Palmistry Study Group : the Head line

The Head line, says Cheiro, “relates principally to the mentality of the subject – to the intellectual strength or weakness, to the temperament in its relation to talent, and to the direction and quality of talent itself.” [p.87].

The Head line originates from above the thumb, usually near or connected to the Life line. The very first thing I look for when reading this line is indeed whether or not these lines are connected, and if so, for how long?

A Head line that is unconnected to the Life line is the sign of an impulsive person, and the larger the gap between the lines, the greater these impulses run within.

A Head line that is heavily braided into the Life line for a long period before breaking loose can show an indecisive nature, sometimes due to an overwillingness to allow family (as evidenced in the Life line’s influence) to effect their decision making.

The overall length of the line is the next characteristic I look for. Those with short lines, terminating below the middle (Saturn) finger are people with very analytical, “no nonsense” minds. They may come to decisions quickly, and firmly … to verify this, one could look at their fingers’ knuckles to see what degree of stubbornness, or mental blockages, in their character may also be present. They can be unimaginative folks, on the whole.

Long Head lines run towards the mount of Luna, the fleshy pad on the pinkie side of the hand, and the area which represents the unconscious, mysticism, imagination and the occult. A Head line that trails into this area is a sign of someone with great mental capabilities, able to reach creatively and intuitively into areas of the mind that others may ignore. It can also sometimes indicate a dreamy nature … someone with a tendency to-think-long-drawn-out-thoughts-that-drift-with-them-down-stream-in-their-consciousness….

The overall strength of the line should next be examined : a feathered Head line indicates one with a weak, or underused, intellect. A deep Head line belongs to those with a sensible nature, those who are sure of their thoughts for the most part. Heavily braided Head lines show up on those with a markedly indecisive nature, they are the types to always be going back and forth all their lives.

Broken Head lines can show times of more severe mental problems, and a Head line that plummets down the hand indicates one with a depressive nature. It is not uncommon to see more than one feature in the line, such as a Head line that is firm at the top, but broken at the end. This would indicate one who had trouble in the past, but is currently doing better.

If a Head line ends with a strong fork, it is called the “Writer’s fork,” and the sign of the great imaginative capacities, but here even more likely to be put to practical use rather than spent day-dreaming. If this fork is seen on a hand with a long Head line, trailing into the mount of Luna, it can be a sign of one who creatively uses their psychic powers as well, especially in correlation with their writing skills, and ability to express themselves.

Islands on this line would indicate signs of mental weakness, or a marked disconnectedness in their thinking with the way they ran their lives.

Cheiro writes, “When a number of little hair lines branch upward from the line of head to that of heart, the affections will be a matter of fascination, not of love.” [p.90].

Alissa, thanks again for another great thread. ^_^

Question: what would stars, crosses, boxes etc mean on a head line?....

Anyways, I've found this thread really bang on! On my left (not dominant) hand, the head line is deep, but drops *quite low* to the mount of luna (below halfway point of the palm). It's also covered in stars. I think this indicates my mother's mental health (and shows I have inherited genes that probably make me more prone to depression). But also, I think this shows her imaginative, musical abilities, and her love for film and literature (somewhat discouraged in my culture).

My right hand is very different. The head line starts off pretty solid but gets more braided and weaker. But instead of sloping down, it forks off where the fate line hits. The top line's downward slope is much gentler, forming an island then terminating from an openended braid under the pinky, while the other fork dips down *very low*, lower than the LH head line. This line then forks again, the lower fork terminating at a line/cross about an inch from the bracelet lines of my wrist. This line goes right over the edge of my palm. Yes, I do write a lot! All the time!! And what I write always carries for me, a strong prophetic nature. This ability didn't really come strongly into effect though, until I was 15. This came after a bout of depression that started when I was around 13 - a result to trying to be something I was not. (I also have a star on both palms under the 4th finger...)

isthmus nekoi said:

Question: what would stars, crosses, boxes etc mean on a head line?....

My right hand is very different. The head line starts off pretty solid but gets more braided and weaker. But instead of sloping down, it forks off where the fate line hits. The top line's downward slope is much gentler, forming an island then terminating from an openended braid under the pinky, while the other fork dips down *very low*, lower than the LH head line. This line then forks again, the lower fork terminating at a line/cross about an inch from the bracelet lines of my wrist. This line goes right over the edge of my palm.

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I looked up your question to see what I could find, and surprisingly, stars and crosses aren't discussed by Cheiro. He does write, "When the line of the head runs into or through a square, it indicates preservation from accident or violence by the subject's own courage and presence of mind." [p.90].

Traditionally, squares represent protection. Myself, I read squares or boxes a little differently. I see boxes indicating a time of confinement (which can be for the purpose of protection), in any line they appear on. In the Life line, it can be a time of incarceration, or hospitalization. On a Head line, I would see it as a time of mental confinement ... perhaps a "fugue" like state the person passed through in order to maintain, a survival mechanism if you will.

You have a very unusual Head line, from your description! My additional statements would be that yes, the fact that only one fork's branch heads down the palm, indicating a tendency towards depression, remember the other fork helps to balance out these inclinations when they appear. A fork, in general, gives strength to any line it appears on, hereby indicating a mental strength.

Hmm, and I just found another Cheiro quote, "If there is a fork at the end of any line, except that of life, it gives greater power to that line;as, for instance, on the line of head it increases the mentality, but makes more or less of a double nature." [p.75].

The stars I would see as points of light, inspirational moments occuring for this person. They can be dangerous as well as illuminating, they are "refractive" energetically ... what I mean is they can have the ability to repel energy even as they reflect it (the energetic nature of a star). Think of energy shattering on contact with the spike of a palm's star. That is what happens.

For crosses, they generically represent "changes". A grille, however, would indicate such changing qualities were taken to an extreme. It may be that crosses on a Head line show a time when our mindset was challenged, greatly, by the view of another.

On last Cheiro quote, "On the line of head, ascending branches denote cleverness and ambitious talent...." [p.76].

And thank you very much for the kind words! Palmistry is fun

Oh this is interesting, thanks for your reply! I guess that puts a new spin on the phrase thinking outside the box.

And I wish squares in astrology signified protection lol.

Pamistry question

Nearly everyone I read for has a fork on the end of their head line. They can't all be writers, even though this is commonly called The Writer's Fork. I've checked my books, but no information forthcoming.
What else can that fork on the head line mean? And why am I the only writer without one?
Should I take to my hand with my Swiss Army knife?

When I was leaving Scotland after 7 years to come back to Oz it was a very emotional period for me.
On my head line appeared, not a bruise, but blood raised to the surface underneath the skin, in a small dot. Does this make sense?
After I left it started to disappear, but I can still see it faintly now.
I took it to be risen emotions.
As I look at it now I see a couple of triangles after it and then the headline becomes much more definate, with no little lines coming off it. The end forks into a large 3 line fork, the top line of the fork going through my fate line and there is a square around part of the fork and fate line. I think I have been through that square bit already??
Any other ideas?
Great thread, by the way.
I did mention the other day a Palmistry Forum, like Astrology??
XTAX

temperance angel,

if you look at the top of the divination forum, you will find a 'sticky' thread with an index to the threads in the palmistry study group. or just click here; http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21432 it's wonderful to see more people interested in palmistry.

Thanks, ever helpful Zorya, I will check it out XTAX

Edited: *slap my forehead* if only I had opened my eyes I would've seen that.....

Re: Pamistry question

katrananda said:

Nearly everyone I read for has a fork on the end of their head line. ... What else can that fork on the head line mean? And why am I the only writer without one?

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A fork gives strength to any line that ends in one - a stronger life line, a stronger heart line, and a stronger head line.

The writer's fork is typically what a forked head line is called, yes. However, I've had my own head line fork disappear and reappear in life, and not always during times that I'm novelling (right now for example, I've been intensively writing for over 6 months , long enough for a line to change, and yet, my "writer's fork" is as weak and faint as ever ... in the past, it was a kickin' fork, and often during times I wasn't writing).

One way that I interpret a fork is to imagine that fork as a double "lightning rod" effect ... the double ends are able to attract more energy into the line itself.

In a head line, if I see a long head line that forks in the subconscious (Mount of Moon) area, I will likely interpret it as a sign this person has the ability to think creatively (reaching into their subconscious for ideas). They may or may not use this ability in writing.

Another aspect of the line beyond forks that indicate strength is, of course, the depth and clarity of the line.

Does any of this help, katrananda? And, on an unrelated question, does your avatar name translate from Sanskrit, do you know? I recognize "ananda" as undifferentiated bliss, but "katra" I don't know right away.

and edited to add : I forgot to say, although the fork on a head line is not unusual, I certainly don't see it on every palm I read. You must know a lot of creative people, katrananda!

TemperanceAngel said:

On my head line appeared, not a bruise, but blood raised to the surface underneath the skin, in a small dot....I see a couple of triangles after it and then the headline becomes much more definate, with no little lines coming off it. The end forks into a large 3 line fork, the top line of the fork going through my fate line and there is a square around part of the fork and fate line. I think I have been through that square bit already??

Click to expand...

This is an interesting head line and has many characteristics worth discussing.

A spot like you describe (almost sounds like it looked like a blood blister) that wasn't causedby injury, but simply appeared, is significant, as it is very unusual. The spot I would take to be localized emotional trauma, yes, but one that greatly effected your ability to make desicions, think rationally, consider options, etc. Not just "I broke up with my boyfriend" kinda trauma (just using that as an example ... I hope you didn't break up for your Scotland issue....)

Anyhow, hanging triangles are often indicators of money. On a head line, it could be that money worries are predominating your decision making - when it seems every decision one makes is based on money, "Do i have enough money to afford this gallon of milk, or should I get toilet paper instead?" to the major decisions of relocation, divorce, or family.

Closed triangles, especially the Money Triangle, which is partially formed by the lines of the head line and fate line, can indicate good money issues. A closed triangle shows one who is able to retain their resources. Look, also, for the fingers' spacing ... are they wide spaced, does money fall through their hands? (I *believe* it was Dark Eyes who originally mentioned that connotation here on the palmistry threads, to cite my source on that).

A trident, or triple fork... this can, in my opinion, give strength to the line, *or* can have a detrimental effect of having so many things to consider (deeply) before decision making, that the querent might feel the inability to decide things without other people's input. She may distrust her own thoughts, picking them apart more than they warrant, and then need someone else to help her put them in "working order" again, and examine situations to decide matters.

That one fork intersects the fate line shows that "how you think" and "who you are" are extremely intertwined. You do not disconnect yourself from your thoughts, do not see them as being separate from your personal identity. (Many people do, they say, I just thought about it ... it's not like that's the kinda person I am). You're the opposite of that in many ways. What you think goes into your self-definition.

The square, or course, represents confinement - mental confinement on the head line. Whether or not you've been through it already, I can't say really, but leave up to you TA.

Hope this helps....