Divination

124. Divination

See also 24. ASTROLOGY ; 174. FUTURE ; 252. MAGIC .

aeromancy

1 . the art or science of divination by means of the air or winds.

2 . Humorous. weather forecasting. Cf. austromancy .

alectoromancy, alectryomancy

a form of divination by recording the letters revealed as a cock eats kernels of corn that cover them.

aleuromancy

an old form of divination using meal or flour. —aleuromantic , adj.

alomancy

halomancy.

alphitomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of barley.

ambulomancy

a form of divination involving walking, usually in circles. Cf. gyromancy .

amniomancy

a form of divination by examining the embryonic sac or amniotic fluid.

anthracomancy

the art of divination through the study of burning coals. —anthracomantic , adj.

anthropomancy

a form of divination using the entrails of dead men. —anthropomantist , n. —anthropomantic , adj.

arithmancy

numerology.

armomancy

a form of divination involving the shoulders of animals. Cf. spatulamancy .

aspidomancy

a form of divination involving examination of a shield.

astragalomancy

a form of divination involving dice or knuckle-bones, in which letters are marked on the faces of the dice and the future is foretold from the words formed as the dice fall. Also called cleromancy .

astrology

a form of divination involving the relative positions of heavenly bodies. Also called genethlialogy, genethliacs .

astromancy

divination by observation of the stars. Also called sideromancy .

augury

1 . the art of f oretelling the future by means of signs, originally by the flight of birds; divination.

2 . an omen or portent from which the future is foretold. —augur , n. —augurial , adj. —augurous , adj.

austromancy

divination by observing the winds, especially the south wind. Cf. aeromancy .

axinomancy

a form of divination involving the use of an axhead. —axinomantic , adj.

belomancy

divination in which marks or words are placed on arrows which are then drawn from a quiver at random.

bibliomancy

a form of divination using books or the Bible in which passages are chosen at random and the future foretold from them.

botanomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of plants.

capnomancy

a form of divination involving smoke.

cartomancy

a form of divination involving playing cards.

catoptromancy

a form of divination involving a crystal ball or mirrors.

cephalomancy

a form of divination involving the head.

ceraunomancy

a form of divination involving thunder or thunderbolts.

ceromancy

a form of divination involving dropping melted wax into water.

chalcomancy

a form of divination involving brass vessels.

chaomancy

a form of divination involving aerial visions.

chiromancy, cheiromancy

palmistry.

chronomancy

a divination to determine the precise time for action.

cleidomancy, clidomancy

a form of divination involving a key or keys.

cleromancy

astragalomancy.

coscinomancy

a form of divination involving a sieve and shears. —coscinomantic , adj.

crithomancy

a form of divination involving the strewing of grain over the bodies of sacrificed animals. —crithomantic , adj.

crystallomancy

a form of divination involving crystal-gazing.

cubomancy

Rare. a form of divination involving thrown dice. —cubomantic , adj.

dactyliomancy

a form of divination involving finger rings.

demonomancy

a form of divination involving a demon or demons.

empyromancy

a form of divination involving a fire and smoke.

enoptromancy

a form of divination involving a mirror and its reflections.

extispicy

haruspicy. —extispex , n. —extispicious , adj.

gastromancy

1 . a form of divination involving listening to stomach sounds.

2 . a form of divination by gazing into a crystal ball or a glass full of water. Cf. crystallomancy . Also called crystal-gazing . —gastromantic , adj.

geloscopy, gelotoscopy

a form of divination that determines a person’s character or future from the way he laughs.

genethlialogy, genethliacs

astrology.

geomancy

a form of divination that analyzes the pattern of a handful of earth thrown down at random or of dots made at random on paper. —geomancer , n.

graphology

1 . a form of divination involving analysis of handwriting. Also graptomancy .

2 . a technique of personality analysis involving the examination of handwriting.

graptomancy

graphology def. 1.

gyromancy

a form of divination involving walking in a circle. Cf. ambulomancy .

halomancy

a form of divination involving the use of salt. Also called alomancy .

hariolation

the act or art of prognostication or divination; soothsaying.

haruspicy, haruspication

a form of divination from lightning and other natural phenomena, but especially from inspection of the entrails of animal sacrifices. Also called extispicy . —haruspex , n. —haruspical , adj.

hematomancy, haematomancy

divination by means of blood.

hieromancy

a form of divination involving sacrificial remains or sacred objects. Also called hieroscopy .

hippomancy

a form of divination involving the observation of horses, especially by listening to their neighing.

horoscopy

1 . the art of casting horoscopes or divinations based upon the relative positions of heavenly bodies.

2 . the position of the sun and stars at the time of a person’s birth. —horoscoper, horoscopist , n.

hydromancy

a form of divination involving observations of water or of other liquids.

ichnomancy

the analysis of the personality and appearance of people by studying their footprints. —ichnomantic , adj.

ichthyomancy

a form of divination involving the head or entrails of fishes.

idolomancy

a form of divination involving idols.

lampadomancy

a form of divination involving observation of the flame of a torch or lamp. Cf. lychnomancy .

lecanomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of water in a basin.

lithomancy

a form of divination involving rocks or stones.

logarithmomancy

a form of divination involving logarithms.

logomancy

a form of divination involving the observation of words and discourse.

lychnomancy

a form of divination involving lamps. Cf. lampadomancy .

manticism

the art of divination and prophecy. —mantic , adj.

mantology

Obsolete, the art of fortune-telling. —mantologist , n.

margaritomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of pearls.

meteoromancy

a form of divination involving the observation of meteors.

metopomancy

Rare. a form of divination involving examination of facial features.

molybdomancy

Rare. a form of divination by studying the motion of molten lead.

moromancy

a form of divination that is flawed or foolish.

myomancy

a form of divination through observation of the movements of mice.

necromancy

1 . the magic practiced by a witch or sorcerer.

2 . a form of divination through communication with the dead. Also called nigromancy . —necromancer, necromant, nigromancien , n. —necromantie , adj.

nephelognosy

divination by the observation of clouds.

nomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of letters, possibly from a graphological point of view. Cf. onomancy .

numerology

a form of divination involving numbers. Also called arithmancy .

oenomancy, oinomancy

a form of divination involving observation of the colors and other features of wine.

omoplatoscopy

a form of divination involving the examination of shoulder blades. Cf. armomancy, scapulomancy, spatulamancy .

omphalomancy

a form of divination in which the number of knots in a new-born’s umbilical cord are counted to foretell the number of children the mother will have later.

oneiromancy

a form of divination involving dreams. —oneiromancer , n.

onomancy, onomomancy

a form of divination involving the letters of a name. Cf. nomancy .

onychomancy

a form of divination involving examination of the fingernails.

oomancy

a form of divination involving eggs.

ophiomancy

a form of divination involving snakes.

ornithomancy, ornithoscopy

a form of divination involving the observation of birds, especially in flight.

osteomancy, osteomanty

divination by the examination of bones. —osteomantic , adj.

palmistry

a form of divination involving analysis of the appearance of the hand, especially of its various lines. Also called chiromancy, cheiromancy .

pedomancy

a form of divination involving the study of the soles of the feet. Also called podomancy .

pegomancy

a form of divination by studying springs or fountains. —pegomantic , adj.

pessomancy

a form of divination involving pebbles. Also called psephology, psephomancy .

phyllomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of leaves.

podomancy

pedomancy.

psephology

pessomancy.

psephomancy

1 . pessomancy

2 . a form of divination involving the study of marks made on pebbles which are drawn at random from a container.

pseudomancy

a form of divination that is deliberately false or misleading.

psychomancy

a form of divination involving communication with the spirits of the dead.

pyromancy

a form of divination involving fire or flames.

pythonism

a form of divination in the manner of Pythia, the Delphic priestess.

rhabdomancy

a form of divination involving a rod or wand, especially to locate objects or materials beneath the ground, as water or precious metals; dowsing.

rhapsodomancy

a form of divination involving verses.

scapulomancy

a form of divination in which a shoulder blade is heated in a fire and the resulting cracks in the bone are consulted for omens. Cf. armomancy, omoplatoscopy, spatulamancy . —scapulomantic , adj.

scatomancy

a form of divination by examination of excrement.

schematomancy

divination of a person’s future from observation of physical appearance.

sciomancy

a form of divination through communication with the spirits of the dead. —sciomantic , adj.

scyphomancy

a form of divination involving the use of a cup.

selenomancy

a form of divination involving observation of the moon.

sibyl

Ancient Greece and Rome. a woman with oracular or prophetic powers, the most celebrated being that of Cumae. —sibyllic , —sibylic, sibylline , adj.

sibyllist

1 . a believer in or follower of the sibyls.

2 . a believer in their prophecies.

sideromancy

1 . astrom ancy.

2 . a form of divination involving observation of the sparks, shapes formed, etc., when straws are burnt against a red-hot iron.

sortilege

a form of divination involving drawing lots.

spasmatomancy

a form of divination used to foretell disease by observing spasms or twitching of the potential sufferer’s body.

spatilomancy, spatalamancy

a form of divination involving the examination of animal feces.

spatulamancy

a form of divination by means of an animal’s shoulder blade. Cf. armomancy, omoplatoscopy, scapuloniancy . —spatulamantic , adj.

spodomancy

a form of divination through the uses of ashes. —spodomantic , adj.

sternomancy

a form of divination involving examination of the breastbone.

stichomancy

a form of divination involving lines of poetry or passages from books.

stignomancy

a form of divination involving the examination of writing on or carving in the bark of a tree.

sycomancy

a form of divination involving figs or fig leaves.

telegnosis

clairvoyance or other occult or supernatural knowledge.

tephramancy, tephromancy

a form of divination involving the examination of the ashes remaining af ter a sacrifice.

theomancy

a form of divination involving the responses of oracles or other soothsayers.

theriomancy

1 . a form of divination involving wild beasts.

2 . a form of divination based upon observation of the movements of animals. Cf. zoomancy .

tyromancy

a form of divination involving observation of cheese, especially as it coagulates.

uromancy

Rare. a form of divination by studying urine. —uromantic , adj.

xylomancy

a form of divination involving pieces of wood.

zoomancy

a form of divination based upon the observation of animals or their movements under certain circumstances. Cf. theriomancy .