THE lines of Affection or Marriage, as they are commonly called, lie on the Mount of Mercury, and run from the percussion toward the inside of the palm (313). In some hands there are none of these lines and in others many are seen. From time immemorial they have been used by older palmists as indications of marriage or unions of the sexes. Their value in practice is considerable if used up to their limit, and in combination, but used by themselves, as a hard-and-fast indication of marriage, they will lead to constant error. Marriage does not affect every subject in the same way. Some people are no more impressed on entering into this relation than if they were performing any ordinary routine of daily life. Such persons will have no Marriage lines. Others sink their whole life and soul into a union, and these will have deep Marriage lines. To use the word "marriage" in connection with the lines of Affection is misleading, for it is in no sense to be taken as always indicating a legal marriage contract. These lines are often seen when no such contract has ever been entered into, but when the subject has loved as fondly as if he had been joined in wedlock. In such subjects a line of union will appear the same as though the ceremony had been performed.

More properly speaking, these are lines of deep affection rather than lines of marriage or union, and, viewed from this standpoint, they are remarkably accurate. In every case there must have been a profound impression made upon the subject by an affection before these lines will be strong, and the more impressions and affections which have existed, the more of these lines of Affection will be seen in the hand.

No. 313.

The type of the subject will always be a great aid in reading the lines of Affection, as each type has distinct views on the marriage question. The Jupiterian is inclined to marriage and to marry young. So in the hand of a Jupiterian a line of Affection early in life will most often be correctly read as marriage. The Saturnian dislikes marriage ; if he be of a very pronounced or at all bad development, and even in good specimens of the type, a Saturnian does not rush into the marriage state. This type does not naturally love his fellow-creatures, and a most profound impression must be made on him by someone before he will enter the marriage relation. Consequently in the hand of a Saturnian a line of Affection should be very strong, and occur well toward middle life, before you are justified in reading it as marriage. Even when the combination of a Mount of Venus shows a Saturnian to be possessed of sexual desire, he will prefer to gratify these appetites outside of the marriage state rather than to tie himself permanently to anyone. Apollonians desire to marry, and do so when young, but they often make unhappy marriages because while they like brilliant partners they do not always get them. Lines of Affection on Apollonians will be quite safely read as marriages.

Mercurians are great matchmakers ; they also marry quite young. On this type, lines of Affection will very often mean marriage. Martians are prone to marry, so with this type lines of Affection also have full meaning. Lunarians are very peculiar about marriage, sometimes despising it, and sometimes making odd matches, and the line of Affection on this type must be excessively strong to be read as marriage. Venusians cannot keep from marrying, even if they cared to, for they will not be allowed to remain single, because other persons are so attracted to them. On the Venusian type it requires only a small line to mean marriage, though on this type you will generally find strong lines. The practice of looking at the Mount of Mercury, and predicting one, two, or as many marriages as there are lines of Affection on the Mount, is a most inaccurate and unscientific thing to do, constantly leading to error, and making our science ridiculous. No practitioner should say in advance, as is the custom with many professionals, that he can tell about marriage. Many professionals in their printed circulars claim to tell a client "everything concerning love, marriage, divorce, etc.," and such professionals are kept continually in hot water by their mistakes.

If they did not promise what they could not perform, there would be no trouble. The only honest way is to make no promises, for you cannot tell what a hand will show until it has been seen. It may be asked, "Why is it necessary to deal with marriage at all?" The answer to this question is, that marriages do so much to make or to mar the career that all the information possible should be had for use in its general bearing upon the life of a subject. My only object in introducing the lines of Affection at this point is that we may be able to bring them to bear upon the lines of Saturn and Apollo, which they often powerfully influence.

The first thing to determine is whether lines of Affection be present or absent. If none be seen, your subject is not likely to be powerfully impressed by anyone. If the subject be robust, and belong to an ardent type, he may have strong desires toward the opposite sex, but when these are satisfied, he relapses into a state of indifference, until the superabundance of vitality again turns his thoughts in the same direction. These subjects are undemonstrative, and a defective Heart line in a hand which has no line of Affection will indicate heart disease and not affection. If many lines of Affection be present (314) the subject is susceptible in affairs of the heart, more or less seriously so as the lines are strong or weak. These lines of Affection are always cross-lines, and start from the outside of the hand, sometimes at the back cutting around into the Mount of Mercury. If only a single line be seen, there will be but one deep affection, and it must be stated here that the lines of Affection relate only to persons of the opposite sex, and those who are in no way related to us by blood. They are never an indication of the love a subject may have for his family.

No. 314.