Cheiro

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Cheiro (1866-1936), was one of the most famous and colorful occult figures of the early Twentieth Century, Cheiro was a clairvoyant who used palmistry, astrology, and Chaldean numerology, to make startlingly accurate predictions, including world events. Born in Ireland as William John Warner, Cheiro also went by the name Count Louis Hamon, claiming a noble ancestry that may or may not have been accurate.

Contents

1 Biography
2 Other Thoughts on Cheiro
3 Anecdotes about Cheiro's purported predictions
4 References
5 External Links
6 See also

Biography

He had a wide following of famous European and American clients like Mark Twain, Sarah Bernhardt, Mata Hari, Oscar Wilde, Grover Cleveland, Thomas Edison, the Prince of Wales, General Kitchener, William Gladstone, and Joseph Chamberlain. He spent his final years in Hollywood, seeing as many as 20 clients a day and doing some screenwriting before his death in 1936.

Editions of many of Cheiro's books are still in print today in both English and foreign language editions and are available through major chains like Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. They include his astrology book, When Were You Born?; Palmistry, The Language of the Hand (first self-published in 1897); Cheiro's Book of Numbers; Cheiro's Book of World Predictions; and Cheiro's Palmistry for All. No editions of his astrology book, You and Your Stars were found.

Other Thoughts on Cheiro

A biographer of Cheiro, Anthony Masters, offers the following insights Masters, Anthony, Mind Map, Eyre Methuen, London, 1980.:

"He was the author of Cheiro's Language of the Hand, Cheiro's Guide to the Hand, You and Your Hand and Cheiro's Palmistry for All. All these books were historically inaccurate, and in the main, simply followed the theories of D'Arpentigny and Desbarolles. They made no contribution to the progress of science and the introduction to the books merely reflects an egocentric, if colourful, personality, one of whose major faculties was a great deal of imagination.

Despite the bravura, however, Cheiro was a strangely intuitive palmist and surrounded himself with a group of public figures -all of whom were either vicarious or interested enough to make themselves subjects of this extroverted, intelligent showman. Oscar Wilde, Sir Arthur Sullivan, Joseph Chamberlain, Sarah Bernhardt, William Gladstone, Dame Nellie Melba and Mark Twain were included among his clients. Nor were Cheiro's talents confined to the role of successful and highly paid palmist. Under another name he ran a profitable champagne business in France, was a reporter in the Russo-Japanese War, wrote screenplays for a period in Hollywood - and was a founder-member of the American Pacific Geographic Society.

It would be wholly true to say that Cheiro discredited the reputation of chirology, yet he certainly did little to enhance it. Indeed, he fed off it successfully for a considerable period and the trappings of his fashionable consulting rooms (which looked rather like a turn of the century brothel), his snobbish personality and his eye to the main chance only served further to alienate serious scientific investigators."

The glorifying tone of the introduction to his book Cheiro's Book of Numbers: The Complete Science of Numerology -How Numbers Affect You Health, Fortune, Life, Marriage (c.1964) Cheiro (Count Louis Hamon), 1964? [1986], Cheiro's Book of Numbers: The Complete Science of Numerology -How Numbers Affect You Health, Fortune, Life, Marriage, Arco Publishing, Inc., New York, NY. is noted below. It is unknown what part Cheiro played in its writing:

"The world's famous were among his numerous clients. Statesmen, actors, authors, royalty - all beat a path to his door, anxious to have the great Cheiro tell their character, fortune, and future. He travelled all over the world, and whever he went people eagerly sought his advice. Cheiro also made several extended trips to the United States where many famous personages consulted him, including Mark Twain and Dame Nellie Melba, the great prima donna. He always kept a visitor's book wherein his clients write their observations about their visit. Nellie Melba, for instance, wrote in his book: "Cheiro you are wonderful -what more can I say?" Mark Twain, who did not believe in palmistry, was so impressed by Cheiro's accuracy and insight, that he made use of the science (sic) of palmistry in Pudd'n Head Wilson, a story that enjoyed great success. he wrote in Cheiro's visitor's book: "Cheiro has exposed my character to me with humiliating accuracy. I ought not to confess this accuracy, still I am moved to do so."

The Infanta Eulalia of Spain, Sir Arthur Sullivan, the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, Sir Austen Chamberlain - also consulted Cheiro. To attest to the importance he attached to Cheiro's predictions, Chamberlain had his hands read in a private room in the House of Commons.

Cheiro's career included many professions. He was also a lecturer and public speaker, war correspondent, editor of newspapers in London and Paris, and successful author of a dozen books on palmistry, numerology, and astrology. One of his books, a purported 'classic' of palmistry Cheiro's Language of the Hand [date unknown], went to its 27th edition and 33rd printing by Arco [Publishing Inc., as of 1986]."

Anecdotes about Cheiro's purported predictions

Note - The legitimacy and recorded times of when each of Cheiro's predictions cited by David Wallechinsky & Irving Wallace, in The People's Almanac series of books, 1975 - 1981. were first made warrant further investigation:

A year or 2 before each occurred, he foretold: the Boer War, death of Queen Victoria, assassination of King Umberto of Italy, and the day, month, and year of the death of King Edward VII.
World War I to break out in midsummer, 1914, and end in November 1918.
Downfall of the Czar, and massacre of him and all his immediate family.
Of the then Prince of Wales, later to be Edward VIII: "It is within the bounds of possibility... that he will in the end fall victim to a devastating love affair. If he does, I predict that the Prince will give up everything, even the chance of being crowned, rather than lose the object of his affection." Edward VIII did indeed give up his throne "for the woman I love," Wallis Simpson, and became the Duke of Windsor.
For the years 1926-1930, he predicted that adverse conditions would strike almost every country and that unemployment would rise to the highest known level. Although failing to give the exact year, he foresaw the stock market crash of 1929 that heralded the Great Depression.
India would gain her freedom, but "religious warfare will rend that country from end to end, until it becomes equally divided between Mohammedans and the followers of Buddha." India received her independence in 1947, and divided itself into Hindu India and Moslem Pakistan.
Spain would have a dictator. Franco became dictator of Spain.
Palestine would be returned to the Jews and be called Israel. In 1948, Israel proclaimed her independence.

Future Predictions?(after 1981):

"Communism will spread like an infective fever through all the countries."
"Russia will become the most dreaded power in the history of modern civilization."
"A dictator for France and "a new form of government for the time being will save France."
"The U.S. is predestined to have dominion of the air" (control of outer space).
China and Japan to unite and "will control that part of the globe."
Armageddon to start in the area of Palestine (Israel).

References

External Links