The Mounts of the Palm and What They Mean
The mounts are the fleshy pads of the palm — under each finger, at the base of the thumb, and along the outer edge. Each is named after a planet, in both Western palmistry and Indian Hast Samudrika, and each describes the qualities of that planet in your character. A full, firm mount strengthens those qualities; a flat one softens them.
How to read a mount
Press gently on each area of the palm and look at it from the side. A mount is read by three things: how raised it is compared with the others, how firm it feels, and which lines and markings sit on it. The most developed mount is read as your dominant temperament; the flattest as the quality you draw on least.
The seven mounts
- Jupiter (Guru) — under the index finger. Ambition, leadership, confidence, a sense of purpose. Very full: a natural leader, sometimes proud.
- Saturn (Shani) — under the middle finger. Discipline, responsibility, seriousness, love of solitude and study.
- Sun / Apollo (Surya) — under the ring finger. Creativity, charm, recognition, love of beauty.
- Mercury (Budh) — under the little finger. Communication, business sense, wit, persuasion; also healing and teaching.
- Venus (Shukra) — the base of the thumb. Warmth, affection, vitality, love of life's pleasures.
- Moon (Chandra) — the outer lower palm. Imagination, intuition, sensitivity, love of travel.
- Mars (Mangal) — inner and outer Mars, on either side of the palm's centre. Courage and resilience; the hollow between them, the plain of Mars, shows how temper is handled.
Markings on the mounts
- A star — the mount's qualities brought to a peak: on Jupiter, success in leadership; on the Sun, fame; on Venus, a great love.
- A cross — obstacles in the mount's area, except on Jupiter, where it is traditionally read as a happy marriage.
- A grille (criss-crossing lines) — the mount's energy scattered or frustrated.
- A square — protection in the mount's area.
- A triangle — skill and talent in the mount's field.
- Vertical lines — strengthen the mount; horizontal lines — obstacles to it.
When a mount is overdeveloped or flat
A mount can say too much as well as too little. Palmists read an overdeveloped mount as that planet's qualities in excess, and a flat one as the same qualities in short supply:
- Jupiter — excess: pride, a need to dominate; flat: lack of ambition or confidence.
- Saturn — excess: pessimism, isolation; flat: carelessness with responsibility.
- Sun — excess: vanity, love of display; flat: talent that stays unseen.
- Mercury — excess: cunning or restlessness; flat: difficulty expressing yourself.
- Venus — excess: indulgence, possessiveness; flat: a cool, reserved nature.
- Moon — excess: escapism and daydreaming; flat: practicality with little imagination.
A mount that seems to lean toward a neighbouring finger borrows some of that finger's qualities — part of why the whole hand is always read together.
Reading the mounts together
The most developed mount is read as your dominant temperament — a Jupiter-type leads, a Saturn-type studies, a Mercury-type persuades, a Moon-type imagines, a Venus-type loves. Palmists also look at where the major lines end: a heart line ending under Jupiter or a fate line running into the Sun mount borrows that mount's qualities.
Mounts and the birth chart
Because the mounts carry the names of the grahas, Hast Samudrika is often read alongside Jyotish. A prominent Venus mount and a strong Venus in the kundli reinforce each other; a weak Saturn mount and an afflicted Saturn point to the same lesson about discipline. When the two disagree, the palm is read for temperament and the chart for timing.
Read your own mounts
- Look at your palm from the side and press each mount gently.
- Rank them: which is fullest, which is flattest?
- Note any stars, crosses, grilles or squares on them.
- See which mounts the major lines run toward.
- Compare with your birth chart's strongest and weakest planets.
Common questions
What does a high Venus mount mean?
A full Venus mount at the base of the thumb is read as warmth, affection, vitality and love of life’s pleasures.
Which mount is under the index finger?
The Jupiter (Guru) mount, read for ambition, leadership and confidence.
What does the Moon mount mean?
The Moon mount on the outer lower palm is read for imagination, intuition, sensitivity and love of travel.
How many mounts are there on the palm?
Seven are usually read: Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon and Mars (with Mars often split into inner and outer).
What does a cross on the Jupiter mount mean?
Unlike crosses elsewhere, a cross on the Jupiter mount is traditionally read as a happy marriage.