Lunomancy
The art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future by the shadows created by the moonlight on an individual's face.
In this branch of Selenomancy a full moon is best, but any moon that gives a reasonable amount of light may be employed.
In another requirement for Lunomancy, a special silver dust is to be spread on the caster's hands, and then on the subject's face, before the diviner makes the prognostication.
Also, the moonlight shadows must be observed randomly, without the diviner trying to position the person's head for special emphasis. The depth of shadow, length, and observed shape are all taken into consideration.
There are countless moon-related omens that have evolved since prehistoric times. Our celestial companion has long been used to divine the fate of individuals at the time of their birth. If the child is born when the moon is one day old, this person will be blessed with wealth and longevity. If the birth occurs during the moon's waning phase, it signifies that this child will be unhealthy; if the child is born while the moon is full, he or she will be a very strong individual, but if a child is born during the dark of the moon, he or she will need special care and will probably die before reaching puberty.
An ancient superstition is that it is bad luck to have a child born in moonlight. It was also believed that anyone sleeping in moonlight for any length of time ran the risk of going either blind or crazy.
In another old superstition, if a girl looked at a new moon over her right shoulder, she would dream of her future husband if she repeated the words:
"New moon, new moon, do tell me
Who my true lover will be.
The color of his hair,
The clothes that he will wear,
And the happy day he will wed me."
Lunomancy, like most divinatory systems, is quite ancient, and has been practiced since time immemorial by the Babylonians, Scythians, Greeks and Arabians, among others.
See Stoichomancy, Babylonians, Astrology, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, Divination, Sortilege, Coscinomancy, Cleidomancy, Augur, Stoichomancy, Dowsing, Tarot, Heptameron, Demonology, Idolomancy, Demonomancy, Tephramancy, Anemoscopy, Eromancy, Austromancy, Chaomancy, Roadomancy, Capnomancy, Pyromancy, Meteormancy, Ceraunoscopy, Zoomancy, Felidomancy, Horoscope, Horary Astrology, Zodiac, Casting Black Magic Spells, The Chakra Store, Commanding Spirits, 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) 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) Buckland, Raymond, The Fortune-Telling Book: The Encyclopedia of Divination and Soothsaying, Visible Ink Press.
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