Palm Reading Chart: The Complete Map

A palm reading chart is the labelled map every palmist works from — it shows where each line, mount and zone sits on the hand. This page walks the whole map, section by section, and links you to a full guide for each part. Treat it as your hub for learning to read a palm.

The major lines

Three lines appear on nearly every palm, with a fourth on many. They're the backbone of the chart, read for depth, length, clarity and where they begin and end:

• Heart line — the top horizontal line, read for love, emotion and relationships. Read the heart line guide →
• Head line — the middle horizontal line, read for how you think, learn and make decisions. Read the head line guide →
• Life line — the curve sweeping around the base of the thumb, read for vitality and the major chapters of life (not lifespan). Read the life line guide →
• Fate line — the vertical line up the centre toward the middle finger, read for career and direction. Read the fate line guide →

One striking variation: when the heart and head lines fuse into a single crease, that's the simian line. And the way the major lines cross can form the famous "M" on the palm.

The minor lines

Smaller lines fill in the detail. They're fainter and not present on every hand:

• Marriage lines — short horizontal lines on the edge below the little finger, read for significant relationships. Read the marriage line guide →
• Children lines — fine vertical lines rising near the marriage lines. Read the children line guide →
• Money lines & the Sun line — markings linked to wealth, success and fortune. Read the money lines guide →

There are more besides — travel lines, the Girdle of Venus, the intuition line and the Ring of Solomon. Read the full minor lines guide →

Marks & symbols

Where lines meet, small shapes can form — stars, crosses, triangles, islands, squares and grilles. Each is read as an accent that strengthens, weakens or flags a moment in the line or mount it sits on. Read the marks on the palm guide →

The mounts

The fleshy pads of the palm — each named for a classical planet — add a whole layer beyond the lines. Their size and firmness colour how every line is read, from Venus at the thumb's base to Luna on the outer edge. Read the complete mounts guide →

Hand shapes

Before any line is read, the overall shape of the hand sets the tone. Palmistry sorts hands into four elemental types — earth, air, fire and water — and the type frames how everything else is interpreted. Read the hand shapes guide → You can also read the thumb on its own for willpower and logic.

How to use a palm reading chart

Work the chart in order, and you'll never feel lost:

1. Start with the hand shape to set the overall tone.
2. Find the three major lines — heart, head, life — then the fate line.
3. Add the minor lines — marriage, children, money.
4. Read the mounts and the thumb.
5. Read it all together, and on both hands — never judge a single feature alone.

New to all this? Start with our step-by-step guide to reading your palm, and if you're wondering how seriously to take it, see our honest take on whether palm reading is real.