Solmancy
Alternatively Heliomancy, Heliomantia, and Solmantia.
Divination by the Sun, or by interpreting the patterns formed by the rays of the Sun.
According to the renowned Agrippa, Solmancy is divination by observing omens in the Sun, specially its rays, light and the shadows it produced.
Sun worship is almost as ancient as humanity itself, so it is not surprising that the ancients looked for signs of futurity in its rays, its position and its color.
From cave-dwellers to the early city builders, Sun observation was always very important. It helped decide when to hunt, when to seed, when to harvest, and many other important issues. If the Sun's appearance was as red as blood, it was considered a sign that the sword was coming to the world. If it was the color of sackcloth, a great famine was imminent. If the Sun color resembled both, then both the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world.
In the many prophetic apocalyptic descriptions of the end of time, the darkening of the Sun at rising is emphasized as one of the signs of impeding judgment.
"For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light." (Isaiah 13:10)
According to the Talmud, an eclipse of the Sun is an evil sign, or an omen of impeding doom approaching. If the Sun is in eclipse in the east, is a bad omen for dwellers in the east, and so forth for the west, the north and the south. If the Sun is in the center of the heavens when the eclipse occurs, then it is a bad omen for all the nations of the world.
See Radiesthesia, Sortilege, Divination, 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, Numerology, Bibliomancy, Kabbalism, Alchemy, Mystic Gifts and Charms - New Age Gift Shop & Wicca and Pagan Supplies, The Chakra Store, 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) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (2) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (3) Pickover, Clifford A., Dreaming the Future: The Fantastic Story of Prediction, Prometheus Books; (4) Johnstone, Jane, and Pilkington, Maya (editors), The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Fortune Telling, Sterling Publishers.
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