Theomancy
Alternatively Theomancie, Theomantia, Theomanty, and Theonomancy.
Derived from the Greek theos ('god') and manteia ('divination'), it is the art and practice of divining the past, the present and the future by godly inspired oracles, such as at Delphi in ancient Greece, or by consulting gods, spirits or divine beings.
The most popular method of Theomancy is the seance, in which a group of persons allegedly contact and receive messages from discarnate beings or spirits of the dead.
In antiquity, Theomantic decisions were drawn from the responses of oracles, the predictions of sibyls and others who supposed to be immediately inspired by some divinity.
Kabbalisticly, Theomancy is divination by the invocation of the various names of God. Some Jewish priests claim that it was by these means that Moses performed his miracles. They also say that others made use of Theomancy; Joshua was able to stop the sun by Theomancy, as well as Elias, when he caused fire to fall from heaven, and raised the dead. According to the Rabbis, Daniel also used Theomancy to close the mouths of hungry lions, and the three youths were not consumed in the furnace because of Theomantic vehemence.
Lewis Spence, in his An Encyclopedia of Occultism, wrote that Theomancy is "the part of the Jewish Kabbalah which studies the mysteries of the Divine Majesty and seeks the sacred names. He who possesses this science knows the future, commands nature, has full power over angels and demons, and can perform miracles."
In his 'Glossographia' (1656) Thomas Blount also mentions Theomancy:
"Theomancy, [theomantia] a kinde of divination or inchanting by abusive calling upon the secret, farfetched mysterious and wrested names of God."
Nathan Bailey, in An Universal Etymological English Dictionary (1727) states:
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"Theomancy is different from artificial Divination, which though, in some Sense, it may be said to be given by the Gods, yet does not immediately proceed from them, being the Effect of Experience and Observation. And by manteia is opposed to Oracular Divination, i.e. that which is delivered by Interpreters, as at Delphi, because that was confined usually to a fixed and stated Time, and always to a certain Place; for the Pythia could not be inspir'd in any Place but Apollo's Temple, and upon the sacred Tripus, whereas the Theomantists were free and unconfin'd, being able (after the Offering of Sacrifices and Performance of the usual Rites) to prophesy at any Time or in any Part of the World. It was a divine afflatus or Inspiration: The Manner of receiving of which was, the Receivers of it were possessed with a divine Fury, swelling with Rage, like Persons distracted and besides themselves, foaming and making strange and terrible Noise, gnashing with their Teeth, shivering and trembling, and making other antick Motions. Theomantists were of three Sorts. One Sort was possessed with prophesying Dæmons which lodged within them, and dictated what they should answer to those that enquired of them, or spoke out of the Bellies or Breasts of the possessed Persons, they all the while remaining speechless, or not so much as moving their Tongue or Lips. The second Sort were such as pretended to what is commonly call'd Enthusiasm, and different from the former, who contained the Deity himself; whereas those were only govern'd, acted, or inspired by him, and instructed in the Knowledge of what was to happen. The third Sort were those that were cast into Trances or Estasies, in which they lay like dead Men, or asleep, depriv'd of all Sense and Motion, but after some Time returning to themselves, gave strange Relations of what they had seen or heard."
Theomancy, like most divinatory systems, is quite ancient, and has been practiced since time immemorial.
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 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) 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; (6) Bailey, Nathan, An Universal Etymological English Dictionary, Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd Publishers.
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