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Divination
124. DivinationSee also 24. ASTROLOGY ; 174. FUTURE ; 252. MAGIC .
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"Divination." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Divination." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505200135.html "Divination." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505200135.html |
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divination
divination [L divinus, god]. Foretelling the future or discovering what is hidden or unknown, especially through intuitive, occult, or allegedly supernatural means; this includes vaticination, only foretelling the future through esoteric or occult means, but is distinct from prophecy, which does not always imply a magical motive. Abundant commentary from both Celtic and non-Celtic sources testifies to the widespread Celtic belief in divination under many forms. From the earliest times birds, especially the raven and the wren, were thought to have divining powers. Celtic New Year, 1 November (Samain in Old Irish), was a popular time to practise divination, to see who would survive the winter or who would marry a young maiden. Druids, both male and female, were thought adept at divination. In many stories heroes and heroines, notably Deirdre, have their fate foretold at birth. To ignore such warning is to court disaster, as Conaire Mór shows. Divination might take many forms: signs from nature, omens, and dreams. Astrology may have been practised; an early Irish word for astrologer appears to be nél(l)adóir ‘cloud diviner’. At Tara a new king was selected by using a bull in a special rite called tarbfheis, ‘bull feast’. Wood was thought to have special properties for divination. In early Ireland one could learn the future by casting yew wands with ogham inscriptions upon the ground. In Fenian stories, wood shavings may help to find a missing or fugitive person. Fionn mac Cumhaill and Merlin are described as having special powers of divination.
See AWENYDDION; DÍCHETAL DO CHENNAIB; DYN HYSBYS; IMBAS FOROSNAI; SECOND SIGHT; SHAMANISM; SOUS; TEINM LAÍDA. See also Margaret E. Griffiths, Early Vaticination in Welsh with English Parallels (Cardiff, 1937). |
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JAMES MacKILLOP. "divination." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "divination." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-divination.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "divination." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-divination.html |
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divination
divination practice of foreseeing future events or obtaining secret knowledge through communication with divine sources and through omens, oracles, signs, and portents. It is based on the belief in revelations offered to humans by the gods and in extrarational forms of knowledge; it attempts to make known those things that neither reason nor science can discover. It is known that divination by means of crack patterns in shells was practiced in China as early as the 2d cent. BC In the West, before divination spread throughout the Greco-Roman world, various branches of the practice as used by the Chaldaeans were considered superior to all the sciences. Among those branches the most significant were the study of the flight of birds, the study of water and water patterns, the study of the entrails of sacrificial animals (haruspication), and the inspection of animals' shoulder blades (scapulimancy). The Greeks placed their greatest trust in the wisdom of the oracle . Divination was essential to all the religions of classical antiquity; no state and hardly any individual would have dared undertake a significant action without first consulting the gods. Divination persists to the present day in crystal gazing, palmistry, fortune-telling, and astrology.
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"divination." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "divination." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-divinati.html "divination." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-divinati.html |
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Divination
Divination. The art or skill of divining (sc., by use of ‘divinity’ or deity) that which is unknown—e.g. the future, the identity of culprits, lost items, the best partner for marriage, etc. Divination may be entirely divorced from the gods, and usually is undertaken by recognized and designated specialists who use mechanical means or manipulative techniques. J. Collins (Primitive Religion, 1978) attempted a classification of ten methods: (i) by dreams; (ii) by presentiments; (iii) by body actions; (iv) by ordeals; (v) by possession; (vi) by necromancy; (vii) by animals or parts of dead animals; (viii) by mechanical means, using objects; (ix) by patterns in nature; and (x) by observing other patterns, e.g. that death always comes in threes.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Divination." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Divination." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Divination.html JOHN BOWKER. "Divination." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Divination.html |
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divination
div·i·na·tion / ˌdivəˈnāshən/ • n. the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. DERIVATIVES: di·vin·a·to·ry / diˈvinəˌtôrē/ adj. |
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"divination." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "divination." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-divination.html "divination." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-divination.html |
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divination
divination Divination is an act which tries to foretell the future or discover the origin of a situation—usually of a calamity or illness. It does this through the consultation of an oracle or deity by a religious specialist, the diviner.
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GORDON MARSHALL. "divination." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. GORDON MARSHALL. "divination." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-divination.html GORDON MARSHALL. "divination." A Dictionary of Sociology. 1998. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-divination.html |
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divination
divination Foretelling the future by interpreting various signs. Divination is a form of magic with worldwide distribution. Omens are often thought to be found in cards, palms, or the entrails of sacrificed animals.
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"divination." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "divination." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-divination.html "divination." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-divination.html |
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