The Astral Signs of Chiromancy

The Signs of Chiromancy come from the superiour stars of the 7 planets.

We know and judge of them by the seven planets.

What is Chiromancy?

Chiromancy is an Art of looking into the hands of men, and make judgements by their lines and wrinkles.

It also considers all hearbs, woods, hard stones, earthes, and rivers, and whatsoever hath lines, veins, or wrinkles.

Neither doth this Art want its errours, which those Astronomers were guilty of.

For they assigned the fingers of both hands to the planets, and chiefest stars, whereas there are but five fingers in one hand, and in both ten, yet the planets are reckoned but seven.

How then can these things agree amongst themselves?

Now if there were seven fingers on each hand, it then might bee granted, that every finger might bee ascribed to severall planets.

Are the fingers be assigned to the Planets?

But yet it falls out many times, that some men may have but seven fingers on both hands, the rest being casually cut off: but seing that they were cut off, and[Pg 119] just seven were not at their birth, this matter cannot be related hither.

And if it should be so, that a man should bee borne with seven fingers, whether on one hand, or on both: yet that were monstrous, and beside the usuall order of Nature, and not subject to the stars. Therefore this also cannot belong to this place.

But if there must be but five fingers on each hand, and seven planets, and these mutually bee compared amongst themselves, it would then be convenient that the lots of the planets should be put into a box, to know which two planets must give place, and bee left out.

Yet because this cannot bee, and the planets have neither dice, nor lots in the Firmament; It would be worth wondering at, if any one should usurp this power to himself, as to allot by the name of the planet, and signe, the thumb to Venus, the fore-finger to Iupiter, the midle-finger to Saturn, the ring-finger to the Sun, and the little-finger to Mercury, in the meane time casting out Mars, and the Moon, as it were out of their tribe and liberty.

Which things being so; who can wonder that Mars doth stir up his sons with just indignation to kill that caster of lots, or to beare a perpetuall hatred against him? Who can wonder why the Moon should enfeeble the brain of that player, or take away his reason?

And this is their first errour, which, as wee have said, they have committed in Chiromancy.

The second errour in it is this:

It oftentimes happens that the originall, and naturall lines of the hands are changed by hurts, and casualties, or are made greater, or lesser, or doe appear in other places.

For as if there be a high-way obstructed by any thing or be stopt up by the fall of a mountain, or be spoiled by the overflowing of waters, men go about in another way neer to it: so it happens in the old lines of the hands, that sometimes after the curing of wounds, or ulcers, together with new flesh, also new lines doe grow out, and the old are quite abolished.

In the same manner also by reason of hard labours the lines are defaced, or they which were originall grow great; as it is in trees: For if a young tree send forth many branches on all sides, these being cut off, the tree it self becomes bigger.

But that wee may at length proceed to the practise of the Art of Chiromancy, and briefly declare our opinion; I would have you know, that I will indeed change nothing of what concerns the hands, but acquiesce, and be satisfied with the observations, and descriptions of the Ancients.

Yet I purpose in this practise of Chiromancy to write of those things, of which the Ancients have made no mention of, as of the Chiromancy of Hearbs, Woods, Stones, and the like.

The Chiromancy of Hearbs and Woods.

All Herbs, which are of one kind must be of one, and the same Chiromancy.

But if their lines bee unlike, and appeare greater, or lesser in some of them: that is, by reason of their age. What use is of them.

Wee doe therefore clearly professe, that the Chiromancy of Hearbs, conduceth to nothing else but to know, and understand the age of any Hearb, or Root.

But by way of arguing any may here object, that there is no hearb as long as it growes is older then another, four or five monthes at the most, if the supputation begins from May till Autumne, at which time hearbs die, and fall from their root.

The condition of the spirit of the Herb

From God there is but one virtue in a root, which is the first being and spirit of the hearb, by reason of which the hearb grows, and is supported untill the predestinated time, and untill it bee exalted to the production of seed.

This is a sign, and a mark, that the virtue returns back to the root, and so the hearb is dryed. As long as that spirit which is the chiefest virtue of the hearb remaines in the root, the hearb every yeer is renewed: unlesse it be, that that spirit together with the hearb be taken way, and decayes. Then the hearb is not renewed. For the root is dead, and hath no more life remaining in it.

But after what manner that spirit together with the hearb is taken from the root, or with the root from the earth, that the virtue thereof cannot goe backe into the root, or from the root into the earth, is not to be considered in this place. For that is a sublime mystery of Nature, and not to be openly discovered by reason of ignorant Physitians, who doe not only scoffe at but contemne such secrets. Therefore what here wee have omitted, wee shall set downe in our Herball.

Moreover, by how much the younger hearbs are, so much the more doe they excell in power and virtue.

As by age a man is weakned, and fails in strength, so also doe hearbs.

But to know what the Chiromancy, and age of hearbs, and such like things, is, daily experience is required, seeing the number of their years is not written upon them, but it must be divined, as I have said, by Chiromancy only.

Now Chiromancy doth not consider numbers, letters, or characters, but lines, veins, and wrinkles only, &c. according to the age of any thing. For by how much the older a thing is, so much the greater, and easier to be seen are the lines, and the virtue, and operation of the thing so much the duller.

Young hearbs must be applyed to old diseases, and so on the contrary. For as a disease of one moneth or yeare, is more easily cured then that which is of two, three, four, or five moneths, and years:

So an hearb doth sooner cure a disease of one moneth, or year, then that which is of two, three, or four moneths, or years. And for this cause young hearbs must bee applyed to old griefs; and old hearbs or medicines to young or new diseases. For if an old hearb should be applyed to an old disease, the blind would lead the blind, and both would fall into the ditch.

This is the reason why many medicines doe not work, but are taken into the body, and possesse the members, as dirt sticks to the shooes, whence diseases are afterward doubled, &c.

Now ignorant Physitians never considered this, but by their ignorance have destroyed more then ever they cured.

In the first place therefore, you that are Physitians must know, that the medicine must be younger then the disease, that it may bee stronger to expelle it. For[Pg 123] if the medicine be more powerfull then the disease, the disease will be overcome as fire is quenched with water. But if the disease bee stronger then the medicine, it turnes the medicine into poison, whence diseases are afterward doubled, and increased.

So if a disease bee like Iron, it must be cured with a Chalybeat medicine. For Steel cannot be overcome by Iron. The more powerful doth always overcome, and the weaker is overcome.

Although therefore it was not our purpose in the beginning to write in this place of Physick, yet for the sake of true, and genuine Physitians, I could not pass over these things in silence.