What is the Meaning of a Broken Fingernail?

For thousands of years, cultures all over the world have read hands. In our modern culture though, this fine study has depreciated to palm reading gypsies in circus tents.

Modern science though, has recently observed how the lines form in our hands according to the nervous structure of our brains. Recent studies (National Academy of Sciences), done on finger ratios (the length of one’s ring finger as compared to the index finger) revealed that men with longer ring fingers, made 11 times more money than men with shorter ring fingers. Of course they attribute this to higher testosterone level in the uterus.

Dr. Gad Saad’s article, “Can the Length of Your Fingers Affect Your Consumption?” on the Psychology today’s website mentions:

Some have argued that the 2D:4D (2nd digit:4th digit) is nothing more than a “sophisticated” form of palmistry. Others have ventured that it belongs with astrology and phrenology, former scientific fields that are now completely discredited. The reality is that the sheer number of papers that have yielded robust 2D:4D effects in prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals suggests that it is going to take more than a flippant dismissal, as the means of critiquing this thriving research stream.

The Ancients May Have Known Something, Scientists Are Just Figuring Out.

According to certain hand reading techniques, a chipped or broken fingernail may mean more than just needing to get a manicure. The legendary Hermetic Tablet states: “As Within, So Without”; our subconscious may be trying to send a message to our conscious minds even through something as mundane as a broken fingernail.

A nail protects our finger. A question to ask when a fingernail breaks may be: What protective mechanisms in thought or deed aren’t safeguarding you anymore?

Here are some guidelines to interpret this inner guidance.

Broken thumbnail

The thumb in classic hand reading represents one’s will. Astrology represents this finger by the planet, Venus. Venus symbolizes our values and how we relate to others. A major part of relating to others has to do with this exchange of values, with each partner asserting, expressing and sharing their worth with one another in order to create something even more precious i.e. a family, a home, a child, or a business.

This balance can easily be upset, with one person becoming dominant and the other submissive. The Ideal is to give and take in a fair and balanced way and eventually merge each other’s talents and resources. When this balance is off, the thumbnail may break.

Questions to ask:

If your thumbnail breaks, ask yourself a few of the following questions: Am I being dominated or is someone dominating me? Am I too passive in this situation? Is the other person not towing the line? Is this situation I’m involved in, fair?

Other questions to ask: Are my values being respected in this relationship? Am I respecting the values of the other? Is this business partnership true to my values? Do I know what I value?

Venus, the ruler of this finger sometimes uses beauty or passivity to manipulate an outcome and express one’s will in a passive-aggressive way.

The questions to ask here would be: Am I glossing over issues in my relationships by paying more attention to someone’s physical appearance and not the whole person? Am I using my beauty to manipulate another person? Are they using beauty to manipulate me? Am I flirting with people I don’t really like? Is buying that expensive object a way to assert myself in the world? Is this beauty treatment a genuine way to assert myself in the outer world?

Avoidance or not responding (being passive) to a situation, is actually a response. Do you avoid responding to your challenges? Do you feel it is impossible to express your will in a certain situation? What does this mean about what you believe about yourself and the world?

Broken index fingernail

The index finger is the finger we use to point with. With our index fingers we “indi”-cate direction. So this nail has to do with our futures and the direction our Self is expressing itself.

The index finger in classical hand reading represents one’s individuality and how one expands one’s influence in the outer world. For example, how successful we are, famous, effective, accepted by our peers or how active members of society we are.

Society is a keyword here. This finger represents in part, our beliefs. Beliefs society gave us. They aren’t necessarily right or wrong but most of the time, we tend to accept beliefs without questioning them. We accept them because our parents or teachers had them. When a fingernail breaks on the index finger, it may be that some of these beliefs are coming up for examination in the outer world.

Jupiter rules this finger astrologically. Jupiter tends towards self-righteous ideas and sometimes goes a bit overboard in its reach. A few questions to ask ourselves with a broken fingernail on the index finger are: Am I trying to defend a belief at all costs? Am I trying to proselytize? Is someone trying to convince me of something? Have I examined what beliefs are driving my actions in the outer world?

This finger also represents our ability to expand our influence. In mundane terms, it is the equivalent of fame, fortune and power. Questions to ask when this nail breaks are: Am I giving my power away to false idols? Am I chasing dreams of fame and fortune to the detriment of my true self? Is there someone or something that is blocking my road to success (myself included)? And finally, what does success mean to me?

Look for clues in the workplace, school, parent groups, and internet groups, one’s church or political group; wherever one expands one’s influence in society. Do I need to take the leadership role now? How do I feel about leading? How do I feel about being so exposed to the outer world as an important role model or spokesperson? Am I afraid of success in some way?

Keep in mind, Jupiter expands everything. If you cannot “expand your influence” as Jupiter suggests, he may just go expand your waistline. Questions to ask are: Am I over-indulging? Am I over eating to dampen my desire for influence and power? Am I surrounding myself with images of wealth, by buying expensive cars or clothes in order to feel good about myself? Did I overspend on something I didn’t need because I “believed” it would make me feel better about myself (ego)?

The solution is to examine the beliefs that are being challenged. Examples may be: Do I need to be accepted by my peers at school? What do they believe? Do I need to be accepted by my parents? What did they believe about who I am “supposed” to be in the world that is driving my actions now? Did someone disapprove of you? Did you disapprove of someone?

And one last and important issue: Do I always need to be right? Do I need to convince people about my beliefs? Isn’t it enough that they are important to me? In order to believe in them, do I need to have a following or influence over others? Does my partner have to believe what I believe? Do I need approval at all costs?

This finger is trying to point you in the right direction. But, if the nail (its protector) breaks, it may mean some of the beliefs and thoughts you have aren’t really true protection in the outer world and in greater society after all.

Broken middle fingernail

The middle finger is the most practical of fingers (no pun intended). It is represented by the planet Saturn in Astrology. This finger is what determines how we materialize our concepts into physical form. It represents the stuff of what we consider rock hard reality; the bricks and mortar of life.

If this fingernail breaks, there may be issues with one’s practical responsibilities. For this finger we could ask ourselves questions like: Am I having a problem providing for my basic survival needs? Are there problems at work? Do I have enough resources to “do” what I need to in order to build the life I want? Am I worrying about money?

It also represents limits and delays. You may ask yourself: Why am I being blocked in this area? What prompted this delay? Most importantly, (because Saturn only restricts if there is excess or a lack of attention to detail), what skills am I missing and need to accomplish my goals? Are there details I might have missed or avoided out of laziness?

Some people feel this is the finger of karma, but it’s preferable to say it is the DNA of our design in this matrix reality. As scientists have finally decoded our physical DNA only to find something else actually chooses or triggers which code will play out in the material world, in the same way, this “karma” per se is the basic code, what we build if we are on automatic pilot. So questions to ask are: What am I choosing right now? What am I building in my life? Am I losing the forest for the trees or am I not paying attention to the details?

For most people, the middle finger is the longest finger. This gives us a perfect illustration of “the reward (length) for work well done. It functions more or less like the fairy tale, the “Tortoise and the Hare”. It symbolizes the gifts of continuing on and doing what you have to do, overcoming all obstacles with persistent effort to accomplish your goals and steadily grow and improve until you are the “longest” finger, and maybe even the oldest living one at that.

This is the easiest finger to understand, because it will always “point” to something very concrete and real. Physical things, money, daily responsibilities, our physical homes, family, things we “have to do”, and most generally all the responsibilities we have in order to build our physical existence.

This finger has a lot to do with our feelings about time and ageing. It also has to do with our “responsibilities” to our families, especially our grandparents, (mother if she is the matriarch) and the father. This nail also sometimes breaks when we feel we are a cog in the wheel of life and the need to examine why.

Broken ring fingernail

The ring finger is the finger of our “heart’s desires.” It is not “emotional” in the sense of reactionary feeling but the true core feeling and force of our Being.

This finger is ruled by the Sun. As the Sun is the center of our solar system, so is this finger the light within us. And as the heart is the core of force in our physical bodies, through this finger flows the force from the Creator. This finger and its shape and form filter the pure force of the Sun.

When this finger breaks, we must look out for where the protection of our Core Self is being broken down. In simple terms, it would mean we feel thwarted on some level, maybe even blocked from expressing what we truly desire. We must ask, what in our hearts we really want to do with our time and energy.

This finger is usually the finger we associate with relationships because it is the finger most cultures choose to wear their wedding bands; the ring symbolizing a union of hearts. ..A union of forces combining to create something new.

When this nail breaks, we will see how much we approve or disapprove of ourselves, with or without the opinion of others. We will notice if we have identified with some form of protection that doesn’t protect anymore, for example: our families, children, job status or spouse.

Most of us derive our sense of Self and feel the flow of force within us, only when we are in relationship to another. This nail breaks when the flow of force between two people has come up for review and needs to be broken down and built up on a new level.

More independent people choose to express their force through creative work. Here too, the flow has come up for review. Questions to ask are: Is this project a good vehicle for my creative force? Is there something within me blocking the flow? Am I creating in the wrong direction? Has the flow stopped because my Core finds no more interest in what it is doing? Or has it already been done?

When the flow is pushing too strongly and the Core has identified with its creation, this nail may also break. Questions to ask are: Am I forcing too much? Am I overworking my creations, my art, and my kids? Am I selling myself to hard? Do I want fame and glory? Why?

If you follow the message of this broken nail to its “root” you will find what you truly want, not the false idols we chase from time to time. Essentially, it is a time to question: What am I creating really? With whom am I sharing this with? And finally, is all this true to my heart?

Broken pinky fingernail

The pinky finger is the finger of our mind and thoughts. It represents how we think and communicate. It is the finger of verbal versatility, wit, humor and the power of the written word.

When this nail breaks, the structure of our thinking processes is breaking down. Did we say something we didn’t mean? Did someone say something to us that made us breakdown? Sometimes this breakdown might be a good thing, if what we have been contemplating up until now has been limiting.

Are you bombarded with negative thoughts?

Even negative thinking is a kind of protection and when the protective nail breaks, the finger is exposed in some way. Did someone expose you or gossip about you? Did you expose someone? How does that make you feel? Was it true or was it just another story?

This finger is ruled by Mercury in Astrology. Mercury is sometimes a real trickster. Are you lying about something? Using humor to hurt someone, even yourself? Are you trying to “sell” something you don’t believe in?

This finger is also about movement and travel. Do you have to go somewhere you don’t want to? Do you think by going there you might be attacked in some way? Are you worried about how you will appear somewhere? Are you avoiding confronting someone about an issue?

Did you read something that bothered you? Did it make you worry? Ask yourself where this annoyance is pointing to within yourself and you will find some beliefs and prejudices you may have.

Finally, instead of letting your nail break down to expose your raw thoughts, try to “express” your ideas and words. Write a letter to yourself and destroy it. Talk to someone you trust. Get what you want to say off your chest. The point is to expose the thoughts that no longer protect you or the thoughts that have been limiting you.

When your fingernail breaks, take a few minutes to ask these questions and wait for a response. It’s a good idea to pay attention to these initial messages before your body (and subconscious) tries to get your attention in other more aggressive ways. With these new insights, you can begin to understand, process and eventually heal any difficult situations in your life.

Resources:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0810907106)

The Finger Book by John Manning

Psychology and Finger Length

Can the Length of Your Fingers Affect Your Consumption? By Dr. Gad Saad