Life line (Pithru or Gotra Rekha in Indian palmistry): the curved line that starts between the thumb and index finger and arcs down around the ball of the thumb toward the wrist. Indian texts trace the same line the other way, from the wrist up toward the index finger. In everyday Hindi it is popularly called the Jeevan Rekha.
Where is the life line?
Hold your palm toward you and look at the fleshy pad at the base of your thumb. Palmists call this pad the Mount of Venus. The line that curves around it is the life line. In Western books it begins on the edge of the palm between the thumb and index finger, often sharing its first stretch with the head line, and sweeps down toward the wrist.
Some life lines hug the thumb closely. Others swing out in a wide arc toward the middle of the palm. Now and then a branch leaves the middle of the line and runs out across the palm.
What if my life line looks short or broken?
Traditional texts also made forecasts from this line, including from its length and its breaks; Rekha leaves those out. Even those texts warn against judging a short line from one hand alone and ask you to check the other hand. Many life lines also look thin at their start and end, so a line can seem shorter than it is.
In the Indian reading, a good length is read as strong family roots. Indian texts also read its breaks for family matters, and Western texts made forecasts from it; Rekha leaves those out.
What does the shape of the life line mean?
Western palmists read the life line mostly through its shape. The Indian texts read it for family. Where one tradition has no reading for a feature, the table says so.
| What you see | Western reading | Indian reading |
|---|---|---|
| Wide arc into the palm | Leaves a roomy Mount of Venus, the mount read as warmth and zest for life | Not read separately |
| Starting high and dropping close to the thumb | A narrow Mount of Venus, read as a lack of warmth: feeling offered sparingly | Not read separately |
| Long and unbroken | Used for forecasts that Rekha leaves out | Strong family roots |
| Broken | Used for forecasts that Rekha leaves out | Read for family matters that Rekha leaves out |
| Uneven in thickness along its course | A changeable mind | Not read separately |
| A branch sweeping out across the palm | A restless life, always on the move | Not read separately |
What does it mean where the life line begins?
- On the Mount of Jupiter (under the index finger): in Western palmistry, success and recognition.
- Joined with the head line: a cautious temperament, guided by instinct, that may take time to find self-confidence.
- A moderate gap from the head line: sound judgment and independent action.
- A wide gap from the head line: self-confidence that can tip into wilfulness.
The Indian texts see the line the other way round: it rises from the wrist and heads for the base of the index finger.
What do branches and double lines mean?
In the Indian reading, small branches pointing from the line toward the thumb are read as friends and well-wishers. In Western palmistry, a branch that ends on the Mount of Jupiter is read as titles or honours, and a branch that sweeps out through the palm as a restless, roving life. A second line running parallel inside the life line, toward the thumb, is called the line of Mars. Traditional texts read it for matters Rekha leaves out.
How do Indian and Western palmistry read the life line differently?
Classical Indian palmistry, the Samudrika tradition, names this line the Pithru or Gotra Rekha. It is one of the three primary lines, the line of the family tree. Its branches toward the thumb are read as friends and well-wishers.
Western writers rank the life line as the most important line on the hand and read it mainly for the body rather than the mind. Their readings of its shape, such as warmth and restlessness, are the ones Rekha keeps. Beyond what each side stresses, the two systems are taken to agree more than they differ.
Should I read the life line on my left or right hand?
The two traditions answer differently. The Indian rule reads a man's right hand and a woman's left. Western writers read the right hand, with an exception for left-handers, and treat the other hand as your inherited nature and the active hand as how you have developed. A sign found on both hands is read at full strength, and on one hand at half. Read more about left and right hands.
Questions about the life line
Does the life line show how many years I will have?
Traditional texts also made forecasts from this line, and its length was one of them; Rekha leaves those out. Rekha reads the life line for its shape in the Western tradition and for family roots in the Indian one.
Why is my life line different on each hand?
Usually the two hands differ only a little. Western writers read the active hand as how you have developed and the other as what you inherited, so small differences show that growth. Sharp contrasts between the hands are read as a two-sided nature.
What does a break in the life line mean?
Indian texts read a break for family matters, and Western texts for forecasts. Rekha leaves both out.
See your own life line, read two ways
Rekha reads your life 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.