Weird and wonderful divination techniques.
Onomancy - a form of divination using a person’s name. A child’s name is supposed to reflect and influence the kind of person the child will turn out to be.
Maculomancy - interprets the shape, colour and placements of moles or birthmarks on the body. On the ear they denote great wealth; on the centre of the forehead, enterprise.
Metopomancy - concerns the reading of the lines of the forehead. The forehead is divided into seven planetary areas, and interpretations follow similar rules to those of palmistry.
Apantomancy - based on chance encounters with animals. These generally depict good or bad luck for a short period of time. To see a goat unexpectedly is said to be fortunate, and although a solitary lamb promises peace and happiness, a flock of sheep moving towards you is highly fortunate.
Belomancy - a form a divination using arrows, or any marked sticks, which are thrown into the air, their landing positions being noted and interpreted. Generally used for ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, with crossed sticks meaning ‘no.’
Cleromancy - uses several-sided objects, sticks, bones, or shells, with symbols or marks on each side for answers. These are thrown onto a cloth decorated with figures, upon which they take special significance.
Gelomancy - divination using human sounds other than the spoken word, notably laughter. This form of fortune telling once used the utterances and ravings of mentally disturbed or insane people.
And a rather gruesome one:
Epatoscomancy - the examination of animal entrails. It was very popular in Greece, Rome, Japan, Sumeria and other ancient cultures and is still practised in parts of Borneo and Burma.
Using the environment:
Felidomancy - based on the movements and behaviour of cats.
Lampadomancy - using candle flames.
Colourology - using the brilliance of auras.
Spodomancy - divination by fire.
Alectryomancy - based on the behaviour of animals.
Aeromancy - involves the interpretation of cloud formations.
Taken from ‘Secrets of Divination’ - John Astrop.
