What is Divination?
Humans have been fascinated with predicting the future for thousands of years. That’s why so many different forms of fortune telling exist. The word divination is derived from the words ‘to predict the future’ and refers to any practice used as a tool to predict the outcome of future events.
Most fortune-telling practices have a common suffix, “mancy,” another term for fortune-telling, derived from the French, Latin, and Greek languages.
15 different forms of fortune telling
Tasseography
Tasseography is a divination method that involves reading one’s tea leaves. The shape the tea leaves create after drinking a cup of tea will determine the fate of the drinker. People often practiced this method in ancient China, Greece, the Middle East and Europe.
Crystallomania
When many of us think of a fortune teller who predicts the future, we think of someone sitting at a table looking into a crystal ball. This stereotypical portrayal of the fortune teller derives from the practice of Crystallomancy, where the fortune teller uses the aforementioned items to see into the future and obtain information about the investigator.
runes
Runes are stones in which certain symbols are engraved or drawn with a specific meaning. The symbols on runes are derived from ancient German and Scandinavian tribes and are said to bring wisdom and insight about life and the future to the caster.
Chiromancy
Palmistry, also known as palmistry, is a form of divination that involves reading the lines and formations on your hand to gain insight into your personality and future. The lines on your hand change over time, and these changes are said to be important indicators of past and future events and experiences.
Oneiromancy
Oneiromancy, more commonly known as dream interpretation, is the method of decoding and analyzing the symbols presented in your dreams to gain insight into your subconscious mind and the future. The best way to practice Oneiromancy is to keep a dream journal and dream dictionary, write down your dreams and consult the dictionary to gain insight about yourself and what is to come.
Numerology
Based on your name and date of birth, Numerology uses numbers to determine your destiny and provide insight into your personality and destiny. One of the most important aspects in numerology is your life path number, where you add up the digits of your date of birth to determine which life path to follow.
Graphology
Each of us has a unique handwriting style, and this style can contain many indicators of our emotional, mental, and subconscious states. Graphology is the practice of decoding one’s handwriting to understand the writer’s overall energy and state of being. Forensic handwriting is almost like a scientific version of graphology, with law enforcement using handwriting to profile and identify potential suspects and criminals.
Cartomancy
Cartomancy involves the use of maps to gain insight into the past, present and future and the emotional and mental state of the researcher. Many forms of cartomancy are present today, including standard playing card reading, the tarot, and oracle card reading. The reader of the cards must use the symbolism and meaning assigned to the cards and use their intuition to guide the investigator.
Astrology
Astrology is one of the most widely used and well-known methods of predicting the future or fate of an individual. It is believed that the stars and planets have divine meanings associated with them, and that one can predict the future and determine important information about one’s life by studying the patterns and meanings of the stars and planets. In the Middle Ages, astrology was used by the royal courts in Europe and was seen as a valuable source of information.
Phyllomancy
In Phyllomancy, leaves are used to determine the future. For example, you can observe how leaves fall from trees, and the patterns they create are said to contain vital information. Another form of Phyllomancy is throwing leaves into water, and depending on how they land, one can indicate what will happen in the future.
Oomancy
Oomancy lets you predict the future by observing the patterns created when a raw egg is thrown into a glass of water. The practice of Oomancy is also commonly used to determine an individual’s fertility and whether a woman is pregnant or will become pregnant.
Geomancy
In the practice of Geomancy, one uses objects to subconsciously create a pattern, which is said to determine a person’s future or current state of mind. The most common form of geomancy involves using pen and paper, closing your eyes and using the pen to make dots on the paper. The pattern you create in the process is said to contain insightful information.
Cleromancy
Have you ever tossed a coin trying to figure out the best course of action? If so, then you have practiced Cleromancy. In this form of divination, an object is thrown and depending on how the object lands, one can determine the best course of action.
Ceromancy
When practicing Ceromancy, the caster melts wax in a water trough. The shape formed by the wax determines the researcher’s fate and vital information about his mental and emotional state.
Library
In bibliomancy, a book or the Bible is used and the researcher opens the book to a random page. The first thing the researcher reads is said to contain an important message about the future, or it may be valuable advice or information that needs to be seen at the time.
