Scatoscopy
Alternatively known as Spatalomancy, Spatilomancy, Cropomancy, Spatalamancy, Scatoscopia, and Scatomancy.
Derived from the Greek spatilē ('excrement') and manteia ('divination'), it is the art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future by using the skin, the bones and/or the excrement of beast or man.
Divination by the examination of egested food (feces, excrement) has been practiced since time immemorial. The odor, contents, consistency and location were all considered in determining prognostications.
Primitive people took a look after they had a motion, to see if told them anything, and there are more civilized people who do that than you'd suppose. Usually they are frightened; they've heard that cancer can give you blood in your stools, and they want to make sure they're healthy.
In one of Scatoscopy's forms, popular in ancient Egypt, kleptoparasitic dung beetles were employed. These amazing insects were actually held sacred and immortalized by the Egyptians. They shape, roll and weave dung balls as a sexual display and courtship attractor. The beetles speed and behavior, as well as the appearance of the dung balls, were all taken into consideration for the prognostications.
The examination of feces and urine by physicians and folk medicine practitioners has also been performed since ancient times. Medicine men and women were knowledgeable in it, and made predictions as well as diagnoses from feces examination, resembling today's medical professionals and laboratories.
See Diviner, Divination, Demonomancy, 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, 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, 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) Walker, Charles, The Encyclopedia of the Occult, Random House Value; (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) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group.
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