Illustration from Ronphile (or Ronphyle) "La Chyromantie naturelle", 1655. French palmistry manual. In two parts: the first contains the illustrations of the lines of the palm and fingers and the second describes their interpretation and their connection with the planets. The dedication is signed by Rampalle (translator), but who is perhaps the real author, with "Ronphile" being a variant or pseudonym. Palmistry is the claim of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm. The practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Those who practice chiromancy are called palmists, palm readers, hand readers, hand analysts, or chirologists. There are many, often conflicting, interpretations of various lines and palmar features across various schools of palmistry. These contradictions between different interpretations, as well as the lack of empirical support for palmistry's predictions, contribute to palmistry's perception as a pseudoscience. During the Middle Ages the art of palmistry was actively suppressed by the Catholic Church as pagan superstition. In Renaissance magic, palmistry was classified as one of the seven "forbidden arts," along with necromancy, geomancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, hydromancy, and spatulamancy (scapulimancy).