The Many -Mancys

 This semester, it was interesting to learn about the many practices of witchcraft that ended in the suffix -mancy. I’d never heard that term before, but learned that it has to do with a related type of magic. For example, necromancy means magic of the dead.  Crystallomancy means the practice of looking into a crystal to seek divine knowledge. Below are a list and description of some other types of magic, some of which we’ve learned about through our readings and in class, and others which I found through my own research. 

 

Cleromancy: I remember reading about this one in class. It is a practice of using yarrow stalks that can be arranged into different shapes to answer a question, or ascertain an answer to something. This was also “linked to astrology,” (p. 52), which as I learned throughout the semester played a large role in the magical practices of cultures all over the world. Yarrow stalks, often read and interpreted like tea leaves and palm lines in Chinese magic practices, were arranged into shapes and knowledge was based off the final arrangement.

 

Geomancy:  Using natural features such as rocks, sand, or soil to interpret the markings therein. This practice originated in early Islam.  When I initially googled this concept to get a deeper understanding, the Oxford Langauge dictionary mentioned it also refers to “the art of placing or arranging buildings or other sites auspiciously,” which reminded me of feng shui and the practices that it teaches to arrange a space for optimal harmony. 

 

Onomancy: Due to the importance and supernatural significance of letters and numbers in Islam, onomancy was a common practice. It involved analyzing the letters within words, as well as related numbers or values, to see deeper meanings and make predictions on a variety of issues.  This also reminded me of Pythagoras, discussed on p. 37 of A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult, who believed that “by understanding them (numbers) past events could be understood and future ones divined.”  Certain numbers even had certain meanings. 2 represented male, 3 female, and 5 (2+3) signified marriage. Certain letters were also associated with certain numbers, whose value was summed and analyzed when finding a name for a child. 

 

Hepatomancy: An ancient Greek practice that revolved around the livers of sacrificial animals. Unsurprisingly, the more normal an animal’s liver, the better. From my outside research, I was able to glean that other organs could be used for this practice as well, but wasn’t able to learn much else in our sources or online. 

 

Oneiromancy: “Interpretation of dreams,” (p. 307, A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult).  Practiced in Jewish mystical tradition, particularly in Kabbalah, and for fortune telling in Eastern European traditions. Also reminds me of Freud’s psychoanalysis of dreams.  

 

Ornithomancy: The Greek practice of interpreting and divining the flight patterns of birds.  I’ve been reminded of this throughout the semester whenever I see crows circling, a lá Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. 

 

In my own research, I also learned about chronomancy, which talks about the magical practice of determining the best time or day to do something. This reminded me of the Japanese beliefs of Saturn, which caused Saturday to be thought an unlucky day to get married. It also reminded me of how my mom and I will always happen to look at the clock at a certain time, like 11:11 (which many people consider to be lucky), or 3:33 and 4:44, in my family’s case. We consider these “lucky times” due to the repeating numbers. Another -mancy I learned about was tyromancy, which interpreted the clotting of cheese to tell one’s fortune.  Though I love cheese, I’m not a big curd fan and think I’ll skip this one, despite whatever fortune it may bring.