Hand types by element
The elemental classification sorts hands into four types using two measurements: the shape of the palm (square or oblong) and the length of the fingers compared to the palm. Earth hand: square palm, short fingers. Air hand: square palm, long fingers. Fire hand: oblong palm, short fingers. Water hand: oblong palm, long fingers. Each type is tied to a temperament, from grounded Earth practicality to watery sensitivity.
The two measurements that decide
To place your hand, first look at your palm: is it as wide as it is long (square) or clearly longer than wide (oblong)? Then measure your fingers: laid against the palm, are they shorter than it or about as long? The crossing of these two answers gives you your element, with no mysterious calculation involved.
The temperament of each type
Earth, square and sturdy, speaks of grounding, patience, hands that love the concrete. Air, square with long fingers, speaks of thought, words, the need to exchange. Fire, oblong with short fingers, suggests momentum, energy, the urge to act fast. Water, oblong with long fingers, tells of sensitivity, intuition, the inner world. Sense which one you recognize, and notice what it reminds you of about yourself.
Sources
- , The Book of the Hand (1965)