This list defines 163 terms for kinds of divination and fortune telling, ranging from very common (runes, tarot cards, or horoscopes) to extraordinarily rare. In fact, you won't believe the range of methods that people have developed to rip other people off by claiming they can predict the future. The vast majority of these words end in 'mancy', from the Greek word for divination, manteia. This list thus does not include general terms such as 'astrology' and 'numerology', which are etymologically sciences rather than fortune-telling techniques. Feel free to send me any new 'mancies' you may have encountered. Finally, allow me to propose a neologism: novocentomancy, the art of divination by calling '1-900' numbers for TV psychics.
Word
|
Definition
|
acultomancy
| divination using needles
|
aeromancy
| divination by means of the weather
|
ailuromancy
| divination by watching cats’ movements
|
alectormancy
| divination by sacrificing a rooster
|
alectryomancy
| divination by watching a rooster gather corn kernels
|
aleuromancy
| divination using flour or meal
|
alomancy
| divination using salt
|
alphitomancy
| divination using loaves of barley
|
alveromancy
| divination using sounds
|
ambulomancy
| divination by taking a walk
|
amniomancy
| divination by examining afterbirth
|
anthomancy
| divination using flowers
|
anthracomancy
| divination using burning coals
|
anthropomancy
| divination using human entrails
|
apantomancy
| divination using objects at hand
|
arithmancy
| divination using numbers
|
armomancy
| divination by examining one’s shoulders
|
aspidomancy
| divination by sitting and chanting within a circle
|
astragalomancy
| divination using dice or knucklebones
|
astromancy
| divination using stars
|
austromancy
| divination using wind
|
axinomancy
| divination using an axe or hatchet
|
batraquomancy
| divination using frogs
|
belomancy
| divination by means of arrows
|
bibliomancy
| divination by opening a book at random
|
botanomancy
| divination using burning branches or plants
|
brontomancy
| divination using thunder
|
capnomancy
| divination by means of smoke
|
cartomancy
| telling fortunes using playing cards
|
catoptromancy
| divination by examining mirror placed underwater
|
causimancy
| divination by means of fire
|
ceneromancy
| divination using ashes
|
cephalonomancy
| divination by boiling an ass head
|
ceraunomancy
| divination using thunderbolts
|
ceraunoscopy
| divination using lightning
|
ceromancy
| divination by means of wax drippings
|
ceroscopy
| divination using wax
|
chaomancy
| divination by examining phenomena of the air
|
chirognomy
| divination by studying the hands
|
chiromancy
| divination by means of palmistry
|
chronomancy
| divination by means of time
|
cleidomancy
| divination using keys
|
cleromancy
| divination using dice
|
conchomancy
| divination using shells
|
coscinomancy
| divination using a sieve and a pair of shears
|
crithomancy
| divination by strewing meal over sacrifices
|
critomancy
| divination using viands and cakes
|
cromnyomancy
| divination using onions
|
crystallomancy
| divination by means of clear objects
|
crystalomancy
| divination using a crystal globe
|
cubomancy
| divination by throwing dice
|
dactyliomancy
| divination by means of a finger
|
dactylomancy
| divination using rings
|
daphnomancy
| divination using a laurel
|
demonomancy
| divination using demons
|
dririmancy
| divination by observing dripping blood
|
emonomancy
| divination using demons
|
enoptromancy
| divination using mirrors
|
eromancy
| divination using water vessels
|
extispicy
| divination using entrails
|
floromancy
| belief that flowers have feelings
|
gastromancy
| divination by sounds from the belly
|
geloscopy
| fortune-telling by means of laughter
|
geomancy
| divination by casting earth onto a surface
|
grafology
| divination by studying writing
|
graptomancy
| divination by studying handwriting
|
gyromancy
| divination by falling from dizziness
|
halomancy
| divination using salt
|
haruspication
| divination by inspecting animal entrails
|
hematomancy
| divination using blood
|
hepatoscopy
| divination by examining animal livers
|
hieromancy
| divination by studying objects offered in sacrifice
|
hieroscopy
| divination using entrails
|
hippomancy
| divination using horses
|
hydromancy
| divination using water
|
hypnomancy
| divination using sleep
|
ichnomancy
| divination using footprints
|
ichthyomancy
| divination by inspecting fish entrails
|
iconomancy
| divination using icons
|
idolomancy
| divination using idols
|
kephalonomancy
| divination using a baked ass’s head
|
keraunoscopia
| divination using thunder
|
knissomancy
| divination using burning incense
|
labiomancy
| lip reading
|
lampadomancy
| divination by flame
|
lecanomancy
| divination using water in a basin or pool
|
libanomancy
| divination by watching incense smoke
|
lithomancy
| divination by stones or meteorites
|
logarithmancy
| divination by means of algorithms
|
logomancy
| divination using words
|
macromancy
| divination using large objects
|
maculomancy
| divination using spots
|
margaritomancy
| divination using pearls
|
mathemancy
| divination by counting
|
meconomancy
| divination using sleep
|
meteoromancy
| divination by studying meteors
|
metopomancy
| divination using the forehead or face
|
metoposcopy
| fortune-telling or judgement of character by the lines of the forehead
|
micromancy
| divination using small objects
|
myomancy
| divination from the movements of mice
|
narcomancy
| divination using sleep
|
necyomancy
| divination by summoning Satan
|
nomancy
| divination by examining letters of name
|
odontomancy
| divination using teeth
|
oenomancy
| divination by studying appearance of wine
|
oinomancy
| divination using wine
|
ololygmancy
| fortune-telling by the howling of dogs
|
omoplatoscopy
| divination by observing cracks in burning scapulae
|
omphalomancy
| divination from the knots in the umbilical cord
|
oneiromancy
| divination by dreams
|
onomancy
| divination using a donkey or ass
|
onomancy
| divination using proper names
|
onychomancy
| divination by the fingernails
|
onymancy
| divination by the fingernails
|
oomancy
| divination using eggs
|
ophidiomancy
| divination using snakes
|
ophiomancy
| divination by watching snakes
|
ornithomancy
| divination by observing flight of birds
|
oryctomancy
| divination using excavated objects
|
ossomancy
| divination using bones
|
osteomancy
| divination using bones
|
ouranomancy
| divination using the heavens
|
pedomancy
| divination by examining the soles of the feet
|
pegomancy
| divination by springs or fountains
|
pessomancy
| divination using pebbles
|
phyllomancy
| divination using leaves or tea leaves
|
physiognomancy
| divination by studying the face
|
psephomancy
| divination by drawing lots or markers at random
|
psychomancy
| divination by means of spirits
|
pyromancy
| divination using fire
|
retromancy
| divination by looking over one’s shoulder
|
rhabdomancy
| divination using a rod or stick
|
rhapsodomancy
| divination by opening works of poetry at random
|
scapulomancy
| divination by examining burnt shoulder blade
|
scatomancy
| divination by studying excrement
|
scatoscopy
| divination by studying excrement; scatomancy
|
schematomancy
| divination using the human form
|
sciomancy
| divination using ghosts
|
scyphomancy
| divination by means of a cup
|
selenomancy
| divination by studying the moon
|
sideromancy
| divination using stars; divination by burning straws
|
sortilege
| divination by drawing lots
|
spasmatomancy
| divination by twitching or convulsions of the body
|
spatilomancy
| divination by means of feces
|
spheromancy
| divination using a crystal ball
|
spodomancy
| divination by means of ashes
|
stercomancy
| fortune-telling by studying seeds in dung
|
stichomancy
| divination by picking passages from books at random
|
stolisomancy
| divination by observing how one dresses oneself
|
sycomancy
| divination using fig leaves
|
tephromancy
| divination by ashes
|
theomancy
| divination by means of oracles
|
thrioboly
| divination using pebbles
|
thumomancy
| divination by means of one's own soul
|
tiromancy
| divination using cheese
|
topomancy
| divination using landforms
|
trochomancy
| divination by studying wheel tracks
|
tyromancy
| divination using cheese
|
uranomancy
| divination by studying the heavens
|
urimancy
| divination by observing urine
|
xenomancy
| divination using strangers
|
xylomancy
| divination by examining wood found in one’s path
|
zoomancy
| divination by observing animals
|
I hope you have found this site to be useful. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me. Please note that I am not able to respond to all requests. Please consult a major dictionary before e-mailing your query. All material on this page © 1996-2021 Stephen Chrisomalis. Links to this page may be made without permission.