This section is from the book "The Laws Of Scientific Hand Reading", by William G. Benham. Also available from Amazon: The Laws of Scientific Hand Reading.
In business he will not choose employees because they are best fitted to do his work, but because they "need a job," and in all the walks of life he will be guided by sentiment. He will become easily jealous, and will love much and suffer if he does not get much in return. The older palmists read a line rising well up into the finger of Jupiter and running clear across the hand, "failure in all enterprises." This reading was probably based upon the fact that one who is in everything ruled by sentiment can seldom cope successfully with cold schemers. You can see that such a subject will not necessarily "fail in all enterprises/' though he is not likely to get along so well as one more practical in matters of heart. So our reading, "too much heart," is the best.
After satisfying yourself as to the length of the line, next note its course through the hand. By this I do not mean to take a sweeping glance at the whole line, but that you note its every variation in direction. See in what directions the line is deflected, how long it runs in this course, the character of the line during the change in course, the age at which it occurs, and, if many of these changes take place, note each one, its duration, and all that happens to the line during the various changes in direction. It is this minute analysis of a line that gives its complete history as applied to the subject, the events that go with it, as well as the ages at which they occur. By noting the course of the line, I do not refer to defects in it, which we will consider later, but to the direction it takes in crossing the hand. With the exception of Jupiter, where it starts, the normal line of Heart marks the lower boundary of the Mounts of Saturn, Apollo, and Mercury, so that if its course is even and smooth and runs along at the base of these Mounts, ending just under the Mount of Mercury on the percussion, we do not consider that it is deflected from its usual channel.
If in its course it rises to one of the Mounts (34), it shows that the attraction of that Mount is very strong, and that the subject will love the qualities and the persons belonging to this Mount type. The Current in its passage through the hand is constantly drawn and influenced in various directions, and in this case it is one of the Mounts which deflects the line. You will not often see the line rise to more than one Mount, and if it so rises under a Mount it indicates the age at which the strongest attraction did or will occur in this direction. If the subject has attractions at other ages, they will be shown by a chance line leaving the Heart line, or some other line, at the age at which the attraction occurs, and running to the Mount to which it is attracted.
No. 34.
No. 86.
The Heart line itself, deflected to any Mount, shows by this deflection the source of attraction and the age at which it occurs. If the line in so rising loses itself in the Mount to which it deflects and ends there instead of at its usual stopping place, it shows that the attraction has overcome the affections and that the heart has surrendered completely. If it merely rises and then resumes its usual course again, it shows that the attraction occurs but does not master the subject. You can, by noting how long the line is deflected from its course, tell, by reading the age on the line, what period of years was covered by it. By noting how much the line is pulled out of its course, you can tell how serious the attraction has been. You will not often see a line pulled wide of its course, for, generally, before such a great deflection can occur, a chance line will split away from the Main line and rise to the point of attraction. But you will often encounter slight variations of the line, and these are important, for any attraction great enough to pull a Main line out of its course is a strong one. If the Heart line is deflected toward any Mount, the people of that Mount type attract the subject greatly and exert a strong influence over him.
They form his ideal as to qualities and appearance, and you can describe the kind of a person your subject likes best, and often how they look, by describing the appearance of the type of the Mount to which the line is deflected. If the line dips downward in its course (35) it shows that at the time of this deflection the head has exerted a powerful influence over the heart; and reason and head dominate sentiment and heart. During such a period the subject will be indifferent to others, avaricious, selfish, and cold-hearted. This deflection of the Heart line may occur at any period in its course. The point at which it begins will tell the age at which this tendency begins. If it is lost in the Head line (36), it shows that these qualities have swallowed all further independent action of the affections. These subjects are henceforth dominated by head. If the line of Heart after such a serious deflection regains its former course (37), it shows there is still left a portion of the former affectionate disposition, and that head and worldly interests have not entirely overcome heart and sentiment.
Such a character will always be tinged strongly with much head and little heart.
No. 36.
No. 37.
These deflections toward the Head line are very frequent, but in an infinite variety of degrees. They vary from slight curvings of the line which are scarcely perceptible, to great swoops downward. In whatever degree seen, it shows the pulling force of the head, striving to overcome the sentimental side of the subject's nature, and succeeding in a greater or less degree as the deflection is great or small. You can always read the age on the line at which these events occur, and how long they last. Do not forget to use the type of your subject, which will clear up any points of doubt. Deflections occurring downward with Saturnians read quickly and without fear, as showing the strongest side of the indication. Soften your judgment as you go over the types, the Venusian seldom being afflicted with all head and no heart. The variations of this line are infinite, but you can accurately read each one of them if you understand the general principles governing, and use good judgment in estimating the degree of disturbance or difference.
 
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