The Three Sections of the Thumb
When reading character through the shape of the palm, the Thumb is as important as the nose is to the face. The Thumb represents your general willpower, while the Head Line shows your mental will. Your character shows clearly through your Thumb. The Thumb represents 3 major areas: Will, Logic, and Love. Love is shown by the base of the Thumb, which lies over the Mount of Venus on the palm. The middle section (phalange) shows Logic. The top of the Thumb, meaning the nail section, shows Will. If the divisions between these sections are large, these traits are stronger. If the divisions are small, these traits play a smaller role in your life.
Supple-Jointed and Firm-Jointed Thumbs
There are 2 distinct types of Thumbs: supple-jointed and firm-jointed. A supple-jointed Thumb curves outward and bends easily at the joint below the nail. This shows natural flexibility and the ability to adapt to others. If you have this kind of Thumb, you are very broad-minded. You are not old-fashioned or stubborn in your views on life.
This trait grows stronger when the Head Line bends and slopes downward. When the Head Line runs straight across the hand, you are more conservative by nature. A supple-jointed Thumb shows generosity of mind, both with money and with ideas. In fact, you are more generous than people with a straight, firm-jointed Thumb. You give freely because you feel it is your moral duty. If your Thumb sits close to the hand, held in tightly, this shows a tendency to hold on tightly to things. A true miser almost always has a Thumb held close to the palm, with the nail section curled inward, as if the mind wants to hold and keep everything. A supple-jointed Thumb gives more freely and spontaneously than a firm-jointed one. A firm-jointed Thumb needs more convincing before it gives an opinion. If you have a supple-jointed Thumb and someone asks a favour of you, remember that you tend to give in on the spur of the moment. If they do not press their point right away, you are likely to make a promise first and change your mind later.
The Firm-Jointed Thumb
A firm-jointed Thumb behaves in exactly the opposite way to a supple-jointed one. If you have a firm-jointed Thumb and someone asks a favour, you may refuse at first. After thinking it over, you may agree to the request. But once you make up your mind, you stick firmly to your opinion or judgement. If someone opposes your view, your determination only grows stronger. The stiff-jointed Thumb is a clear sign of a more opposing nature. If the nail section is long, your willpower is stronger and more powerful. You find it harder to make friends quickly compared to other people. If you travel by train, you tend not to talk to fellow passengers. If you do talk, it is more likely to be an argument, such as whether the window should be open or shut. Even so, you will help a fellow traveller in need if you have a firm-jointed Thumb. On the other hand, if you have a supple-jointed Thumb, you are more inclined to chat with strangers. You often make good friends while travelling, and you are a friendly, pleasant companion. You tend to give in to other people’s wishes without hesitation. This trait, however, is also a weakness you should guard against.
You tend to have a great many friends around you. This can be strongly shaped by the shape and position of the Head Line, which represents a more developed mental will.
Flexibility at the Lower Joints
If your Thumb is supple at the middle or lower joint, this relates not to willpower but to the Logic section of the Thumb. This shows that you adapt yourself to circumstances rather than to people. You accept that you must bend to fit the circumstances and conditions of life around you.
The Clubbed Thumb
The Clubbed Thumb looks like a thick club. If you have this type of Thumb, you belong to the Elementary type as far as willpower goes. Traditionally, you are blunt and forceful by nature, and when opposed you may lose your temper quickly and act on impulse rather than by calculation. Older palmists even gave this thumb harsh names, but modern readers treat such labels with great caution: a single feature never defines a person, and the rest of the hand – especially the Head Line – can soften it completely.
If the Clubbed Thumb is short, self-control in moments of passion may need extra effort.
Waisted and Straight Thumbs
The Waist-like Thumb and the “straight” Thumb should be seen as opposites of each other. Here, the difference lies in the area of Reason or Logic. The Waist-like Thumb depends heavily on the things you trust, and it uses diplomacy and tact to get its way. The straight Thumb has no tact; if you have this kind of Thumb, you rely instead on reason and argument in every matter.
The Section of Love
If the 3rd section of the Thumb, linked to Love, is long, this shows much stronger control over sensuality and love. If it is thick and short, your passion and sensuality are more animal-like.