Today I’m blogging about thumbs in palmistry, including the Murderer’s Thumb in palmistry, also known as a stub or clubbed thumb. I prefer to call this feature a variant of the Passionate Thumb, for reasons I explain below.
The thumb is the most important finger to read in palmistry because it shows our willpower, decisiveness and independence in life. It’s like a mini- version of our personality and shows our ‘backbone’/ inner strength.
Please note, just like the lines in a hand, your thumb’s features can change over time (for example, a flexible thumb can stiffen as someone becomes more determined and/ or self-confident). This post was originally posted 17/9/2012 but has been fully updated on 12/9/2020.
Thumb Length in Palmistry
A normal length thumb reaches at least halfway up the base section (third phalange) of the forefinger, when the fingers are held together. This length denotes an average ability to set and achieve goals on your own. Any shorter than this and you may be more of a free spirit who either doesn’t care about the normal status symbols and/ or prefers to work in a team to get things done. Any longer than this and you tend to run your own life (as well as the lives of those around you!).
Someone with a long thumb does best in a culture that values individual achievement and stubbornness. If they say they will do something, they generally follow through (especially if the thumb does not bend back at the middle joint or tip). Their life has often been a series of battles in some way.
They dislike when plans are changed at the last minute and it can give them a stiff neck! Learning to see other people’s points of view is important. See my post 5 Spiritual Causes of a Stiff Neck – Healing the Throat Chakra. They succeed better in countries like Australia and the US where timeliness and making money are seen as priorities. FYI I have a normal length thumb but it is very stiff. My husband has a bendy thumb, which is a good balance.
Someone with a shorter thumb, especially one which ‘waists’ in the middle like an hourglass, or bends right back (Hitchhiker’s thumb) does best in a culture where cooperation and community spirit is important. They may say one thing and do another to keep the peace. They tend to be better at handling fast-paced, changeable conditions e.g. large crowds than the longer, stiff thumb people. If you have this thumb you may love going to places like Thailand or Bali where there is a slower, more spiritual pace.
Thumb Tip in Palmistry
The tip of your thumb shows your temper and level of passion in palmistry.
A normal thumb tip has a thickness and curve which is proportional and similar to the tips of the other fingers. It shows a balanced temper, someone who gets angry but only when necessary to defend their boundaries.
A thicker or bulging thumb tip has a thickness which seems more than average. I’ve included a photo of a thick and bulging thumb tip below.
This is the right hand of a client who was taught to repress her anger as a child and has now become a professional healer who helps people with their relationships and spiritual awakening. The pink-red tone of her skin along with her thumb tip suggest a fire-dominant personality who can handle crises but may also be prone to burnout.
I see a thick thumb tip as a sign of passion and drive, which can be fantastic if you need to lead people through difficult conversations and situations. This person has been in high profile jobs before and has a strong ‘star’ quality. Thank you C. for the permission to use a picture of your hand.
The challenge of a thicker or bulging thumb tip, especially a clubbed thumb tip (see Megan Fox’s thumbs), is that you may bottle up your feelings. This could subconsciously keep people and opportunities at a distance, because they pick up that something is being denied.
Have you ever noticed that if you only partly open a champagne bottle, eventually the fizz pops the cork out? This is where the term Murderer’s Thumb comes from – it was thought that people with this formation could lose their cool in a big way at times. To be honest, I rarely use this term as it is superstitious and judgemental. I prefer ‘Passionate Thumb’!
Someone with a thin, flatter thumb tip is likely to be nervous, less pushy and non-confrontational. They may need support to complete their goals as they could be sensitive to criticism and get easily distracted. On the plus side, they could be quite understanding, peaceful people to be around. FYI I have a thin, flatter thumb tip and need encouragement to persevere.
Megan Fox’s Club Thumb
So what does it mean when your thumb is like Megan Fox’s (see image) and clubs at the tip? Well it depends on what HAND it appears on. Your writing hand shows what you have become, especially if you are over 20. Your non-writing hand shows what you were, and what you revert to under pressure. It can also show family or past-live tendencies.
Megan has been quoted on Wikipedia as saying she had a strict religious upbringing. After her parents got divorced she was an aggressive child who got bullied a lot. These traits are typical of someone who has been taught to suppress their emotions and ‘act nicely’. Megan is a 36/9 lifepath Old Soul in numerology, they often have a high level of consciousness and are sensitive to injustice. Find your lifepath
Over the years I’ve learned that emotion = ‘energy in motion’, i.e. it’s better to teach children to express feelings so that they can stay at full power and presence in a situation….holding onto anger is like drinking poison expecting your enemy to die, as they say.
In numerology, Anger has a 27/9 vibration, the same as Leader, Witch and Empath. People with strong 9 numerology in their lifepaths, names and elsewhere in their charts seem to be more predisposed to frustration, in my experience. They get upset when they see injustice. See the letter-number analysis system I use on the Find your lifepath page linked above.
Conclusion
I initially wrote this post in 2012 to acknowledge a client who came in with a clubbed thumb on her non-writing hand and a normal thumb on her writing hand. She agreed that as a child she had difficulty expressing her frustration but fortunately she had overcome most of this trait.
Interestingly, none of her children had clubbed thumbs. I found this interesting because the club thumb is genetically inherited and usually expresses in women more than men. A female child will usually develop a club thumb if her mother has one.
So it’s possible that through positive living this woman had changed her DNA and therefore the destinies of her children, although we can’t know for sure, as it is a recessive gene which can skip generations. Either way, she was a beautiful spirit to work with and I’m sure she was a great Mum.
If you have a clubbed thumb I encourage you to go online and look yourself up. There are specific forums about clubbed thumbs linking them to anything from royal heritage, to being French, to having bipolar disorder…it’s always good to research what your body may be trying to tell you. Many successful people have clubbed thumbs, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Celebrate your awesomeness!
Related Links
Image source for Megan Fox’s thumbs:
http://www.handresearch.com/thumbs/megan-fox-thumbs-brachydactyly-stub-thumb.htm
Class – Love is Always in Your Hands – A Palmistry & Relationships webinar (was $143, now $66)
Palmistry Blogs
Palmistry Courses
Empaths versus Psychopaths and How to Just Be The Path!
Comments:
Wendy on Tuesday, 26 February 2013 3:26 AM
OMG! I had no freakin idea how special my short thumb could be! Eager to learn more….Yeah Megan for bringing this to light for me. Maybe the media can be tolerated!
Reply to Comment
Sarah Yip – Glad to help Wendy, happy healing to you.
Wassim on Saturday, 17 August 2013 1:19 PM
Great. My brother has got a clubbed thumb in both hands, and I know also few other people with clubbed thumbs. They all share a very distinctive characteristic. They are very nice people and they suppress their emotions until they are not able to do that anymore. At that moment, they have a rage outburst for few minutes and then they forget everything about their anger after that.
Reply to comment
Sarah Yip – Thanks Wassim for your confirmation and interesting feedback. Best wishes.
