And just because most people are Christian, I want to point out some Spiritual Practices that are used in Divination, which is common in most other Religions, just to kind of get people thinking outside of the box of Sheep, and the Blood of the Savior, and the Kingdom when trying to protect "Religious Practice".
Most people say "I don't do Astrology and Fortune telling" but you are mistaken. There is an art of Divination known as "Physiognomy" also known as "Thinking you can judge a persons character by their appearance, from your perspective"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PhysiognomyA lot of people like to think of Necromancy as "Black Magic" but this is the view of the church, in reality, "Necromancy" is just "Ancestor Worship" aka "Veneration of the Dead".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_the_deadTarot cards became what we now call playing Cards, and Playing cards became what we know as gambling. Something that branched off from this is "Cartomancy" which is Divination not based on Tarot, but actually based on the card deck itself. Just like how playing cards can be used for Tarot, Tarot cards can be used for Cartomancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CartomancyA much more random form of Divination is Gyromancy, which involves putting letters on stones or wood in a circle. Then walking around and paying attention to what letters you trip over, do this until you get dizzy and it is even more random. And you are supposed to continue until a message can be deciphered, or death/madness stop you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GyromancyA more simple but still random form of Divination is Geomancy, which can use soil, rocks, sand or dice. It just involves looking at the patterns and counting things, then matching them up with different set meanings. Similar to the I-Ching and the different methods that go with it. This is actually a method that can be used with the I-Ching.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeomancyAnd speaking of the I-Ching, there is Bibliomancy, which is Divination using books. Bibliomancy probably started when people hid messages in texts like the Gnostics, and when people found messages from the past in the writings, later, other people would look for messages from the future in the texts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BibliomancyAnd, these forms of Divination were also warped into Gambling in a way that is still used today. You have probably heard of chicken bones, or stones, or dice, or drawing straws or "casting lots". All of these are forms of Cleromancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CleromancyIf you have a cat, people have for a long time used Cats to predict the weather, it is known as Ailuromancy. I don't personally have a cat so I have not watched one enough to see if this works the same as people with Rheumatoid Arthritis, who can predict storms, or if it is more random like dice. But people have been doing it for a long time. And if anyone tests it I would like to know what happens.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AiluromancyCeromancy is using Wax in Water in a Bowl, or by watching dripping wax on the side of a candle. It's almost Christmas, so candles should be burning soon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CeromancyCromniomancy is divination by Onion, where you carve your question on an onion, or put it on an altar and ask it a question. Then watch the sprouting behavior. And people could have used anything, but across Europe, Africa and Asia they all used Onions, so maybe there is something to it. We have telephones now, but before telephones, this was a common way to try to find out what a traveling relative was up to. There are also some methods where you chop the Onion up and stuff instead of growing it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CromniomancyMost people have probably heard of people who used Sheep and Bird livers in order to read the future. This was related to Astrology, because the liver was divided into different planetary alignments when they were read.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruspexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_of_PiacenzaAnimal Divination, there is "Imbolc" which is the ancient version and precursor to Groundhogs day. When we look at the ground hog to find out how much winter is left, we are doing an ancient Divination tradition.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc#Weather_divinationPyromancy is probably the oldest form of Divination, and the main form is known as Causinomancy, where you just burn something, it doesn't matter what.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PyromancyPyromancy has various forms, because fire can burn anything. And different things burn different ways. One is Botanomancy, where you burn Herbs or Plants in order to Divine the future.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BotanomancyDaphnomancy is a specific form of Botanomancy where you specifically burn Laurel.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DaphnomancyVarious Pyromancy techniques include burning a bone and reading the cracks, but that is not something that is really normal to do, BUT if you ever save the Wishbone from a Turkey or other animal, this is a form of Sternomancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SternomancyAn example of Pyromancy with bones that isn't too complicated is Cephalonomancy, where you would heat the skull of an animal while reciting a list, usually a list of suspects, and if the jaw of the skull moved or cracked when you spoke a name that person was considered guilty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CephalonomancyBack when people knew the names of plants instead of Roads, and Animals instead of Cars. The time before GPS, and even before the Gas Station map, there was the practice of Rhabdomancy which you can still use if you are in the woods or on a random walk. The way it works is, if you have some kind of walking stick, or Pencil/Pen, or something, you just drop the stick and whatever direction it points you go. If you are in the woods and have nothing else, use a small bundle of sticks and go where most of them are pointing. This also branches into "Dowsing" where people use sticks to find water.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RhabdomancyBelomancy is a much more specific form of Rhabdomancy where a quiver of arrows is marked with symbols like a tarot deck. Sometimes they would mark the arrows with Phrases like "God commands me" and "God Forbids me" and a Blank arrow, then they would go with whatever hit closest to the middle. This practice was even used by Biblical characters. Belomancy was also used like Rhabdomancy, were you drop an arrow and go wherever it points.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BelomancyScyphomancy is where you use a glass or goblet and tap the side and watch for messages or images in the ripples, or tap it with metal (a glass cup or metal goblet) and listen for voices in the ringing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScyphomancyMost people have probably heard of reading Tea Leaves and Coffee Grounds, the most common way is to have a person drink the tea with the leaves in it and let them settle at the bottom. There are various common symbols that are supposed to mean different things. Some people also use cups with Zodiacs and stuff in them so that the tea leaves can land on different symbols and stuff.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TasseographyScrying involves looking into a reflective surface with the intention of looking into another world and not at a reflection. This includes Crystal balls, Mirrors, Shiny Stones/Gem or even Water Surfaces. Some people think that this method works in the mind via Sensory Deprivation, similar to a Deprivation Tank. If using a pool or pond, it may be necessary to throw pebbles onto the surface. A candle may help also, as it adds to the reflections and shadows of anything. Viewing the surface through smoke may also work to your benefit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScryingWhen you use a Mirror to Scry, this is specifically known as Catoptromancy. There is a method that involves dipping the bottom of a large mirror just onto the surface of the water and offering incense.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CatoptromancyA more modern and specific method of Catoptromancy is known as Psychomanteum, where you sit in a comfortable chair and look into a mirror that is only showing you the reflection of a dark space. It is meant to help you communicate with the dead. so this would be mixing Catoptromancy & Necromancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PsychomanteumThen there is the interpretation of dreams, which is similar to Scrying and Necomancy, but it is more about inventing the future than learning about it. In ancient Egypt they had a book that is now translated into English and is called "Behind closed Eyes: Dreams and Nightmares in Ancient Egypt" which is all about dream interpretation. Then there is the Ancient Greek book called the Oneirocritica which was the Greek dream interpretation book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OneiromancyAnd random, but a dream that comes true later is called a "Veridical Dream"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veridical_dreamAbacomancy is Divination by Sand, Dust and Ashes. This can be used as a form of Necromancy by using the ashes of the deceased. You look for symbols in the Sand or Ashes, and if using the ashes of a person, you would look for symbols that were important to them and in general you would look for symbols that are reoccurring in other situations like Dreams or Scrying.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AbacomancyDivination using flour is Alueromancy, a common form of this is Fortune Cookies, where Philosophical things are baked into food. Another method was to mix water and flour in a bowl, dumping it out, and interpreting the residue like Tea Leaves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AleuromancySalt can also be use for Divination in various ways. It can be thrown into the air and interpreted as it falls or once it makes patterns on the ground. You can also create a water/salt solution and interpret the residue at the bottom once the water evaporates. When you spill salt and throw the spilled salt over your shoulder, this is a practice of Alomancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlomancyLibanomancy is specifically the interpretation of incense. Both the ashes and the smoke. You are supposed to ask a question, then watch the smoke and the way the ashes fall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LibanomancyGeneral Divination using smoke from any source is known as Capnomancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CapnomancyAeromancy is listening to the wind, or reading the clouds. Other weather patterns may be interpreted also, but mainly those things. Christians take this a step too far and "blame God" for droughts and other occurrences of weather.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AeromancyCyclomancy is the use of Tops or Wheels or other spinning devices to make predictions. Similar to a Roulette Table, or the Hebrew Dreidel and even Spin the Bottle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyclomancyThe idea that a "Black Cat is bad luck", and anything else that has to do with chance like that, is a form of Apantomancy. There is a branch of Apantomancy that specifically focuses on the chance meeting of animals, but you can also try to find things based on other random things found. When someone "finds a penny face up and it is good luck" that is Apantomancy. In Ancient Rome they would find random things and work themselves into a trance to find random meanings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ApantomancyCledonism is Divination by words, or the idea that words can be a sign of bad things to come. "Jinxing" an event by talking about it could be considered a form of Cledonism. Rumors also operate on this idea. Also words someone randomly speaks after a chance event could be considered important.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CledonismFal-Gush is like Cledonism, but the reverse. If you have a question you need answered, you would hide somewhere near a sidewalk or sit on a bench that is not super visible like a Bus stop, and listen to what people say in their random conversations as they pass by in order to find answers to your questions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C4%81l-g%C5%ABshCarromancy is burning a candle and watching the flame, or melting a bowl of wax and dumping it into water and looking for signs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CarromancyLiteromancy is the art of fortune telling using written words. A few forms of this have been covered already, like the I-Ching, but there are many forms of Lieromancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiteromancyIsopsephy is the the practice of turning letters into numbers, and then assigning numerical values to words by adding up the letters, or hiding messages in this way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IsopsephyGematria is a similar Jewish practice, to do it, you would do Isopsephy, then any words that have the same numerical value would be considered to be "similar" or "related". Also, if the number appears more than once, it may indicate a date, age. year, etc. For example, the word "Alive" in Hebrew has a value of 18, making 18 a lucky number.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GematriaThe modern version of Isopsephy and Gematria is known as Arithmancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArithmancyA little more complicated is a system invented by the people who invented Algebra is known as Zairja. They invented a Mechanical way to generate ideas. They assumed that if you asked a question properly, found the numerical value of the question, then "Solving for X" as you would in Algebra, in order to reform the question into new ideas or even answers. They would do this with hundreds of lines of words and create entirely new ideas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZairjaZairja could be considered a branch of or related to Sacred Geometry, which itself is the idea of impossible shapes and monumental/symbolic design. Shapes are said to have secret meanings, possibly related to things like Arithmacy and Zairja.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_geometryEveryone has heard of Palm reading. I would like to see a test of like 1000 people going to 10 palm readers or something like that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PalmistryRumpology is like Palmistry, except you read the marks on a persons ass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RumpologyMoleosophy is like the Philosophy of moles, "What does that mark mean on my face?" basically and especially moles. There are some folklore examples of Moleosophy such as "They are angel kisses" etc. but not much credit is given to it as a whole. Moleosophy is really more of a way for someone to open up the conversation for someone with scars to talk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoleosophyMetoposcopy is the study of a persons character based on the line on their forehead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MetoposcopyIchnomancy is the study of a persons character based on their footprint. Ex: Deep footprints may show anger or weight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IchnomancyOculomancy is Scrying using the reflections in a persons eyes, a common example is "Eyes are the Window to the soul".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OculomancyDactlomancy is a lot like Ouija. You tie a ring to a string and hang it over a circular alphabet, the direction the ring swings is the letter you write down, until you have a coherent sentence. In the Middle ages they would set up elaborate tables and set a ring on a string then burn the string and see where the ring feel on the symbols on the table.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DactylomancyMargaritomancy is the practice of reading pearls inside oysters or casting pearls on a table or the ground and reading the pattern.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MargaritomancyUsing a lamp for Divination is known as Lampadomancy, you do it by watching the flame, or holding a piece of paper over the flame and reading the residue. The more oddly shaped your lamp is, the more likely spirits are to be attracted to it apparently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LampadomancyMachromancy is Divination with a Knife, sometimes it is done like Scrying where you stare into the polished surface of a blade, but it can also be done more elaborately by creating the Alphabet in a circle and spinning the blade and writing down the letters. Apparently the answers usually come in an ancient language such as Hebrew or Greek, even if you put an English alphabet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacharomancyMolybdomancy can be done by people who make their own silver/copper/gold bars/ozs. The way it is done is by pouring molten metal into cold water with no molding or anything, and interpreting the shape of the object made.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MolybdomancyWine reading is known as Oinomancy, it is practiced in various places, but not much in America. You can do it by spilling wine on something and reading the pattern, soak paper in wine and read the patterns, and the Color and the Taste and the Sediment of the wine are studied. Now adays the people that do this are just called wine critics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oinomancy
