divination - fortune telling - The Skeptic's Dictionary

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<div class="header"> <div class="logo"> <img src="_images/logo_01.png" alt="The Skeptic's Dictionary" width="270" height="60" border="0" />           <br /> by <a href="http://skepdic.com/refuge/bio.html">Robert Todd Carroll</a> * est. 1994 </div> <div class="slogan"> <img src="_images/slogan_01.gif" alt="A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions" width="362" height="30" /> </div> </div> <div class="menu"> <ul> <li></li><li><a href="http://skepdic.com/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/news/">Newsletter</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/feedback.html">Feedback</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/faq.html">FAQ & Interviews</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/tour.html">Site Map</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="middle"> <div class="left"> <h2>Topical Indexes</h2> <ul class="nav_1"> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/tialtmed.html">Alternatives to Medicine</a></li> <li><a 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href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Y">y</a></li> <li><a href="http://skepdic.com/contents.html#Z">z</a></li> </ul> <webContent><h1>divination (fortune telling)</h1> <blockquote> <span class="quote">An undue opinion of our own importance in the scale of creation is at the bottom of our unwarrantable notions in this respect.</span> --Charles Mackay </blockquote> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3">Divination is the attempt to foretell the future or discover occult knowledge by interpreting omens or by using paranormal or supernatural powers. The list of items that have been used in divination is extraordinary. Below are listed just a few. Many end in 'mancy', from the ancient Greek <i>manteia</i> (divination), or 'scopy', from the Greek <i>skopein</i> (to look into, to behold). </font> Most forms of divination rely on <a href="magicalthinking.html">magical thinking</a>, <a href="apophenia.html">apophenia</a> (finding meaning in meaningless patterns), and <a href="pareidol.html">pareidolia</a> (seeing distinct forms in vague and random patterns).</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="aleuromancy.html">aleuromancy</a> (divination by flour)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">aeromancy or acromancy (divination by examining what the air does to certain things)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">alectoromancy or alectryomancy (divination by a cock: grains of wheat are placed on letters and the cock "spells" the message by selecting grains)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">alphitomancy (dropping barleycakes in water and interpreting the result)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a name="anthropomancy">anthropomancy</a> (divination by interpreting the organs of newly sacrificed humans)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">arithmancy (divination by numbers)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">astragalomancy or astragyromancy (using knucklebones marked with letters of the alphabet)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="astrolgy.html">astrology</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">astromancy (by stars)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">axinomancy (divination by the hatchet: interpreting the quiver when whacked into a table)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">belomancy (divination by arrows)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">botanomancy (divination by herbs)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">bronchiomancy (divination by studying the lungs of sacrificed white llamas)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">capnomancy (divination by the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="cartoma.html">cartomancy</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="scrying.html">catoptromancy or crystallomancy (using mirrors or lenses)</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">cephalomancy or cepthaleonomancy (divination by a donkey's head)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">ceromancy (by the melting of wax)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">chalcomancy (by vessels of brass or other metal)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="palmist.html">chiromancy (palmistry)</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">cleidomancy (divination by interpreting the movements of a key suspended by a thread from the nail of the third finger on a young virgin's hand while one of the Psalms was recited)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">coscinomancy (divination by a balanced sieve)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">cromniomancy (divination by onions)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">crystallomancy (by crystals)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">dactylomancy (divination by means of rings put on the fingernails or the number of whorls and loops on the fingers)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">daphnomancy (divination using the laurel branch: how did it crackle when burned?)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="dowsing.html">dowsing</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">extispicy (divination by examining entrails)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">fractomancy (interpreting the structures of fractal geometric patterns)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">gastromancy (by the sound of or marks on the belly)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="geomancy.html">geomancy</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">gyromancy (divination by walking around a circle of letters until dizzy and one falls down on the letters or in the direction to take)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">haruspicy (inspecting the entrails of slaughtered animals)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">hepatoscopy or hepatomancy (divination by examining the liver of sacrificed animals) </font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">hydromancy (divination by examining what certain things do in water or when taken out of water, such as coffee grounds or tea leaves); hydatoscopy (if rainwater is used); pegomancy (if spring-water is used)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">kapnomancy (by smoke)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">katoptromancy (by looking0glasses)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">kephalonomancy (burning carbon on the head of an ass while reciting the names of suspected criminals; if you're guilty, a crackling sound will be heard when your name is spoken)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">koskinomancy (by sieves)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">krithomancy (by corn or grain)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">lampadomancy (interpreting the movements of the flame of a lamp)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">libanomancy or knissomancy (interpreting the smoke of incense)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">lithomancy (divination using precious stones)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">lecanomancy (dropping precious stones into water and listening for whistles)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">logarithmancy</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">macharomancy (by knives and swords)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">margaritomancy (divination by the pearl: if it jumps in the pot when a person is named, then he is the thief!)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="metoposc.html">metoposcopy</a> (interpreting frontal wrinkles)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">molybdomancy (divination by melted lead: interpreting its noises and hisses when dropped into water)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">myrmomancy (divination by watching ants eating)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">necromancy (communicating with spirits of the dead to predict the future)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">oinomancy (divination by wine)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">omphalomancy (interpretation of the belly button)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="dreams.html">oneiromancy</a> (interpretation of dreams)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">onomancy (divination by names)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">onychomancy (interpreting the reflection of sun rays off fingernails)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">ornithomancy or orniscopy (interpreting the flights of birds)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">ovomancy or oomancy or ooscopy (breaking eggs into a container of water and interpreting the shape of the egg white)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="papyromancy.html">papyromancy</a> (divination by folding paper)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">podomancy (by the feet)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="http://skepdic.com/psychomet.html"> psychometry</a> (divination by touching objects)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">pyromancy or pyroscopy (divination by fire)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="dowsing.html">rhabdomancy</a> (using the divining rod or magic wand)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">rhapsodmancy (divination by a line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="rumpology.html">rumpology</a> (divination by the lines on the buttocks)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="scapula.html">scapulamancy</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">sciomancy (by shadows)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="scrying.html">scrying</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">sideromancy (interpreting straws thrown on a red-hot iron)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">skatharomancy (interpreting the tracks of a beetle crawling over the grave of a murder victim)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">stereomancy (diving by the elements)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">spatilomancy (by skin, bones, etc.)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">splanchnomancy (reading cut sections of a goat liver)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="stichoma.html">stichomancy</a></font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">sternomancy (divination by the marks from the breast to the belly)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">sycomancy (by figs)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">tasseography (reading tea leaves)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">tephromancy (by ashes)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">theriomancy (divination by beasts)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">tiromancy (interpreting the holes or mold in cheese)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="tyromancy.html">tyromancy</a> (by cheese)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3">urim v'tumim (reading sacred stones attached to<br> the breastplate of the high priest in ancient Judaism)</font></li> <li><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="uromancy.html">uromancy</a> (divination by reading bubbles made by urinating in a pot)</font></li> </ul> </blockquote> <hr align="left" width="25%"> <p align="left"><strong>See also </strong><a href="http://skepdic.com/refuge/michener.html">my review of an unpublished manuscript on fortune telling by James Michener</a>.</p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><b><a HREF="comments/divincom.html">readers comments</a></b> </font> </p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><b>further reading</b> </font> </p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0690268157/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Christopher, Milbourne. <i>ESP, Seers & Psychics </i>(Thomas Y. Crowell Co. 1970).</a></font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0486224937/roberttoddcarrolA/">de Givry, Grillot. <i>Witchcraft, Magic & Alchemy </i>(New York: Dover Books, 1971), republication of the 1931 Houghton Mifflin Company edition, Book II, chapter viii, "the Divinatory Arts."</a> </font> </p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=051788433X/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Mackay, Charles. (1841)<i>. Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds</i> (Crown Publishing, 1995).</a></font></p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=157392895X/roberttoddcarrolA/">Pickover, Clifford A. <i> Dreaming the Future - the fantastic story of prediction</i> (Prometheus, 2001).</a> </font> </p> <p align="left"><font face="Arial" size="3"><a HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1573920215/roberttoddcarrolA/">Steiner, Robert A. "Fortunetelling," in <i>The Encyclopedia of the Paranormal </i>edited by Gordon Stein (Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 1996) pp. 281-290.</a> </font> <p align="left"> <font face="Arial" size="3"> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0805805087/roberttoddcarrolA/"> Zusne,  Leonard and Warren Jones. <i>Anomalistic Psychology: A Study of Magical Thinking. </i>2nd edition. (Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc. 1989).</a></font><p></webContent>Last updated 27-Oct-2015 </p> </div> </div> <div class="right"> <div class="right_it"> <div class="search"> <form method="get" action="http://www.google.com/custom" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="domains" value="skepdic.com" /> <input type="text" name="q" maxlength="255" value="" size="20" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> <br /> <div class="search_2"> <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="" /> Web     <input type="radio" name="sitesearch" value="skepdic.com" checked="checked" /> Skepdic.com <br /> <img src="_images/logo_google.gif" alt="Google" width="48" height="19" /> </div> <input type="hidden" name="client" value="pub-3542920166946725" /> <input type="hidden" name="forid" value="1" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="oe" value="ISO-8859-1" /> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="GALT:#008000;GL:1;DIV:#336699;VLC:663399;AH:center;BGC:FFFFFF;LBGC:336699;ALC:0000FF;LC:0000FF;T:000000;GFNT:0000FF;GIMP:0000FF;FORID:1;" /> <input type="hidden" name="hl" value="en" /> </form> </div> <div class="adrt"> <p><a href="http://sd4kids.skepdic.com/palmreading.html">palm reading in Mysteries & Science for kids</a><a href="http://skepdic.com/refuge/skepticshop.html"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0679726012/roberttoddcarrolA/"></a></p> </div> <div class="center"> <p align="right"><a href="http://skepdic.com/authorpage.html"><strong>Books by R. 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