The following biography of Cheiro has been constructed from various resources as no single authentic source about him is available.
Cheiro was one of the most famous and colorful occult figures of the early Twentieth Century .He 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. His name, Cheiro, derives from the word cheiromancy which means the Art/Science of Palmistry (hand reading).
He was born in Ireland, Dublin on November 1, 1866 . Some sources points out that he was born in Bray, just south of Dublin. After an illustrious career of a highly popular and respected occult personality, Cheiro died on October 8, 1936, in Hollywood, CA, at the age of 69.
He retired from public life after forty years of continuous occult research work. He died shortly afterwards; but, through his books, he is stilI regarded as the foremost exponent of the science of palmistry. But although most famous for his knowledge of palmistry – that is, “Cheirognomy” and “Cheiromancy” – he did not confine himself to anyone branch of occult study – numerology and astrology were equally taken into account in his remarkable predictions.
By turn lecturer, public speaker, war correspondent and editor of newspapers in London and Paris, Cheiro travelled all over the world: early in his career he chose to live in the East so that he might study what he described as the forgotten wisdom of the Hindus and the mystics of other races. When he set. up his salon in London the world’s famous were among his numerous clients.
He was commanded to read the hands of many of the crowned heads of Europe, of presidents of republics and of leaders of commerce. Many subsequently testified that Cheiro’s powers of prediction from a study of the lines of their hands were akin to miraculous.
Cheiro predicted the date of Queen Victoria’s death, the year and month when King Edward VII would pass away, the grim destiny that awaited the late Czar of Russia, the assassination of King Humbert of Italy, the attempt on the Shah’s life in Paris, and for many others he foretold with equal accuracy the outstanding events of their careers.
Cheiro made several extended trips to the United States where many notable personages consulted him, including Mark Twain and Dame Nellie Melba, the great Australian prima donna.
He always kept a visitor’s book wherein his clients could write his observations about their visit. 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 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. – Mark Twain”.
The Infanta Eulalia of Spain, Sir Arthur Sullivan, the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, Sir Austen Chamberlain – these were just a few of the notable personage who consulted Cheiro. To attest to the importance he attached to Cheiro’s predictions, Chamberlain had his hand read in a private room in the House of Commons.
In his quest for occult knowledge Cheiro travelled extensively in far east and particularly in India. He met many learned men and found the rare chance reading some of the most secret text on occult science. Here in his own word the description of a rare book on palmistry which he was allowed read in India.
” History again comes to our assistance, and tells that in the north-west province of India, palmistry was practiced and followed by the Joshi caste from time immemorial to the present day.
It may be interesting to describe here, in as few words as possible, an extremely ancient and curious book on the markings of hands, which I was allowed to use and examine during my sojourn in India. This book was one of the greatest treasures of the few Brahmans who possessed and understood it, and was jealously guarded in one of those old cave temples that belong to the ruins of ancient Hindustan.
This strange book was made of human skin, pieced and put together in the most ingenious manner. It was of enormous size, and contained hundreds of well-drawn illustrations, with records of how, when, and where this or that mark was proved correct. One of the strangest features in connection with it was that it was written in some red liquid which age had failed to spoil or fade. The effect of those vivid red letters on the pages of dull yellow skin was most remarkable. By some compound, probably made of herbs, each page was glazed, as it were, by varnish; but whatever this compound may have been, it. seemed to defy time, as the outer covers alone showed the signs of wear and decay. As regards the antiquity of this book there could be no question. It was apparently written in three sections or divisions: the first part belonged to the earliest language of the country, and dated so far back that very few of the Brahmans even could read or decipher it. There are many such treasures in Hindustan; but all are so jealously guarded by the Brahmans that neither money, art, nor power will ever release such pledges of the past.”
Cheiro spent his final years in Hollywood, seeing as many as 20 clients a day and doing some screenwriting before his death in 1936.
Amazingly, editions of many of Cherio’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. The editions of his astrology book, ‘You and Your Stars’ are also available (though very few in print)
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