Palm Lines and What They Mean
A map of the lines and marks read in palmistry: where each one sits on your hand and what tradition links it to.
Life line
Curves around the base of the thumb, between thumb and index finger, arching down toward the wrist.
Heart line
The topmost line on the palm, just below the fingers, running from one side of the hand to the other.
Head line
Runs horizontally across the middle of the palm, starting near where the life line begins.
Fate line
Runs vertically from the lower part of the palm up toward the middle finger, when present.
Sun (Apollo) line
A short vertical line rising toward the ring finger, near the top of the palm.
Mercury (health) line
A diagonal line running from the base of the palm up toward the little finger, across the hand.
Marriage and relationship lines
Short horizontal lines on the edge of the palm, just below the little finger, on the side of the hand.
Children lines
Small vertical lines crossing the marriage lines, on the edge of the palm below the little finger.
Travel lines
Horizontal lines on the outer edge of the palm, the side opposite the thumb, below the little finger.
Bracelets (wrist lines)
Horizontal lines where the wrist meets the palm, usually one, two or three of them.
Rings (Venus, Solomon, Saturn)
Short curved lines at the base of one finger: index, middle, or between the two, depending on the ring.
Mounts of the hand
Fleshy raised areas at the base of each finger and along the sides of the palm.
The thumb
The thumb itself: its two joints and how flexibly it opens away from the rest of the hand.
Nails
The fingernails themselves: their shape, colour and texture, rather than a line on the palm.
Mars line
An inner line running close and parallel to the life line, over the mount of Venus.
Intuition line
A curved line on the outer edge of the palm, the little-finger side, opposite the thumb.
Special marks
Small signs over the lines or mounts: crosses, stars, squares, triangles, or shapes like the letter M.
Fingers
The five fingers themselves: their relative length, shape and the proportion between joints.
Palmistry in general
- Does palmistry work? Evidence and real limits
- Dominant vs non-dominant hand in palmistry: which one to read
- Palmistry and Love: What the Lines of Your Hand Reveal About Your Relationships
- The 4 Hand Types in Palmistry: Earth, Water, Fire and Air
- Hand Types in Palmistry: Earth, Air, Fire and Water Hands
- Do Palm Lines Change Over Time? What Science Says
- How to read your palm step by step: complete palmistry guide
- Chinese vs Western palmistry: differences and how the lines are read
- Palmistry and career: what your hand reveals about your vocation
- Palmistry and Health: What Your Hand Lines Reveal
- Right or left hand in palmistry: which one to read and why
- Minor lines in palmistry: girdle of Venus, sun line, health line and marriage lines
- The 4 main lines of the hand: palmistry guide
- Signs of prosperity in the hand: palmistry and money
How this guide is organised
The four main lines (life, heart, head and fate) are the starting point of any palmistry reading. Everything else is a secondary line or mark that not every hand shows with the same clarity.
Each line on this page links to the articles that go deeper: what it traditionally means for that line to be strong, faint, doubled or missing.
Beyond the four main lines, you'll find minor ones like the sun line, the Mercury line or the marriage lines, plus specific marks like rings, mounts or signs on the skin. Each one gets its own entry.
What it means for a line to be strong or missing
A strongly marked line isn't "better" than a faint one, and a missing line doesn't mean something is lacking in you. Traditional palmistry reads each variation on its own, not on a scale from good to bad.
Many secondary lines, like the fate line or the sun line, simply don't appear on every hand. Their absence has its own reading in the tradition too.
No line is read on its own in a serious interpretation: the heart line's meaning shifts depending on the head line, and so on. This guide helps you tell them apart, not diagnose yourself from just one.
Minor lines, rings and marks
Beyond the four main lines, tradition describes lines tied to one specific area: the sun line for talent, Mercury for health, marriage and children lines, or travel lines. Not all show up with the same clarity on every hand.
Rings (Venus, Solomon, Saturn) and specific marks, like crosses, stars or triangles, are read as nuances on the main lines, not as separate categories with weight of their own.
When to get a full reading
This guide helps you identify each line on its own. A full reading, from a photo of your hand, connects them: how your life line combines with your heart line, for instance, in your particular hand.
It also helps when you can't quite make out a line on your own hand: you describe what you see, and a full reading from your photo identifies and connects what's actually there, instead of leaving you guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Does every hand have the same lines?
No. The four main lines are usually present on most hands, but secondary ones, like the fate or sun line, only show up on some.
Can palmistry be read from a photo?
Yes, if the photo shows the whole palm in good light. Finer lines can be harder to make out than in an in-person reading.
Do palm lines change over time?
The main lines change little, but some marks and secondary lines can shift. There's a dedicated article on this in the palmistry dictionary.
Which hand gets read, left or right?
Western tradition usually reads the dominant hand, the one you write with, as the one that shows what you do with your potential.