From Chiromancy to Psychochirology: The Modern Transformation of a Mantic Art

Abstract The works of Julius Spier, a pupil of C.G. Jung, provide a perfect case study illustrating the psychologization of chiromancy during the Interbellum. His case also highlights a lack of insight in the way in which hand-reading has evolved in Europe since the nineteenth century. After its app...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aries
Main Author: Nagel, Alexandra H. M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2021
In: Aries
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Spier, Julius 1887-1942 / Palmistry / Divination / Psychodiagnostics
RelBib Classification:AE Psychology of religion
AG Religious life; material religion
ZD Psychology
Further subjects:B Chiromancy
B psychochirology
B Julius Spier
B captain C.S. d’ Arpentigny
B chirognomy
B Adolphe Desbarrolles
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:Abstract The works of Julius Spier, a pupil of C.G. Jung, provide a perfect case study illustrating the psychologization of chiromancy during the Interbellum. His case also highlights a lack of insight in the way in which hand-reading has evolved in Europe since the nineteenth century. After its appearance in the West, the art of reading hands has generally been referred to as chiromancy (hand divination, i.e. fortune-telling through reading the palm). Thanks to the work of the French captain Casimir S. d’ Arpentigny, published first in 1843, chirognomy (the study of hand forms) has become an important aspect of hand-reading. Afterwards, Adolphe Desbarrolles distinguished a chirognomic and a chiromantic aspect on a hand-analysis, whereupon either chirology (the study of the hand) or chirosophy (wisdom of the hand) became the umbrella terms for the “twin sciences” chiromancy and chirognomy. Spier, however, juxtaposed chirology and chiromancy before branching off with his novel method entitled psychochirology.
ISSN:1570-0593
Contains:Enthalten in: Aries
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700593-02102002