What does the left and right hand mean spiritually?

The left and right hand have long been thought to have symbolic meanings, especially in spiritual and religious contexts. The predominant associations are that the right hand represents the hand of blessing, strength, and action, while the left hand is often seen as the hand of receiving, submission, and human nature.

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Quick Answers

Some quick answers to common questions about the spiritual meanings of the hands include:

The right hand is associated with virtues like righteousness, truth, courage, etc.
The left hand is associated with human weakness, dishonesty, evil, etc.
Christ is often depicted seated at the right hand of God, a place of honor and divine blessing.

The right hand is used to make holy signs and gestures in many religions.
The left hand is considered unclean in some cultures and religions.
The right hand is seen as the active, dominant hand.

The left hand is seen as receptive, subordinate, and passive.

Origins and History

The favoring of the right hand over the left has ancient origins. In Latin, the word “right” (dexter) originally meant skillful, fortunate, and favorable. The word “left” (sinister) meant odd, unlucky, and unfavorable. Thus the preference for the right hand is built into the very etymology of the English words.

This preference shaped many cultural practices. In ancient Rome, for example, auspices (omens) appearing on the left side were considered unfavorable. Roman women parted their hair on the right side as a mark of beauty. Ancient Greeks also saw the right side as more auspicious, and this belief endures in modern Greek folk traditions.

Various explanations have been given for this right-handed favoritism, including:

Most humans are right-handed, making the right side seem more “natural.”
Most gestures of greeting or cooperation require the right hand.

The left hand is used for unclean bodily functions like cleaning oneself.
The right hand is closer to the heart.

Whatever its origins, this imbalance imbued the two sides of the body with symbolic meanings.

The Right Hand

The predominant spiritual meaning of the right hand is that of strength, action, and blessing. Specific associations include:

Strength and skill – the right hand is dominant for most people and seen as stronger.
Correctness and justice – oaths were sworn with the right hand.

Direction – in many cultures, the right signifies the correct or moral direction.
Logic, analysis, linearity – the left brain controls the right side.
Masculinity – in some traditions, associated with masculine energy.

Consciousness and intention – action of the right hand reflects inner purpose.

Religiously, favoring the right hand reflects its symbolic potency. For example:

Christ sits at the right hand of God in Christian art, a place of preeminence.

In Hinduism, Dakshinachara tantra focuses on right-handed practices.
Right-handed mudras like Abhaya mudra represent blessings and protection.
The Book of Life in Judaism records good deeds done by the righteous right hand.

In Islam, the right hand is used when entering a mosque and for eating.

Essentially, the right hand accumulates many positive spiritual attributes across religions and cultures.

Examples and Symbols

Here are some examples of how the right hand signifies spiritual qualities and blessings:

Christ embracing St. Peter with his right hand (blessing).
Hindu deities like Vishnu and Lakshmi displaying Abhaya mudra (protection).
Touching or pointing to the heavens with the right hand while praying.

Placing the right palm over the heart in yoga to integrate intentions.
Receiving communion wafer on the right palm in Catholicism.
Wearing tefillin boxes on the left arm and head but bound to the right hand in Judaism.

These reflect the active, solar, and benevolent aspects associated with the right side and hand.

The Left Hand

In contrast, the left hand tends to represent human weakness, the unconscious, dishonesty, and evil. Specific associations include:

Clumsiness and weakness – since most people are right-handed.

Subconscious impulses – the hand less under conscious control.
Deception and dishonesty – a false oath was sworn with the left hand.
Illegitimacy – the left hand has looser social bonds.

Femininity – associated with feminine energy in some cultures.
Emotion, creativity, non-linearity – the right brain controls the left side.

This manifests in religious contexts positioning the left as spiritually inferior:

The left hand represents human nature apart from God’s grace.
Devils and demons were often depicted on Christ’s left in medieval art.
Black magic and tantra are associated with left-handed practices.

In Islam, the left hand is used for unclean actions like cleaning oneself.
In Hinduism, rituals require sitting on the left heel to suppress base instincts.

Here the left hand represents weaknesses, temptations, and evil to be transcended spiritually.

Examples and Symbols

Here are some examples of how the left hand has signified human frailty and evil:

Devils whispering in the left ear of a praying monk.
Fallen souls placed to the left hand of God during the Last Judgment scene.

Faust holding his left hand behind his back when making his pact with the devil.
Witches and sorcerers using wands, staves, or candles in the left hand when performing magic.
The left hand stealing money from a collection plate behind one’s back.

These reflect the passive, lunar, and sinister symbolism granted to the left hand.

Duality and Balance

While the two hands have accumulated this rich symbolic meaning, they can also represent complementary halves united in spiritual balance. Some examples include:

The yin-yang symbol joining the left (yin) and right (yang).

Praying or dancing with palms pressed together in harmony.
The metaphysical ideal of “as above, so below” uniting the hands.
Mandalas and other sacred art placing images on both left and right.

The Balinese Rangda and Barong dance, representing dualities within life.

Here, the two hands are seen as opposites embracing the totality of human experience – light and shadow, conscious and unconscious, divine and mortal.

Practical Applications

Understanding the symbolism of the hands can have practical applications in spiritual practice and interpretation, including:

Gestures and rituals – performing them with the hand appropriate to the meaning.
Art analysis – decoding the symbolic messaging based on hand placement.
Dream interpretation – analyzing left or right hands in the dreamscape.

Energy healing – balancing and unblocking left/right energy flows.
Meditation – consciously directing awareness to the two hands.
Self-development – recognizing imbalances between one’s left and right natures.

With deeper insight into hand symbolism, one can better understand religious iconography, spiritual texts, dreams, inner conflicts, and pathways to integration.

Left Hand Paths vs Right Hand Paths

Some esoteric and tantric traditions explicitly embrace the duality of left and right hand spiritual paths:

Left Hand Paths involve breaking social rules and indulging worldly desires, seeking spiritual power.

Right Hand Paths follow mainstream religious values and restraint to achieve enlightenment.

For example, Vamachara tantra emphasizes sinistra (left) practices while Dakshinachara tantra focuses on dextra (right). Some associate the left hand path with black magic and the right with white magic. Others see them as two complementary modes of the spiritual journey.

Comparing Left and Right Hand Paths

Left Hand Path	Right Hand Path
Antinomianism	Obedience to religious law
Taboo practices	Purity and restraint
Self-deification	Self-transcendence or God realization
Manipulation of others	Ethical conduct
Worldly power	Enlightenment

However, the left-right dichotomy has limitations, as each path crosses over into the other at points. Both ideally lead to spiritual liberation.

Palmistry

Palmistry associates lines and mounds of the palm with personality traits and destiny. Some key points regarding the two hands:

The passive hand (left for righties) indicates inborn traits.
The active hand (right for righties) reflects acquired traits.

Together, they offer a complete picture of one’s nature and potential.

Specific parts of the hands reveal different aspects of the self:

Left Hand	Right Hand
Heart line – emotional nature	Head line – mental nature
Fate line – unconscious purpose	Life line – conscious path
Mounts – talents and tendencies	Fingers – practical abilities

Palmistry analyzes both left and right hands to provide a holistic perspective on one’s inner and outer worlds.

Conclusion

The dichotomy between the left and right hands has accumulated rich layers of symbolism across cultures and faith traditions. While oversimplified as a rigid duality, the two hands represent complementary aspects of human nature and the spiritual path. Analyzing their symbolic meanings offers insight into art, rituals, dreams, and our deepest selves. With awareness, we can integrate the hands’ energies into a greater whole, actualizing the full spectrum of our humanity.