PALMISTRY, also known as Chiromancy, is one of the most ancient sciences the world has ever produced. Palm reading is practiced all over the world. It has its roots in Indian astrology. Count Louis Hamon, better known as 'Cheiro', who mesmerized the world by his accurate predictions through palmistry, has very plainly recognized the fact that palmistry made its first appearance in India. It is apt to quote his own words as follows:
"As regards the people who first understood and practiced this study of the hand, we find undisputed proofs of their learning and knowledge. Long before Rome or Greece or Israel was even heard of, the monuments of India point back to an age of learning beyond, and still beyond."
Cheiro has very honestly shown his indebtedness to India in learning the science of palm reading. His words are reproduced here:
"History again comes to our assistance, and tells that in the north-west province of India, palmistry was practised and followed by the Joshi caste from time immemorial to the present day. It may be interesting to describe here, in as few words as possible, an extremely ancient and curious book on the markings of hands, which I was allowed to use and examine during my sojourn in India. This book was one of the greatest treasures the few Brahmans who possessed and understood it, and was jealously guarded in one of those old cave temples that belong to the ruins of ancient Hindustan.
This strange book was made of human skin, pieced and put together in the most ingenious manner. It was of enormous size, and contained hundreds of well-drawn illustrations, with records of how, when, and where this or that mark was proved correct. One of the strangest features in connection with it was that it was written in some red liquid which age had failed to spoil or fade. The effect of those vivid red letters on the pages of dull yellow skin was most remarkable. By some compound, probably made of herbs, each page was glazed, as it were, by varnish; but whatever this compound may have been, it seemed to defy time, as the outer covers alone showed the signs of wear and decay. As regards the antiquity of this book there could be no question. It was apparently written in three sections or divisions: the first part belonged to the earliest language of the country and dated so far back that very few of the Brahmans even could read or decipher it. There are many such treasures in Hindustan; but all are so jealously guarded by the Brahmans that neither money, art, not power will ever release such pledges of the past.
As the wisdom of this strange race spread far and wide across the earth, so the doctrines and ideas of palmistry spread and were practiced in other countries."
It cannot be ascertained what book Cheiro has referred to.
However, this statement of Cheiro has been reproduced here to make people believe that palmistry was practiced in India in far distant ancient days as Cheiro's statement cannot be doubted because of his reputation as palmist in west and also in east. Having sprung from India it was practiced in other countries also especially in China, Tibet, Persia, Egypt and Greece.
Is Palmistry a Science
A lot of controversy prevails about the authenticity of palmistry as a science. The controversy, certainly, is not baseless. The books available on palmistry are so confusing and discordant that even a sincere reader finds himself absolutely disenchanted and discouraged to practice this branch of learning with full confidence. Even the predictions made by different palmists on the basis of the study of the same hand are often different from one another. Further, there is no principle available to decide how a particular line in a hand represents a particular characteristic of a person. What is the basis of earmarking a particular place on the hand as representative of a particular planet? Several questions of this type naturally arise in a curious mind.
Logically, it is difficult to answer all such questions. But it is true that a few gifted palmists make predictions by palm reading in amazingly accurate matter. It cannot happen without the truth contained in the principles of palmistry. The scientific character of palmistry cannot be explained without widening the definition of science. We perhaps understand science in terms of only physical property of an object with a logical explanation prompted by the principle of cause and effect. We must, however, keep in mind that every secret of universe cannot be explained simply by human logic which is always in the mode of progression and never complete. The universe is endless with endless secrets still remaining to be explored. Even in the modern science, stated to be based on logic, erroneous conclusions are drawn. Modern science has not yet evolved any principle to know the future or the past of a person. The only science, if it claims to be the science at all, that can forecast anything is the meteorological science which forecasts weather.
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