Learn about Palmistry - The Thumb

 

The thumb is a very important feature of the hands because without it, no matter what qualities are found in the rest of the hand, there would be no driving force to push those qualities forward, nor any logic or reasoning behind that willpower.

 

The thumb represents action and can be considered as one of the most important aspects of the whole hand revealing determination, will power, logic and reasoning ability. No matter how many qualities are seen from the rest of the hands, without the development of a strong thumb, the qualities will amount to nothing. This is because the thumb represents the driving force and determination to succeed. No matter how creative, artistic or ambitious the nature, if the thumb is not sufficiently developed, the person will be unable to drive those qualities forward in a successful manner. Conversely if there are few qualities within the nature, the strongly developed thumb will have very little to drive forward.

 

The average thumb will reach the middle of the base phalange on the index finger, or when measured against the average little finger, will be approximately equal in length. Any variation to this length will reveal a long or a short thumb. The development of the human thumb, with it's ability to oppose all four fingers, is what has allowed man to use his hands in a way that no other animal can. The monkey's thumb resembles the human thumb closely but is found to be short, weak and unable to oppose all the other fingers. This fact separates man from any other animal, giving him the power to exert some influence over his environment.

Therefore, when a strong powerful thumb is seen, it becomes obvious that the person has will power and determination with the ability to exert some kind of force in order to gain mastery of his life. The well developed thumb can be regarded as the engine which represents the driving force behind the personality, enabling the person to accomplish whatever tasks are before him. Such a person feels he is in the driving seat, controlling the route his life takes.

 

 

A weak thumb reveals a person who is unable to push with the force of the powerful thumb, feeling more at the mercy of fate, with little control over external influences.

 

 

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Two Phalanges of the Thumb

The thumb can be divided into two individual phalanxes, the top nail section, and below the crease, the lower, base phalanx. The mount of Venus, surrounding the ball of the thumb may be considered the third phalanx, representing the amount of love within the character while exerting willpower and reasoning.

 

The top phalanx represents a person's willpower and determination. If this phalanx is long, at least equal in length to the other phalanx below it, or longer, then the person will have strong willpower with the necessary determination to push himself forward in order to influence his environment and surroundings. He will be tenacious and clear minded, with the ability to give orders and make decisions. Such a person will be in charge and in control of his life and will feel able to exert some influence over others. Most of all he will be capable of turning ideas into action. A very long top phalanx reveals these qualities in abundance with a strong, forceful personality revealing staying power, determination and tenacity.

 

A very short top phalanx reveals the absence of the qualities above. There will be a lack of willpower and drive, with difficulty in making decisions. The person may even show a careless and indifferent attitude towards his life, be easily swayed by others, generally impressionable and weak willed. He will always allow others to dominate him as he feels he has no control over his own destiny. The most important aspect of the short top phalanx is the inability to turn ideas into action. Ruled by sentiment, this person will always prefer to be led by others. Whatever qualities are found in the rest of the hand, the short, top phalanx will ensure they will never come to much.

The second phalanx of the thumb represents logic and reasoning ability. When turning ideas into action using drive and willpower, as represented by the top phalanx, it is preferable to have some kind of logic or reasoning behind those actions. The second phalanx reveals the ability to apply logic before carrying out any action. When the second phalanx is long, there is plenty of logic behind the actions. This person will think and plan carefully, working out the pros and cons before carrying out any action. A short phalanx reveals that logic and reasoning are not too apparent in the personality. Unable to plan logically the person is likely to make quick, instinctive decisions on the spur of the moment and may not always act with wisdom.

The Relationship between the phalanxes of the thumb

The best combination to find is when the two phalanxes are equal in length, because this would mean that will power and logic are in balance. Behind every action will be the power of reason. However, you will occasionally find thumbs that do not have this balance, with one of the phalanxes being longer or shorter than the other.

When the top (willpower) nail phalanx is longer than the lower (reasoning and logic) phalanx willpower overshadows the ability to reason out an action. This person is likely to act instinctively without giving sufficient thought to the consequences of his actions. This sometimes results in a stubborn nature with the willpower being exerted without reason. The actions may appear determined, persistent but illogical and instinctive.

The very thick top phalanx reveals a person who acts with brute force. In every action, he will push his personality forward with a force that has no subtlety or refinement, but with a determination that may appear obstinate, passionate and maybe a little ruthless at times. This person may try to rule and dominate others by sheer force of character with so much strength in his actions and words that he is able to impress his views on others very easily. Unable to control his strong passions, he will attempt to dominate anyone who has a thinner top phalanx.

 

 

Sometimes the top phalanx is so thick (particularly from the side view) that it may appear bulbous, known by palmists as the murderer's thumb. While it may not make a person commit murder, it almost certainly reveals a person who can be extremely passionate, aggressive, ruthless and cruel, and with other corresponding features in the hands, even a little sadistic or violent. If the second phalanx is short in comparison, there will be no logic or reasoning behind the actions. Confrontation with such a person may not be wise

 

A thumb that bends back easily from the top joint is known as a supple thumb, and can reveal a person who is emotionally versatile and adaptable, and one who is likely to be generous both with their time and money.  It the thumb is very flexible the person will be especially generous with his time, easy to get to know - especially if the whole thumb bends back easily away from the palm, adaptable and flexible but possibly lacking in will power, and likely to be rather extravagant when it comes to money matters.

 

The diagram to the right demonstrates what palmists call a 'waisted' thumb.  Here, the second phalanx pulls inwards to form a waist, and indicates a person who can be instinctive when making decisions, and also one who is likely to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when dealing with others. If the thumb is particularly waisted in its appearance, and pulls in to a great degree, tact and diplomacy may be especially well developed!  Take care, this person could be as cunning as a fox, and is more than aware of how to get round you! When no waisting is seen at all, with the second phalanx of the thumb running straight up and down, you are looking at a person who believes is saying what he thinks, regardless of your feelings!  What you see is definitely what you get.  If your partner  doesn't like what you are doing, they will tell you so, in no uncertain terms!