Que Será, Será: On Palm Reading and the Winding Path to the Present
Being a palm reader was never the goal. And my little Capricorn moon heart is all about goals. At one point I wanted to be a writer, detailing worlds and fantasies far away from my life. I thought about being a vet, until I learned that vets have the unfortunate job of not only healing beloved animals but sending them across the rainbow bridge. For most of my young adult life, I thought I was going to be a museum curator. I studied art history, looked into the best university curatorial programs, even curated a few shows with college and graduate student friends. And though I ended up being an interior designer after a lot of twists and turns, interior design ultimately led me back to palmistry.
Some of my happiest memories were in my lola’s garden learning about palmistry. I think as I went on doing life and bills and taxes and blah blah blah, I sort of categorized palmistry with the bliss and happiness of childhood, not something I could have in adulthood. Maybe part of me thought I didn’t deserve this natural understanding I had of magic and connecting with people. Maybe part of me was overwhelmed after school as I would come home crying asking why my classmates tell me all their sad news. I didn’t understand at the time it was a gift. What a gift it is to be a safe space for others to just be.
It happened all at once. As I ended an unhealthy long term relationship, ventured into a career switch at 26, said goodbye to my first business baby as a professional organizer, vowed to remain single until I received my new shiny degree in interior design, I met my wife. Two desks down in my interior design studio. That in itself is a whole other incredible tale to tell, but I’ll save you from the digressions. This is only relevant because once we were done trying to friend zone each other hard to save our studio from a year of PDAs, we went on our first date and my first thought was to ask “Can I look at your palms?”
I shocked myself. She’s going to ghost you. I thought. Come on, Paula, nice one….way to ruin this. I thought again. You didn’t even want to date in the first place and look at you! So many many thoughts. But for whatever reason, the meeting felt serendipitous, the timing impeccable and the question delivered before I could think to take it back. After 1 minute I knew (if I didn’t already know) that I would marry Ashley and all I could see was our life drawn out on those hands.
She must have thought whoah this is so weird…but also cool and this is some Harry Potter sh*t because the next thing I knew she was pitching me to friends at parties to read their palms! I was shocked yet again that this new human in my life supported this part of me I suppressed because it wasn’t a degree-worthy, bill-paying profession. It didn’t fit into the mold I had squished my life into just so I could say “I made it”. I missed it and I yearned for it without even knowing.
My first market in 2023 at Yoboseyo Superette hosted by co-mrkt
Some years had gone by as we settled into our new life in Los Angeles. A global pandemic. Racism running rampant. Ashley suggested I start an Instagram account documenting my palmistry readings and thoughts. Within months, I developed an online community that I am so grateful for almost 5 years later. I’ve connected with beautiful people all over the world via Zoom and emails. Then, I ventured out into Los Angeles once we peeked out of our homes and the pandemic was “over”. Almost 5 years later, I’ve connected with hundred of people near and far, young and old. I was given the opportunity to write a book for children to learn all about palmistry. I’ve met so many vendor friends and small business owners who are lifting each other up. I tell each and every person that I am cheering them on because there is so much life to live and so many dreams to dive into when I see their hands. With this sentiment, I receive emails with updates (I quit! I made the move! I fell in love!), repeat readings to get some insight on the next adventure, birthday party celebrations.
I just feel so lucky. Like, why me and why did palmistry take off like this?
A birthday celebratory palmistry class followed by palm readings
This is magic. This is energy. The ability to trust in the weirdness the universe throws to you and understand that something incredible will alchemize. The itch to fight the stubbornness of trying to say no to things and thank goodness I scratched that itch. I could have said “no” to love because the timing wasn’t what I wanted. I could have said “no” to a career change and powered on with my professional organizing business. I could have said “no” to starting an Instagram because who has time? But part of me thought I’ve got a good feeling about this.
And so it is. A life led through palmistry, twisting and turning with every curve of the lines. Twirling through my lola’s flower beds, parallel parking through city life, vibing its way through an electric Los Angeles, now burping its way through motherhood. Life is so sweet and all the potential that could be is in the palm of your hands.
Two big lessons from all of this - (1) Find your people that see you and your gifts. (2) Life is not linear but cyclical. Flow with it! Things come back to you at the perfect time much like the feeling of finding that lost loved sock.
I hereby announce this blog as OPEN! Follow along as I write what comes to my heart of palmistry, of hearth and home and of how I nurture magic in the garden of life. What a ride it will be!
