Long or deep
A long, deep line is traditionally read as steady energy and resilience.
Curves around the base of the thumb
The life line in palm reading
In palm reading, the life line curves around the base of the thumb. It is read for vitality, physical constitution and major changes of circumstance — a tradition, not a tested prediction.
- Crease
- Major one of three formed before birth
- Cheiro, 1916
- Ch. III The Line of Life and its Variations
- Length and lifespan
- No link Lucas, Dhugga & Henneberg 2019
Cheiro, Palmistry for All, 1916.
Short or faint
A short line is read as concentrated rather than diminished vitality — and emphatically not as a short life.
Breaks and markings
Breaks and overlaps are read as changes of direction: moves, career shifts, illnesses recovered from.
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Anatomy, not divination
What is actually known about the life line
How it forms
Forms in the womb between the 8th and 12th week, as a consequence of how the hand folds — not from later use.
What it physically is
It marks the boundary of the thenar eminence — the muscle pad at the base of the thumb. Its arc follows that muscle, which is why a larger thenar gives a wider curve.
What the evidence says
A 1990 study by Newrick, Affie and Corrall on 100 cadavers reported a link between life-line length and age at death; it has not held up — a 2019 re-test on 60 cadavers by Lucas, Dhugga and Henneberg found no correlation, matching an earlier 1974 study.
Primary source
What Cheiro wrote about the life line
“The first rules to master are, that to be normal the Line of Life should be long, clearly marked, and without any irregularities or breaks of any kind. Such a formation would indicate length of life, vitality, freedom from illness, and strength of constitution…”
Cheiro, Palmistry for All (New York and London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1916), chapter III, “The Line of Life and its Variations” — read the original text.
Cheiro was William John Warner (1866–1936), the best-known palmist of his day, who read for famous clients and took his pen name from cheiromancy, the old word for palmistry. The anatomy above is what can be checked; this is what the tradition says.
Versions of the life line
Where it starts, where it ends and what it does on the way — these are what a reader actually looks at, and they differ from line to line.
Starting high, touching the index finger
Read as ambition present from early on — a life directed by the person rather than by circumstance.
Starting low, close to the thumb
Read as a life shaped more by family and early environment than by early self-direction.
Hugging the thumb closely
A narrow arc is read as lower physical reserves; a wide sweep as stamina and appetite for activity.
A second line running parallel
Called the line of Mars or a sister line. Traditionally read as protection or support from someone.
Ending in a fork
A split at the base is read as travel or a life divided between two places.
Where is the life line on your palm?
Curves around the base of the thumb. Islands, breaks and forks on the life line are read with the same table of marks as every other line.
Highlighted: the life line, curving around the base of the thumb.
Worth being clear about
The length of this line does not predict lifespan. The one study that reported a link (1990) was not borne out: a 2019 re-test found no correlation at all.
Other lines
Sources
Statements of fact on this page were checked against these sources in October 2026. How we choose and check sources: editorial policy.
Cite this page
AstroHot. “Palm Reading Life Line: Short, Broken and Double Lines.” Accessed October 27, 2026. https://astrohot.com/palm-reading/life/
For Wikipedia
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