Palmistry calls the small shapes on a palm (stars, crosses, triangles, squares, islands, a trident or a fish) "signs", and what each one means depends on the mount or line it sits on. This is a traditional reading, not a forecast, and most of the "marks" people find in a photo are simply ordinary lines crossing each other.
How to recognise a real sign
The diagram above shows a few examples: star, cross, triangle, island, trident and fish. Good readers themselves apply three rules before counting any of them:
- Separate and clear. A sign is a complete shape on its own, not part of a major line.
- Visible in any light. A shape that vanishes when the light changes or the hand flexes a little is not a sign.
- Read with its place. A star on the mount of Jupiter says one thing; a star in the middle of a line says another.
A palm carries hundreds of fine creases. Look long enough and anyone will find a cross or a triangle somewhere, so test a mark against these rules before worrying about it or celebrating it.
What tradition reads in each sign
| Sign | What it looks like | Common reading |
|---|---|---|
| Star | three or four short lines crossing at one point | on Jupiter or the Sun: honour and success; in the middle of a line: a sudden change, read differently by different readers |
| Cross | two short lines forming an X | on Jupiter: auspicious, a good partner or mentor; between the head and heart lines (the "mystic cross"): spiritual interest; elsewhere: an obstacle that is overcome |
| Triangle | three lines meeting in three corners | understanding, skill and planning, in the area of the mount it sits on |
| Square | a small box of four lines | a sign of protection; over a break in a line it is read as that stretch being held together |
| Island | a line splitting and rejoining in a small oval | a confusing or tiring phase that passes |
| Chain | a run of small islands along a line | a stretch of scattered attention or energy |
| Trident (trishul) | three prongs at the end of a line, or a trident shape on a mount | very auspicious: talent, honour and means together; a mark of reverence through its link with Shiva |
| Fish (matsya) | two curved lines making a fish shape, often near the wrist | in samudrika's list of auspicious marks: prosperity, contentment, a spiritual bent |
| Grille | several lines crossing in a lattice | restlessness or scatter in that mount's quality |
Samudrika's auspicious marks
The old Indian samudrika tradition treats certain shapes on the palms and soles as auspicious marks: the fish, lotus, conch, wheel (chakra), flag, pot (kalash) and trident. Descriptions of great persons and of deities mention such marks. It is worth being clear, though, that these shapes appear distinctly on very few hands, and it is easy to "find" them in an ordinary palm. Not having one is not a lack of anything.
The M sign: an honest note
In recent years the "M on your palm" has spread widely online, with claims that people who have it are rare, destined for success or unusually intuitive. In fact the shape is not a separate sign at all. It is what the life, head, heart and fate lines form together, and it shows on a great many hands. Neither the old samudrika texts nor Cheiro mention it; it is a modern social-media idea. Enjoy the post if you like, but do not treat it as a special mark.
What signs cannot tell you
- Accidents or illness. Some older books give frightening meanings to certain stars or crosses. There is no basis for them, and no sign predicts misfortune.
- Raj yoga or great wealth. Promising certain riches from a trident or fish is the tradition at its most overblown.
- Timing. Dating a sign by measuring ages along a line is highly approximate and contested among practitioners.
- Permanence. Fine creases form and fade over the years; no sign is a lifelong stamp.
Indian and Western readings
The list of star, cross, square, triangle, island and chain reached Hindi books mainly from Western palmistry, through Cheiro. The fish, lotus, conch and trident are Indian samudrika's own, and their reading is more religious and cultural. Both agree on one thing: a sign is read together with its mount and line, never alone.
How to look for signs on your own palm
- Which hand: the common teaching is that the working hand shows effort and the other inborn nature. Readers give less weight to a sign found on one hand only.
- Change the light. Look in daylight from two or three angles; count only what stays in every view.
- A magnifier helps with small marks, but very tiny details carry little weight in any reading.
- Careful with photos. Phone zoom and filters create false lines; keep the flash off.
Read next
Read signs together with the mounts of the palm and the fate line, or see the full palmistry hub. The major lines are covered at length in our palm reading lines guide, and if you would like your own palm read from a photo, there is an online palm reading.