A simple definition of divination is that “Divination is an attempt to foretell the future or to discover knowledge by interpreting omens or by using paranormal or supernatural powers”.

Many techniques have been used over the years and most readers will be familiar with the technique called pendulum dowsing. I recently found a list of divination techniques on the web, but cannot find my reference note so I’m not able to credit the source. Some of the other techniques (and there are some weird techniques) are:

• aeluromancy (dropping wheat cakes in water and interpreting the result)
• aeromancy (divination by examining what the air does to certain things)
• alectoromancy or alectryomancy (divination by a cock: grains of wheat are placed on letters and the cock “spells” the message by selecting grains)
• alphitomancy (dropping barleycakes in water and interpreting the result)
• astragalomancy or astragyromancy (using knucklebones marked with letters of the alphabet)
• astrology
• axinomancy (divination by the hatchet: interpreting the quiver when whacked into a table)
• belomancy (divination by arrows)
• capnomancy (divination by the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense)
• cartomancy
• catoptromancy or crystallomancy (using mirrors or lenses)
• cephalomancy (divination by a donkey’s head)
• 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)
• coscinomancy (divination by a balanced sieve)
• cromniomancy (divination by onions)
• dactylomancy (divination by means of rings put on the fingernails or the number of whorls and loops on the fingers)
• daphnomancy (divination using the laurel branch: how did it crackle when burned?)
• dowsing
• geomancy
• gyromancy (divination by walking around a circle of letters until dizzy and one falls down on the letters or in the direction to take)
• haruspicy (inspecting the entrails of slaughtered animals)
• 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)