Nail Biting Times
When we meet someone who bites their nails, we know they are stressed. But the umbrella term “stressed” has many facets.
Biting away at nail cartilage, which in five element chirology is ruled by the earth element, signals a stunting of growth. Underlying the uneasiness evidenced in their habit is the nail-biters reluctance to grow, or to face the truth about certain issues.
Hand readers never read any one hand marker in isolation. I have outlined below meanings related specifically to the individual finger nails that take the most punishment, but verification is found in cross referencing to fingerprint glyphs, lines, hand shape, thumbs and skin texture. The person’s real issue then comes to light from within ‘the five realms’.
The five realms is the counselling context of five element chirology, the physical, emotional, vocational, mental and spiritual levels of our human experience, with each realm being governed by one of our five elements, earth, water, fire, air and chi.
Thumbs are governed in chirology by the spiritual principles of chi. Bitten thumb nails often show some kind of separation in the person from their spirituality, or their religious identity. Thumbs also represent the will and bitten thumb nails point to the owner fretting and feeling disempowered about some seemingly insoluble dilemma.
When water (index) fingernails are predominantly bitten, the person’s emotional life is highlighted. Their uneasiness lies in the gut wrenching, bewildering pain of loneliness, or break-up. I read this as a marker of low self-esteem, self-doubt, emotional vulnerability and need for comfort and protection in the person.
Middle (earth) fingers have everything to do with earthy, first chakra matters. Are they worried about their physical health, their finances, or the family? Is there a pending disruption to their routine, such as moving house? Are they stuck, in a state of inertia in their lives?
People who bite their ring (fire) fingers are more than likely unhappy in their work. They may suffer low joie de vivre, frustration and a general depression of their fire energy. Something feels out of control for them. I might enquire about how they master-mind their own undoing, and do they act out self-destructively?
Biting of baby (air) fingernails has several possible meanings, about sexual self-doubt, financial worries and un-clear communication. The theme here is of communication blockages, both subjectively, and with others. The person could be denying aspects of, and intimacy with self and others. They likely have little belief in their mental capabilities, feeling that they don’t have the intellect to immerse in a body of knowledge.
“It’s nail-biting” is the phrase we use to describe a suspenseful situation, where there is uncertainty, with simultaneous anticipation and dread about outcome. This underlying angst pervades the life of the chronic nail-biter, who fears both grasping firmly their life and relaxing into flow.