Cleromancy
Alternatively Cleromancie, Cleromantia, Kleromantia, and Kleromancy.
Originally, a form of divination involving the throwing of small objects, like pebbles, colored crystals, beans, small sticks or bones; anything, in short, suitable for lots. This system evolved to divination by means of dice.
This method of divination was practiced in ancient Egypt, ancient China and in ancient Rome, where it was typically consecrated to the god Mercury, regarded as the patron of Cleromancy.
The ancient Chinese system called chiao-pai, which is still practiced today, involves the tossing of two curved bamboo blocks on the ground. If both blocks land with curved sides up, the answer is positive; if both blocks land with flat sides up, the response is negative.
The use of small stones for Cleromantic purposes (also known as Pessomancy) is of very ancient origins, and has been practiced, in one form or another, all over the world. Even today, many African witch doctors keep bags of "wise stones" that they cast to foretell the future. In the Arab tradition, the pebbles were turned out into a heap, and the omens read one at a time as the stones were drawn at random.
Pebble and stone selection are said to be critical for an accurate prognostication. The selected pebbles have to be of approximately the same size and preferably smooth.
You can practice this form of Cledomancy today. Gather thirteen white, or light colored, and thirteen black, or dark colored stones. All should be of approximately the same size. While asking your yes/no question, place the pebbles in a small bag or a metal bowl. Shake the stones at least twice. Then repeat the question a second and third time. With your eyes closed, reach into the bowl or bag and grab a handful of stones. Place them on a surface, a table or the ground. If there are more white pebbles than black, the answer to your question is favorable. If more black stones have been collected, the answer is no. If you've retrieved an equal number of each, there is no answer at this time. You will need to try again later.
Modern divination by dice is a fairly simple procedure. In the most popular method, a list of twenty possible answers ― numbered from four to twenty-four ― must be written out. A pair of ordinary dice is then thrown and their numbers added together and written down. A second cast of the die is performed, 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, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are the most favorable days of the week for the casting of the dice. You should not attempt it on Fridays and Sundays.
The term Cleromancy sometimes was also used to indicate divination involving a bean baked in a cake.
See Sortilege, Divination, Astrology, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, 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 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.
Sources: (1) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (3) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (4) Pickover, Clifford A., Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, Prometheus Books; (5) Halliday, William Reginald, Greek Divination; a Study of its Methods and Principles, General Books LLC; (6) Cunningham, Scott, Divination for Beginners: Reading the Past, Present & Future, Llewellyn Publications.
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