Brontoscopy
Alternatively Brontomancy, Brontomantia, and Brontoscopia.
From the Greek word for thunder, it is the art and practice of divination by means of the assessment of the characteristics of the sound of thunder. Interpretation depended upon intensity, direction, length, and distance from the observer. Whether or not the thunder was accompanied by lightning was also significant.
According to the tradition, the longer and louder the rumble, the more ominous it was; thunder coming from the left was a bad omen, and thunder on the right would bring a happy ending. Thunder on Tuesdays and Thursdays was a good sign, indicating plenty of grain, corn and sheep. Thunder on Sundays indicated the death of a learned man, such as a judge, a general, or a scholar. Thunder on Mondays indicated the death of a woman, and thunder on Wednesday indicated the death of harlots, and possibly other bloodshed as well. Thunder on Fridays was indicative of the murder of a great man, and on Saturdays it indicated widespread death, possibly the plague.
The Augurs of ancient Rome were accomplished practitioners of Brontoscopy. In the Middle Ages it was believed that thunder and lightning in winter was a portent of war, summertime floods, or the death of a important person living within a 20 miles radius.
In Russia, thunder divination was also quite popular. The Gromnik (Gromnovik), a Slavonic text deriving from Byzantine sources, deals with thunder divination. In one manuscript, this text was said to have come from "Moses the Thunder Witness." Many Slavonic thunder divination texts dealt with fortune telling and thunder auguries, and were banned in the 14th—18th centuries by the Russian clergy.
Brontoscopy is a form of Ceraunoscopy.
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See Ceraunomancy, Pyromancy, Radiesthesia, Astrology, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, Divination, Coscinomancy, Cleidomancy, Augur, Stoichomancy, Dowsing, Tarot, Heptameron, Demonology, Sortilege, Idolomancy, Demonomancy, Tephramancy, Anemoscopy, Eromancy, Austromancy, Chaomancy, Roadomancy, Capnomancy, Pyromancy, Meteormancy, Ceraunoscopy, Zoomancy, Felidomancy, Horoscope, Horary Astrology, Zodiac, Bibliomancy, Kabbalism, Numerology, Alchemy, Love Spells -- Use these powerful love spells to help you find and keep your true love, Unbroken Curses, Mystic Gifts and Charms - New Age Gift Shop & Wicca and Pagan Supplies, The Chakra Store, The Tarot Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, Unique Amulets, Talismans, Good Luck Charms, and Love Tokens, Powerful Witch Doctor Spell Kits, Powerful Spells - Cast by Andreika the Witch, Webmasters Make $$$, AzureGreen - Celebrating All Paths to the Divine, ISIS - Tools for Your Soul's Journey, and The Pyramid Collection - Myth, Magick, Fantasy and Romance.
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Sources: (1) Morwyn, The Complete Book Of Psychic Arts, Llewellyn Publications; (2) Walker, Charles, The Encyclopedia of the Occult, Random House Value; (3) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group; (4) Sibley, Jane T ., The Divine Thunderbolt: Missile of the Gods, Xlibris Publishers.
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