From Chapter One:

I suppose to some, who know of me primarily as the author of "Tarot Reader's Notebook", finding me associated with a book on palm reading is surprising.

I've had a lot of books in my library on palmistry for a very long time, and had even done a few palm readings here and there over the years. Yet it was only upon reading Richard Webster's methodical approach to the subject in his "Quick And Effective Cold Reading" that I was convinced of its commercial usefulness.

I strongly advise that you get his book and read his cold reading lines. They are very, very good, and it took some firm mental editing to not include them all, verbatim, here. I do use many of them in my own readings.

I'll give you a hint: I read his book on the first day of vacation in Bermuda - and took time off from the outrageously expensive sand, food, shopping and sunshine to do so!

I find that reading palms has a distinct advantage over Tarot when I'm at those big sit-in-the-corner-and-read-everybody parties.

You can read far more people in much less time!

One can seat the client, get their name, say a few sentences and go right into looking at their hands and giving the reading. No mixing or cutting of cards by me and the client. No long delays while the client 'intuitively' chooses a dozen or fifteen face down cards. No dealing them out.

There isn't any strict need for clean (and dry!) table space, which is always at a premium at parties. Pull two chairs face to face and you're ready. In very short readings, you don't even need the chairs!

The quicker reading was something I hadn't anticipated. The original major attraction of palm reading was that I could carry a medium-sized antique magnifying glass, a handful of business cards, and go to work anywhere. It's turned out to be very much like that. There is a clean simplicity to it that appeals to me. ("A reading? Sure, did you bring at least one of your palms with you?")

I have worked that way, in fact. It can be a 'no-prop act.' In psychic fairs, though, this has evolved over the last couple years into something beyond the pure 'no-prop' angle. For psychic fairs, I do have a table set up, although not as elaborate as I once did with my Tarot. This time I've designed it so that it packs relatively small and light - and quick - but plays big.

I get a lot of positive feedback from both clients and other readers about my nice looking table. I recently organized a medium-sized psychic fair that included ten readers ad one commercial (merchandise) table. As I was busily reading, I realized that a professional-looking photographer was taking my picture.

The second-biggest daily paper from the nearby metropolis was covering the fair. The photographer said my table was the most photogenic, so I had the honor of being the photo in the next morning's paper!

Later in the afternoon, I examined the other tables. Most readers had very little on their table at all. I was one of the top two busiest tables - a couple readers did no business at all!

There is a direct relationship to the care - and showmanship - involved in one's table display and the number of clients who will chose you.

I promise I'll explain my table set up fully for you.

As a long-time Tarot reader, I already had a major collection of readings lines that I felt could be adapted to palmistry, but I'm never really satisfied until I've read about ten to a dozen books on a subject. By then I feel I have an honest, basic understanding of the subject and can talk about it knowledgeably. I'm not comfortable with totally faking a subject, and fortunately I really enjoy the nerdy research and studying.

The other point about 'doing your homework' is that much more than just one or two of your clients will surely know, at least in a broad way, what the palm lines mean, either from reading a book and/or a previous reading.

You will also find a small, dedicated number of palm reading junkies who will seek out every new palm reader. If you stick with the classical sort of meanings, all of these various knowledgeable people will agree with you more, and readily see that you really do know what you're talking about. Certainly if you come up with meanings too far from the traditional, they are going to say, "But I thought that a Girdle of Venus was supposed to mean … blah blah blah."

Or, "But just last week, Mother Sarah told me that this Mystic M in my hand meant … blah blah blah."

You may be quite surprised how many clients will know about the various lines, and even a few of the more flattering, obscure and random signs - especially if they have one.

Palm reading is, to my experience, much like numerology. Once you have read about five books on the subject, they all start sounding very similar. You will find that it isn't difficult to learn 'real' palm reading at all - with some sort of methodical approach.

I've talked with dozens and dozens of people about learning to read hands. Over and over, I'd hear, "I've bought a couple different books on it, but I just don't know where to start… it was all so confusing."

I agree! Which is why some sort of step-by-step pattern makes it all much easier! I think the other reason for learning some classical palm reading is that you will learn to tie certain paragraphs of words to certain signs in their hands. As your words are triggered by each particular client's hands, you will not find yourself giving a lot of readings that are all too similar.

I know that you've read advice from some well-meaning people who tell you not to bother learning what the lines mean from books. "Just fake it," they say. "Just recite your best cold reading lines while staring at their hand." Shame on them! Amateurs!

I don't advise this, if you intend to read palms very much. It might work for a very casual, quick reading for some air-head at a party that you're trying to impress for secondary reasons. If you just gaze at their hand and use cold reading lines, you'll never be taken seriously by the psychic crowd, certainly, and believe me, word does get around in such circles, for good or bad.