We begin our exploration of hand types with the hands that build our world and till our fields, the hands that are not afraid of hard work and that love the outdoors: the strong hands dominated by the earth element. Earth is cold, solid, heavy, hard, and rigid. These qualities are seen both in the structural characteristics of the hand and in the way an earth-handed person relates to his or her environment.
Palm
Earth hands have palms that are mostly square in shape. While a perfect square shape doesn’t exist in nature, the palm of an earth hand has a distinctly squarish look as opposed to a long or narrow appearance.
The square palms of an earth hand indicate stability and solidity. These qualities are usually reflected in the person’s whole body—earth-handed people are often, compact and resilient, and of all the hand types they are the healthiest and most endowed with natural endurance. They can work hard because their bodies support hard work. Their movements are slow but functional, and they tend to focus on one thing at a time. On an emotional level, the square-palmed stability of the earth hand tends to make these type of people practical and extremely reliable.
In addition to their squarish shape, the palms of an earth hand are often thick and inflexible. This can manifest as a resistance to change. The Earth Hand is the one who shows up at the town meeting to block the new building proposal because they are suspicious of things new and different. Typical earth-handed people favor the tried and true in life.
Fingers
The fingers of an earth hand are relatively short compared to the palm. To determine if fingers are long or short, first measure the length of the palm from the center of the wrist to the base of the middle finger; then measure the length of the middle finger and compare this to the palm measurement. Fingers measuring less than 3/4 of the palm’s length are short! Short fingers indicate someone who is more interested in the big picture than in the details. They understand the natural world and its cycles simply and spontaneously, and this understanding makes them appreciate how things fundamentally function as opposed to how they may appear. They are practical-minded, salt-of-the-earth personalities.
Like the palm of an earth hand, the fingers of such a hand tend to be on the inflexible side. To test how flexible the fingers of a hand are, place the hand on a flat surface and pick up the fingers. Fingers that barely come off the surface are inflexible, and indicate somebody who likes routines and habits and can be quite resistant around change and variety. They don’t just accept a new thing for the sake of novelty, but when shown the utility of a new object or idea, they warm up to it.
It can be all too easy to think of earth-handed people as resistant to new opportunities. But what if we reframe this notion? What if, instead of viewing the person as a stick-in-the-mud, we understand the value the person places on the reliability, usefulness, and dependability of people and things? If we recognize the inherent value standing steadily in the heart of our dear earth-handed friend, we may benefit from their solid, stable point-of-view.
Skin texture
Earth hands tend to have skin that is rough to the touch. Most people think that skin texture is a result of how we use our hands. For example, a gardener has rougher hands than a computer programmer because gardening is harder on skin than typing. While that is partly true, the inverse might be true as well: those with rougher skin have a more sensory-based nature and are therefore attracted to more practical, hands-on activities. So perhaps it’s having the rough skin to begin with that attracts the person to go work in a garden instead of sitting at a desk.
Thick, rough skin goes along with a certain resolute quality that earth-handed people posses. Earth-handed types can be reserved and very matter-of-fact. It’s not always easy to make new friends with an earth-handed person, mostly because they take comfort in a tight social circle of family, relatives, and people they have known for quite some time. But we should all be so lucky as to have an earth-handed person among our family and friends. They are practical, level headed, and supportive.
Lines
Earth hands usually have few lines. In fact, they have fewer lines than any other hand type. Frequently an earth hand displays only the three major lines, and the lines are wide and tend not to cross. These clear, simple lines reflect the sensorial and uncomplicated nature of those with these hands. Earth-handed folks relate to their surroundings through their senses. They not only love to be outdoors, but also usually prefer living away from the hustle and bustle of city centers. Visit your local farmers’ market and you are bound to find some earth-handed people handing you the fruits of the earth that they themselves have harvested.
Fingerprints
Earth hands often have one or more fingers with arch fingerprints. Arch fingerprints look just like an arch, or a low wave in the lines that make up the fingerprints. Arch fingerprints, although the simplest pattern amongst fingerprints, are also the most rare. In fact, it is highly unusual to see a set of hands with more than three or four arch fingerprints. Because of their rarity, not all earth hands are going to have arch fingerprints. When they are present, they add to the resourceful, efficient nature of the typical earth-handed person. Arches can also indicate specific manual skills.
Earth and fire hands comprise the majority of hand types on the planet. When we live in a city, we may not fully appreciate that our sustenance largely relies on the honest, hard work of hearty earth hands. We rely on the earth for support, for food, and for our very existence. The earth is, above all, productive and beneath its surface there is always a quick ferment of life. Break through the reserve of the earth-handed person (but be careful to not disturb them by probing too deeply!), and you will be pleasantly surprised by their reliability and sense of justice. They are strong providers and well-balanced, nonintellectual, self-possessed, realistic and literally down-to-earth.