Overcoming Three Challenges, No Worries for Food and Clothing

Traditional Chinese physiognomy is commonly divided into facial features, palmistry, and foot reading. Whether you believe it or not, a person’s features are dynamic and ever-changing. Of course, some traits are fixed—like the length of one’s fingers—which stays the same throughout life. The changing aspects are thought to reflect shifts in fortune, emotions, and health, while the fixed aspects point to certain innate traits. Today, Dr. Zheng will talk about your little finger.

According to traditional Chinese physiognomy, "If the little finger passes the third section, one need not worry about food or clothing."

What does it mean for the little finger to surpass the three sections? Hold out your hands and take a look—men read the left hand, and women the right. If a man’s little finger extends beyond the top section of his ring finger (the third section, counting from the base), it suggests his financial luck will be good. For women, if the right little finger extends beyond the third section of the ring finger, it suggests her husband will have good financial luck.

Regardless of gender, if on both hands the little finger extends past the ring finger’s top section, it indicates someone who is optimistic and steady, enthusiastic and confident, with determination and perseverance—traits associated with long-lasting prosperity. In short, a little finger that reaches beyond the ring finger’s top joint signals good fortune, and the farther it extends, the better. Remember: men read the left hand and women the right, while the other hand represents your spouse. When combined with the palm lines, if there are vertical “wealth lines” below the little finger that are long, deep, and straight—without messy or thorn-like markings—your financial luck is considered even better.

Now, if you find that your little finger does not extend beyond the ring finger’s third section, does that mean you’ll have poor financial luck and live in poverty? Not necessarily. While physiognomy may suggest this, it also depends on your destiny and BaZi, as well as your luck in the years to come.

Some may ask Dr. Zheng whether there’s a remedy. Of course there is!

Dr. Zheng says the simplest approach is to grow your little-finger nail so it extends beyond the ring finger’s third section, as a form of symbolic compensation.

You can also wrap a red thread around the ring finger three times, which effectively “lowers” the height of the third section, making it appear that the little finger extends beyond it. Observant readers may notice that some people wear rings on the ring finger wrapped with red thread—this carries the same symbolic meaning.

Dr. Zheng also shares another traditional belief: regarding fertility, those whose little finger extends beyond the ring finger’s third section (left hand for men, right hand for women) are said to be more likely to have boys. If both spouses have little fingers that extend beyond the ring finger’s third section, the likelihood is believed to be even higher.

Finally, nothing is absolute; insisting on absolutes leads to mistakes in metaphysical study. The above discussion of finger features is for reference only, and interpretations may vary. Ultimately, taking care of yourself and your living environment is the real way to turn passivity into initiative and invite good fortune.