Palm reading

Palm reading or chiromancy is when a fortune teller tells you your future by looking at lines on your palm. Those who practice chiromancy are generally called palmists, hand readers.^[1]

History

Ancient Origins: Likely originated in ancient India (part of the broader tradition of Samudrika Shastra), palmistry later spread through Persia, China, Tibet, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece, where figures like Aristotle referenced it^[2]

Jewish and Arabic Traditions: Medieval Merkabah mystics and medieval Arabic‑Jewish scholars linked chiromancy to astrology and mystical tradition, often using scriptural interpretations to legitimize its practice.^[3]

Renaissance and Modern Revival: Palmistry flourished in Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Printed manuals and diagrams from the 1500s standardized its practice. In the 19th‑early 20th centuries, figures like Cheiro (William John Warner) and Adolphe Desbarrolles formalized chiromancy into a more public, “systematic” art^[4]