DACTYLIOMANCY, DACTYLOMANCY: Divination using rings. Most frequently dactylomancy is done in the form of radiesthesia (divination using a pendulum) and the ring is suspended over various objects. One form uses rings of various metals placed on the fingernails in patterns in conjunction with the planets. Sources indicate it is often used for dowsing.
DAPHNOMANCY: Divination by interpreting a burning laurel branch. If the fire crackles it is a positive sign. A form of pyromancy.
DEMONOMANCY: Divination by evoking demons to reveal information.
DENDROMANCY: Divination interpreting trees, especially oak or mistletoe.
DERVISHING: The practice of whirling into a state of ecstasy. Sometimes cited as a form of Gyromancy (divination by interpreting the fall of a person who whirls until they are dizzy and fall down).
DIRECT WRITING: Term for a spirit writing without human or mechanical assistance. Distinct from Autography, Automatic Writing and Psychography which are done through human beings.
DIVINATION: The art of using magickal tools and symbols to gather information from the Collective unconscious on the nature of people. places, things, and events in the past, present and future. Also known as Dukkerin, Dukkering.
DIVINER: See Ariolater.
DIVINING ROD: A forked rod or branched which is used to for dowsing (locating things underground). Also known as Dowsing Rod.
DOWSING: Divination to find a person, place, thing or element in buried in the earth. Dowsing will often involve using a pendulum (radiesthesia) or divining rod (rhabdomancy).
DOWSING ROD: A forked rod or branched which is used to for dowsing (locating things underground). Also known as Divining Rod.
DUBJED: Tibetan term for Catoptromancy.
DUKKERIN, DUKKERING: Romany term for Divination.
E ENOPTROMANCY: See Catoptromancy.
ENTOMANCY: Divination interpreting the appearance and behavior of insects. A form of augury.
EXTISPICIUM:
See Aruspicy.
A tool used in the practice of exitispicium, exitispicy, aruspicy, haruspicy.
EXTISPICY: See Aruspicy.
F FENG SHUI (Chinese, feng shui: "wind and water"): The ancient Chinese practice of studying and following the natural currents of the Earth to ensure the proper alignment with them so that Qi is not disrupted. Feng Shui is used to determine the suitability and layout of homes, businesses, burial grounds and temples. FRACTOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the structure of fractal geometric patterns.
G GASTROMANCY: Divination by interpreting the sounds or signs on the belly. Gastromancy is most frequently reported as a voice emanating from the belly and it has been dismissed by most occult investigators as a form of ventriloquism and trickery. An ancient description of another gastromancy technique described placing a child in front of a glass filled with water and illuminating the glass. Divination was done by interpreting the images in the glass.
GELOSCOPY: Divination by interpreting laughter.
GEMATRIA: A system of discovering truths and hidden meanings behind words, using numerical values for letters of the alphabet. Each letter corresponds to a number. The numerical values of words are totaled and interpreted in terms of other words with the same numerical value. Gematria dates back to the 8th century B.C. Babylon, and has been used by most mystics since that time including the Magi, Gnostics, and Quabbalists. Notarikon is a form of gematria in which the first and last letters of a word or phrase are put together to create a new word, or to turn a word into a phrase. Temurah is a form of gematria that creates anagrams through systematic letter substitutions. See also: Numerology.
GENETHIALOGY: Divination by interpreting the influence of the stars at birth to predict the future. A form of astrology.
GEOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the Element of Earth. Forms include scattering and throwing dirt, gravel or sand, interpreting lines or figures traced in earth, and observation of earth formations. Ley line interpretation and Feng Shui are forms of Geomancy.
GRAPHOLOGY: Divination and character analysis by interpreting handwriting.
GYROMANCY: Divination by walking or whirling in a circle until dizzy and interpreting the point of the person's fall. The circle used is often laid out with letters. Some sources include Dervishing (whirling into an ecstasy) as a form of gyromancy.
H HALOMANCY: See Alomancy.
HAKATA: Bones, dice, seeds or shells used for divination.
HARUSPEX: See Ariolater.
HARUSPICY: See Aruspicy.
HEPATOMANCY, HEPATOSCOPY: Divination by examining the liver of an animal. A form of aruspicy (divination with animal entrails).
HIEROMANCY, HIEROSCOPY: Divination by interpreting sacrificial objects such as burnt offerings or slaughtered animals. Similar to aruspicy (interpretation of animal entrails).
HIPPOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the appearance and behavior of horses. A form of augury.
HOROSCOPE: An astrological chart for a specific person or group that charts and correlates the signs of the zodiac as they are crossed by the sun, moon and planets and the position of planets in the twelve astrological houses.
HOROSCOPY: Divination and character analysis by interpreting a horoscope
HYDATOSCOPY: Divination by interpreting rainwater. A form of Hydromancy.
HYDROMANCY: Divination by interpreting water including its color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool. Also known as Ydromancy.
I I CHING: See the Book of Changes.
ICHTHYOMANCY:
Divination interpreting the appearance and behavior of fish. A form of augury (divination by interpreting the appearance or behavior of animals);
Divination interpreting the entrails of fish. A form of aruspicy (divination by interpreting animal entrails).
IDOLOMANCY: Divination by interpreting idols, images or figures.
J~K KEPHALONOMANCY: See Cephalomancy.
L LAMPADOMANCY: Divination by interpreting a candle or lamp, usually the flame. A form of pyromancy.
LECANOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the sound or image of an object or substance falling into a body of water.
LESSER ARCANA: The 56 suit cards in a Tarot deck that assist in fleshing out the situations indicated by the Trump Cards (Major Arcana), or indicate smaller occurrences in our lives. Also known as the Minor Arcana.
LIBRANOMANCY: Divination by interpreting smoke from incense. A form of capnomancy. Also known as Livanomancy.
LITHOMANCY: Divination using precious or semiprecious stones either by interpreting light reflected from stones (crystallomancy, scrying) or casting them and interpreting the way they fall (sortilege).
LIVANOMANCY: See Libranomancy.
LOGARITHMANCY: Divination by interpreting logarithms.
LUNOMANCY: Divination by interpreting moonlight on a person's face dusted with silver. A form of Selenomancy.
LYCHNOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the flames of three candles. Similar to Lampodomancy.
M MACHAROMANCY: Divination by interpreting knives or swords.
MAJOR ARCANA: The 22 Trump Cards depicting dominant occurrences in a Tarot deck.
MARGARITOMANCY: Divination using pearls and interpreting the light reflected or the way they fall. Similar to Lithomancy.
METAGNOMY: Divination by interpreting visions received in a trance state.
METEOROMANCY: Divination by interpreting falling stars (meteors). A form of aeromancy.
METOPOSCOPY: Divination and character analysis through interpreting facial lines and wrinkles, especially of the forehead.
MINOR ARCANA: See Lesser Arcana.
MOLEOSCOPY, MOLEOSOPHY: Divination and character assessment by interpreting moles on the body.
MOLYBDOMANCY: Divination by interpreting molten tin or lead.
MYOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the appearance and behavior of mice. A form of Augury.
MYRMOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the appearance and behavior of ants. A form of augury.
N NECROMANCY: Divination through communication with ghosts or corpses. The spirits of the dead are sought for information because they are supposedly able to access information beyond that available to the living. Necromantic rites are not practiced in Witchcraft or Wicca. Necromancy differs from other forms of divination involving contact with spirits because it is specifically geared to summoning those spirits that are not existing in a "natural" state and therefore they are assumed to be unhappy and/or malicious.
NOTARIKON: A form of gematria in which the first and last letters of a word or phrase are put together to create a new word, or to turn a word into a phrase. Gematria is a system of discovering truths and hidden meanings behind words, using numerical values for letters of the alphabet. Each letter corresponds to a number. The numerical values of words are totaled and interpreted in terms of other words with the same numerical value. Gematria dates back to the 8th century B.C. Babylon, and has been used by most mystics since that time including the Magi, Gnostics, and Quabbalists. Temurah is a form of gematria that creates anagrams through systematic letter substitutions. See also: Numerology.
NUMEROLOGY, NUMEROMANCY: The system of magick and divination developed by Pythagoras. In numerology, all words, names and numbers may be reduced to single digits which correspond to certain occult characteristics that influence one’s life. Numerology is used to analyze a person’s character; assess weaknesses, strengths and natural gifts; predict one’s future and fate; determine the best place to live; and discover the best times to make decisions and take action. See also: Gematria.
O OCULOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the eye.
OENOMANCY, OINOMANCY: Divination by interpreting wine.
OMEN: A sign, preferably found in nature, that foretells either good or bad events.
OMPHALOMANCY, OMPHILOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the navel (bellybutton). Originally omphalomancy involved counting the number of knots in the umbilical cord to predict how many more children a mother would have.
ONEIROMANCY, ONIROMANCY: Divination by interpreting dreams.
ONOMANCY, ONOMOMANCY, ONOMATOMANCY: Divination by interpreting names.
ONYCHOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the fingernails. The original form was to study the reflection of the sun in the nails of a young boy.
OOMANTIA: Divination by interpreting the shape, color, and patterns (when dyed) of an egg.
OOSCOPY: Divination by nurturing an egg and observing the hatching of a chick. Often used to determine the sex of an expected child.
OPHIOMANCY: Divination by observing the appearance and behavior of serpents. A form of augury.
ORACLE: A person who speaks directly to a Deity to divine or prophesize. Also known as Prophet, Theomancer. See Also: Ariolater, Aruspex, Clairvoyant, Diviner, Haruspex, Seer, Soothsayer.
ORNISCOPY, ORINITHOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the appearance and behavior of birds, especially their flight or song. A form of augury.
OUIJA, OUIJA BOARD (French, oui: "yes"; German, ja: "yes"): A divination tool with the alphabet and numbers laid out on a board. Also called a Spirit Board.
OVOMANCY: Divination by interpreting the yolk of an egg.
Divination A-C
Divination P-Z
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