The “Pointer Finger”
The “pointer finger” or “index finger” is ruled by Jupiter and reflects your personal capacity for leadership, social interaction, and relationships with others. Here is where we can see if we are more comfortable as the one who follows or as the one who leads.
The Jupiter finger is generally nearly equal in length with the Apollo finger. A long Jupiter finger will rise past the bottom of the Saturn fingernail and is not at its best when taking orders from others. It is very willing to take the lead and does not easily relinquish authority to someone else. The average Saturn finger can either lead or follow and is comfortable in either role. They are the models of the perfect right-hand man. The short Saturn finger will not generally be found in a position of leadership, and does not need or require attention in a leadership role. They are more comfortable taking orders and serving others than in taking responsibility for decision making.
The leaning tendencies of Jupiter are similar in nature to the leanings of the other fingers only reversed since it is now past the center of the hand. The Jupiter finger that leans toward Saturn indicates that the person will be content to use the tools and systems that are already in place. The Jupiter finger that leans towards the thumb is now the eccentric, who will do things his/her own way and re-organize things to suit their own purpose. They like change and thrive on it. The straight Jupiter reflects balance as usual. They are rational, and in the mainstream of society. They don’t stick out and beg to be noticed.
Now that we have reached the other side of the hand we can look at the angle of the fingers more accurately again. The distance between the Jupiter finger and the Saturn finger is known as the “angle of sociability”. Basically, the tighter the angle that the Jupiter and the Saturn finger create the more social the person will tend to be. The wider this angle is the more of a loner the person will seem to be. With an extremely wide angle you could just be looking at a hermit…how did he get out here in public?
The first section of Jupiter, located at the base of the finger near the palm determines our ability to use the tools provided by those around us, as well as our personal sense of style and how we present ourselves to the world. It is ideally the longest of the three sections on Jupiter. A long first section of Jupiter will have a desire for the finer things available in the material realm. They have an appreciation for the comforts of life, but also have the ability to exercise some sort of self-discipline in their indulgences. An average fist section of Jupiter can make the best of even the most undesirable of situations. My mother used to call this the “Pollyanna syndrome”. That is not to say that they do not care for material possessions, but they realize that there is more to life than “things”. They will inevitably find a way to be happy in any situation. The short first section of Jupiter is not at all concerned with the comforts of life and my find their comforts in areas other than the material realm. The often exude a dignity that gives them the appearance that they are above caring about the finer material things in life.
The middle section of Jupiter indicates your ability and capacity in the mental realm. Deductive reasoning and observation are two things to keep in mind when looking at this section. A long middle section of Jupiter is indicative of someone who will never be bored; they will generally have multiple hobbies and activities in their lives to keep them busy, as if just doing one or two things will never be enough. They are more likely to be well versed in a wide variety of topics. The average middle section of Jupiter (one that is just slightly shorter than the first section) indicates that, on some level, the person is neither lazy nor ambitious in their approach to life. They will not go out of their way to learn about something new, but don’t run the other way when they see change approaching either. The short middle section of Jupiter is someone who is happy with things just the way they are. Things are just perfect the way they are and there is absolutely no reason to try to improve things. They can be taught to appreciate the complexity in something, but need to be given some insight into the subject presented to fully understand it.
The third section of Jupiter reflects how great our ability is to influence those around us. It holds the key to the “charisma factor”. That isn’t to say that you are looking at someone who was born to be a star, but they will definitely have some influence on those around them due to their sensitivity to the feelings of others. The average third section is balance as usual. They are not overly popular with their peers, but their input is respected and valued. They are practical and adaptable in the face of disappointments. The short third section of Jupiter, may likely have a tendency towards low self-esteem and may be lacking in self-confidence with the exclusion of subjects on which they are very knowledgeable. These people will often make up for their lack of self-confidence by being extremely good at their job, and thus they find their self-esteem in their abilities and capabilities in that particular field.
The square-tipped Jupiter will likely be found on someone who will not shy away from a challenge. They are not usually as perceptive of the feelings of those around them, but tend to be practical and methodical in their approach to jobs that others may avoid.
The spatula-tipped Jupiter is also someone who is not afraid of a challenge, but is more likely to try to find a better, quicker, or more effective method or outcome as a result of being faced with challenge.
The conic-tipped Jupiter is one of the most common ones that are encountered in a reading. It is one of the most versatile in expression of all the fingertip types for this finger. The main focus of this tip is adaptability and flexibility, both very good qualities in a society that demands each of us to take on so many “roles” and wear so many “hats”. In the case that the tip of Jupiter would be considered extremely conic, the chances are you are looking at an idealist, especially when this is accompanied by a leaning towards the thumb…. Speaking of the thumb…
The “Thumb”
The “thumb” is ruled by Venus and is the most complex and telling feature of your whole hand. It is the preferred feature to read by gypsy palm readers, and it is often the only feature read by palmists in India. It reveals aspects about your generosity, flexibility, and self-esteem.
The length of the thumb is the measure of the will. A long thumb, depending on the set of the thumb, will reach past the middle of the first section of Jupiter. This is a person who does not often rely on others to get the job done. They will jump right in and take charge of the situation with out thinking twice about it. The average thumb, will reach just to the middle of the first section of Jupiter. Again, average would seem to be linked with balance in the areas of will. They are not unreasonably stubborn, neither are they someone who will allow themselves to be walked all over. The short thumb will not reach the middle of the first section of Jupiter. They will be less likely to aggressively pursue their desires and are not often found on leaders. They will be content with what comes their way, rather than taking charge of their own destinies.
The set of the thumb will no doubt vary from person to person. The most common and natural setting of the thumb is right about the middle of the hand, where there is a distinction between the base of the palm and the base of the thumb, and not overly high, to where it appears to be crowding its way up to Jupiter. The higher the set of the thumb, the more likely it is that the person is a specialist of some sort. Likewise, the lower the set of the thumb, the broader the person’s interest in various areas will be.
More telling, is the natural angle of the thumb. The angle that is made by the thumb and the Jupiter finger is called “the angle of generosity”. The majority of thumbs will have an angle somewhere near 45 degrees. These people are generous to some degree, but not overly so. They represent the balance. Angles that are closer than 45 degrees will be more likely to be stingy with their personal resources, material or mental is irrelevant. Angles further than 45 degrees indicate someone who is more generous than average. The wider this angle is the more generous they tend to be. These people need to be careful not to put themselves in a tight spot by supplying for the needs of everyone else. They just can’t seem to get the hang of the word “No”.
Next, we should look at the flexibility of the thumb. The flexibility of your thumb relates to your ability and willingness to compromise with others. I call it the “stubbornness indicator” for just this reason. If your thumb flexes backwards easily and is not “stubborn” in any way; it is not likely that you are stubborn either. If your thumb is rigid and does not flex backwards at all…well then, you might want to work on your ability to compromise. Again, we are looking for balance in all things. Being flexible to a fault is no better than being stubborn as a mule, if you let people walk all over you.
The first section of the thumb, as you may have noticed, is also called the Mount of Venus. We will discuss the mounts later, so we will skip this area for now. The first section of the thumb should be the longest of the three sections. Its character is based in the material realm and relates to attitudes concerning material possessions and desires of the heart. Beginning at the base of the hand, it continues to the knuckle at the edge of the palm.
The middle section of the thumb should be shorter than the first and ideally longer than the third. This is the mental realm and reflects your ability to reason logically and learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. The short middle section of the thumb reflects the inability to slow down and ponder the consequences, before action is taken. The average middle section of the thumb shows good judgment on the part of its owner. They will recognize problems before they occur and seek out methods of avoiding these problems. They are not quick to action, but movement is not a problem. The long middle section of the thumb has trouble getting things past the thought stage and into the action stage of problem solving. They spend so much energy analyzing the details of a project that the project doesn’t ever reach completion and sometimes won’t get started at all.
The third section of the thumb, ideally, should be similar in length to the second section. This reveals the “how and why” of the way you choose to present yourself to others. The short third section of the thumb reflects a lack of commitment to getting the job done, sometimes even to getting the job started. This is often seen and confirmed by a long middle section of the thumb. The average third section of the thumb is the picture of balance, as usual. The long third section of the thumb does not always have a reason for wanting things to be a particular way, but wants them that way just the same. They are usually what you would consider “strong willed” and don’t generally like to be told what to do.
The square-tipped thumb is often found on people who would be considered down-to-earth. They don’t like change and would rather follow the same routine than to try something new.
The spatula-tipped thumb is good to have around when you need something fixed. They are adaptable, flexible, and willing to broaden their horizons on a practical level.
The conic-tipped thumb is fast on their feet. They are sensitive and creative in their approach to dealing with others. Commitment may become an issue relative to the degree of which the thumb is coned. A rounded conical thumb may have a reasonable capacity for commitment; where the almost pointed, conical thumb will likely be too ungrounded to have successful and meaningful, inter-personal relationships.