Mounts of the Hand in Palmistry: Venus, Jupiter, Moon and More
The lines show which roads you take. The mounts show what you are made of. Whoever reads only lines overlooks half the hand.
Say palm reading and people think of lines. My grandmother in Izmir began somewhere else. She pressed her thumb into the pads of the palm, first under the fingers, then at the ball of the thumb, and nodded or raised her eyebrows before she had looked at a single line.
These pads are called the mounts of the hand. They carry the names of the seven planets of the old sky, and each mount stands for a quality: warmth, ambition, seriousness, joy, a way with words, imagination, courage.
Here you will learn where each mount lies, what it means when it is full or flat, and how the star, cross, triangle, square and grille are read. Like everything in palmistry, this is tradition and interpretation, not measurement and not diagnosis.
What the mounts are and how to find them
The mounts are the raised places of the palm: four under the fingers, one at the ball of the thumb, one opposite it on the edge of the hand, and two smaller ones in between. The middle of the hand, the hollow, is called the plain of Mars.
This is how you find them:
- Cup the hand slightly, as if you wanted to scoop up water. The mounts stand out.
- Look from the side, level with the palm, against the light of a window. That shows you which mount stands highest.
- Feel with the thumb of the other hand. A mount can be high and soft, or flat and firm. Both count.
- Compare the mounts with each other, not with other people’s hands. The mount that is most marked in your own hand sets the tone.
A flat mount is not a lack. It only shows that this theme does not rule your life. The names come from the same tradition as astrology. If you want to know what Venus, Jupiter or Saturn stand for in a horoscope, you will find it in the astrology lexicon and in the basics of the natal chart.
The mounts under the fingers
Under each of the four fingers lies a mount. Often it does not sit exactly under the finger but is shifted towards its neighbour. Then the two qualities mix.
Mount of Jupiter
Under the index finger. Ambition, self-confidence, the wish to lead, a sense of justice. Full: you take on responsibility gladly and you are generous. Flat: you prefer the second row and do not push yourself forward. Very full: you like to decide for others, even unasked.
Mount of Saturn
Under the middle finger. Seriousness, a sense of duty, the need to be alone. In most people it is the flattest of the four, and that counts as a good balance. Full: you think thoroughly, like your own company and take things hard. Flat: you carry responsibility without brooding over it.
Mount of Apollo
Under the ring finger, also called the mount of the Sun. Joy, a sense of beauty, pleasure in making things and in being seen. Full: warmth, charm, a hand for music, colour or language. Flat: you are sober and need no stage. Very full: applause matters too much to you.
Mount of Mercury
Under the little finger. Language, trade, a quick mind, humour. Full: you can talk, negotiate and win people over. Flat: you dislike speaking in front of others and would rather write. Several short upright strokes on this mount are read by tradition as the sign of people who like to look after others.
Mount of Venus and mount of the Moon
The two largest mounts lie at the bottom of the hand and face each other. One is body and closeness, the other is imagination and distance.
Mount of Venus
The ball of the thumb, enclosed by the life line. Love, warmth, sensuality, joy in living, the bond to family. Full and firm: you are warm-hearted, enjoy food, music and touch, and give gladly. Flat: you are reserved, need little and show affection sparingly. Very full: you want everything at once. How far the life line swings around this mount is explained in the article on the life line.
Mount of the Moon
The pad opposite the thumb, on the little finger side, down to the wrist. It is also called the mount of Luna. Imagination, instinct, memory, a longing for faraway places. Full: you have a rich inner life, dream vividly and love water and travel. Flat: you are a person of facts with both feet on the ground. Bulging far out towards the edge of the hand: you are restless and live a great deal in what might be. People with a full mount of the Moon almost always tell me about their dreams. For them the dream symbols are worth a look.
The Mars mounts and the plain of Mars
Mars has three places in the hand. All of them speak of courage, but of three different kinds.
Inner mount of Mars
Between the mount of Jupiter and the mount of Venus, inside the beginning of the life line, above the thumb. Some books call it lower Mars. The courage to advance: the readiness to take the first step and to stand up for what is yours. Full: you go at things and raise your voice quickly. Flat: you avoid a quarrel.
Outer mount of Mars
On the edge of the hand, between the mount of Mercury and the mount of the Moon, below the heart line. Some books call it upper Mars. Endurance and resistance: the courage to stay standing when things get difficult. Full: you hold out and do not give way, even when nobody is watching. Flat: you are easily discouraged and need encouragement.
Plain of Mars
The hollow in the middle of the palm, crossed by the head line and the fate line. It shows how you deal with daily pressure. Firm and even: a balanced temperament. Deeply sunken: you take a lot to heart and hold yourself back. Thick and raised: you flare up quickly.
Marks on the mounts: star, cross, triangle, square, grille
Small marks made of fine lines often sit on the mounts. They only count when they stand alone and are clear. A cross that appears merely because two main lines intersect is not a mark.
Star
Several fine lines that meet in one point. A high point in the theme of the mount, often sudden. On the mount of Apollo: recognition. On the mount of Jupiter: a goal reached. On the mount of the Moon: an imagination that reaches other people.
Cross
Two lines that cross. A test or a turning point in that area. One old exception: the cross on the mount of Jupiter counts as the sign of a happy bond.
Triangle
Talent that is used wisely. On the mount of Mercury: skill in negotiating. On the mount of the Moon: fantasy that finds a form. On the mount of Saturn: a head for difficult questions.
Square
Protection. A frame that holds when things wobble in that area. On the mount of Jupiter it is called the teacher’s square and is read as a gift for teaching others.
Grille
Many fine lines that cross each other in all directions. Scattered strength and restlessness in that theme. On the mount of Venus: a great need for affection. On the mount of the Moon: an imagination that does not come to rest at night.
Reading mounts and lines together
A mount on its own is an adjective. Only with the lines does it become a sentence. The most important rule: a line takes on the colour of the mount it ends on.
If the heart line ends on the mount of Jupiter, you love with high standards. If the fate line runs straight to the mount of Saturn, you carry your task seriously. If the sun line rises to a full mount of Apollo, your work gives you joy, and it shows. If the head line slopes towards the mount of the Moon, you think in pictures. Where all these lines run is covered in the overview of palm reading lines and their meaning.
Then look for the strongest mount in your hand. It gives you a name: a Venus person lives from warmth, a Mercury person from the word, a Moon person from imagination. Most hands have two strong mounts, and the mixture is the real point.
The lines tell what happens. The mounts tell who it happens to.
Finally, compare both hands. A mount that is fuller on the right than on the left is a quality you have developed. Why the two hands show different things is explained in the article on which hand to read. Mounts are harder to see in photos than lines. With side light and a slightly cupped hand it works. In the FalciDilara app I read both palms from your photos, mounts included. You will find more under palm reading.
Frequently asked questions
What does a prominent mount of Venus mean?
A full, firm mount of Venus is read as a sign of warm-heartedness, joy in living and generosity. Such people enjoy life and attach closely to family and friends. If the mount is very soft and very full, moderation comes less easily.
Which mount of the hand is the most important?
The one that is most developed in your own hand. No mount counts more than the others for everyone. I look first at the mounts of Venus and the Moon because they are the largest, and then at the highest mount under the fingers.
What does a star on a mount mean in palmistry?
Tradition reads it as a high point in the area the mount stands for. On the mount of Apollo it is recognition, on the mount of Jupiter a goal reached. A star is a hint, not a promise.
Is it bad if the mounts of my hand are flat?
No. Flat mounts belong to people who go through life calmly and matter-of-factly and do not put their qualities on show. Often the lines are all the clearer then, and the reading leans more on them.
Can the mounts of the hand change?
Yes. Mounts grow fuller or flatter over the years, also through what you do with your hands. Tradition reads this as qualities that grow or step back. One photo a year shows you the difference.