If you have a mixed pattern of prints, as most people do, you should look for a predominant pattern that represents the majority of your fingertips and assess yourself in that way. You can also consider each finger separately and judge what influence the pattern on that finger has in that area of your life.

The thumb, for instance, signifies the energy you have to expend toward reaching your life goals; the Jupiter finger, your achievements; the Saturn finger, your stability and safety concerns; the Apollo finger, your hopes and dreams and whether you have attained them; and Mercury, your relations with others and how you communicate with them.

Let's look at what the various patterns mean on each of the fingers:

• Jupiter finger: A whorl indicates that you are a unique and unconventional thinker. An arch shows your ability to fix things, whether it is a computer glitch, a clogged sink, a ruined recipe, or a life problem. A raised arch shows dedication to a social cause, combining justice with enthusiasm.

• Saturn finger: A whorl indicates that you have an unusual occupation or pastime. An arch means you have good insights about how to invest your money and other strategies for enhancing your financial security. A raised arch means you do these things as well, but with great interest and joy. And a composite pattern on this finger means your indecisiveness extends toward your career path.

• Apollo finger: A whorl is the sign of an artist, designer, or otherwise creative person. If you have an arch, however, your abilities as an artisan lie in the crafts — woodworking, metalwork, glass, or maybe ceramics. A composite shows that your taste in art is varied, and you are constantly redecorating or buying new clothes to express yourself as your ideas and opinions change.

• Mercury finger: The only pattern of significance on the Mercury finger is the whorl, which demonstrates special talent as a writer or speaker.

Thumb Prints

A pattern on the thumb relates to the way in which you approach life's tasks. A loop, the most common pattern, shows that you are well balanced and sensible. A whorl shows that you are strong-willed and bent on doing things your own way. An arch shows that you take on challenges in a realistic and down-to-earth way, and if it is raised, you do so in a very passionate way. A composite pattern on the end of the thumb shows that you might take a long time to complete a task as you must conduct research beforehand and tend to worry about all the issues involved.