They should, if possible, avoid marrying early in life unless they are absolutely sure they have met their affinity. These natures both change and develop rapidly, and they have a strong tendency to "grow away" from those with whom they a.s.sociate in early life. It is the same with partners in business; they should be as much as possible "on their own" or, if partnerships are made, they should not be of a binding or restricting order, and provision should always be made for the partnership to be dissolved when it has become irksome.

HEALTH.

These Children of the Moon are chiefly inclined towards all watery ailments and inflammatory diseases. In early life they are p.r.o.ne towards having water on the brain, gastric and dysentery attacks, and later in life, inflammation of the lungs and chest, pleurisy, and dropsy.

THE MOUNT OF THE MOON (NEGATIVE).

This Mount is considered negative when it appears very flat on the hand, and it may also be taken as negative when people are found to be born between the dates of January 21st and February 20th, and in a minor degree, until about February 27th.

People born between these dates have good mental powers, but their imaginative faculties are seldom as much in evidence as is so strongly the case with the positive period.

These persons, on the contrary, are good and quiet reasoners-out of problems and matters relating to the organisation of business, and are also excellent in all forms of government work. They make splendid heads of departments and rise to any responsibility very quickly and easily.

They are high-minded and have very decided views on love, duty, and social life. They make great efforts to do good to others, but as a rule their best work is done towards helping the ma.s.ses more than individuals.

They are extremely kind-hearted and love to give a helping hand when they can, but at the same time they have an unfortunate knack of making many bitter enemies, and when holding government positions they are most bitterly attacked by the opposition press. Their work seldom receives its proper recognition and reward until they have pa.s.sed from their sphere of influence, or have left this world of mistrust and ingrat.i.tude.

They generally make excellent speakers, but more from "plain speaking," in a particular way of their own.

As a rule they espouse the unpopular cause and take the part of the under dog in the fight.

They make devoted and loyal friends once their friendship is aroused, but at the same time they are extremely sensitive and easily wounded by those they care for.

They are strongly inclined to be religious and generally bring their religious views into all they do. They are in danger of becoming too fanatical, and when opposed, they become extremely obstinate, dogmatic, and hard to manage.

Heavy responsibility for others suits them best of all, especially if such responsibility lies in the form of government work, or in some position of management.

HEALTH.

These people usually worry themselves into bad health. They overwork themselves and bring on nervous breakdowns, palpitation and weakness of the heart, and often paralysis. They suffer with the nerves of the stomach, acidity of the blood, rheumatism, liver complaints, and gout. They are particularly liable to meet with accidents to the feet, ankles, and limbs.

They should be very guarded when travelling by water, for they seldom get through life without sooner or later experiencing grave danger of drowning.

CHAPTER XII.

THE MOUNT OF VENUS AND ITS MEANING.

The portion of the palm under the base of the Thumb and inside the Line of Life is called the Mount of Venus (Plate VI., Part II.).

When well-formed and not too large, it denotes a desire for love and companionship, the desire to please, worship of beauty in every form, the artistic and emotional temperament, and it is usually very prominent in the hands of all artists, singers, and musicians.

This Mount, the science of Physiology teaches, covers one of the most important blood vessels in the palm, viz., the "Great Palmer Arch." If this loop or arch is large, it indicates a plentiful supply of blood and strong active circulation; consequently, the health is more robust. It is found that persons possessing this Mount well developed, being in active strong health, are naturally more full of pa.s.sion than those individuals in poor health, and who, in consequence, have this portion of the hand either flat or poorly developed. Hence, when this Mount is large it has been considered to show pa.s.sion and larger sensuality than when flat, flabby, or non-developed.

This Mount is therefore called Positive when high or large, and Negative when small or flat.

With the rest of the hand normal, this Mount well shaped is an excellent sign to have, as it denotes magnetism and attraction of one s.e.x to the other, but if found together with vicious or abnormal signs in the hand, it increases those tendencies.

When considered with the birth date, as alluded to in the former chapters, it helps to throw considerable light on characteristics that might otherwise be overlooked.

The student may consider it Positive when the subject is born between April 20th and May 20th, and in a minor way until May 27th, the chief characteristics of this period being as follows: These persons have a curious dominating power over others, and are found rather inclined to be too dogmatic in their opinions, and also often too unyielding and tyrannical. They are considered stiff-necked and obstinate, but the strange thing is that when they love they become the most abject slaves of all to the object of their devotion, and they will consider no sacrifice too great for that one being who holds or attracts their affection.

They are hospitable and generous, and especially love to entertain their friends. They make wonderfully good hosts, have great taste about food, and love to give excellent dinners.

They dress with great taste, and are generally considered richer than they really are, and they can make a good show on very little.

They are impulsive in their likes and dislikes, rather too frank and outspoken, quick in temper, and when their blood is up they have no restraint on what they say.

Their pa.s.sion or temper is, however, quickly over, and when the storm is pa.s.sed they are most regretful for the wounds their temper may have caused.

These types are most easily influenced by their surroundings, and become morbid and depressed when they are forced to live in gloomy and uncongenial conditions.

Neither the man nor woman born in this period should marry early, for their first attempt is usually a mistake. They are so independent in character that, especially if they marry early and find their mistake, they lead unconventional lives and get severely criticised in consequence.

They are inclined to be very jealous when their affections are roused, especially if the peace of the home is in any way disturbed.

HEALTH.

People born in this period have usually short or round-shaped nails which indicate a tendency to suffer with complaints of the throat and nose.[8] They also suffer, as a rule, with pains in the head and ears, swellings in the neck, and have a tendency towards tumours, appendicitis, and other internal troubles, chiefly relating to the intestines.

[8] See Chapter on Nails, page 136.

THE MOUNT OF VENUS (NEGATIVE).

This Mount may be considered Negative when the subject is born between the dates of September 21st and October 20th, and in a minor way until October 27th, and with people born in this period it is seldom found so prominent. The fact is, that the affections these subjects possess may be just as intense, but more mental than physical.

Their love is spiritual rather than sensual, and they crave more for soul companionship than for that of the physical senses.

Of course there are exceptions to all rules, but these exceptions can be easily seen by watching if the Mount of Venus is large with people born in this period.

All mental characteristics rule, however, very strongly. Those born in this latter period have keen intuition and a mental balance of all things not given to the other cla.s.s. They have presentiments and psychic experiences, dreams, clairvoyance, and such like, which they often spoil by their reasoning faculties, and they endeavour to answer all problems through the medium of their mind or mental faculties.

In love they are nearly always unhappy. They cannot "let themselves go," like the Positive Venus type. They hesitate and miss their opportunities whilst they think or reason, and so love goes by and often leaves them nothing but regret. They should be advised to act more on their first impressions and intuition, and take the opportunities that Fate throws in their way.

They occupy themselves very much with all mental questions concerning their fellow beings. They are often found studying Law, but more with the desire of improving it for others than for their own personal advantage.

They have a great desire for knowledge, and often spend their lives in studying abstruse subjects, but always weighing and balancing each point in the most conscientious manner. They make excellent doctors, judges, lawyers, but more as masters of some particular branch than that of gaining worldly advantage.

HEALTH.

The people born in this period are inclined to suffer from lack of physical strength, exhaustion of the nerves, depression of spirits, melancholia, intense feeling of loneliness, and such like. Also severe headaches, pains in the back, loins, and kidneys; just as in the case of those of the other period of this Venus sign they have a great tendency, especially the women, to suffer from internal ailments, and often undergo severe operations.

CHAPTER XIII.

ADVICE TO THE STUDENT. THE BEST MEANS TO MAKE CASTS OR TAKE IMPRESSIONS OF THE HANDS.

I would strongly advise students of this subject to make casts of hands in plaster of Paris, wax, or any other suitable material, in order to make a library or collection, both for their own private study, and also as a valuable record of their work.

Before I read any hands professionally, I had some thousands of casts, impressions on paper, and photographs of hands in my possession, and I found that I derived the most valuable aid from being able to a.n.a.lyse and study their shapes and markings at my leisure.

In making casts I would advise the very finest plaster of Paris to be used. When the plaster is worked up to the proper consistency, it is necessary to rub a fine oil into the hand before bringing it into contact with the plaster, as otherwise the hair may stick and so cause trouble and annoyance.

Dental wax heated in hot water and made very soft is also an excellent material to make moulds from, especially as it does not make a mess, and is very little trouble to employ.

The great disadvantage of making a collection of casts arises from the large s.p.a.ce that such a collection will eventually occupy. To avoid this the student can also make a library of impressions of hands on paper, and keep them marked and numbered in a series of alb.u.ms or sc.r.a.p-books that may easily be obtained at any stationer's.

The best means of taking these impressions is to obtain a small gelatine roller used by printers for fine work, such as die stamping, a tube of printer's ink, and a small sheet of gla.s.s to roll the ink out until it covers the surface of the roller in an even way.

The roller may then be pa.s.sed over the surface of the palm, the hand pressed firmly down on a smooth sheet of white paper, and with a little practice, most excellent impressions can easily be obtained.

When the impression is dry it can be dated, numbered, and placed in an alb.u.m for reference.

In order to remove the black ink from the hand, powdered washing soap, well brushed into the hand with a nail brush, and a little hot water is all that will be found necessary.

These impressions taken with printer's ink are far better than those taken by smoking a sheet of paper by camphor, or by a candle, or any other means.

The best time for examining hands is during the day, first because the light is better and, above all, because the circulation of the blood does not redden the entire palm as it does at night, and the finer lines can consequently easily be detected.

As I described earlier in these pages, the right and left hands should be examined together to note what difference there may be in the shape and position of the lines, but the markings on the right hand are the only ones to be relied on.

Lastly, do not be for ever on the lookout for faults and failings in the subject whose hands you may be examining, remember no one is perfect, and that faults and failings may in the end be as stepping stones "by which we rise from our dead selves to higher things."