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Human hands have always been fascinating to our ancestors, and even now in contemporary times, the roles that hands play with their dexterity and grace never cease to amaze us. The beautiful execution of a Beetoven piano piece, or an objet d’ art fabricated by a master craftsman’s hands evoke a sense of joy and wonder within us.
On the physical plane, the hands are naturally the instruments of that will and can divine blessings.
Our hands should not be undervalued. Without them, we are less effective in carrying out our mission in life. In the higher worlds, we express our creativity through mind-generated sounds, colors, and light. All of these occur instantaneously with thought as the creator.
Because of the density of physical matter and the factor of time, something other than the above means are required to create things that we desire and allow us to fulfill our purpose.
Our hands are a projection of this need. In the higher worlds, our subtle bodies in their primitive state did not possess hands, and even though now as the astral and etheric bodies have evolved and assumed the human form, the etheric limbs are not essential.
Having stated the importance of hands here in the physical plane, let’s dive into hand esotericism, symbolism, signs, and the various beliefs regarding them. Keep in mind this is only an intro and that my purpose is to give you a bit of info to pique your interest and perhaps inspire you to go deeper into this amazing practice.
Historically because of their importance, many beliefs grew surrounding the hands. Countless symbols and signs were created using the hands to convey knowledge and information to those who understood the underlying keys of the secret teachings taught in esoteric schools.
In religion, hands symbolize the divine presence, influence, and power. In Catholicism, the power and influence of God is often portrayed in medieval paintings and murals as an almighty hand issuing from the clouds to convey something of spiritual importance to saints and prophets.
Actually, the “All-Powerful Hand” has its origin in ancient Egypt.
The monotheistic Pharaoh, Akhenaton (1379-1362 B.C.) and Queen Nefertiti of the 18th dynasty are often depicted in sculpture relief as receiving energy from Aton, who is represented by a sun-disk. This can be seen in the tombs at Tel-el-Amarna. Rays of the sun-disk are portrayed as elongated arms terminating in hands reaching out to the royal couple and bestowing upon them the life-force.
The mystical Qabbalistic tradition of Judaism assigns the human hand as the symbol of the letter Yod (y). Having the numerical value of ten, which relates to the ten fingers, the letter Yod is recurrently depicted in esoteric art as “rain drops” showering from heaven.
Modern Catholics present the hand of Jesus as the Hand of Power or “Mano Poderosa.” In the depiction of the crucified hand, all of the fingers are extended with various saints standing upon the digits.
From this we may surmise that not only are hands the symbol of Man, they are also the symbol of divinity, for the sacred hand of the Divine has its influence upon the mundane affairs of humanity when men have gone too far astray from the path of truth and righteousness.
Scriptures are replete with stories of divine intervention or action with materialized hands as a media of information conveyance or operation. Not only did the hand of God “inscribe” the Ten Commandments upon the stone tablets prepared by Moses, but it also warned Belshazzar of his impending doom–a spirit hand materialized and wrote on the wall “Mene, Mene Tekel, U-pharsin” (Daniel 5: 24-25). From a metaphysical point of view, this is not unusual. Such manifestations are actually the work of what is called in occultism, “Invisible Helpers.”
These are initiates with occult and paranormal abilities working on behalf of humanity. They work on the higher dimensions in their nightly excursions through “astral projection.” Some of the higher initiates have the ability to materialize their hands or other parts of their body so that they may function directly on the physical sphere aiding those here who are in dire distress or as in the case above, as a warning to arrogant, tyrannical rulers.
The ancients attached special occult significance to every part of the human body. The symbolism of the human hand alone may fill several volumes. Symbols may signify abstract or concrete concepts, imaginative or real events, natural or “supernatural” phenomena, spiritual or material principles. In my research, the ancient sages and philosophers used their hands to portray and symbolize many things to the evolving souls. They used their hands to simulate, allegories, analogies, and examples.
With our hands we give and we receive. But our hands have power beyond even that. The left and the right hand each have different uses and meanings.
Whole philosophies grew from this simple consideration alone. The right hand is electric and is associated with activity; the left hand is magnetic and related to passivity. Gaskell explains this in another way, he says that hands are a”symbol of the directive principle of activity either outgoing (right) or incoming (left). The positive and negative aspects of Divine action in the soul.”
Hands are a prominent feature in Judeo-Christian symbolism. In Judaic mysticism, the ten fingers of the hand represent the Ten Commandments of the spiritual law just as the ten toes of the feet represent the Ten Commandments of the physical law.
In Esoteric Christianity, the thumb with its three phalanges symbolizes the threefold divinity of the Holy Trinity–the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, or the creative, preservative, and destructive aspects of God, from the point of view of Hinduism.
Since most religions and philosophies have their trinities, what applies in Christianity regarding its symbolism likewise applies to the rest as well. We might add that hands raised upward as in prayer, is symbolic of one’s aspirations towards the spiritual life.
According to Qaballistic thought, the fingers signify the four elements and the 3 phalanges of each finger the divisions of the elements: cardinal, fixed, and mutable. The 12 phalanges of the fingers of each hand when brought together represent the 24 Elders. The 6 phalanges of the thumb in this context signify the six days of creation.
In hand esotericism, the thumb is regarded as the king. Hindu metaphysics teaches that the thumb signifies the Paramatma, or the spark of the Universal Soul within the microcosm, and the rest of the fingers symbolizing the other major components of the microcosm.
Anthropologists consider the development of the thumb as a vital evolutionary step in the perfection of man’s anatomy. The thumb is to the hand what the hand is to the brain. It is the function of the thumb in hand mechanics that allows for cultural and technological development.
Classical Romans and Greeks regarded the thumb as sacred to Venus or Aphrodite, attributing to it a phallic significance. Thus, it came to symbolize fertility. The traditional Javanese of Indonesia would never point with the forefinger as it is considered impolite to do so the thumb is used instead thus implicitly revealing its sacred and royal nature.
The thumb is all-important in palmistry, especially in Chinese palmistry. According to palmists, with the thumb alone it is possible to tell the predisposition of a person, his character, future, and state of health. The quality of a subject’s chi, or energy is revealed by the size, color, and other characteristics of the thumb.
The dimension of the thumb is an indicator of a person’s will-expression. A large thumb reveals great strength of character and practicality; in contrast, a small thumb denotes weakness, and lack of willpower. The three segments of the thumb disclose certain qualities.
The size of the first phalange or top segment shows whether a subject has good willpower, personal determination and other leadership qualities; the second or middle phalange, shows logic, judgement and reason; the third segment, which includes the “ball of the thumb,” called “the Mount of Venus” in palmistry, shows the strength of a subject’s passion and ability to love.
One’s karmic potential may be seen in the thumb as well as the state of one’s relationship to the environmental surroundings. The thumb is a symbol of power and as such it is the one used in anointing rites in the Christian churches.
Habitually hiding the thumb in a closed fist indicates a defensive, introverted, disturbed and insecure person. Sucking the thumb is an infantile gesture. Psychologically speaking, the thumb is related to the superconsciousness.
Apart from the thumb, the fingers signify various strength or weakness of one’s character according to their size and shape. Generally, long fingers belong to the philosopher and the intuitive person. It also shows that the subject is painstaking and loves detail.
Fingers that are excessive in length indicate cowardice, cruelty, and a servile attitude. “Spider-fingers,” or hands with extra-long fingers and with amazing flexibility is the condition known as “arachnodactyly,” or the “Marfan syndrome” which was named after the French paediatrician, Antonin Marfan (d.1896). Such fingers are possible signs of various diseases present in the physical body such as tuberculosis, paralysis, and cardiac problems. Short fingers in contrast to long ones reveal alertness, impatience, and bluntness.
Fingers with spatulate tips indicate practicality and realistic attitudes. Individuals with square tips love system, routine, and regularity. Conic, or tapering tips shows impulsiveness, idealism, intuition, and the love of art.
The index finger or forefinger was regarded as venomous in historic times. Even in present times it is rude to point especially with this finger. When using the japa mala, tasbih, or rosary to count beads while chanting mantras and prayers, the forefinger should never be used for it is normally applied for mundane purposes and therefore, not considered sacred. The planet Jupiter is represented by this index finger. Psychologically, it is related to the conscious mind.
The middle finger is known by various names: medius, digitus impudicus (immodest finger), digitus obscenus (obscene finger), digitus infamis (disreputable finger), and fools’s finger. It is a finger normally not used for wearing rings and is the finger of the planet Saturn. When extended solitarily while the other fingers folded, the middle finger represents the phallus, like the thumb. The folded fingers in this pose represent the testicles. It is often regarded as an obscene gesture. This finger of Saturn symbolizes the borderline state between consciousness and the unconsciousness.
The ring finger (anularis) is often called medio proximus (next to the middle) and also digitus medicus, “physician’s finger”. In past ages it was believed to be the healing finger and was used for various medical purposes. Wounds were supposed to heal quickly when stroked by this finger. Apothecaries of medieval days used the ring finger to mix their potions, and ointments were rubbed on the skin using it. Rings were especially used on this finger thus giving it its name. Apollo, or the Sun is the ruling deity of the ring finger. This digit represents the emotions.
The little finger, otherwise known as the “ear finger,” is related to one’s libido, one’s sexual force. Though a convenient instrument to clean one’s ear with, it was named “ear finger” because it had the power to stimulate one’s psychic sense of hearing by its insertion into the ear-canal in conjunction with chanting, breathing, and visualization exercises.
This was especially practiced by the Druids and those connected with the Mystery Schools. In seances, the little finger is used as a point of contact between sitters, forming a vortex of energy among them. The little finger represents the planet Mercury and the unconsciousness.
According to Chinese palmistry, the three phalanges of the fingers relate to three animalistic qualities. The first phalange closes to the palm represents greed; the middle phalange, hatred; the phalange at the uppermost, ignorance. In pictorial terms, these three vices are symbolized by the cock, the snake, and the pig. The spiritual opposites and antidotes to these negative qualities as taught in Taoist philosophy are non-attachment, wisdom, and compassion.
The elements are represented by the thumb and fingers. In Chinese palmistry, the thumb represents chi; the index finger, water; middle finger, earth; ring finger, fire, and the little finger, air. In Mudra Vigyan, the arrangement is quite different as we shall see in tomorrow’s post.
The papillary ridges on the fingertips with its manifold patterns have intrigued man since recorded history. Many believe that the labyrinthine drawings and carvings found in caves, in ancient catacombs and tombs were marks representing the identity of its possessor, in the same way that fingerprints serve to identify us in our own era–it represented a person almost like a signature.
It is assumed by some that these engravings or tracings function in an occult way making it possible for one to invoke from another plane of existence the bearer with a mark similar to the one represented in concrete form. In later periods this practice may have evolved to the use of spirit sigils and seals in ceremonial magick.
Rings are often worn on fingers to strengthen certain elements lacking in the physical, emotional, and mental bodies. Sometimes we unconsciously feel a certain element misalignment in our psychological and physical constitution and we want to balance or heal the condition by stressing the importance of the finger that represents the element in question with an ornament. The degree of insufficiency is indicated by the size of the finger ornament.
For years I have always worn rather large semi precious stone rings. If I am working on a deficiency I want it rebalanced ASAP. As I have been growing my business, I can frequently be seen wearing 8-10 carat yellow sapphire rings on both of my index fingers.
I have also seen people who wear large rings on all fingers in an effort to rebalance every area of their lives.
In Kundalini Yoga we are taught the corresponding jewels for each finger. If you are feeling that one area in your life needs a little boost, try wearing rings or ornaments on your fingers to strengthen that area.
THUMB- Personal and universal will. It also is the only finger not named after a Roman god. Wearing rings on this finger will help you focus on improving relationships of every kind whether it be love, friendship, and /or business.
Crystals to boost these qualities include Ruben Garnet, Diamond, Moonstone, and Amethyst.
Natural element: ether
INDEX- Also named Jupiter the supreme god of the Romans.
Wearing rings on this finger will help you focus on self confidence, action, ambition, communication, and leadership.
Crystals that boost these qualities include yellow sapphire, and yellow colored stones
Natural element: water
MIDDLE- Also known as “the balance wheel of the hand” or “the balance wheel of our personality.” It symbolizes Saturn, which represents good and evil, truth-seeking, obedience, and rebellion.
Wearing a ring on this finger will help you focus on introspection and individuality. It will also give you a clearer vision about right and wrong. Wearing a ring on the left middle finger also creates a direct connection to the heart.
Crystals that boost these qualities include: clear quartz, blue sapphire, and pearls.
Natural element: Earth
RING- Also known as the Apollo finger, represents the creativity in every aspect of life. Also the culture of love and beauty .
Wearing a ring on this finger helps you to focus on grace, love, beauty, and compassion.
Crystals that boost the qualities of the ring finger include: ruby, garnet, fire opal,
Natural element: fire
PINKY- Also called Mercury finger. It represents the power of communication, including intuition and sensitivity.
Wearing a ring on the pinky can help you to focus on your artistic and creative character. It helps with qualities like eloquence and the ability to persuade, it is great for promoting resourcefulness especially in business.
Crystals that boost these qualities include: emerald, green jade, and aventurine.
Natural element: air
The best way to bring intuition, focus, and energy into your life every day is through your hands.
During this next week, notice how you use your hands. Allow your hands to be your guru. Be present to the incoming messages of how you are led to use them. Decorate them with ornaments and bless them for the gifts they have aided you with. And remember, don’t wear jewelry aimlessly, use jewelry as a healing tool.
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