CHAPTER X

DIAGNOSING FROM THE HANDS AND FINGER NAILS

   The astrologer often finds himself at a great disadvantage in his reading and  diagnosing  in that the patient is frequently mistaken in the  hour  of birth or is not able to give any time.  Also in seven out of every ten cases in  which  the  native  thinks he has the right  time,  the  horoscope  when corrected  by events or rectified is found to be wrong in  this  particular. People are constantly coming to the Rosicrucian Headquarters with horoscopes which they have erected or have had some professional astrologer set up, and in numerous cases in which they have been positive they had the correct time of  birth the rising sign does not tally with their personal appearance  and temperament.

   In  one instance a woman claimed to have Pisces rising,  but when we  met her personally we at once concluded that she had the first degrees of  Aries on the Ascendant for she had red hair a decided ram's profile,  a  prominent Roman nose,  and full lips,  which if you read THE MESSAGE OF THE STARS  you will find tally with Aries.   Another woman came to Headquarters claiming to have Leo on the Ascendant, but she had a slender little body,  a  long  face with  decidedly  receding  chin,  long slender  conical  fingers,  and  long nails--a  perfect picture of Virgo.   One case came to our notice of an  extremely tall woman.  The hour of birth she gave brought Taurus on the Ascendant,  but her personal appearance was very similar to that of Gemini.   The horoscope had many planets in the signs indicating height:   the sun,  Jupiter,  Mercury,  and Neptune were in Gemini, and the moon and Venus in Aries. This would give her length of arm and upper body.   At first appearance we doubted  her rising sign of Taurus, but when we examined her finger nails they were found to be the perfect Taurian type.   Taurus was also indicated by the heavy jaw and full neck.  A Gemini person's nails are small and the neck slender.

   Diagram  A will give the reader a key to the pure types of finger  nails, correlated to the signs of the zodiac.   Horoscopes with many planets in one sign will change the nails.  In the time the student will be able  by  using

DIAGRAM: FINGER NAILS

this  chart to detect the characteristics of any type.   Note how the  types harmonize.  Fixed sign nails are broad, showing great persistence and determination.   The signs ruled by Venus, Taurus and Libra,  give a more rounded nail; the fingers are well shaped and long, and the mount of Venus, which is at  the base of the thumb is quite rounded and full.   We could  write  much more on the hands and their characteristics as compared with the  horoscope, but  as this chapter is especially written to help in the diagnosis of  disease, we will confine ourselves largely to this matter.

   It  is not very difficult to detect diseases which are latent.   For  instance, look at Diagram No. 1.  We see a large, broad nail.  This is similar to the pure Leo type.  With heart trouble latent, as in case No.  5A,  where the impulsive Mars is on the Ascendant, square to Venus indicating poor circulation  and a weak heart,  we will find that the little half-moons at  the base of the nail are blue in color,  and the lines in the palms of the hands are also blue.   When heart trouble has developed to a chronic stage and  is deep-seated,  we find the nails ridged lengthwise as in Diagram No.  1,  and the corners turned upward away from the flesh as in Diagram No. 2.   A horoscope  which  will illustrate this case may be found in THE MESSAGE  OF  THE STARS, figure 3 on page 625.

   The  nail shown in Diagram No.  3 is characteristic of cases such as  No. 10A.   The nail which indicates liver trouble is usually large in  size  but longer than No. 1 or 2.  The nail wedges into the flesh on the sides, and is usually of a yellowish tint.  The lines of the palm are also yellow.  Remember when looking into the palm of the hand that the color of the lines is  a valuable  clue to the health of the patient.   If in good health  the  lines should be of a soft pin;  if the blood is impoverished,  the lines are  pale and white;  if the patient is feverish,  the lines are red;  if the liver is out of order,  they are yellow; and if the heart action is wrong,  the color is blue.

   In Diagram No. 4, we have a nail which is generally found on the hands of people who have common or watery signs on the angles.   Many planets in common  or watery signs produce what is called the psychic type.   People  with long,  slender, clawlike fingers and nails are supersensitive and lacking in strength and vitality.  This type of nail is often found on the hands of the idle  rich,  women who nurse a lap dog instead of a child and always have  a box of chocolates at their side.  Long, slender, well shaped hands and nails belong to the psychic type, and when the nails are ridged lengthwise and the color of the nail is pale,  it is an indication of a tendency to weakness of the lungs.  People with long, slender nails are usually susceptible to colds and coughs.

   Nail No.  5 belongs to the nervous person who is intellectually  inclined and prone to overdo.

   Diagram No. 6 is that of a nail which indicates the person who frequently bites  his nails.   It shows one who has little control over his temper  and whose feelings are very easily hurt.  Such people are always carrying a chip on their shoulder and always looking for slights.

DIAGRAM B: THE THUMB

   A well balanced thumb indicates ability to control the emotions,  including  anger.  but where the thumb is short and the end of it  is  club-shaped with a short nail, there is no control whatever over anger and things easily turn red before the eyes.

DIAGRAM B

   The thumb is a wonderful indicator of character,  and must be taken  into consideration when diagnosing from the hand.   In Diagram B we see that  the mount of Venus and the thumb are both a little too heavy.  This is a typical Taurian thumb with the mount of Venus very large,  indicating a very  strong desire nature.   The thumb is short and thick,  showing a lack of will power to rule the desires.  When the thumb is long and well shaped, it is an indication of high ideals and the will to carry them out.

   In  a well proportioned thumb the first phalanx should occupy  two-fifths and the second phalanx three-fifths of the length of the thumb.   The tip of the  thumb should reach the middle joint of the first finger.   A very  long thumb indicates that a person is obstinate, headstrong; a very short one indicates lack of logic and a constant changing from one thing to another.  If the thumb is very thick throughout its entire length, the desires and tastes are more or less coarse and primitive, and the person is lacking in tack and refinement.   If the thumb is very wide, especially at the tip, it indicates one who "sees red" easily, often one who has an ungovernable temper; it also indicates stubbornness.  The patient who has a normally developed thumb will carry out the physician's orders.

   If  the  first phalanx of the thumb is very long and the  second  one  is short, it indicates one who is reckless and whose actions are not controlled by reason.   If the first phalanx is short and the second very long it indicates a talker,  but not a doer.  Such a person is mistrustful of  everybody and lacks self-control.

   The  mount of Luna is located on the little finger side of the  palm  and extends from about the middle of the palm to the wrist.  When large and full it  indicates  excessive  emotion  and  imaginations,   but   when  properly proportioned  it gives a well balanced mind.  It is this mount of  the  moon and  lines found upon it which give the diagnostician a clue to  mental  afflictions and designate the lunar person.

                      INDICATIONS FROM THE FINGER NAILS

   Long,  slender nails curving inward toward the flesh:  scrofulous and impure blood, weakness of the lungs, and throat trouble.

   White spots on the nails:  anaemia, impoverished blood, nervousness.

   Long nails, thin and brittle:  weak vitality, negativeness, timidity.

   Black or blue spots on the half moons:  poison in blood,  obstructed circulation,  or  restricted heart action.   The shape of the nails  should  be taken into consideration before making a decision;

   Well rounded and clear cut half moons on nails indicate good circulation; if pale pink, they indicate health; if dark blue, see page 64 for meaning.

   Nails whose top surface is concave indicate spinal weakness.

   Patients who have long smooth hands, the flesh soft and smooth,  the fingers flexible, the nails white in color, and especially when the nails wedge tightly into the side of the finger and the wedge portion is colored, may be said  to have been BORN TIRED.   They will make little attempt to  help  the healer;  they  would prefer to have the Invisible Helpers to  the  work  for them.