October 21, 2026

I learned the art of palm reading a few weeks ago. Just the basics. I remember discovering the “love” line and the “life” line at a sleepover in the ‘90s, and since then, I’ve always been curious. There’s actually much more skill involved in palm reading than you’d think. Of course, there are the various lines (head, heart, fate, life, and sun). The shape and size of the palm, especially in relation to finger length, also come into play. I’ve already forgotten most of the mounts (there are many), which are named after celestial bodies. How and where lines intersect, along with their depth, shape, and color, can all mean something different. And while a palm reader should inspect their client’s dominant hand, reading the non-dominant hand can actually provide more insight into the future.

Just like reading a book, a palm reader brings their own unique perspective to the craft. Palm reading is far from objective, and I think this is why most people lose interest, along with any faith in its credibility. But I get it. If you visit multiple doctors for an ailment, you’ll probably walk away with a few different diagnoses and prognoses. No matter how qualified anyone is in their given field, no one can predict the future. We’re all on this same planet, making our best educated guesses and working with the material in front of us.

The reason I picked up palm reading, aside from satisfying my childhood interest, was research-related: I’d been considering adding a woman who practices witchcraft to my current WIP, Defiance. I’ve since pivoted away from this character. She now lives in a pile of castoffs that I’ll never delete but likely won’t ever use. The conflict and pacing of this novel are taking a different direction, and she no longer serves a purpose that adds rather than distracts. But I’m still happy to have learned this new skill, a ritual, really, that reminds me to slow down and inspect closely.

What a beautiful privilege it is to partake in the writing process, yes? No one will get to meet my little witchy character or watch her at work reading palms. She’s just for me now.