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ANCIENT DIVINATION SYSTEMS – THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL In today’s world people are becoming more accepting of the world of the paranormal and supernatural. Millions are now embracing and practicising ancient divination systems such as feng shui, runestones, wiccan, tarot and astrology and integrating them into their daily lifestyle. As we progress through the 21st Century we are witnessing a surge in popularity with these ancient systems as many people are finding these practices are beneficial to their modern lifestyle. Yet, there are some practices that were once heralded by different cultures that may take a little longer to integrate into modern society. Listed below you will find some strange and rather peculiar practices that you might have never heard of.
SCRYING
You might have heard of this one before but not as the term scrying. A variation of scrying was popularized by gypsies who would read the crystal ball as they gazed into it, waiting for images to unfold and symbolic messages to appear. Scrying is achieved by the person concentrating on a shiny object until a vision appears. Other variations have included gazing into a bowl of water under the moolight, or into a well at night. The act of scrying aids clairvoyance and has been practiced by witches and magicians over the years. It is considered that only a person of great experience is able to successfully achieve the art of scrying, as the images and impressions are very important and must be interpreted correctly.
LAMPODOMANCY
The reading of a flame coming from a candle, torch or lamp. The reader would study the size of the flame, colour, movement and shape to foretell future events. A single point in the flame indicated good fortune, but two points would mean bad luck. A variation of Lampodomancy which is evident today is the use of candle and lamps when meditating. The person concentrates on the flame of the candle as it helps them to relax as they progress through their meditation.
HEPATOSCOPY
This ancient form of divination is linked to the Babylonians and was the practice of examining and inspecting the liver of animals. Animals would be sacrificed to the gods and the liver would taken out for the high priest or “bara”(seer, diviner) to inspect and then tell the king what he foresaw. Many animals would be sacrified and their livers removed and stored by the high priest who was highly skilled in the practice. Hepatoscopy was a highly respected practice by the Babylonians and was performed in special temples after the priests had gone through a special purifying ceremony before examining the liver.
ALEUROMANCY
Aleuromancy is the practice of divination using flour and is so easy you could try this one with of your friends. Mix some flour and water together to make a dough base. Grab your friends and write down on separate pieces of paper different sentences and answers. They don’t have to be specific – for example – “yes, you are going to do it”, “proceed with caution” “wait before you make a decision” – it doesn’t matter what you write down and you can do as many as you like. When you finish, roll each sentence individually and wrap some dough around them, making little balls. Place the balls in a bowl and with your hand mix them in clockwise motion 9 times. When you finish, each person can ask a question out loud and then pick a ball to receive your answer. This old practice was popular in the early 19th century.
KEPHALONAMANCY
This was a very strange practice performed to discover the name of the guilty party for a crime. Lighted carbon would be placed on the baked head of an ass or goat and would proceed by calling out loud the names of the suspects related to the crime. If there was a crackling sound that coincided with the utterance of a particular name, that person was declared the guilty party. So much for innocent until proven guilty!
OOSCOPY
Ooscopy is a form of divination using eggs to determine the sex of an unborn baby. The pregnant woman would place an egg in bosom and keep it there. If the egg broke, the baby would be a boy, if the egg hatched , the baby would be a girl. Another variation of Ooscopy was Oomantia which was the divination practice of reading markings and characteristics that appeared on eggs. This practice was also a variation of the popular festive occasion we now call Easter, where the exchanging of eggs is commonplace. People used to decorate and colour eggs and then through the process of exchange, any ill feelings they had toward that person was supposed to vanish.
LICKING (A CHARM)
This practice of licking was believed to eliminate a spell or enchantment. The procedure of licking a child’s forehead, first in an upward motion, then across the child’s forehead and once again in an upward motion. The practice would end with the person spitting behind the child’s back. If the enquirer tasted salt then this was irrefutable proof that the spell or enchantment had been eliminated.
Did you know?
Tasseography is the official term for tea leaf reading.
Cartomancy is the practice of telling one’s fortune from a deck of playing cards.
Graphology is the study of the personality and character through the analysis of hand writing.
Fetish is an object representing a god or spirit which is symbolic of the bond between a human and the supernatural world. The Fetish contains a spirit which is worn by the person to protect them from evil, and bring fortune into their life.
Animism represents the belief that every object, animate or inanimate has a soul, an essence. Animism is closely connected to Psychometry, where a clairvoyant can sense information about an object and its owner by holding the item and picking up the vibrations.
Dowsing is the practice of using a divining rod (usually made of hazel wood in the shape of a “Y” formation) to locate water, underground pools and stream, minerals and metals.
