Line Of Life Palmistry - Palm Reading Lines

The Laws Of Scientific Hand Reading Palmistry - Benham 

Life Line     

The line of Life is, according to our hypothesis, the third line which receives the Electric Current upon its entrance through the finger of Jupiter. This line rises at the side of the hand under the finger of Jupiter, encircles the Mounts of Lower Mars and Venus, and in most cases ends under the Mount of Venus at the base of the hand. The line of Life indicates the health of the subject during the various periods of life, his physical strength in general, and whether he lives during each period on his nervous force or relies upon muscular robustness.

By reason of these facts, it record many detailed event is his life, and forms a basis to fall back upon when seeking confirmations or explanations of indications found elsewhere in the hand. It shows whether the course of the life is upward or downward, and will fix the year when the zenith of the subject's powers are reached. In many cases it also shows the probable termination of the life, and often by what disease or agency. There is little use in discussing an absence of the Life line, for few cases will be found where none is present. A great variation will be found in the length of lines, but where it seems at first sight to be absent you will in nearly every case discover a remnant of it, showing that the line has existed in some form. I have seen a few cases where no Life line at all was present (175), and in such cases have found that the subject had but little muscular strength and vitality, but lived on nervous energy. These people were subject to many nervous collapses, and had constantly to husband the strength, sleep much, and avoid excitement.

The absence of a Life line simply shows that the life of the subject hands only by a hair, and for such an one death is a visitor who may come at any moment. These subjects have never lived in a robust condition, but have always been delicate. In the beginning of your study of the Life line, I wish to say that a big thumb and a good Head line indicate qualities that often overcome the poorest Life line, prolonging the life far past its natural ending place. In no case, therefore, should absolute statements be made that death will come at a given time, for, while you may seen great danger, will power may be strong enough to west life from death. It is far better for your subject's course through life that some kind of a line be present, even though it may be a weak one, for in this case there is some resistance, some vital force, while with the absent line all energy depends upon the nerves, and when these give way collapse ensues.


You will sometimes find it difficult to distinguish the Life line from the Saturn line (176) or from strong influence lines found inside of the Life line (177). The Saturn line can take over the functions of the Life line for part of its path. As a guide in all such cases remember that the Life line should enclose the Mount of Venus and not run on top of it. By keeping this point in view you can always properly distinguish the Life line from other lines.

SEX AND LOVE LIFE

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BEGINNING

The Life line usually rises at the side of the hand under Jupiter (178). This is the normal source, and marks the beginning of the life. Sometimes, however, the line rises from the Mount of Jupiter (179). This shows that the life is a most ambitious one, filled with desires for wealth, success, and fame, and that the subject will take every opportunity to become acquainted with people of note. If he be a Saturnian, he is ambitious for success along Saturnian line, such as occult studies, physics, chemistry, medicine, farming, mining, or is greedy for money, according to which phalanx of the Saturn finger rules. If he be an apollonian, he is ambitious for success and fame as an artist, as a money maker, or as one who makes a display in the world, according to which phalanx of the finger rules. If he be a Mercurian, he is ambitious as an orator, a scientist, or in many matters, according to the ruling phalanx of this finger. The same reasoning applies to the other Mounts. In all cases this subject will be extremely proud. It is seldom that any other source is seen for the Life line than that shown in 178, and if any other combination is encountered it must be reasoned out from the qualities belonging to that part of the hand from which the line rises.

SEX AND LOVE LIFE

COURSE

In its course through the hand the Life line varies little, the principle deflections being when the line runs close to the thumb (180), in which case it reduces the the size of the Mount of Venus, thus checking the operation of that Mount, and the subject is cold, unsympathetic, lacks sexual desire and attraction for or to the opposite sex. This is a most important marking when your desire to estimate the probability of a fruitful marriage, for the less Venusian sexual desire present, the less likely is the subject to have children. It shows one who repels advances form the opposite sex instead of courting them, and for such reasons this line was used by the older palmists as an indication of barrenness. If may for the above reasons produce this condition, but it is not per se an indication of sterility.
This restriction of the Life line is also an indication of a diminished probability of long life, as it shows an abnormal dryness in the subject, and such conditions do not show the health and vigor that are present in subjects full of desire and warmth. Coldness indicates nearness to death, either of the physical body, or, as in this case, of some necessary emotion.
When the line sweeps wide into the palm it increases the boundary and scope of the Mount of Venus. This subject will be ardent, full of desire and warmth, passionate, generous, sympathetic, and will attract other. He will also be strongly attracted, will marry early, and in 99% of cases the union will be fruitful. This comes from the converse of the reasoning applied to the restricted line. This converging line also indicates long life and a strong vitality and constitution. It is the presence of warmth as opposed to cold.
LENGTH
Generally, the length of the line is proportional to the length of life. Experience however, that this general proposition, while in the main true, is still capable of considerable variation. In my examination of the hands of dead persons, many startling confirmations of their death have been found on the Life line, but you will also find in the hands of other persons well marked Life lines which run past the age of their decease. This might lead to the belief that the Life line is inaccurate if we did not understand that matter. The fact is that the Life line shows the vigor and natural health of the subject, but we must remember that death is marked on the Heart line, Head line, Mercury line, and is indicated by chance lines and individual signs as well, and in those hands where death has occurred and the Life line is found intact, the indication of heath is present in one of the other places mentioned. It is because severe illnesses and death have been looked for on the Life line, that so little proficiency has been attained in palm reading. the life line has been expected to perform a gratefully than it was able to do, and received the blame for ill-success that belong to the practitioner alone. In a study of the hands of those who have dies from disease, accident, violence, handing, or electrocution, these premises have been absolutely verified, for the indications of death were in each hand, if only sought in the proper place.

This matter I desire to make very clear at this point, for it will prevent your falling into the same mistakes which have overtaken others. When the line is found strong, good and long, we may safely assume that the strong constitution will uphold that life in its natural course until old age is reached. The shorter the line, the shorter is the period that this vitality will remain in full operation and the sooner will the subject have to depend upon a careful of his forces to ensure the continuance of life. The two hands are most necessary in the examination of the Life line, for a naturally strong constitution shown by a long, deep line in the left hand may be found ruined in the right hand by a chained line. You can, in every case, read the natural condition correctly form the left hand and the present state from the right. These changes will be shown by the character of the line. You will often encounter a short Life line in one hand and a long one in the other; if the longer line occur in the right hand, this must be read as prolonging of life and strengthening of constitution; if it is shorter in in the right hand, it must be read as the shortening of the life. Nowhere is it necessary to use both hands more continually than in examinations of the Life line. In all hands where good, long Life lines are seen, feel sure that the natural vigor will last a long time, and in all hands where a short line is seen, these is a danger point indicated for that subject at the termination of the short line, and this cannot with safety be ignored by him.

Character

The character of the Life line is most important, for from it you read the muscular strength, robustness, and vigor of your subject.
- If the line be deep and well cut, the Current is coursing in a good supply through a deep channel, and your subject is strong, vigorous, full of vitality, will resist disease, and have few illnesses. These strong lines are found most often on phlegmatic persons, for these subjects live on muscular strength, not nervous energy. So the deepest lines are in the hands having the least sensitive nerves, and consequently the fewest lines. The lives of these subjects are more even, for they worry little and are not burdened with delicacy and poor health. They are capable of great exertion physically.

Shallow, broad or chained Life lines, even with elastic consistency, will not possess the energy of one with a deep line. The subject with a deep Life line has more ability to throw of worry and remain calm in moments of excitement. He is endowed with vigor of constitution, is filled with self-confidence, and inspires it in others. He is intense in everything he does, work and play alike. If a Life line be deep and long it will show that the vitality and robustness continues during the entire life, but most Life lines become thin at the lower end, when the vitality naturally wanes. Vigor, strength, health, ardor, self-confidence, intensity, and energy sum up the attributes of the deep-cut life line, and this line will affect all of the types. The strength and vigor will increase the Jupiterian propensities to "eat, drink, and be merry," and from this Life line and the Jupiterian type we get many drunkards. This is one of the distinguishing combinations which tells of danger in this direction. If the third phalanx of Jupiter be very full and the color of hand and line red, your subject is likely one who has already indulged heavily. He has, however, only the illnesses and he can indulge in a good deal of dissipation before it begins to impair his vitality. This subject lives a life free from disease and generally drops with apoplexy. The same danger is present with a strong Martian type, especially with red color and red hair. The deep Life line makes the Apollonian a strong, healthy fellow, one to make his way through the world with ease. The Venusian is intensely passionate, and so strong in health and vitality that the exercise of natural Venusian passions is much increase. In all cases it is the addition of good health and great vitality to the type, and with this idea in mind you can reason out the various combinations.
A narrow and thin line indicates less vitality, less robustness, less resistance to illness, and greater liability of the subject to be overcome by various troubles of health. The thin line does not mean that the subject is necessarily delicate or sickly, but is shows that he cannot endure as much hardship. exposure, or resist disease as will as a subject with a deep Life line. In all character of Life lines observe the proportion to the other lines. If the Life line be deep and all other lines thin or nervous, the subject will go through life with less worry and fewer nervous spells, If the Life be thin and the other lines deep and well cut, the subject will be continually overstrained and health will surely suffer, for the thin Life line is not of sufficient size to carry the amount of Current which is flowing through the hand. The result of such a combination will be that the health will give way at some point in the line. The thin Life line is not distinctly a nervous line, yet the subject with such a line will be more nervous than one with a deep line. He will be apprehensive of coming evils, he seems instinctively to feel that the tension on health is great, and he fear the day when it will be overstrained. In choosing persons to go through great privations, such as explorers and prospectors select those with deep and well-cut Life lines, not subjects with thin lines. The thin Life line is summed up when we say that it indicates a lack or robust, muscular vitality and great endurance, and subjects who have such a marking should never go beyond their strength. For a Jupiterian and a Martian this thin line will reduce the tendencies to excess. They will not have the strong impelling force of great vitality to urge them, consequently such subjects do not stand in danger from apoplexy and blood disorders resulting from dissipation, but they suffer from nervous disorder. The Apollonian will run on a lower schedule of speed, and the Venusian will not be impelled outward as great physical gratifications. As strong vitality urges and feeds the desire of all types, so the thin Life line, indicating lack of robustness, minimizes and reduces the operation of every type, and makes each milder. These subjects are often lazy, and thin Life lines must be noted even with elastic consistency, for sometimes a lack of energy is accounted for by a lack of physical vigor.
Broad and shallow line shows an utter lack of vitality (182) . There is in this case no power to resist disease, no robustness, no strong construction, no physical vigor, no muscular power. We find these subjects an easy prey to all kinds of disorders. Their system is in a flabby, weak condition, and furnishes a fertile soil in which bacteria germinate. These subjects have no endurance, no stamina, no confidence in themselves. They have weak constitutions, and lack energy and push. This is because they are not physically strong, and must not be taken as an indication of inherent laziness. They are conscious of a labored effort whenever they undertake physical exertion and from this kind of a Life line we get the chronic complainer and those who never feel well. These subjects are very dependent; they lean on friends and relative, and soon fall into the way of being looked after. They do not often achieve great success, for they have not the strength to beat the tide of competition and the "hustle", of the age. They lack aggression and strength, and consequently must be taken care of or they go under. Such Life lines are an indication of great nervousness, and these subjects are carried purely by their nervous force. Often when necessity forces them to make strong efforts they will work when they feel that they can hardly put one foot in front of the other. Only positions where the work is purely routine, easy, and does not require much responsibility are suited to subjects with such Life lines. When they are forced into vocations requiring greater physical exertion and the shouldering of responsibilities they do not hold out a great while. such a Life line on a flabby hand indicated the extreme of laziness. Even an elastic consistency cannot overcome the lack of vital strength and energy of a broad and shallow Life line. Spatulate tips will be only mentally active with this line; the skill these splendid tips give to a subject in all kinds of sports and games, in the battle of life, will be only a shadow if accompanied by such a line , for all the type qualities will be lessened in their force and achievement. The Jupiterian will have no strength for excess, the Martian will be too weak to fight. Venusians will lack physical sexual power, no matter how much the thought of sexual relations may attract them. Children are seldom born to or from such subjects. There are many variations in this line; some are very broad and very shallow, and show that the Current has no deep channel through
which to flow. Other lines will only approach such a condition. Estimate the intensity of any line by its degree of breadth and shallowness. Note both hands. If the Life line be good in the left hand and broad and shallow in the right, the weak constitution is growing on the subject. If the marking be reversed, the weak constitution is growing stronger.
Note the proportion of the lines. If the Life line alone be broad and shallow, and the other lines are good, the constitution cannot carry its share of the life's effort, and such a subject will be unsuccessful, sickly, despondent, and miserable. With this line study the Mount of Saturn carefully; if it be large or gives in any way a large share of Saturnian quality to the subject, he will be melancholy, gloomy, and wretched. Such subjects commit suicide more frequently than any other. If the lower third of the Mount of Moon in a woman's hand shows female weakness the subject will be much more strongly impelled toward self-destruction. With such a line at once locate the type of your subject and hunt for health defect, either of his primary type or of the secondary or tertiary types, whose qualities will be supplementary; or health defects which may be shown on any other part of the hand. Chance lines will often point you to these defect. No subject with such marking should marry, for it will turn the home into a hospital. Sometimes people are found who are strong enough to make them willing to spend a life in nursing and humoring whims, but these cases are few. Parents are the safest reliance for such subjects.
- The Life line running like a ladder (183) made up of short cross lines - has the same general effect as the broad and shallow line. The health will be very unstable and intermittent with this line, and not only is the subject delicate, but he has repeated illnesses, all of more than ordinary severity.
When the Life line is composed of several fine lines close together (184), instead of a single deep line, it shows an intensely nervous state of health with great delicacy, and a liability to general debility. All of these lines reduce the vigor of every type, diminish their strength, and render them less likely to be pushing, active persons.
Examine the Mounts to locate the health defects present, which will be exaggerated with these poor Life lines. The very thing that is causing your subject to be delicate, and which shows through the poor Life line, is some one of the health defects of the types. You need have no trouble in locating the source of the difficulty.
A chained life line (185) is one which shows g great obstruction of the life current, and the subject with this line will be delicate and suffer repeated annoying illnesses. If the chaining runs through the entire course of the line, this poor condition of health will be always present, but if it cover only a part of the line, the delicacy will only extend over the part of the life covered by the chain. The chained line is an aggravated addition of delicacy to the broad and shallow line. Conceive the Life Current bumping over the many rocks and shoals in the channel of a badly chained Life line, and you can figure something of the miserable health such a line indicates.

SEX AND LOVE LIFE

Regions of the Life line
The direction of the line travels from the beginning most distal end, above the thumb, to an ending near the wrist crease.
The application of these general characteristics must be made in detail to the line from its source to termination. It is by such as method of procedure that we are able to locate from the line the periods of ill-health of delicacy and to read at what ages they occur. it is from the character of the line that we read constitutional tendencies to disease or debility, and it is to the signs and chance line that we look for indications of acute attacks of fever or other diseases which come upon the subject suddenly and not as a result of constitutional deficiency.
With nearly every Life line we find the first years chained, or poorly marked in some way (186). If this beginning of the line is bad for a long distance, the child did not pass the danger point until late. If this bad beginning runs only a short distance, the period of childish delicacy was soon over. After this period, it the line becomes deep and well cut, and continue so to its end, the subject will have a strong constitution which assets itself as soon as the delicacy of infancy is passes, and continues as long as the subject lives. If, after the delicacy natural to the early years, the line be thin and continue so to the end, the subject has not a vigorous constitution to start with, and is never robust. If after the childish delicacy the line continues chained, broad, and shallow, or otherwise poorly marked, the subject will never be strong during life, but will always have a weak constitution. There are periods in almost every one's life when he is stronger than at others, Even a weak constitution will have times of revival. This will be shown by an uneven line in which the combination of the character of the line may vary infinitely. We may find a line marked like 187. This line would be read: great delicacy in childhood up to twelve, at which time the health improved to a marked degree, though the subject was never robust; at thirty a period of great delicacy developed, lasting three years, after which time the subject seemed entirely to recover health and becomes robust and vigorous; this condition continues until fifty, when the constitution becomes gradually weaker until the end of life. The combinations possible to be seen in File lines are so many that an indefinite number of illustrations could be given, and yet not a fraction of the possibilities be shown. By handling every variation of the line however, according to the general rules governing the different characters of line, and by following the methods of reading as given in 187, you can correctly decipher every line.

Back of all of these delicacies of constitution there are causes which produce them, and these causes are the health defects of the types, which in most cases are chronic ailments. Having discovered that your subject has a weak constitution, endeavor to discover what has made it weak, In this examination the type of the subject will aid, for it will tell to what he is predisposed. After you have located, his type or combination of types, look at the primary Mount for grilles, cross-bars, crosses, or any marking which will enable you to locate a health defect of the type. If one be seen, go over the list and look at nails, color, Mercury line, and from some of these you will be able to locate which one of his type health defects has undermined the constitution. With this information you can tell him not only that he is constitutionally weak, but what is the cause. If you seen no health defects of his primary Mount, look to the second, and tertiary, and all the other Mounts for health defects. It is written somewhere, if only looked for in the right place. Sometimes a chance line will point from the delicacy on the Life line to the cause producing it, and generally it will be found on one of the Mounts. The individual signs or as we have called of them, "defects," in the line will locate specific points when illnesses occurred or will occur. These defects ar cross-bars cutting the line, islands, dots, breaks, and splits.
Cross Bars on life line causes an obstruction to health
All lines which cut across the Life line interrupt or cut the Current, and at the time the cutting occurs they produce a defective operation which in the case of the Life line is one of health. In some cases, especially with very nervous persons, the Life line is continually cut by little line which are fine and do not cut the Life line in two (188). These lines show innumerable worries, the result of an intensely nervous condition, and the subject is prone to numerous small illnesses which have kept him in a continual state of depression or of ill-health.
- If these cross-bars be fine, the illnesses have not been serious but annoying, and there have been as many as there are bars cutting the Life line.
- If these bars be deep and cut the Life line, there have been severe illnesses.
- If they be red the illness has been by fever. It is by the depth of these cross-lines that you must estimate their seriousness, and generally they will end somewhere on a Mount or line which will give you the clue to the nature of the trouble. The age at which these illnesses occur can be read from the Life line.





- If a cross-bar cut the Life line and end in a grille on Saturn (189), the illness will be a health defect of Saturn; which one you can determine from nails and color.
- If the cross-bar --> dot, island, or a break in the Heart line under Apollo (190), the illness is heart disease; the outcome can be read from the Heart line or from the termination of the Life line. Nails and color will aid to confirm the diagnosis.

- If the cross-bar runs to a wavy-line of Mercury (191), the illness is jaundice or severe bilious fever; age in all cases to be read from the point at which the cross-bar cuts the Life line.

- If the cross-bar runs to a grille on Upper Mars (192), with the Martian type strong, the trouble will be with blood disorder or throat and bronchial trouble. Nails will confirm the latter, or islands on the line of Mercury.

- If the cross-bar go to grille or cross on the Upper Moon (193), bowel trouble or intestinal inflammation is the difficulty.
- If the cross-bar runs to the middle of the Mount of the Moon (194), especially if grilled, gout or rheumatism is the difficulty. This is completely confirmed if a line with an island along its course runs to Saturn (from the Life line) (195). This double indication is reliable even though no grille or cross is found on the Mount of Moon.

- If the cross-bar goes to a grille , cross-bar or cross on Lower Moon (196), the trouble is with kidneys or bladder, or from female disease. White color and soft or flabby hands, transparent in appearance, will confirm the former; a star in the Mercury line, especially if at the point where it crosses the line of head, will confirm the latter (197).
If the life line be good with the above markings, the type defects are natural to the subject, as shown by the grille or other defects on the Mounts. However, the strong Life line shows a vigorous constitution and ability to resist and throw off disease, consequently the chronic trouble only manifests itself in a severe illness, not by a prolonged period of delicacy.
- If the Life line be thin, chained, or broad and shallow, these cross bars will be found more frequently, for the constitution is not robust and cannot shake off the type health defects as in the case of the deep line. With all cross-bars note the Life line after it is cut, and it will tell whether recovery is complete or not.
- If after a cross-bar cutting a thin Life line and running to an island, dot, cross, or break on the Head line, the Life line has an island and becomes broad and shallow afterwards (198) the subject, naturally not robust, has a severe attack of brain trouble which leaves him delicate, and from which he never regains his normal strength. The head is also left delicate as a result of this illness, shown by the island on the Head line. Sometimes the cross-bars cutting the Life line begin on Influence lines on the Mount of Venus (199).In these cases worry concerning the influence has caused the illness shown by the cross-bar. This is especially true if the Influence line be deep and strong.
- If the cross-bar runs to a narrow quadrangle-(Heart and Head lines close), it will be a sign of asthma; the narrowing of the quadrangle as a health indication shows a tendency to suffocation, and this has been found to relate to attacks of asthma. Always see the narrow quadrangle before using this reading, as that is the thing which locates the disease; a line running into a normal quadrangle would not give such an indication.
- If a cross-bar runs ladder like (slanted lines) line of Mercury, it shows that the illness comes from stomach trouble, as that is the weakness shown by such a Mercury line.
- If the cross-bar runs to an islanded line of Mercury (202) throat and lung trouble, that being the indication of such a Mercury line.

Islands on the life line (203) show that the Current is split in two during their continuance, and consequently operates with a diminished force. They are always indications of periods of delicacy. The point where the island begins will mark the commencement of this period of delicacy, and the end of the island will tell when it is over, provided the line is good afterward.
- If the island be a very small one (204), it will indicate a single illness, and you must proceed by examining Mounts, Head, Heart, Mercury, chance lines, and all other health indications to find out the nature of the illness.

- If the line contain a series os islands (205), it operates like a chained line, indicating a continuous succession of illnesses and delicacy, and you must locate the cause of trouble from other parts of the hand. If in this case the first island be small and they grow larger as they continue, the trouble is increasing. If the reverse marking appears, the trouble is diminishing. As most islands appear larger than mere dots, they generally indicate chronic state of ill-health during their presence rather than acute attacks.Primarily the island indicates delicacy, and gives warning to look out for trouble. Your first duty is to discover what is causing the delicacy. In very many hands islands in the Life line will be seen, and the rest of the hand filled with cross-lines. This will indicate great nervousness, and that will likely be the cause of the islands. It will certainly be one cause. On seeing an island, at once begin a search of the entire hand for health defects, and somewhere the cause of the island will be found. Sometimes you will find an island in the Life line and the Head line cut by numerous bars (206); if no other health defects be seen and the cutting hairs are fine, this will show that severe headaches cause the delicacy; or if the bars be deep, brain disturbance of a more serious character is indicated. - If an Island appears on the Life line with islands on the Head line (207), the head is the cause of the delicacy, especially if the dots be red or purple in color.


If dots appear on the Head line with an island on the Life line (208), brain fevers will be the cause of the delicacy, especially it the dots be red or purple in color.
If dots be seen on the Hear line with an island on the Life line (209), heart disease will be the cause of the delicacy. Dots on the Heart line will indicate acute attacks, and if many are present these attacks come frequently, producing the continued delicate health shown by the island on the Life line. Nails and color will confirm these indications.
- If islands appear in the Heart line (210) general heart weakness will cause the delicacy. Nails and color will confirm this. This will not indicate the acute attacks shown by the dots in the Heart line, but general structural deficiency.


If a wavy line of Mercury be seen with an island in the Life line, biliousness will be intense, and will cause the delicacy (211)..
-If the line of Mercury be ladder-like(212), and an island is seen on the Life line, dyspepsia, indigestion, and all crosses, cross-bars, and all defective marking on the Mounts will locate the cause of the deficiency as a type defect peculiar to the Mount on which the defect appears.
If a dot be seen before the island on the Life line (213), an acute attack will be followed by a period of delicacy; the nature of the acute trouble to be located from the rest of the hand.



Sometimes you will encounter a double set of indications. An island will be seen in the Life line, early in life, and some trouble may be shown in the Head line. Later in the Life line another island may appear, and on the Heart line islands may be seen, or a wavy Mercury line, or defect on a Mount (214). This should be read as two periods of delicacy in the life, one early, and as the defect in the Head line also shows early in that line, this will be the cause of the first island in the Life line. The second island shows a second period of delicacy, and the trouble in the Heart line will explain it. The number of islands seen in the Life line will indicate the number of period of delicacy in the Life of the subject, but each one may by caused by a different disease, and these can be found by following the method employed in 214..
An island in the Life line, with an islanded line running to it from Saturn, and a second line from middle third of Moon, will locate gout or rheumatism as the cause of the delicacy (215).
- An island in the Life line with a grille on Saturn and line connecting it with the island, with dots or islands in the Head line under Saturn, fluted and brittle nails, will locate paralysis as the trouble (216).


- An island in the Life line, with a line connecting it with a red or purple dot on Jupiter, color of hand and lines red, and thin head line, will show an apoplectic tendency to be the cause of the trouble. This is more certain if a grille or cross be seen on Upper Mars (217). An island in Life line, grille on Saturn with line connecting, and wavy Mercury line will show extreme biliousness and indigestion as the trouble.
Yellow color will confirm this, and bar frequently cutting the head line or small islands appearing in it will show bilious headaches (218). In all of these cases the island in the Life line enables one to distinguish that the trouble is a defect of health, and not one affecting the finances or affairs of life.



Disease we red from the Life line, financial affairs from the Saturn and Apollo lines.
Poor health may affect these matters, but they are not read from the Life line. It is very common to see an island in the Life line of women at ages forty two to forty six. This will indicate the age at which their change of life occurs, and the duration of the island will tell you how long it lasts. Whenever an island is seen in this location (219), it should always be read in the hands of women as change of life. The line after this island will tell you how seriously this change affects the subject.
- If the island be followed by a deep line, the effect in only a delicacy during the period of the change; it the line becomes thin, broad and shallow, or chained the subject never recovers her full strength and vigor afterwards. If with this island there appears a grille on Lower Moon (220), female weakness will be an added impediment to a successful change. If you read this change before the change has occurred, it is your duty at advise that the subject take medical treatment in order, as far as possible, to remove this difficulty before the change of life comes on. If, in this indication, a line connects the island and the grille, the indication is more certain, and it a star be seen on the Mercury line at or near the juncture with the line of Head, it is absolutely correct (221). The change of life is shown not only be the island, but by other defective conditions of the Life line at this age.
- If the line has been deep and strong, and at this age becomes thin (222), it indicates the time and the trouble, but shows that it is less serious. If the line at this age becomes broad and shallow (223), it shows that the change greatly weakens the constitution, how seriously the remainder of the line will tell.
- If it remain broad and shallow or chained to the end of the line the original strength is never regained. Complications often ensue during this period of life: islands or breaks are often seen in the head line, indicating that during this time mental strength is weak. Sometimes female disturbances occur, and frequently bowel inflammations. These will be marked in their proper places on the Mounts. Sometimes the heart's action will be obstructed, and this will be shown by islands, breaks or dots in the heart line at the proper age. With the idea in mind that an island in the Life line is a period of delicate health, you will always be warned, and begin the search for its cause. Do not be in a hurry; look the entire hand over, consider everything, this cannot be done hastily. Bring to bear every point relating to health and apply it to the island. Proceed with care, and you will be able to locate the cause and effect of every one.


- Dots on the Life line (224) are rare. They are indications of acute illness or of accident. They vary in size from mere pin points, hardly noticeable, to large holes which destroy the line. They are found of all colors, and their importance must be graded by size and color. White dots are the most harmless, and their meaning must be searched for in the hand according to the method of locating disease already explained. Red dots indicate a febrile tendency, and the deeper the color the more accurate is this reading. When of a deep crimson and purplish hue, they portend grave fevers, such as typhoid, typhus, and the like. In all cases they are useful in locating a point of special incident in the life of a subject, and will precede islands, chains, and other defects, thus showing that the illness recorded was of such severity that the constitution did not again become strong.
- A dot on Life line followed by an island and a chained line, with a line running to a bar, a dot, a small island, a cross, or a star on the Head line (225), will show that an attack of brain fever undermined the constitution, and complete recovery did not follow.

-A dot on Life line connected by a line to Upper Mars and an islanded line of Mercury (226) will show that the illness was bronchitis or other throat trouble.
- A dot on Life line connected by a line to upper Moon, which has a grille, and a line running to Mount of Jupiter (227), shows the illness to be inflammation of the bowels.
- A dot on Life line connected by a line with an island, dot or a cross under Apollo (228) shows the illness to be heart disease.





A dot on Life line connected by a line with a dot, a bar, or a cross on a wavy line of Mercury (229) shows the illness to be bilious fever. The dot on the Mercury line indicate the acute attack; chronic biliousness is shown by the wavy line.
- A dot on Life line, with cross-bars, a grille a cross, or a poorly formed star on the Middle of Moon, shows the illness to be gout (230). This is emphasized by a line running from a dot on Saturn.
- A dot on Life line connected by a line with a grille, cross-bars, a cross, or poorly formed star on Lower Moon (231) shows the attack to be kidney or bladder
trouble of an acute nature. If a dot on the Life line is pronouncedly yellow in color, it will indicate without further confirmations an attack of bilious fever.

- When a dot is seen on the Life line connected by a line with a cross on Saturn (232), it will indicate an accident, as Saturnian's are predisposed to accident.


Breaks in the Life line are often seen (233), and vary in their seriousness according to the kind of a line which is present, how side the breaks are, and how repaired. When the Current, traveling along the Life line, encounters a break, it must get past it into the line again, and it is the ease with which this can be accomplished which makes a break more or less serious. A break occurring in a deep, strong line is less serious than one which appears in a broad and shallow or chained line. In the deep line the Current is flowing with volume and force at the time it reaches the break, and consequently it has the benefit of its own momentum to carry it past the break and into the line again. I have seen breaks in deep and strong Life lines where the line has subsequently cut its way through the intervening space, forming a good line. With shallow or chained lines, the Current is moving sluggishly when the break occurs, and there is not the momentum to assist in lessening the damage. All breaks indicate a check or impediment to the health, consequently to the life of the subject, and these impediments come either from illness or accident. The matter of accidents is hard to diagnose, but I follow the rule that in a hand which is health in every other way, a break in the Life line should be read as an accident. Sickness in such a hand would be shown in some other way than by a break. In a number of hands in which fine Life lines were noted and perfect health otherwise shown, breaks were verified as accidents. There is no question as to their indicating jars to the health whenever seen. Numerous instances are encountered where the cause of the break is easily located by health defects seen on the Mounts, by chance line, or individual signs. Small breaks which are at once repaired (234) need not be considered as more serious than islands or dots, but wide breaks unrepaired (235) must be considered as a menace to the life.
All tendency of the ends of the line to turn back to origin after a break (236) is gravely serious. The wider the separation of the ends and the more the ends hook, the more hopeless is the possibility of recover. With every break, note how wide it is, how the ends oppose each other, what repair possibilities are present, and from this point of view estimate the danger.


If the line is filled with a series of small breaks (237) , the effect will be like a chained line, the health will be intermittent, the vitality impaired, and the constitution unrobust. If after each break the line becomes thinner (238), the vitality is diminishing, and the subject less able to resist disease after each attack. He will gradually grow weaker until his vitality is dissipated.

This line is both an indicator of constitutional weakness and of special attacks of disease. Each break will mark the time of some illness. With such a line as 238, you will not find different acute disorders occurring with each break, but the subject has a chronic trouble which recurs at frequent intervals. The nature of this disorder can be located from the Mounts and by other health indications. The line may start thin, and after each break grow deeper (239). In this case after the first few years of life the breaks will not come so close together, and it will show that the subject is gradually overcoming his difficulties.
To diagnose what has occasioned each break in the Life line, the method of procedure is the same as applies to other defects in the line. The Mounts will show defects, chance line will point to special marks of disease, and in every way the manner of locating the cause of breaks is the same as in the case of islands, dots, and other defects.


- If after a break an island is formed (241), the disease which caused the break creates a period of delicacy, the duration of which is shown by the extent of the island. The same reading will apply if a chained line forms after a break. With such a marking as this there will be poor chance of complete recovery. When breaks occur at about fifty years of age (242), with the line growing very thin just before the break, and seeming continually to grow thinner until the break occur, it shows the gradual waning of vital force until it runs out; that a period of great weakness cones on when there is not enough strength left to resist disease, and an illness recorded by the break occurs. If the line continues after this break it will begin very thin and gradually grow stronger, showing that the health returns by degree. This breaks in a Life line may be repaired by overlapping ends of the line, sister line, squares, and in other ways. These repair signs, in whatever form, will be recognized by their tendency to turn the Current back into the line again, and their repair of the line is complete in proportion as they succeed in doing this.

Splits on the Life line (243) divert a portion of the Current from the main channel.
- Sometimes they only divide it, and the line continues a double line with the splits running close together (244). This reduces the strength of the constitution during the period of the split, and while it may not result in positive delicacy, it will diminish the vitality.
- Sometimes such a split will extend for only a short space, and often it will go the entire length of the line. In any case the divided strength operates during the continuance of the split.
- Sometimes the splits are fine and hair-like (245), and do not diminish the size of the Main line. The are generally seen accompanying a deep line, and show the excess of strength of the line. These is, a running over of vitality, and these fine, hair-like splits must be read as confirming the strength of a deep, strong line.
- When fine, hair-like line are seen rising from the line (246), it generally occurs in the early part of the line. This shows the upward course of the subject's life. he is filled with ambition, pride, and a desire to achieve success. The fine rising lines show that the Current which overflows from the line is drawn upward by the force of attraction of the Mounts under the finger. The exit of the Current, you remember, is through the finger of Saturn, Apollo, Mercury, and these rising hair-like line from the Life line show that the Current is being impelled in its proper direction, with a force strong enough to pull these fine lines upward. the period covered by these rising lines on the Life line is that of the years of greatest power in the life of the subject. He will have his greatest earning capacity and command of his best brain power and strength. During this time he should accomplish the most important part of his life's work. A time will come when the little line do not rise form the Life line, but fall downward (247).

At this time there is not such strength as during the period covered by the rising lines. The Current is not forced upward by the great power of enthusiasm and vital energy, and the life forces, ambition, and the capacity to do, begin to wane from the time of life when these hair lines begin to fall downward. At the point where the rising lines cease to rise and the drooping line begin is the turning-point in the life of the subject. This point marks the pinnacle of his capabilities, the period of greatest power, the zenith of ability to perform great things, and he will never be able to do afterward what is possible before this point is reached. This turning point in the life was I believe place before us for our guidance. I have made a great study of this indication, and have verified it in the lives of hundreds of men and women. From it you can tell you client when he must have his house in order and be ready to begin the descent of the hill of life.

In some hands it is seen early in life, in others later, but whenever it occurs, that year marks the point of greatest power in the subject's life. When seen early in life it is sometimes formed around an island (249), which will show that a delicacy occurring at that time will dissipate the powers so that they will never fully recover. When the turning point shows at near fifty, it is the natural decline of physical power coming on with age.



When rising line or a single line from the Life line rises to Jupiter (250), it shows that great ambition which lead its possessor constantly to struggle to win. You can tell in which world by the phalanx of the finger which rules.
- If a rising line runs to Saturn (251), it will indicate a great desire of the subject to succeed along Saturnian line. In which world will be indicated by the phalanx of the finger which rules.

If a line rises to Apollo (252), the subject will have great desires in Apollonian directions, the particular world being read form the phalanx of the finger.
- If a line rises to Mercury (253) the subject will have great desire to succeed in some Mercurian direction, indicated in more detail by the ruling phalanx of finger. This line must not be confused with the line of Mercury.
- If a line runs from the Life line to Upper Mars (254), the subject will be strongly ambitious in Martian directions; and Lunar qualities will strongly influence the life if a split line is seen running to the Moon (255).
All of these lines must be fine lines rising off of the LIfe line, and not chance lines crossing or cutting the line.


Termination
In an estimate of the Life line the termination is most important, for it shows how the life ends. In all of the changes on the line we find that they have shown the strength of the constitution during life, various states of health, strength, delicacy, and numerous diseases. When we come to the termination of the line, we learn the outcome of these various conditions. If a line is deep and strong it may end as strong as is its course through the hand. This line simply stops short, ending in no sign or special marking (256). This indicates that the subject will remain strong till the end of life, will die of no lingering disease. With such a termination examine the Head line, the Heart line, and study the type of the subject carefully. If a Jupiterian or Martian, it will make his quick ending more certain. While no sign is seen on the Life line, a deep cut or cross, a dot or a star, may be discerned on the head line corresponding to the age at which the Life line ends, and this will be the sign of the demise (257). In this case the abrupt termination of the Life line will give the clue to a quick end, and the sign on the head line will tell that some affection of the head will be the cause. In the same manner in impairment of the Heart line by some individual sign, such as a cut, a cross, dot, or star, will show that heart failure will be the end (258). With sudden terminations of the Life you should not look for chronic diseases but for acute attacks, and these are indicated by individual signs like the dot, cross, cross-bar, and star.

- Sometimes breaks indicate the same thing. With the sudden ending to the Life line, and a dot, cross-bar on a wavy line of Mercury, a sudden attack of bilious fever will be the trouble, the wavy line of Mercury showing a chronic tendency, the individual sign indicating the acute attack (259).
- If a line should run from the end of the Life line to these signs it will bake the reading more certain. In the same manner a dot on any Mount and the sudden termination of the Life line will show the end to be from an acute attack (shown by dot) of the health defect of the Mount.
- If a line runs from the end of the Life line to the dot, it will make the indication unmistakable. Thus while the termination of the life may not always be read from the Life line, it is read from the other lines and Mounts. If the Life line end suddenly and a dot is seen on Jupiter (260), apoplexy will be the trouble; it a dot is seen on Saturn, paralysis, and if in the case a star, cross, or dot is seen on the Head line under Saturn, the reading is absolute (261). All of the other Mounts must be handled in the same way when searching for a sudden termination to life. With each Mount disease the one which would kill quickly is the probable one, and a chronic trouble will not be the cause.
- When a deep Life line ends abruptly there is always a chance that it may continue. Even though the line be short, it is not as serious as if it ended in a cross, star, tassel, dot, or like sign. Life lines which are deep and strong but short, and sometimes even short thin ones, often cut their way through the hand, forming new channels; for a strong will and determination to live, often prolong the life of many persons with such markings. When the line ends clear, without a defect or tassel, it shows that there is no great impediment at the time, and that care and determination can deep the life going. If a line which begins deep and strong begins to taper as it cuts through the hand, gradually growing thinner as the line advances until it fades away and finally disappears in the capillary lines (262). It shows that the vitality grows less powerful as age comes on until it almost disappears, leaving the subject weak, nerveless, and feeble. These subjects will not die from sudden diseases, but death will come from exhaustion. They are liable to develop some chronic ailment as the line decreases, and any defect of their type will be almost certain to develop. By making a thorough examination, you can discover the difficulty. This fading Life line does not stand so good a chance to continue the life past the age indicated by its length. If it be a short line, the subject will begin to decline early and will not live past the end of the line, as he has not enough vitality to create great determination to live. A good head line is a fine possession with such a disappearing line.
- If the Life line forks at the termination (263), it shows that the Current separates, and, going in two directions, there is only one half as much chance that the life may be continued past the end of the line as with a single line.
If both branches are deep, strong lines, it is more of an indication that life may be prolonged than if the forks are thin lines. This is a case where the vitality wanes, and as division is weaker than union, this forked termination of the Life line shows the rapidly dissipating vitality.

- If the line be short, small encouragement of long life can be given a subject with such a termination.
- If these forks are close together (264), it is a better indication than if they diverge widely (265).
- If the line ends in three prongs (266), the dissipation of the vitality is more complete, and this is more certain if all three of the forks be thin. In this case the vitality will be dissipated when this point is reached.
- If the middle fork is strong and deep (267), it may be a new lease of life beginning to manifest itself, and hope may be given that the subject will live past the end of the line.

- If the line ends in a tassel (268), it shows entire dissipation of the vitality and end of the life. Such tassels are frequently seen from sixty to sixty-five years of age. In those cases it is the natural end of the life. If the tassel appears early in the line it shows premature dissipation of vitality, and death of the subject at the age at which the tassel is seen. In many works on Palmistry this tassel has been given the meaning "Poverty in old age". This is incorrect. I have seen it in the hands of old men who were rich. The vitality was fast diminishing, however, as the age neared the point of the tassel. Sometimes the Life line runs to a certain age and then crosses the hand to a Mount. If there is no health defect on the Mount it will show that the quality of the Mount largely influences the life course of the subject.
- If a grille, cross, dot, cross-bars, or any defect on the Mount is present, the indication are that the disease peculiar to that Mount took hold of the subject at the age the line deflected from its regular course. For instance, if at thirty the line be so deflected and runs to the middle of the Mount of Moon to a grille, gout or rheumatism will be the disease which afflicted the subject (269). When ever the line runs to a defect, the disease peculiar to the point where it stops is the one to look for. This marking running to Lower Moon is most frequent in the hands of women, and indicates female weakness.
- If the line ends in a cross (270), the life will terminate at that age, and the disease can be determined by the usual search through the hand. This is a sudden ending of life, and there will be no lingering illness. The more perfectly the cross be marked, and the deeper its lines, the more certain is the indication.


- If a cross-bar cuts the end of the Life line (271), it is the sudden ending of the life. In all these cases the usual methods of examination will disclose the cause. It is absolutely necessary with every termination of the Life line to examine both hands.
- If the line and termination in the left hand be good and strong, and one of the defective terminations is seen in the right, it is certain that something has changed the natural life course. The subject may have acquired a vicious habit which will shorten his days, or may have developed some serious malady. In such a case locate the trouble, and by telling him what the outcome will be, he may be induced to abandon the habit, if such it is, and avert the catastrophe.
- If the line ends in a dot (272), your subject will die of an acute attack, the nature of which can be determined in the usual manner.
- If the line ends in a star (273), the subject will die suddenly; the cause can be located from the rest of the hand.
You will encounter many combinations of all these signs in the termination of Life line.

-Crosses will be found appearing in the Life line (274). These will be impediments to the life Current, and generally you will find on the Saturn line or the Apollo line some marking occurring at the same age. This change is generally the result of illness or accident. Crosses quite frequently indicate accidents.
- Stars on the Life line are a menace to the life (275). They have been verified many times as indicating sudden death. The type of the subject will have much to do with these signs. A fine line leaving the Life line and ending in a star near it (276) is also a dangerous sign, indicating sudden death. The star representing the explosion in the Life line, or at least an intense illumination, is not a safe indication to be found.
The color of the line will be useful as a further confirmation of the strength or weakness of the constitution. White color diminishes the power of a deep and well cut line, and the subject will not have as much robustness and vitality as it the line were pink. A deep and well cut line, pink in color, will be the best for a Life line. Then neither deficiency nor excess of vitality is indicated, but a normal balance. Red color, with a deep line, is too intense, and the subject will be liable to febrile diseases, and also very ardent in everything, and will have strong appetites. If stars, crosses, dots, or cross-bars are seen on a line which is very red in color, the subject will have some violent attack at the age indicated by the sign. Such a combination is most dangerous to the life. All markings which indicate febrile troubles or inflammations will be made more serious by a very red Life line. Yellow color in the Life line will indicate chronic biliousness, and all the defects of health and character which are induced by bile will be aggravated. With such a subject the Mounts of Saturn and Mercury should be carefully studied, as well as all matters pertaining to those Mounts, for being of the bilious type, yellow color in the Life line will increase any health defect which these Mounts show. A wavy line or a ladder like line of Mercury will be sure to indicate severe bilious complication and indigestion.

Color of Life line
Dots, crosses, cross-bars, breaks, or islands in the Mercury line must be looked for, as these will point directly to severe liver trouble in the shape of acute attacks of bilious fever or jaundice.
- If yellow shows in the Life line the whole character will be influenced by the irritating bile. The subject will be cross, nervous, liable to fits of blues, and it any of the bad side of his type be indicated he will be vicious, and even criminal. A bad development of Saturnian or Mercurian type with a yellow line shows a trickster and chest, and it the type be very bad indicates a vicious wretch who will delight even in murder.
- Blue color shows poor circulation and consequent heart weakness. This color present with a defective and badly color Heart line and blue nails will indicate an advanced state of heart trouble. The bluer the Life line and the more indications of defective heart action, the more serious the estimate. With a blue Life line, stars on the line will be accurate as indication of sudden dearth by heart disease. Crosses, dots, and cross-bars are bad indications with blue color, but the star is the worst. Stars which are not directly on the line but near it, will have almost as much force as if on the line. All of the above observations in regard to color apply to thin Life lines as well as to deep and well cut lines. A thin line which is exceedingly red is most dangerous, for the line is not strong enough to support the vitality shown by very red color. Yellow thin lines will make the subject small, petty, and mean. With chained lines or broad and shallow lines, white color makes them weaker. They have none of the strength which follows the presence of pink color. Subjects with thin lines are cold, sickly, complaining, and vacillating. They lack energy, and are not persons to be relied upon. Pink color makes a broad and shallow or a chained line stronger.
The subject will have more vitality, and will not be despondent as frequently as with white color. Red will add more strength, but this combination is rare.
When found, however, it should be regarded as no menace to these line, for they need all the strength which can be given them Yellow color with broad or chained lines is a distressing, combination. It will show inertia, intense nervousness, and an ugly streak of meanness in the subject. This combination produces a weak, sickly, nervous, petty person who will have a hard time to get along in the world.