The Encyclopedia of Crystals, Herbs, and New Age Elements: An A to Z Guide to New Age Elements and How to Use Them - Adams Media 2016

Graphology
The Power of Insight: Divination Systems, Tools, and Practices

ORIGINS

Graphology is the analysis of handwriting for the purpose of discovering something about the writer. Graphology has many applications, from employment procedures to criminal psychology, but in the New Age sense, it is simply an interesting way to learn about one’s personality and character traits. There are numerous systems of handwriting analysis, including integrative, which looks at how strokes are used; symbolic, which looks for symbols in the handwriting; and holistic, which looks at the handwriting as a whole.

HISTORY/LORE

The Italian philosopher Camillo Baldi (1550—1637) published what is generally recognized as the first book on graphology in 1622. The French priest and archaeologist Jean-Hippolyte Michon (1806—1881), who wrote and lectured widely on the topic of handwriting analysis, is said to have coined the term graphology. Graphotherapy, the practice of changing a person’s handwriting with the goal of changing his or her personality, originated in France in the 1930s and later spread to the United States.

USES

As a non-professional pursuit, handwriting analysis is a fun way to learn more about yourself and others. An easy way to get started is to read up on the topic and perhaps take a graphology test (there are many available online). You could also take some graphology classes, such as those offered through the American Society of Professional Graphologists (ASPG). The ASPG website (www.aspghandwriting.org) has some interesting resources, including analyzed samples of famous people’s handwriting.