Cledonomancy
Alternatively known as Cledonomantia, Cledonismancy, Cledonismantia, and Cledonism.
An informal divination technique in which the practitioner ascribes significance to (apparently) random events and/or chance remarks.
This type foretelling dates back to ancient Greece and Rome, where omens of good and evil were established from chance remarks that were spoken without premeditation. Cicero stated that the Pythagoreans were very attentive to these presages.
According to Pausanias, Cledonomancy was popular at Smyrna, where the Apollonian Oracles were interpreted. He also mentions its use at the shrine of Hermes Agoraios in Pharae:
"An inquirer, upon whispering a question into the god's ear, plugged his own ears, left the agora, and then listened for the god's answer among the chance words of pedestrians. This was likely popular because the individual selectively chose which words formed the answer."
An incident of Cledonomancy occurs in the Odyssey. Before taking vengeance on 'the Suitors' — a crowd of 108 boisterous young men whose aim is to persuade Penelope to accept her husband’s disappearance as final and to marry one of them — Odysseus asks for a divine sign. Zeus answers with a clap of thunder, immediately followed by words from a servant-woman, asking Zeus to "let this be the very last day that the suitors dine in the house of Odysseus."
See Xenomancy, Sortilege, Divination, Astrology, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, Diviner, Coscinomancy, Cleidomancy, Augur, Stoichomancy, Dowsing, Tarot, Heptameron, Demonology, Idolomancy, Demonomancy, Tephramancy, Anemoscopy, Eromancy, Austromancy, Chaomancy, Roadomancy, Capnomancy, Pyromancy, Meteormancy, Ceraunoscopy, Zoomancy, Mystic Gifts and Charms - New Age Gift Shop & Wicca and Pagan Supplies, Love Spells -- Use these powerful love spells to help you find and keep your true love, The Tarot Store, The Chakra 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.
Sources: (1) Pickover, Clifford A., Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, Prometheus Books; (2) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (3) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing.
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