It is not only in the West where the lines on one's palm are beleived to predict one's fortune, health, marriage and health.

In China this art traces back to at least the Chou Dynasty, over three thousand years ago. The oldest surviving book on the subject, by a Shi Shu Fu, was written during this period - so origins may even go further back in time.

There are two broad categories of Chinese palmistry, cheirognomy (focussed on the fingers) and cheiromancy (concentrating on the palm). Unlike in the West, finger bones, joints, elbows and nails all factor into the reading.

There are seven palm type categories: psychic (idealists), natural (base personalities), square and mixed (practical), spatulate (anxious, nervous types), philosophical (confused sort) and conical (artistic).