"divination. Democritus advocated divination. Herodotus provided a record of the prophetic productions resulting from Delphi. Dicaearchus dismissed any notion of the trueness of divination by any means other than dreams and frenzy. Aristophanes mentions an oracle in his comedy ""Knights"". Aristotle wrote On Divination in Sleep, written 350 BCE. Posidonius attempted to elaborate a theory of divination; he envisioned the sight of the future, as a cable might unwind, so insight into the future unfolds within the mind. Chrysippus claimed empirical evidence for the truthfulness of divination. Plutarch advocated the divination at the Oracle of Delphi; he considered enthusiastic prophecy"
"Onychomancy Onychomancy or variously onuchomancy, onychomantia, onycomancy, onymancy (from Greek ""onychos"", 'fingernail', and ""manteia"", 'fortune-telling') is an ancient form of divination using fingernails. It consists of watching the reflection of sunlight on the oiled fingernails of an unpolluted boy, then interpreting the symbols that appear. The fingers where symbols appear allegedly indicate the nature of the coming events, while the location of the symbols on the nail allow to date them. The higher the symbol is situated on the nail, the nearer the events are in the future. The term is also used for a method of chiromancy, consisting of"
"reading health & character from fingernails. Onychomancy Onychomancy or variously onuchomancy, onychomantia, onycomancy, onymancy (from Greek ""onychos"", 'fingernail', and ""manteia"", 'fortune-telling') is an ancient form of divination using fingernails. It consists of watching the reflection of sunlight on the oiled fingernails of an unpolluted boy, then interpreting the symbols that appear. The fingers where symbols appear allegedly indicate the nature of the coming events, while the location of the symbols on the nail allow to date them. The higher the symbol is situated on the nail, the nearer the events are in the future. The term is also used for"
"thought to be used for sacrifices to the gods and that the deity is present within the flames with priests interpreting the omens conveyed. Chiromancy is a form of divination based on reading palms and based on intuitions and symbolism with some symbols tying into astrology. A line from a person's hand that resembles a square is considered a bad omen whereas a triangle would be a good omen. This idea comes from the trine and square aspect in the astrological aspects. Scapulimancy was a form of divination using an animal's scapula. The scapula would be broken and based on"
"Alomancy Alomancy (from Greek ""halo"", 'salt', and ""manteia"", divination), also called Adromancy, ydromancie, idromancie, and halomancy, is an ancient form of divination. Similar to many other forms of divination, the diviner casts salt crystals into the air and interprets the patterns as it falls to the ground or travels through the air. The diviner can also interpret patterns formed from the residue of a salt solution as it evaporates in the bowl. The exact interpretations are unknown, but it probably follows a similar method to aleuromancy. Salt itself is often intertwined with luck and some of this ancient tradition can"
"all having divine causes. Hydromancy, or divination by water, is an Hellenic practice which still survives in the modern era (circa 2013). Necromancy is a divinatory practice of consulting the dead. Pyromancy, divination by fire is a practice that has survived to the modern era (circa 2013). Divination of this type utilizes writings, either by scraps of paper with writing upon them chosen from within a vessel, or by opening a book at random. The first of these two type was practiced by the Sibylline oracles. This is divination by using pebbles. The Thriai were personification of this type of"
"Cromniomancy Cromniomancy is divination by onions. It is usually done by interpreting their sprouting behaviour, after some kind of ritual to state the topic of the divination. This often involves inscribing the onions, dedicating them on an altar or something similar. But cromniomancy is/was also done in idiosyncratic way not involving sprouting them. It is not really known why the onion was chosen for that kind of divination, not other fast-sprouting plants. A look at other divination methods shows that plants used for divination have or had some significance as important food source and/or medicinal herb. The onion is rich"
"Macharomancy Macharomancy (Greek ""makhaira"", a short sword or a dagger, and ""manteia"", prophecy; alternative spellings are machæromancy, machairomancy) is a form of divination by interpreting knives, daggers or swords, one of many methods of divination based on the use of weapons (cf belomancy – by arrows, axinomancy – by axes, and other). There are different methods of macharomancy. Throughout the ages readers gazed into polished knives, daggers or sword blades, interpreted daggers flying and spinning, etc. One of the most popular methods of macharomancy consists of placing a dagger in the center of the circle with letters and numbers. Spirits"
"Ailuromancy Ailuromancy or aeluromancy (from Greek αἴλουρος ""aílouros"" meaning ""cat""), also known as felidomancy, is a form of theriomancy. It is divination using cats' movements or jumps to predict future events, especially the weather. One of the most common methods of ailuromancy utilizes the movements and behaviours of a cat to predict upcoming weather patterns. For example, if the cat turns its tail to a fire or any substituting heat source, it foretells a possible change in weather, particularly the coming of heavy rain or hard frost. Another example is if a cat curls up with its forehead touching the"
"are desperate about finding a sexual partner. It is cited on several Wicca pages on the internet. But in the general occult community it is not considered a serious form of divination or even spiritual enlightenment. Cromniomancy Cromniomancy is divination by onions. It is usually done by interpreting their sprouting behaviour, after some kind of ritual to state the topic of the divination. This often involves inscribing the onions, dedicating them on an altar or something similar. But cromniomancy is/was also done in idiosyncratic way not involving sprouting them. It is not really known why the onion was chosen for"
"Scapulimancy Scapulimancy (also spelled ""scapulomancy"" and ""scapulamancy"", also termed ""omoplatoscopy"" or ""speal bone reading"") is the practice of divination by use of scapulae or speal bones (shoulder blades). In the context of the oracle bones of ancient China, which chiefly utilized both scapulae and the plastrons of turtle, ""scapulimancy"" is sometimes used in a very broad sense to jointly refer to both scapulimancy and plastromancy (similar divination using plastrons). However, the term ""osteomancy"" might be more appropriate, referring to divination using bones. Many archaeological sites along the south coast and offlying islands of the Korean peninsula show that deer and"
"Carromancy Carromancy (from Greek ""carro"", 'waxen', and ""manteia"", 'divination'), otherwise known as ceromancy, is a form of divination involving wax. One of the most common methods of carromancy is to heat wax until molten, then to pour it directly into cold water. The shapes and movements of the wax as it cools and solidifies can then allegedly be read to forecast auguries of the future. Another method more commonly practiced in the contemporary era is studying the burning of an ordinary candle. The movements and erratic actions of the flame are then said to predict the future. Carromancy also has"
"religious and medicinal. Specialized diviners called Ob'guega (doctor of Oguega oracle), as well as Ob'Oronmila (doctor of Oronmila oracle) from the Edo people of West Africa for thousands have used divination as a means of foretelling the past, present and future. These diviners are initiated and trained in Iha (divination) of either Ominigbon or Oronmila (Benin Orunmila). The Yoruba people of West Africa are internationally known for having developed the Ifá system, an intricate process of divination that is performed by an ""Awo"", an initiated priest or priestess of Orunmila, the spirit of the Yoruba oracle. Divination Divination (from Latin"
"the bone. A clear scapula was a good omen. Shadowy bits had their interpretation and by this they used to predict the outcome of a battle on the morrow, death or survival. In Renaissance magic, scapulimancy (known as ""spatulamancy"") was classified as one of the seven ""forbidden arts,"" along with necromancy, geomancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and hydromancy. Scapulimancy Scapulimancy (also spelled ""scapulomancy"" and ""scapulamancy"", also termed ""omoplatoscopy"" or ""speal bone reading"") is the practice of divination by use of scapulae or speal bones (shoulder blades). In the context of the oracle bones of ancient China, which chiefly utilized both"
"Oneirology Oneirology (; from Greek ""ὄνειρον"", ""oneiron"", ""dream""; and -""λογία"", -""logia"", ""the study of"") is the scientific study of dreams. Current research seeks correlations between dreaming and current knowledge about the functions of the brain, as well as understanding of how the brain works during dreaming as pertains to memory formation and mental disorders. The study of oneirology can be distinguished from dream interpretation in that the aim is to quantitatively study the process of dreams instead of analyzing the meaning behind them. In the 19th century two advocates of this discipline were the French sinologists Marquis d'Hervey de Saint"
"written in ancient runes, to Hermione. Divination is the art of predicting the future. Various methods are described, including tea leaves, fire omens, crystal balls, palmistry, cartomancy (including the reading of conventional playing cards and the tarot), astrology, and dream interpretations. Divination is described by Professor McGonagall as ""one of the most imprecise branches of magic"". Supporters of the subject claim that it is an inexact science that requires innate gifts such as the ""Inner Eye"". Those opposed claim that the subject is irrelevant and fraudulent. Harry is first taught Divination by Professor Trelawney, and then later by Firenze after"
"Aleuromancy Aleuromancy is the use of flour for divination. The word comes from the Greek ""aleuron"", meaning flour, and ""manteia"", meaning divination. Divination with flour is attested in cuneiform tablets from the 2nd millennium BCE. Flour was poured out in small heaps and the interpretation was based on the observation of their shapes and orientation. In its original form, slips of paper containing philosophical writings would be baked inside of cakes or cookies, which would then be distributed to those wishing their fortunes to be told. Similarly, the Greeks would bake slips of paper with sentences on them inside of"
"Aeromancy Aeromancy (from Greek ἀήρ ""aḗr"", ""air"", and ""manteia"", ""divination"") is divination conducted by interpreting atmospheric conditions. Alternate spellings include arologie, aeriology and aërology. Aeromancy uses cloud formations, wind currents and cosmological events such as comets to attempt to divine the future. There are sub-types of this practice which are as follows: austromancy (wind divination), ceraunoscopy (observing thunder and lightning), chaomancy (aerial vision), meteormancy (meteors and shooting stars), and nephomancy (cloud divination). The first recorded instance of the word ""aeromancy"" being used was found in Chambers, Cycl. Supp, 1753. It was defined as ""That department of science which treats of"
"ground, it indicates that storms will happen in the near future. Ailuromancy Ailuromancy or aeluromancy (from Greek αἴλουρος ""aílouros"" meaning ""cat""), also known as felidomancy, is a form of theriomancy. It is divination using cats' movements or jumps to predict future events, especially the weather. One of the most common methods of ailuromancy utilizes the movements and behaviours of a cat to predict upcoming weather patterns. For example, if the cat turns its tail to a fire or any substituting heat source, it foretells a possible change in weather, particularly the coming of heavy rain or hard frost. Another example"
"Cleromancy Cleromancy is a form of sortition, casting of lots, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God, or other supernatural entities. In ancient Rome fortunes were told through the casting of lots or ""sortes"". Casting of lots occurs relatively frequently in the Bible, and many biblical scholars think that the Urim and Thummim served this purpose. The Hebrew Bible contains several examples of the casting of lots as a means of determining God's will: Other places in"
"on hand to another to create a pattern of eight to sixteen marks ""Odù"" – onto a tray of ""iyerosun"", or consecrated termite dust from the Irosun tree. The casting itself is called ""Dafá"" in Yoruba language speaking areas in West Africa. Similar to I Ching, this form of divination forms a binary-like series of eight broken or unbroken pairs. This allows for 256 combinations, each of which references sets of tonal poems that contain a structure that includes various issues, problems and adversities and the prescriptions of offerings to correct them. Cleromancy Cleromancy is a form of sortition, casting"
"in his 1889 work ""Historia de vita et doctrina Alberti Magni"". In Renaissance magic, aeromancy was classified as one of the seven ""forbidden arts,"" along with necromancy, geomancy, hydromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and spatulamancy (scapulimancy). Aeromancy Aeromancy (from Greek ἀήρ ""aḗr"", ""air"", and ""manteia"", ""divination"") is divination conducted by interpreting atmospheric conditions. Alternate spellings include arologie, aeriology and aërology. Aeromancy uses cloud formations, wind currents and cosmological events such as comets to attempt to divine the future. There are sub-types of this practice which are as follows: austromancy (wind divination), ceraunoscopy (observing thunder and lightning), chaomancy (aerial vision), meteormancy (meteors"
"Papyromancy Papyromancy is a way of divination through folding paper. Some say a true papyromancer can crumple up any piece of paper, unfold it, and predict the future from the creased lines reading the creased paper the way that a palm reader would read a person’s palm. Another form of papyromancy is done by folding an illustrated piece of paper and interpreting the resulting image. Derived from the Greek papuros (‘paper’) and manteia (‘prophecy’) A paper fortune teller is an origami. A player asks a question and the operator uses an algorithm to manipulate the fortune teller’s shape. Questions, answers,"
"Oracle bone Oracle bones () are pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used for pyromancy – a form of divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. ""Scapulimancy"" is the correct term if ox scapulae were used for the divination; ""plastromancy"" if turtle plastrons were used. Diviners would submit questions to deities regarding future weather, crop planting, the fortunes of members of the royal family, military endeavors, and other similar topics. These questions were carved onto the bone or shell in oracle bone script using a sharp tool. Intense heat was then applied with"
"Gyromancy Gyromancy is a method of divination in which a person spins around inside or walks the circumference of a circle drawn on the ground, the perimeter of which is marked with the letters of an alphabet. The divination is inferred from the letter at the position where the person either stumbles or falls across the circle’s edge. The person would repeat the practice ""...till he evolved an intelligible sentence, or till death or madness intervened."" The dizziness brought on by spinning or circling is intended to introduce randomness or to facilitate an altered state of consciousness. The word is"
"in a number of books, films and television shows, including: Palmistry Palmistry, or chiromancy (also spelled cheiromancy; from Greek ""kheir"" (χεῖρ, ός; ""hand"") and ""manteia"" (μαντεία, ας; ""divination""), is the claim of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm, also known as chirology, or in popular culture as palm reading. The practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Those who practice chiromancy are generally called ""palmists"", ""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,"
"Belomancy Belomancy, also bolomancy, is the ancient art of divination by use of arrows. The word is built upon Greek βέλος ""belos"", ""arrow, dart"" and μαντεία ""manteia"" ""divination"". Belomancy was anciently practised at least by Babylonians, Greeks, Arabs and Scythians. The arrows were typically marked with occult symbols and had to have feathers for every method. In one method, different possible answers to a given question were written and tied to each arrow. For example, three arrows would be marked with the phrases, ""God orders it me"", ""God forbids it me"", and the third would be blank. The arrow that"
"Oneirophrenia Oneirophrenia (from the Greek words ""ὄνειρος"" (""oneiros"", ""dream"") and ""φρήν"" (""phrēn"", ""mind"")) is a hallucinatory, dream-like state caused by several conditions such as prolonged sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, or drugs (such as ibogaine). Oneirophrenia is often confused with an acute case of schizophrenia due to the onset of hallucinations. The severity of this condition can range from derealization to complete hallucinations and delusions. Oneirophrenia was described for the first time in the 1950s but was studied more in the 1960s. Although it is still cited in diagnostic manuals of psychiatry, such as DSM-IV and in the International Statistical Classification"
"of Orunmila, who communicates Orunmila's desires to the Babalawo and from the Babalawo back to Orunmila. It is used for the majority of daily divination work. For divination regarding important ceremonial revelations or life-long information about a client or for very important decisions, Babalawos elect to use their Ikin seeds, which they consider to be the physical representation of Orunmila himself. Opele An Opele (spelled Opuele or Ocuele in Latin America) is a divination chain used in traditional African and Afro-American religions, notably in Ifá and Yoruba tradition. A Babalawo (diviner) uses the Opele in order to communicate with the"
"Palmistry Palmistry, or chiromancy (also spelled cheiromancy; from Greek ""kheir"" (χεῖρ, ός; ""hand"") and ""manteia"" (μαντεία, ας; ""divination""), is the claim of characterization and foretelling the future through the study of the palm, also known as chirology, or in popular culture as palm reading. The practice is found all over the world, with numerous cultural variations. Those who practice chiromancy are generally called ""palmists"", ""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 evidence for palmistry's predictions,"
"Opele An Opele (spelled Opuele or Ocuele in Latin America) is a divination chain used in traditional African and Afro-American religions, notably in Ifá and Yoruba tradition. A Babalawo (diviner) uses the Opele in order to communicate with the deity of wisdom/knowledge in the Yoruba tradition (Orunmila), who is able to identify the causes and solutions to personal and collective problems and restore harmony in the person's life through re-balancing of the person's destiny and/or Ori (personal deity). The Opele is the minor divination tool used by Babalawos for Ifa divination; it is believed to be an ""assistant"" or ""slave"""
"a result influence the patterns of sleep and dreaming in the subjects. Oneirology Oneirology (; from Greek ""ὄνειρον"", ""oneiron"", ""dream""; and -""λογία"", -""logia"", ""the study of"") is the scientific study of dreams. Current research seeks correlations between dreaming and current knowledge about the functions of the brain, as well as understanding of how the brain works during dreaming as pertains to memory formation and mental disorders. The study of oneirology can be distinguished from dream interpretation in that the aim is to quantitatively study the process of dreams instead of analyzing the meaning behind them. In the 19th century two"
"Alectryomancy Alectryomancy (also called alectoromancy or alectromancy; derivation comes from the Greek words ἀλεκτρυών ""alectryon"" and μαντεία ""manteia"", which mean rooster and divination, respectively) is a form of divination in which the diviner observes a bird, several birds, or most preferably a white rooster or cockerel pecking at grain (such as wheat) that the diviner has scattered on the ground. It was the responsibility of the pullularius to feed and keep the birds used. The observer may place grain in the shape of letters and thus discern a divinatory revelation by noting which letters the birds peck at, or the"