The Wiccan's Dictionary of Prophecy and Omens. Gerina Dunwich

(which takes its name from the Greek words arithmos meaning numbers, and mancy, which means divination, was devised in Athens by the sixth-century philosopher Pythagoras, who used it for character analysis as well as forecasting the future and fate of others.

      ARITHMOMANCY (see ARITHMANCY)

      ARMOMANCY (also known as scapulomancy) The art and practice of divination by observation of the shoulder bone of an animal, usually one that has been properly sacrificed.

      In China, it was a common practice among ancient diviners to apply heat to the symbol-inscribed shoulder bone of an ox until cracks forming various patterns appeared. These patterns would then be interpreted.

      (In addition to ox bones, Chinese diviners also were known to use the carapace, or shell, of a tortoise in the same manner.)

      As oxen were quite expensive, only those knowledge seekers possessing great wealth could afford to have their futures divined by means of armomancy.

      Divination by the shoulder bone of animals was also popular in ancient times among the Mohammedan diviners.

      ART OF THE LITTLE DOTS A relatively modern form of geomancy. It is quite simple and is performed in the following way: If you are right-handed, hold a pen or pencil in your left hand (or vice versa for lefties) over a blank piece of paper. Close your eyes, clear your mind of all distracting thoughts, and then quickly tap the tip of the writing instrument on the paper one hundred times. Open your eyes and look at the paper. You will see that a pattern has been formed by the random dots. Focus your eyes and mind on the dot pattern until you are able to interpret its meaning.

      ASPIDOMANCY The art and practice of divination by sitting on a shield within a magick circle and falling into a trance while reciting ancient occult formulas. Once the state of trance has been entered, the diviner is then able to experience divinatory visions and/or to communicate with various gods and spirits in order to receive spiritual advice or insight into events yet to occur.

      Aspidomancy was a method of divination popular at one time among the shamanic diviners of many Native American Indian tribes.

      ASTRAGALI Special divinatory dice used by the augurs of ancient times. They were carved from the four-sided knucklebones of sheep and decorated with dots, much in the same way as modern dice, or other symbols possessing divinatory significance.

      Astragali were popular fortune-telling tools among the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians.

      ASTRAGALOMANCY (also spelled astraglomancy) The art and practice of divination by dice.

      In primitive times, small bones such as the vertebrae were inscribed with special divinatory symbols and used by diviners to give answers to questions. In ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt, the four-sided knucklebones of sheep were employed. (See ASTRAGALI)

      Modern dice, as we know them, were believed to have been first used by the Egyptians around 1400 B.C.

      To divine by dice is a fairly simple procedure. First, a list of twenty possible answers numbered from four to twenty-four must be written out. A question is asked out loud, and then a pair of ordinary dice are thrown. Their numbers are added together and written down. The dice are then thrown a second time, and their numbers are added to the first. The resulting number is then matched to the corresponding answer on the numbered list.

      According to ancient occult tradition, Fridays and Sundays are the two most unfavorable days for the casting of the dice.

      ASTRAGLOMANCY (See ASTRAGALOMANCY)

      ASTRAGYROMANCY Another form of astragalomancy or divination by dice. Three dice are cast into a circle about twelve inches in diameter. (If any or all of the dice fall out of the circle during the first two tries, the time for dice casting is said to be inauspicious, and you should not try again until a later time. Three misses in a row is considered an extremely unlucky sign.) The total face value of the dice is interpreted in the following manner:

      Three is an indication of good luck. You may soon be receiving some unexpected good news.

      Four is an indication of disappointment or a streak of bad luck. This is a time for you to be extremely careful.

      Five means that your wish will be granted. A new friendship will soon be established.

      Six is an indication that you will soon part with your money. Also, beware of dishonest friends.

      Seven is an indication of sorrow and also setbacks. People are talking behind your back.

      Eight is an indication that you will soon receive the blame for something which you may or may not be responsible for.

      Nine is an indication of a wedding (either yours or someone close to you), luck in love, or a reconciliation of some kind.

      Ten is an indication of a career advancement, or the birth of a child.

      Eleven is an indication of sickness, a separation, sorrow for you or a loved one.

      Twelve is an indication that you will be the recipient of happy news, either by phone or by mail.

      Thirteen is a very bad omen, indicating sorrow, grief, and worry.

      Fourteen is an indication that there is a secret admirer or a helpful friend.

      Fifteen is an indication of disagreements, dishonesty, and gossip.

      Sixteen is an indication of travel in store for you in the near future.

      Seventeen is an indication that changes will soon be occurring. A possible change of residence within a year’s time.

      Eighteen is a very good omen, indicating success in all ventures, money, and happiness.

      Another method of astragyromancy employs a circle divided into a dozen equal, pie-shaped wedges, each assigned a different letter of the alphabet from A to L. Three dice are cast into the circle, and the letters that are landed on are then interpreted using a prepared list of corresponding messages.

      ASTRO-DIVINATION The ancient occult science of casting astrological charts to answer specific, personal questions and/or to solve problems based on the position of the heavenly bodies at the time of the inquiry.

      Also known by the name of Horary astrology, this form of astrological divination dates back to the fifth century B.C. (The word horary is derived from the Latin word hora, meaning hour.)

      ASTROLOGY (also known as the science of the stars.) An ancient occult art and science, dating back to the third century B.C. that judges the influence of the planets in the solar system on the course of human affairs.

      In astrology, a planet’s influence varies according to which section of the zodiac it is in.

      The two main types of astrology are Mundane and Horary. Mundane astrology, which is based on the premise that the Earth’s physical structure is affected by cosmic influences, deals with the prediction of large-scale phenomena such as earthquakes, political trends, and wars. Horary astrology is a method that uses charts for answering specific questions and/or for solving problems.

      The other branches of astrology include: Electorial astrology, which calculates appropriate dates and times for undertaking important events such as marriage, travel, and so forth; Inceptional astrology, which deals with the outcome of a particular event whose date, time, and place have already been established; Medical astrology, which correlates zodiac signs and planetary influences with diseases and malfunctions of the bodily organs; Natal astrology, which focuses on the horoscope of the heavens for the precise moment of an individual’s birth; Predictive astrology, which predicts future events in an individual’s life; and Astrometeorology, which uses the science of the stars to forecast weather patterns and conditions.

      The twelve astrological signs of the zodiac and their attributes are as follows:

      ARIES (March 21–April 20)

      Symbol: The Ram

      Element: Fire

      Masculine/Positive

      Planetary