Divination Words: “spatalamancy” to “zygomancy”,
Part 9 of 9
Words including: -mancy, -mancer, -mantic, -mantical (Greek: used as a suffix; divination, prophecy; to interpret signs so “practical” decisions can be made [related to -mania])
Divination refers to the methods or practices of attempting to foretell the future or discovering the unknown through omens, oracles, or with supernatural powers; prophesying or predicting the future; methods of "fortune telling".
spatalamancy, spatalomancy, spatilomancy:
Divination by the observation of animal droppings, feces, or their skins and bones. There is a “modern” divination, splatomancy, that utilizes the patterns of bird droppings on a car.
spatulamancy, spatulomancy, spealomancy:
Divination by observing or examining burned, chracked, or charred animal shoulder blades.
spheromancy:
Divination with a crystal ball.
sphondulomancy:
Divination with spindles.
splanchomancy:
Divination in the form of anthropomancy practiced by ancient Etruscans from the study of the entrails of sacrificed victims.
spodomancy:
Divination by examining ashes, especially those of a sacrifice.
stareomancy:
Divination through the observations of the ancient elements of fire, earth, air, and water.
stercomancy:
Divination by observing dung or seeds found in dung.
sternomancy:
Divination by examining the breastbone.
stichomancy, stoichomancy:
Another form of bibliomancy, utilizing a random passage from a book for divining the future.
stignomancy:
Divination by examining the writings or carvings on tree bark.
stoicheomancy:
Divination by opening the works of Homer or Virgil and reading orally the first verses seen which are considered prophetic.
stolisomancy:
Divination by the manner in which a person dresses himself. In ancient Rome, Emperor Augustus believed a military revolt was predicted on a particular morning of the occurrence because his attendant (valet) had buckled the emperor’s right sandal on his left foot.
Putting on clothing inside out and buttoning shirts and dresses incorrectly are considered to be common stolisomantic omens.
sycomancy, sychomancy:
Divination by writing names or messages on leaves from a fig tree and letting them dry out; if leaves dried quickly, it was an
evil omen, but a good augury if the leaves dried slowly.
There is a modern version involving ivy leaves that are placed in water for five days and then examined. If they are still fresh and green, this is supposed to mean that the person named will have good health, but spotted, darkened leaves denote illness or misfortune for the persons named depending on the number of such sinister marks.
tasseomancy:
Divination by interpreting the sediment of the tea leaves or coffee grounds that were left after the liquid was been poured off or consumed.
tephromancy, tephramancy:
Divination by examining the ashes from an altar that have been blown or thrown up into the air after consumation of the victims of a sacrifice. Related to spodomancy.
theiromancy, thieromancy:
Divination by observing wild animals and interpreting their behavior and movements.
theomancy:
Mysteries of a divine majesty sought the sacred names; the possessor of such a “science” knew the future, commanded nature, had full power over angels and demons, and could perform miracles; by the answers of divinely inspired oracles.
tiromancy, tyromancy:
Divination by watching cheese coagulate.
topomancy:
Divination by observing the contour of the land.
transataumancy:
Divination by interpreting something seen or heard accidentally or unexpectedly. Trifling mistakes were accepted as omens by the ancient Romans, and even today many people are apt to attribute their good fortune to chance occurrence or coincidence.
trochomancy:
Divination by looking at wheel tracks.
uranomancy:
Divination by observing the sky or natural phenomena in the sky.
urinomancy, urimancy, uromancy:
Divination by interpretating the characteristics of urine or a medical prognosis based on the examination of urine to diagnose diseases.
xenomancy:
Divination by observing the first stranger who appears.
xylomancy:
Divination with small pieces of wood; interpreting the forms or appearance of fallen tree branches or other wood seen on the ground; also the positions of logs and the manner of their burning in a fire. For example, if one falls suddenly, a surprise is due.
ydromancy:
Divination with water (obsolete form of hydromancy).
zoomancy:
Divination with observations of animals or their movements under particular circumstances; imaginary animals that people claim to have seen such as a salamander playing around in a fire or a sea serpent riding ocean waves.
zygomancy:
Divination with weights.
—Demonologia, John Bumpus, page 146; London: 1827.