My encounter with a palmist...

In June of 2000 I accompanied my daughters on a trip to New Orleans. On Royal Street, a few blocks from Bourbon Street, Stephanie and I stumbled upon an enchanting courtyard. Tucked in the back was a sign on a door that read "Palmist". Neither of us were into the occult or ever had a palm reading. You could say we were skeptics. But New Orleans had put us in another more adventurous frame of mind. We decided to inquire.

We met

Colo Milling, a respectable, scholarly-looking middle-aged man who seemed more like a college professor than a palm reader. I'm not sure what we were expecting, but there was nothing kooky about him, and when he spoke he was very articulate and sincere. He explained that what he did was a science, he was not a fortune teller and not involved in the occult. New Orleans is home to all kinds of fortune tellers, tarot readers and voodoo practitioners, but he made it clear he was not part of that.

Mr. Milling explained that the lines on our hands are electrical diagrams of the two hemispheres of the brain. The shapes and lines are the living picture of the forces that make each of us who we are. It's an ancient science, but also an art.

It made sense, so we decided to have him analyze our palms. Steff went first. She seemed a little wide eyed when she emerged, but she was smiling. It was my turn.

The next hour was extraordinary. The room was comfortable, well lit, with beautiful art work on the walls and a library of books. I wish that I had recorded our session when he offered. It was remarkable to hear a complete stranger describe in such detail the most complex aspects of my personality, and he did so with amazing accuracy. It was as if he could see deep inside my head, my life experiences, my heart and my spirit. When I left, I too, was wide-eyed. I looked at Stephanie, our eyes meeting in a silent "wow" of mutual awe. We discussed a little bit of what he had said, but mostly we were quiet for a long time... lost in thought. I wanted to be alone to digest it all, to write it all down. And I did, that night...

Here is a brief summary of what Colo Milling told me:

"You are inventive, it's one of your most prominent qualities and it's unusual to be so strong in a woman."

"You are an "old soul", re-incarnated many, many times and spiritually evolved."

"In prior lives you worked through most worldly issues, like fame, money and sex, with a positive outcome. Now what remains is the inner work. Your outer work is done."

"You are humorous, you have good timing."

"In relationships you grow to love slowly, and you test your partner for patience and stability, but you do commit and stay committed."

"Men enjoy how you love them."

"You get angry twice. First your anger flares, then you get over it. But then you start to think about it some more and get angry again. That's when you can let it go. You'll discuss your anger several times, even after it passes, to make a point."

"You've already taught your children the most important things you were sent to teach them."

"You need to become more selfish, meaning you need to be more true to yourself. Think of yourself as an actor in a play. 50% of your performance is your own role, but the other 50% is responding to the other roles. You've not spent enough time developing your own role. You've responded too much to others."

"You are a soft person, you cannot bear the hard, sharp edges of life."

"You have a tendency to worry, especially at the beginning, but it does not hinder your success."

"You have an active nervous system, producing high electricity, even at rest. It never shuts down, you're always analyzing, thinking and processing."

"Think back to when you were 9-14 years old. What did you discover about yourself at that age? Return to that focus now. Your life has become too worldly and it's taken you away from your focus. Be more selfish, do more inner work. Remember, the outer is done."

"You are capable of producing a successful invention."

"You are not a good subject for hypnosis."

"You could attain fame, but you don't seek it. You are still highly respected and admired."

Interesting, isn't it. Ages 9-14 were pivotal for me, really defining years. He hit the nail on the head when it comes to how I deal with anger. I've been working on a book of designs that I plan to eventually publish, is that the successful invention he spoke of? Although things like reincarnation are not significant to me in the way my faith works, I find such concepts useful. Stephanie's consultation was entirely different but equally impressive.

Given our experience I would certainly give Colo Milling's hand analysis a strong recommendation. I would honestly say that his words did come into play when I had some decisions to make in my life in the years that followed. It was invaluable insight he provided. And it resulted in strong decisions on my part, with good outcomes.

A quote from his web site....

"God seals up in the hand of every man so that all may know his work" Job 37:7

And, should anyone be interested... Colo Milling does "long distance" readings if you're able to get a good xerox of your palms, right and left.