Divination is an umbrella term that describes various acts pertaining to seeking clandestine knowledge, or to foresee future events. As modern witches and spiritual people, we are most aware of the common types of divination, such as reading tarot cards, tea leaves or palms — but there are hundreds of methods of fortunetelling. The following list will highlight as many of those various methods as possible.
Abacomancy
This ancient form of divination involves the reading of patterns in dirt, sand, ashes or other similar materials.
Acultomancy
Acultomancy involves the use of needles to read someone’s fortune. The methods for this type of divination vary, but a common method is to put seven to 21 needles in a shallow dish of water, and then interpret the directions in which they turn.
Aeromancy
Looking for hidden answers in the clouds or other weather phenomena is known as aeromancy. According to Wikipedia, the first recorded mention of this form of divination was in the 1700s. While the term itself may seem new, the behavior is far from it. People have looked to the clouds, the wind and weather patterns for omens for as long as we’ve existed.
Bibliomancy
Using books to look for hidden meanings and prophecies is known as bibliomancy. There are numerous ways to practice bibliomancy, but one of those most popularized methods involves using the Christian Bible — but you can pretty much use any book, magazine or other form of literature of your choosing.
Botanomancy
Burning tree branches, herbs and leaves to read the smoke is another form of divination. Most commonly, branches of vervain and briar are used — but many plants have metaphysical properties that can be used to assist you in this method.
Clamancy
This divination method relies on interpreting the sounds that someone makes while they are surprised, frightened or experiencing some other heightened emotional state.
Cyclomancy
If you’ve ever spun a wheel to win prices or make a decision then you’ve practiced a form of cyclomancy. This divination method involves spinning an object, allowing it to point in the direction or at the answer to a person’s questions.
Demonomancy
Sometimes you gotta summon a demon and ask them what’s going on. This form of divination is aptly called demonomancy.
Empyromancy
This form of divination involves interpreting the markings on burned items — usually items that have been burned in a ritual fire.
Gastromancy
Next time you hear someone’s stomach growl, consider what it means. Maybe they’re hungry. Anyway, gastromancy is a form of divination that involves interpreting the growls of someone’s tummy.
Hemomancy
If you’re squeamish around blood, then you definitely won’t want to try hemomancy — which is the act of divining the future through examining droplets of blood.
Hydromancy
Hydromancy is exactly what it sounds like: Divination through observing water and its behavior. Water-bowl scrying is a type of hydromancy.
Labiomancy
This is a form of divination that involves interpreting the movement of someone’s lips. This pertains to the lips on someone’s mouth, okay?
Lunomancy
Lunomancy involves reading the shadows that the moon casts on someone’s face.
Margaritomancy
Did you know you can use pearls in divination? Of course you can! This is called margaritomancy and it has nothing to do with Jimmy Buffet or rim-salted glasses. According to Lewellyn’s Complete Book of Divination, you can place a pearl in a fire in a glass to determine the names of potential criminals or someone who may have done you wrong in some other way.
Moleosophy
Determining someone’s personality or future life events can be done through moleosophy. This form of divination has kind of a shady past, in that it’s been used to erroneously detect witches in the times when witchcraft was illegal. Many people were tortured and put to death for simply having moles and birthmarks.
Omphalomancy
This odd form of divination involves gazing into the navel of a woman’s firstborn child.
Onychomancy
You can use your own fingernails to scry. Simply paint them a deep, shiny color and gaze into them as you would a crystal ball or scrying obsidian. This type of divination is called Onychomancy.
Phrenology
This outdated form of divination involves reading the lumps and ridges along with the general shape of one’s skull. Like moleosophy, this has unfortunately been used in very negative ways. Phrenology has been associated with racism, and was once used to determine criminality based on ethnic features.
Podomancy
If you’re okay with getting up close and personal with someone’s foot, reading the lines and creases on it might give you some insight into their personality and life path — supposedly. This form of divination stinks.
Quercusmancy
This form of divination involves reading the patterns of acorns as they fall from trees.
Rhapsodomancy
Using poetry book passages, you can supposedly divine your own future. This is also considered a type of bibliomancy.
Scatoscopy
I don’t know why anyone would want to do this, but this type of divination involves examining the color, shape and odor of feces.
Selenomancy
Moongazing is an ages-old form of divination. You can supposedly learn a lot of hidden information by interpreting the moon, its phases and how the clouds cover it on certain nights.
Tasseomancy
This type of divination is just another word for reading tea leaves!
Tiromancy
This type of divination involves examining cheese.
Uromancy
Apparently you can divine using someone’s urine. Of course, in a way, doctors do this to an extent to diagnose patients based on urine color (and other factors).
Zoomancy
Studying the behavior of animals can be a form of divination. There could be something to zoomancy, considering that we already know that animals behave strangely before natural disasters and other catastrophic events.
Conclusion
There extensive list of types of divination maybe missing a few. If you can think of any other divination types, sound off in the comments section!
