination of impressionability, intellectuality and warmth of passion gives us the poets full of "the sweet, sad music of humanity."

These various types of finger-tips are often seen in the same hand, which shows that several planets have much the same amount of influence, in which case the following indications should be considered: The finger of Jupiter pointed gives idealistic religion and sense of honour; square, it would show reasoning power; spatulate, energy and impulse.

The finger of Saturn is rarely pointed, but when it is so, it rather mitigates the melancholy given by the planet and shows callousness and (if Mercury is strong in the hand) frivolity. Square tipped, it indicates prudence, love of agriculture and mechanical genius; spatulate, which is the ordinary termination of this finger, it betokens sadness and superstition, and, when the finger is abnormally long, a tendency to suicide; especially where, with it, there is a small weak thumb.

The third finger--that of the Sun--pointed shows idealism and artistic tastes; when square-tipped, realism in art and a love of wealth; spatulate, it gives spirit of adventure, especially when it is as long as the first finger; when the third finger is _longer_ than the first and spatulate it indicates love of gambling and of speculation.

The fourth finger--that of Mercury--pointed shows occultism, intuitive perception, eloquence and talent for languages; square at the tip it denotes logic, facility of expression, science and love of research; spatulate, it gives movement, vivacity and, where the rest of the hand is bad, knavery in business and theft; a very short little finger shows unselfishness and, some old writers say, happiness in marriage.

A pointed thumb gives impressionability; square at its tip, decided but not obstinate will; the thumb bending outward shows generosity and impulse and, when much bent inwards towards the palm of the hand, avarice and reticence. People with short fingers are quicker, more impulsive and have more intuition than those who possess long fingers. Those with long fingers have much love of detail--often to a worrying extent; they are inquisitive and somewhat distrustful.

As regards the nails, short strong nails show courage, combativeness and critical faculties. White polished and filbert-shaped nails indicate sensitiveness and refinement, but no force of character. Short, weak, crooked and black-coloured nails show deceit and slothfulness. Round nails indicate a luxurious, pleasure-loving nature. Very thin nails--especially when the tips are bent inwardly--show delicacy of constitution. Red nails with little white marks on them indicate a choleric and cruel nature.

Those who have on the root of the thumb--that is, on the Mount of Venus--many crossbar lines are sensual and prone to gross indulgence in licentiousness. They who have these marks on their hands will have in their nativity--Venus in the 6th or 8th house (which houses rule the lower parts of the body), thus showing the entire concordance of Chiromancy with Astrology.

[Illustration: _To face Chapter XXIV ._]

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