International Hand Reading  Association Conferences

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IHRA Conference #4  ::  25th-26th October 2025

(1) Johnny Fincham (BA): "Oppositional Indicators - honing your skills as a Handreader'  - The much loved and wonderfully entertaining Johnny Fincham will share his insights on making sense of apparently contradictory feature of the hands and will illuminate us with the discoveries he has made from his many decades of analysing hands.

 

(2) Quick-Fire Presentations
Christopher Jones: "The Palmistry of Fingerprints" This much anticipated and long-awaited book is coming out in January 2026. Here is a preview!

Kate Shannon: "The Lived Experience of Double Loops" A new way of looking at the significance of the Double Loop fingerprint pattern.
Counseling Corner with Carolyne Taylor (Dip. Couns):  "Supporting traumatic childhood experiences in a hand reading" Advice and suggestions on how to professionally handle difficult topics within a hand reading consultation

(3) Christopher Jones (MA): "From HM Parkhurst Prison: The Hands of Rapists and Murderers"  Christopher will present a paper looking at the significant hand features to be found in the hands of criminals, including serial rapists, bank robbers, arsonists and murderers. The handprints were collected from residents of the UK's most secure prison, HM Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, reserved for the most serious of criminals. 

(4) Andres J Washington "The Significance of Rare Fingerprints and the NCIC Classification System"  Andres has been researching the significance of rare fingerprint patterns for over 40 years and has found that unusual fingerprint patterns are found in the hands of gifted and unusual people. With access to a database of nearly 18 million fingerprints (from the National Crime Information Centre established in 1967 by the FBI), he has discovered significant patterns in the hands of Jimi Hendrix, Eisenhower, Billy Holiday, Einstein, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Walt Disney and John Lennon, to name just a few. 

(5) Handprint assessment of John Lennon

Given how unusual John Lennon's fingerprints are, we thought we would look at his hands! Several very experienced handreaders will give their view on his hands - if you are interested in contributing to the discussion as well, please contact Christopher Jones in advance.

 

(6) Felicity Booth (MA) “How different are you?  Neuro-divergence and the Hand"
Felicity brings her 30yrs of handreading, professional teaching and parenting experience to explore the theme of neuro-divergence, including such things as autism and ADHD and what the hand reveals about these different psycho-neurological differences. 

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IHRA Conference #3  ::  5th-6th April 2025

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(1) Christopher Jones (MA): "Latest Research – The Hands of those that travel into Other Dimensions"   Christopher is an experienced handreader of over 40 years and will bring to us a presentation of his latest research project - an examination of the hands of those who engage in shamanic travel, channeling and inner journeying into other dimensions giving an outline of the chirological hand features that signify these experiences.

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(2) Quick-Fire Presentation: Interdigital Dermatoglyphics
Four seasoned handreaders give short talks on the meaning and significance of the dermatoglyphic patterns to be found between the fingers - the Loop of Leadership, the Loop of Serious Intent, the Loop of Playfulness and the missing Fire Finger Tri-radius. Part of our on-going Professional Development series.

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(3) Carolyne Taylor (Dip. Couns): "Counseling Skills for Handreaders"

Carolyne is a professional counselor and experienced handreader who has been studying hands since the mid-1990's. She will give a presentation on essential counseling skills and knowledge useful for chirologists in a handreading consultation.

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(4) Liz Hallows (MA): "The Water Line (upper transverse crease) as an indicator of your Myers Briggs Type Indicator profile"   We are very pleased to have Liz Hallows with us for this conference. Liz has been reading hands since 1969 and has researched the connections between features of the hand and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). She will present her findings in relation to the Major Water line (Heart Line / Upper Transverse Crease) here. 

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(5) Handprint assessment of Carl Jung

As the MBTI is derived from the functional psychology of Jung, we thought we would look at his hands at this conference! CG Jung is one of the most extraordinary minds of the C20th.  We examine Jung's handprints to see how his sagacity manifests in his hands.

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(6) Felicity Booth (MA) “The Vagus Tone Line - redefining the Health Line"

Felicity brings her 30yrs of handreading experience to shed new light on the Health line (Minor Air line). Perhaps one of the most misunderstood lines in the hand, modern discoveries in the field of trauma and neuro-physiology suggest the significance of this formation as a lineal indicator of the functioning and tone of the Vagus Nerve.

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IHRA Conference #2 :: 30th Nov - 1st Dec 2024

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(1) Alexandra Nagel PhD: "Einstein & Handreading: A Love-Hate Relationship"

It is a fascinating and curious fact that we have Einstein's handprints and we are fortunate to have with us Alexandra Nagel, the most pre-eminent academic on the history of handreading, presenting to us her research on how and why Albert Einstein had his handprints taken on so many occasions.

 

(2) Handprint assessment of Albert Einstein

The genius of Einstein is widely recognised not least because he has made a significant contributions to the world, not least though his revolutionary understandings in the sphere of physics and astronomy. We examine his handprints to see how that manifests in his hands.

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(3) Felicity Booth (MA) “Life in the Hall of Mirrors – the Upper Minor Water line”

Felicity brings her 30yrs of handreading experience to present a paper that will elucidate and illuminate the significance of the Upper Minor Water line, often mistakenly called the 'Girdle of Venus' in palmistry, bringing clarity where there is often confusion.\
 

(4) Johnny Fincham Esq BA: “Reading between the lines - Advanced techniques to make your hand readings more insightful”  The entertaining Mr Fincham will bring fun and levity to the serious process of handreading by showing us some of the 'tricks of the trade' of advanced handreading techniques he has developed over the last 35yrs.

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(5) Professional Development Session
Three quick-fire presentations on aspects of handreading to enhance and develop your practice as a professional chirologist:
a) Communicating, Listening & discussing sensitive topics (FB)
b) Professional Boundaries, ethics and power in Handreading (CJ)
c) How to build up your practice and become successful (JF)

 

(4) Christopher Jones MA (Oxon): "Indications of Power in the Hand"

This presentation will consider those features of the hands that are most significant from the point of view of personal power. Physical power, power of the mind, charisma, sexuality..... What is power and how does it show up in the hand ?  Christopher Jones has been a leading figure in the world of handreading for over 40yrs and was the Secretary of the Cheirological Society from 1989-1999. Currently in a writing retreat and busy getting his many books published, this will be an erudite and thorough presentation on an important chirological theme.

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IHRA Conference #1 :: 15th-16th June 2024

(1) Alexandra Nagel PhD: ‘Julius Spier and the hands of Etty Hillesum’

A presentation on the approach to handreading taken by Julius Spier with a look at his annotated assessment of the hands of Etty Hillesum.  Alexandra Nagel is the most pre-eminent historian of psycho-chirology and an accredited expert on Julius Spier and Dutch handreaders such as Philip Merloo. After completing her Masters studies, her curiosity led her into the world of European occultism in the inter-war period, with an especial emphasis on handreading as practised by Julius Spier. Spier was Hillesum's therapist, chirology teacher - and lover.

 

(2) Handprint assessment of Etty Hillesum and Julius Spier

We will have the opportunity to assess the hands of Etty Hillesum and compare our findings with those of Spier from 1941!  We will also take the time to look at the hands of Julius Spier himself.

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(3) Christopher Jones MA (Oxon): ‘Assessing Relationship compatibility from the hand’   This presentation will consider those features of the hands that are most significant from a relationship point of view. We will look at how the hand reveals communication style, power dynamics, honesty and sexual drive and how to assess these from the perspective of relationship compatibility.  Christopher Jones has been a leading figure in the world of handreading for over 40yrs and was the Secretary of the Cheirological Society from 1989-1999 and authored fifteen technical study books on chirology including the History of Handreading.

(4) Johnny Fincham Esq BA: ‘The Secrets of Simian Lines and Sydney Lines’

The significance of the Simian line and the Sydney line and their effects on relationships and communication.  Johnny Fincham is a renowned and much-loved handreader from the UK with over 35yrs of hand reading experience. After graduating from university with a degree in English literature, he came across chirology and quickly committed himself to becoming a full time palmist. Author of innumerable books - including a science fiction novel (!) and the best selling 'The Spellbinding Power of Palmistry', Johnny's long fire finger and his wealth of knowledge about hands ensures an illuminating and entertaining presentation.

 

(5) Felicity Booth MA: ‘How the hand reveals the subconscious’

What's going on internally? How does it feel ? What is hidden from your awareness ? A deep dive into those parts of the hand that reveal the unbidden and the subconscious, Felicity's presentation will bring light to those things that are hidden within us.    Felicity has been reading hands since the early 1990's and has pioneered original research into the meaning and significance of the Water lines of the hands. A professional teacher with several degrees to her name covering subjects such as international development, ethnography, art and textiles Felicity offers an informed, intelligent, insightful and compassionate approach to reading hands.

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