Head line (sometimes called the mental line; Mathru or Dhan Rekha in Indian palmistry): the middle of the three main lines, running across the palm between the heart line and the life line. Western palmistry reads it for thinking style and judgment; the Indian texts link it with wealth.
Where is the head line?
Open your hand with the palm facing you. Find the curve that wraps around the base of your thumb: that is the life line. The head line usually begins at or just above the same point, on the thumb side of the palm between the thumb and index finger. From there it runs across the middle of the hand toward the little-finger edge.
It sits below the heart line and above the centre of the palm. In some hands it stops partway across. In others it reaches nearly to the far edge. If the heart and head lines merge into one crease, the single line is read as great tenacity and fixity of purpose.
What does the shape of the head line mean?
Western palmists look at the line's direction first, then at its length and how clearly it is drawn.
| What you see | Western reading |
|---|---|
| Long and level across the palm | A calculating, far-sighted planner with a good memory |
| Straight and clearly cut | A gift for logic; thinking in clean steps |
| Sloping sharply toward the wrist | Imagination leading over practical sense |
| Level, then sloping, then level again | Imagination balanced with realism; held up as the ideal course |
| Blurred or hazy | A vagueness of mind |
| Doubled by a parallel line | Extra strength of mind and intellect |
What does it mean where the head line begins?
The start of the head line is read together with the start of the life line. In most hands the two begin joined.
- Joined to the life line: a cautious, instinct-led nature that likes to feel sure before acting and may take time to find self-confidence.
- A moderate gap between them: sound judgment and independence of action.
- A wide gap: strong self-confidence that can tip into wilfulness, so advice from others is worth hearing.
What does it mean where the head line ends?
Western palmists read the line's ending as where your thinking naturally goes.
- Curving down toward the Mount of Luna (the outer base of the palm): a mind that runs on imagination more than on practicality.
- Running level to the Mount of Mars (the outer middle of the palm): steadiness of mind under pressure.
- Turning up toward the little finger (Mercury): a gift with words and persuasion, and to some palmists a keen eye for gain.
- Forked at the end: one of the signs looked for in the hands of writers and journalists.
What do breaks, branches and islands mean?
Branches rising toward the fingers are read as ideas that bear practical fruit: toward the little finger through business, toward the ring finger through learning. Small sprouts turning toward the thumb are linked in Indian palmistry with money. An island, a small oval loop, is read as concentration that can scatter, and a hint that one task at a time suits you. A small triangle on the line is linked with a bent for scientific inquiry. Traditional texts also read breaks and some other marks on this line as forecasts; Rekha leaves those out.
How do Indian and Western palmistry read the head line differently?
Western palmistry reads the head line as thinking style: logic or imagination, caution or independence. Indian palmistry gives the same line two names, Mathru Rekha and Dhan Rekha, and reads it for wealth. A long, unbroken line is read as a sign of wealth, and sprouts toward the thumb as money. Its other readings, such as inheritance, are forecasts Rekha leaves out. V-shaped marks on it are read as money that is earned well and spent just as fast. Traditional texts also made forecasts from this line; Rekha leaves those out.
The Indian readings and the Western ones are meant to be used together. Western palmists also read the gap separating the head and heart lines: a wide band as tolerance and an open, outgoing mind; a narrow one as a private, inward-looking nature.
Should I read the head line on my left or right hand?
The two traditions answer differently. The Indian system reads a man's right hand and a woman's left. Western palmists read the right hand, with an exception for left-handers, and treat the passive hand as your inherited nature and the active hand as how you have developed. A sign that shows on both hands is given its full weight; on one hand only, half. Read more about left and right hands.
Questions about the head line
Does a long head line mean you are more intelligent?
No. Length is read together with direction, not as a score. A long, level line is read as far-sighted planning and a good memory; a long, straight, clearly cut one as a gift for logic.
What if my head line and life line are joined?
A joined start is the most usual form. It is read as a cautious, instinct-led temperament that likes security before taking a leap, which may take time to find self-confidence.
Why is the head line called the Dhan Rekha?
Dhan means wealth. The Indian texts read this line for money: a long, unbroken line and sprouts toward the thumb are both linked with it. Rekha passes this on as tradition, not as a promise of riches.
Can the head line change?
Palmists hold that some lines change as the years pass and that small lines can appear and fade. Western palmists compare both hands to see where you started and how you have developed.
See your own head line, read two ways
Rekha reads your head line from a photo of your palm, names exactly what it saw, and shows the Indian and Western readings side by side.
Palmistry is a tradition, not a science. These readings are for reflection and entertainment.