Last weekend I went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival and did something I never thought I would: I went to a palm reader booth. My sister and one of our friends wanted to, and I thought it would be a fun experience. What I didn’t expect was insight into my mental health.
After sitting down between my sister and friend on a bench, an elderly palm reader sitting in the shade in front of me started touching my palms and made a few predictions about future relationships and children, and explored career options and traits.
For example, she told me I have a writer’s line, could go into counseling and that I’m intelligent. All true of course, except for her prediction that I could also go into engineering and computer science. I’ve never been a natural at math.
She also told me it appeared I had overcome a great amount of stress in my life and was more in control of myself now. That was true. And then she eventually came to ask me if I had suffered from depression.
When I told the palm reader that I had in fact suffered from depression, she told me that a few lines on my left hand were closed, and a few on my right hand were open. This signifies an imbalance, and possibly bipolar disorder.
Interestingly enough, my mother has bipolar disorder, and I always wondered if I had more than dysthymia (a type of mood disorder that most people think of as depression).
She explained that I have the ability to change my imbalance by taking different natural supplements like fish oil, and that I don’t have to be depressed the rest of my life. She added that I would most likely get married after 30 because I would spend some time working on myself, and that I should take into consideration the genetic factor of depression when I have kids.
I listened throughout the whole palm reading session, eager to explain to her my actual situation, but I just decided to accept her advice with no real comment. I have already made large strides with my depression, and I don’t feel like it defines me anymore, so I basically viewed her advice as something that would apply more to myself a few years ago.
However, I did agree that I needed to work more on myself before I become seriously involved with anyone else, and I firmly believe that I can always improve something about myself, whether it’s mental health-related or not.
My sister asked the palm reader why she doesn’t suffer from depression like I do, since we are twins. The palm reader said one twin in a pair can tend to have more of the issues.
It’s interesting because my sister always seemed to have more physical health issues, whereas I’ve always had more mental health issues. Recently it seems like we’re balancing out together. The palm reader added that I am in good health, and that she can tell if someone is an alcoholic or smoker by the lines in their hands.
Perhaps the palm reader was just really good at reading facial expressions and demeanor, and depression isn’t extremely rare to have, but I must say I was in a pretty good mood and haven’t suffered from great depression for several months. So it was unusual to me that she was able to pick up on the fact that I had suffered from depression for most of my life and am still coping with that depression.
I don’t take this experience very seriously, but it is still fascinating to me. Maybe my depression really does permeate my whole being without me being aware. Or perhaps part of what defines us is in fact laid out in the lines of our palms.
Have any readers experienced a similar situation? I would like to hear your thoughts on this topic.
Edited by Jody Smith