Palmistry  

Palmistry originated in India over 3,000 years ago. It is a part of a vast field of study, referred to as Samudrik Shastra , which literally means the ocean of knowledge. It is ancient art & is also called a profound way of self-discovery and one that has many systems of interpretation. It is also an intuitive art that is easily learned just by learning a few basics about the symbolism that is represented by the lines that run across the palm, the mounts of the palm and the structure of fingers. By gaining a proper knowledge of palmistry we can gain a proper knowledge of our past behavioral patterns and our present personality, thoughts and experiences. It is all about proportion, symmetry and distortions of what would be considered to be a perfectly formed hand.


Its Principal :

Hand Formation : The difference between different hands is due to nearly 14 bones which are joined together which give shapes to hands.


Shape of the Palm : A person with a square palm is generally inclined towards business and success in it.


Some more characteristics : There are some more characteristics which also play an important role along with the lines and shapes of your hand.


Size of Hand : The size of the hand plays an important role in judging the character and personality.


Lines of Hand : Mainly there are seven important or main lines on the hand, and other are the less prominent lines.


Thumb : The thumb is the most important digit which man has. An accurate analysis of the thumb can reflect a lot about the person.


Fingers : The parts of the fingers as well as the shapes and sizes of the nails, also play an integral role in predicting about the nature and attributes of a person.


Shape of the Fingers : Square shaped fingers generally denote the person’s interest towards doing business, likewise a crooked little finger denotes shrewdness.


Mounts : Different mounts have different denotations. Every mount denotes mental as well as physical attributes of an individual.

Palmistry is not something I am very familiar with, having always been more interested in gemstones and crystals etc. Where would be a good plae to start reading up on the form? Are there any websites, or good books, which help beginners?

Elizabeth, honestly just make it up. People will believe anything as long as its some sort of compliment to their nature.
I used to subsidise my income by doing palm readings and never once was called out on my lack of palmistry knowledge by anybody.
They are, as i'm sure you are aware, just wrinkles on the inside of your palm and have no intrinsic meaning.  
I would stick to the crystals etc if you want to remain more legitimate as they do have certain conductive and sometimes unknown qualities.