The Four Skin Textures

The textures of our palmar skin reveal how we receive in the world, and what sort of impression the world makes upon us. Our skin is the membrane through which we experience our lives. In chirology, the element quality of our skin, ‘the mesh through which our soul has to work’, gets compared with our hand shape type. The shapes (there are four element shape-types) show our out-flow style – how we give out and express ourselves. The binary analysis of shape and skin is the basis for vocational guidance in chirology.

The four skins each correspond to an element. Earth, water, fire and air skin textures aspect the different environments, activities and jobs we’d be happiest in.

To decide skin texture, lightly run your fingertips over the palms and fingers on the inside of the hand. Sometimes palms have more than one skin texture, for example, dry palms with moist fingertips.
Air skin – dry, smooth, cool, pale
Person is intuitive and sensitive to energy. Observant of their world, they conceptualise
and analyse and try to make sense of experience. They enjoy a communicative exchange
of ideas, yet may come across as aloof or detached. They like the internet and books.
They ask ‘why, how does it work?’

Fire skin – dry, roughish, firm, hot, reddish
Person responds through activity, they can’t relax easily and are easily bored. They like a fast working, intense, challenging environment. They can be forceful, quick, spontaneous and assertive. They enjoy exercise. Their question is ‘where is the action?’

Water skin – moist, smooth, soft, fleshy, warm, pale
Signals an idealistic, feeling centred person who is sensitive to moods and vibes and upset by crudeness and vulgarity. They look for love, kindness, consideration and co-operation. They can be egocentric, attention seeking and easily offended. They ask ‘how are you feeling?’

Earth skin – dry, very rough, leathery, warm
Person doesn’t feel the cold and is happiest in direct contact with the environment. They enjoy the physical and material and have rapport with nature. They are not analytical and don’t ‘excavate’ emotionally. Unless to do with practicalities, they don’t ask anything.

Interpreting the skin texture is easy and offers accurate insight into the person whose hands you are analysing.