Positive and negative attributes: Intuitive, sensitive, emotional. You may be more susceptible than most to stress, and enjoy a slower, introverted life. Also those with water hands are naturally empathetic due to their heightened sensitivity, and often feel other people’s pain acutely.

Love: Protect yourself against negative, needy people who can pull you down and chip away at your self-confidence. Sometimes you find it easy to lose yourself in relationships, to take the form that your partner wishes rather than standing firm. But who’s really controlling whom? You have a strong need to make emotional contact with a partner and this can make you manipulative as well as malleable. Sooner or later you will realise that you can share yourself without giving up your identity or trying to force others to change.

Personality: You feel things more deeply than most and are able to tap into your emotions as well as the emotional state of others. You have a strong need to understand hidden motivations, raw emotions and life’s mysteries. You are a sensitive, impressionable, nurturing and caring friend. Your biggest challenge is to fight your own self-doubt and pessimism. You must also learn to ask others for help directly rather than resorting to emotional blackmail.

Work: This is satisfying only when you are receiving an emotional response from others. You need to serve, advise and support, so any caring profession would be ideal. All types of healing appeal to you,
whether it is as a counsellor or building a bridge of understanding between opposing parties. Fashion and artistic work also attract your eye. Whatever your job, you bring sensitivity, empathy and understanding to your position.

Mounts and plains

Once you’ve determined which element is associated with the palm, move on to analyse the mounts and plains of the palm. There are a few common mounts – if they are pronounced or sunken, this can tell you a lot.

The Mount of Jupiter

You can find this mount at the base of the index finger. It is a symbol of an individual’s confidence and ambition.

The Mount of Saturn

This mount is found at the base of the middle finger. A pronounced Mount of Saturn suggests wisdom, responsibility and strength.

The Mount of Apollo

Just below the ring finger, the Mount of Apollo is linked to optimism and happiness.

The Mount of Mercury

This mount is found below the pinky finger, and is related to an individual’s communication and intelligence abilities.

The Mount of Luna

This mount rises at the base of the palm under the pinky near the wrist. It is connected to imagination and intuition.

The Mount of Venus

Below the base of the thumb, the Mount of Venus is linked to love.

The Palm Reading Guide: Reveal the secrets of the tell tale hand by Frank C. Clifford is published by Ilex, £9.99, www.octopusbooks.co.uk and is available on Amazon.