Centuries ago, the sages of India established a system of knowledge stemming from the Vedas, the earliest sacred Hindu writings. They studied the hands as a means to unveil and understand the self and relationships with others. They saw that the unique patterns of lines and signs in the hand come into being as a direct result of the way we think. Just as a pebble thrown into the water creates ripples, so our thoughts create similar effects.

Throughout our lifetime, our bodies register change. For example, the lines on our face that we acquire with age reflect experience and, we hope, wisdom. Lines and signs on our hands, present at birth, grow as we evolve, signifying the accumulated experience of our lives.

The sages of India observed over time that specific physical features of the hands alter in response to changes in our physiological, intellectual and emotional makeup.

Our hands offer us an objective view of who we really are. Through the study of palmistry, we have the opportunity to see to what extent our thoughts and feelings influence our happiness and the harmony of those around us. As we exercise our will in choosing positive patterns of thinking to replace any negative ones, we see our lines begin to change, reflecting a shift in our consciousness. As Shakespeare observed, we are masters of our own fate, that "the fault...is not in our stars, but in ourselves."