Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about palm leaf readings, the Nadi tradition, and what to expect from your journey.
Understanding Palm Leaves
The ancient tradition, its origins, and how it all works
Is there a palm leaf for everybody?
No, not everybody has a palm leaf written for them. However, those people who feel a strong calling to search for their leaf often have one waiting for them.
The Rishis inscribed leaves for specific souls they foresaw seeking guidance across time. If you have found your way to this tradition, that in itself is often a sign that your leaf may exist.
Who wrote the palm leaves?
According to the legend, the palm leaves were written many thousands of years ago by the "Rishis" — a group of sages whose consciousness was far more developed than that of human beings today. Their awareness was vast enough to perceive and record the life paths of specific individuals across all eras.
They also had extraordinary lifespans of many hundreds to thousands of years, which allowed them to accumulate wisdom beyond our modern comprehension. The tradition holds that the Sapta Rishis (seven sages), most notably Agastya, were the primary authors of the leaves.
Where are the palm leaves?
The palm leaves are stored in palm leaf libraries located mainly in the south of India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. There are also a few smaller libraries in the north of India, Sri Lanka, and Bali.
These libraries are typically maintained by families of readers who have protected the manuscripts for many generations. Mypalmleaf works closely with trusted libraries to conduct your search on your behalf.
How many palm leaves and palm leaf libraries are there?
No one knows exactly how many palm leaves or libraries exist in the world. There is no centralised registry or governing body — the tradition has been preserved independently by individual families across many generations.
What is known is that the libraries collectively hold an extraordinary number of manuscripts, estimated at over a million leaves.
Who are the palm leaf readers?
The readers Mypalmleaf works with have been trained for many generations — the ancient art of reading the palm leaves has been passed down from father to son for centuries. They are located in Tamil Nadu, in the south of India.
Reading the leaves requires the ability to decipher ancient Tamil script, decode poetic and metaphorical language, and match the coded descriptions to a living person. It is a rare and deeply specialised skill.
How could the Rishis know and write about modern technology, names, etc.?
The palm leaves were written in ancient Tamil — a very poetic language that describes situations, meanings, and experiences rather than using our modern vocabulary. References to modern technology, for example, are expressed through metaphorical descriptions that the translator decodes into contemporary language.
It is the vital role of the translator to transform these long, poetic sentences into clear modern English — this is a highly skilled process that requires deep knowledge of both languages.
Tamil is also a sound-based language. Deciphering western names is therefore often an elaborate process: the reader reads the sounds of the symbols, and together with the translator and the seeker, the name is gradually identified.
Why are there different formats of palm leaf readings?
The history of Nadi is a mixture of legend and mystery that works in miraculous ways. It is said that the palm leaves were written by the Sapta Rishis — a group of seven (sapta) sages. This means an individual can have up to seven different versions of their biography, one written by each Rishi.
The main author of the palm leaves is the Rishi "Agastya", though different formats of Nadi exist by the same and different authors. The libraries Mypalmleaf works with primarily read from the Rishi Agastya — but leaves from other Rishis are available on request.
What is the difference between Nadi and other forms of astrology?
Most forms of astrology calculate a birth chart based on the positions of planets at the time of your birth, and from this general pattern, a reader interprets themes and tendencies. The reading is therefore dependent on the astrologer's skill and interpretation.
Nadi is fundamentally different: your leaf was written specifically for you — by name, with your parents' names, relationships, key life events, and soul's purpose described in detail. It is not a calculation or interpretation. It is, according to the tradition, a direct transcription of your individual soul's journey as perceived by the ancient Rishis.
Do children have palm leaves?
Yes, children can have palm leaves. The tradition does not restrict leaves to adults — the Rishis inscribed leaves for souls of all ages. Many parents have initiated searches for their children and discovered that leaves exist for them.
However, because the matching process relies on confirming statements about one's life, parents typically facilitate the session on behalf of younger children. For adolescents, it is often possible for them to participate directly with parental presence. We recommend contacting us to discuss the best approach for your child's age and situation.
Is this fortune-telling? Is my future already fixed?
No — and this distinction matters enormously. The palm leaves are not fortune-telling in the way the word is commonly understood. They do not present a fixed, inevitable script that will unfold regardless of what you do. They reveal the likely trajectory of your soul's journey based on the karma and patterns you carry — a kind of deeply personalised map, not a sentence.
The very existence of the remedies makes this clear. If the future were fixed and unchangeable, there would be no point in prescribing mantras, ceremonies, or acts of service. The Rishis offered these tools precisely because transformation is possible — because karma can be worked with, redirected, and in some cases resolved entirely.
Think of the leaf less as a prophecy and more as a letter from an ancient sage who could see your patterns with extraordinary clarity, and who cared enough to leave you guidance for navigating them. What you do with that guidance is always yours to choose.
The reading offers a wider perspective on your life — including its challenges. It is ultimately an invitation to greater awareness and conscious choice, not a verdict.
What if I'm not spiritual or religious — is this still for me?
Completely. You do not need to hold any particular spiritual or religious belief to have a meaningful palm leaf experience. Many of the people who come to Mypalmleaf are secular, scientifically-minded, or simply curious — and some of the most profound readings happen for people who didn't expect to be moved at all.
What the reading offers, at its most fundamental level, is a deeply personalised perspective on your life — your patterns, your relationships, your strengths, the karma you carry, and the path ahead. That kind of self-knowledge has value regardless of the framework you use to understand it.
You don't need to believe in the Rishis the way someone might believe in a deity. You just need to be open enough to receive what is offered, and honest enough to notice when it resonates. The rest tends to take care of itself.
The Reading Experience
What to expect before, during, and after your session
Would it be better to come to a library in India in person?
The information received during a Zoom palm leaf reading is delivered in exactly the same way as what you would receive in person at an authentic palm leaf library in India.
Of course, the entire journey of travelling to India — to such a mystical and sacred place — is a beautiful pilgrimage in its own right. If you are able to travel to India to visit a library, that is wonderful. But having the reading online, in the moment you truly need it, is often more beneficial than waiting years for the right opportunity to travel. When you follow your intuition, you will know when the right time has come.
How long does the reading take?
On average, the matching process and reading together take around 2.5 to 4 hours. However, we cannot say in advance exactly how long it will take, as this depends entirely on when — or if — your leaf is found.
Once your personal leaf is identified, the reading of the general chapter and chapter 14 takes around 1 to 2 hours. We recommend blocking out the full day to be relaxed and unhurried.
Is it possible that my leaf cannot be found?
Yes. It is possible that your leaf cannot be found — and this is not uncommon. There can be different reasons: it may be that no leaf was written for you, or it may simply not be the right time yet.
We make sure to conduct a thorough search. If your leaf cannot be found, we recommend waiting at least 30 days before initiating a new search. If three searches on suitable dates do not yield your leaf, you will receive a full refund.
How should I prepare for a reading?
Practically: make sure you are in a quiet, undisturbed place with a good internet connection. Have a glass of water nearby and avoid scheduling anything immediately after.
Internally: approach the session rested, open, and with a sense of reverence. A compassionate sage wrote your life prediction thousands of years ago — preserved across countless generations to be read to you today. The more consciously you receive it, the more deeply the wisdom can take root.
Will I be told when I die?
The general chapter may contain information about periods of life danger or your potential passing. If you do not wish to hear about such matters, simply inform the moderator at the beginning of your reading — this information can be skipped.
If you would like more detail about the timing and circumstances around this, we recommend booking additional chapter 8, which speaks about this specifically.
Can I record my reading, and what language will it be in?
Yes — you are welcome and encouraged to record your reading for personal use. The sheer volume of information shared during a session means it is almost impossible to retain everything in the moment. Having a recording allows you to return to the wisdom many times over.
Readings are conducted live on Zoom with a moderator. The default language is English, but translation into 21+ languages is available for an additional fee of 38€. Please indicate your preferred language when booking.
What exactly happens during the matching process?
The matching process is the phase during which your specific leaf is identified within a bundle of manuscripts. It begins after you send your thumbprint — used to locate the relevant bundle in the library. Once retrieved, the reader opens each leaf and reads a sequence of statements aloud.
Here is what makes this process unique: the palm leaves are written in ancient Tamil, in a deeply poetic, symbolic, and encrypted form. The Rishis did not write plain biographical records — they encoded life information through metaphor, phonetic sound, and layered symbolism. It is the reader's sacred role to decipher this ancient encryption and bring it into the present moment.
This is why the matching is not a simple checklist — it is a collaborative act of deciphering. The reader reads the symbols and sounds; the translator renders them into language; and you, the seeker, help confirm whether the decoded information is true. Together, you are unlocking what was written specifically for you.
For each statement read, you simply answer yes or no. If the statements align, your leaf has been found. If not, the reader moves to the next. This continues until a full match emerges — or the bundle is exhausted.
Why does the language during matching sometimes seem indirect or poetic?
Because the original text is poetic and indirect — by design. Ancient Tamil is a language of imagery and vibration, not a language of plain facts. The Rishis encoded your life's information through sound approximations, metaphorical descriptions, and symbolic phrases. The translator's role is to decode this living poetry and render it in language you can recognise.
This means a parent's name might arrive as a sequence of phonetic sounds rather than a spelled-out word. An event might be described through an image before it becomes clear what it refers to. This is not a flaw in the process — it is the nature of the tradition itself.
Staying patient as statements unfold, rather than immediately dismissing what seems unclear, allows the deciphering to complete. Often what felt ambiguous in one moment becomes unmistakably precise in the next.
What mindset should I bring — and why does it matter?
This is perhaps the most important thing to understand before you begin. The matching process works best when you approach it with trust, openness, and genuine inner stillness.
It is not the reader's role to convince you of anything. The reader is a decipherer — a trained custodian of an ancient encrypted text. The leaf either matches you or it doesn't, and this emerges through quiet collaboration, not performance or persuasion. The reader holds the text; you hold the lived experience. Together, you decode what is written.
Approaching the session in a spirit of testing — arriving with the conscious or unconscious goal of "catching it out" — creates friction in a process that is fundamentally subtle and sacred. Scepticism is understandable, but when it becomes a wall rather than a question, it can prevent the very recognition it is looking for.
Trust is not blind acceptance. It is the willingness to remain open long enough for truth to become visible. The most profound readings happen when the seeker steps in the way one might approach a sacred place: with respect, an open heart, and readiness to receive what has been waiting for them.
Who else is in the Zoom session with me, and what are their roles?
Your reading typically involves three people on the Mypalmleaf side, in addition to you:
The Reader is the palm leaf specialist in India who physically handles the manuscripts, reads the ancient Tamil script aloud, and channels the content of your leaf. They speak Tamil and do not communicate with you directly.
The Translator converts the reader's spoken Tamil into English (or your chosen language) in real time — this is a highly specialised skill that requires mastery of both ancient poetic Tamil and modern spoken language.
The Moderator is your main point of contact throughout the session. They guide you through the matching process, relay your yes/no answers to the reader, explain what is happening at each stage, and ensure you feel comfortable and supported throughout.
Can I ask questions during the reading?
During the matching phase, your role is primarily to listen and respond with yes or no — the process is guided by what is written on the leaf, not by open questioning. This is important to preserve the integrity of the deciphering process.
Once your leaf has been found and the reading of the general chapter begins, there is more room for clarification. If something is unclear, the moderator can help explore it further. However, the reading flows from the leaf — it is not a question-and-answer session in the traditional sense. Think of it as receiving first, and reflecting later.
If you have specific topics you're hoping to understand — a relationship, a career decision, a health concern — the additional chapters are the best way to explore these directly. Each chapter is focused on a specific area of life and can be booked after your initial reading.
What if something in my reading doesn't resonate or seems wrong?
It happens — and it's worth sitting with before drawing conclusions. Some things land immediately and with full clarity; others feel off in the moment but make sense weeks or months later as events unfold. The Rishis were writing about long arcs of a life, and some of what they saw may describe something that hasn't happened yet, or something you haven't fully recognised in yourself yet.
That said, a genuinely inaccurate statement is worth noting. During the session, you can always raise it with the moderator — they can ask the reader to re-examine that part of the leaf, or check whether something was lost in translation.
The team is experienced in handling these moments honestly.The most important thing is to hold what doesn't resonate lightly — neither dismissing the whole reading because of it, nor forcing it to fit. Let it breathe. Many seekers report coming back to their recording months later and recognising things they initially questioned.
How do I need to record the session — is it automatic?
Recording is not done automatically — you will need to start your own recording at the beginning of the Zoom session. In Zoom, you can do this by clicking the "Record" button (usually at the bottom toolbar) and choosing to record to your computer. We strongly encourage you to do this.
The volume of information shared in a reading is simply too great to retain in the moment. Most seekers find that they catch entirely new layers of meaning when they return to the recording days, weeks, or even years later. Consider it a living document of your soul's map.
Pricing & Booking
Costs, what's included, and how the process begins
What are the additional chapters?
Beyond the general chapter and chapter 14 (karma & remedies), the palm leaves are organised into additional chapters, each covering a specific area of life. These are read separately and can be booked after your initial reading.
Chapters cover areas such as: education and early life, siblings and family, mother’s life, property and fortune, children, health and ailments, marriage and relationships, lifespan, father’s life, career and profession, income and gains, past life karma, and spiritual practice. Each chapter is deeply personalised to you.
What is my thumbprint used for?
According to the Nadi tradition, the library is indexed by the thumb lines — the ridges on your thumbprint. These patterns are used to narrow down which bundle of leaves may contain your leaf, reducing the search from millions of manuscripts to a manageable subset.
Men send their right thumb; women send their left thumb. A clear photo taken in good light is all that is required. Your thumbprint is used solely for the search and is handled with complete privacy and care.
What happens if I need to reschedule or if my leaf isn't found?
Life happens — rescheduling is straightforward. Simply contact us via WhatsApp or email and we’ll find a new suitable date for you.
If your leaf is not found across three separate suitable search dates, you will receive a full refund. We stand fully behind this guarantee because we understand the importance of trust in such a sacred and personal experience.
Can I book a reading as a gift for someone else?
Yes — a palm leaf reading is one of the most meaningful gifts you can offer someone. Mypalmleaf has a dedicated gift card that can be purchased for any amount and redeemed by the recipient at a time of their choosing.
The only thing to keep in mind is that a reading works best when the recipient feels genuinely called to it. Gifting it to someone who is open and curious tends to create a far more profound experience than surprising someone who is deeply sceptical. When the timing feels right for them, the leaf is more likely to be found.
How soon can I have a second reading, and what changes?
There is no strict minimum waiting period, but many seekers find that returning too quickly — before having time to integrate and act on what they received — can dilute the experience. The leaf is most alive when you have given its guidance room to work in your life first.
As a general principle, many people return after a significant life transition, after completing the remedies from their first reading, or simply when they feel a new calling toward it. Some return after one year; others after several. The timing tends to be guided by intuition as much as anything else.
If you have not yet explored all the available chapters from your first reading, that is often the most natural next step before initiating a completely new search. Each additional chapter reveals a distinct dimension of your life that was not covered in the general reading.
Remedies & Spiritual Practices
Understanding the sacred tools the Rishis prescribed
What are the remedies?
The main purpose of the palm leaves is to offer guidance — to give a wider perspective on your life and provide specific tools to improve your path. These tools are known as remedies.
The Rishis could see what karma an individual would carry, and which likely obstacles would arise as a result. They also foresaw exactly what practices or actions would help to transform that karma or shield the seeker from its most harmful effects. Chapters 13 and 14 typically speak about old karma and offer solutions in the form of remedies.
Remedies can take many forms: simple acts of service (donating money, feeding animals, giving clothing), pilgrimages to sacred places, specific mantras, yantras, poojas, homas, or japa practices.
Do I have to perform the remedies?
The remedies are guidance — never obligations. You are entirely free to choose which, if any, you wish to follow. Many seekers find great meaning in them and experience profound shifts; others receive the reading as wisdom and find their own way to integrate it.
That said, if a remedy resonates with you, following it wholeheartedly tends to bring the deepest results. The Rishis prescribed them with great precision — they are personalised to your karma, not generic prescriptions.
What is karma?
The word “karma” translates as “action”. Every action of body, speech, and mind that we have ever committed leaves an energetic imprint in our energy field. These imprints create tendencies — and these tendencies create frequencies that attract certain experiences into our lives.
The Rishis could perceive which past actions had created which frequencies, and what likely outcomes they would produce. They also foresaw which specific spiritual practices would invoke the precise energy needed to transform or balance that harmful frequency. The remedies are therefore highly targeted energetic medicines for the soul.
How do the remedies work?
Everything in the universe consists of energy. We are a complex energy field, and based on its frequencies, we attract specific experiences and circumstances. The Rishis could see these patterns and prescribed remedies that work on the level of energy — invoking specific vibrations to shift, balance, or purify the field.
Whether through sound (mantra), form (yantra), ceremony (pooja or homa), or action (service, pilgrimage), each remedy addresses a specific imbalance in a way that aligns with the laws of the cosmos as perceived by the ancient seers.
What is a mantra?
A mantra is a sound vibration in the Sanskrit language that invokes and carries a specific frequency and energy. By chanting a mantra — either aloud or internally — we invoke the particular energy that corresponds to that vibration, calling forth specific blessings, protection, or transformation.
What is a yantra?
In the same way that a mantra is energy expressed through sound, a yantra is energy expressed through geometric form. It is a specific frequency made visible — a sacred diagram that can exist in 2D (as an image) or 3D (as a physical object) and acts as a focal point for a particular cosmic energy.
What is a pooja?
A pooja is a sacred ceremony, often held in honour of a specific Hindu deity. The deities are essentially personifications of specific cosmic energies. When a pooja is performed for a particular deity on behalf of a person, that specific energy is invoked and directed into that person’s life, bringing blessings, protection, or transformation in the corresponding area.
What is a homa?
A homa is a more elaborate and powerful form of pooja, conducted as a fire ceremony. Fire is considered one of the most potent transformational forces in Vedic tradition — it purifies, transmits, and connects the earthly with the divine.
The homa honours and invokes specific deities and invites their blessings into the life of the person for whom it is performed. It is particularly powerful for deep karmic clearing.
What is japa?
How long do the remedies take to have an effect?
Still Have Questions?
Our team is available around the clock to answer anything — whether you're curious about the tradition, wondering if this is right for you, or ready to take the next step.