The Hand Reveals

Book excerpt: A practical guide to the fascinating art of reading hands. Cheiromancy is the art of handreading in which all aspects of a person's hand are considered in order to gain an accurate picture of their inner nature, distinct from the fortune telling of palmistry. What has come down to us as palmistry today is a rather degenerate and effete form of the ancient discipline of chiromancy. The word cheiromancy comes from the Greek chir meaning 'hand', and manteia meaning 'divination', literally meaning 'divination through the hand'. The Hand Reveals is not merely theoretical: at various points throughout the book readers are encouraged to try and apply this knowledge at every opportunity to find confirmation of the ideas. There is a considerable amount of knowledge and information compressed into these pages, and even the most diligent student would have difficulty in digesting it in one reading. It is recommended that you refer back as often as necessary to go the material you have read, to allow your understanding of cheiromancy to grow gradually. Originally published in 1993, this edition has been revised and updated with new material.