scapulimancy
Quick Summary
Scapulimancy is an occult practice involving divination by observing a shoulder blade, typically of an animal, after it has been heated over a fire. The cracks or blotches that appear on the bone are interpreted as signs to foretell the future. This method is a form of inductive divination, where natural phenomena are used to derive meaning.123
Spatulamancy is a synonym for scapulimancy, with both terms deriving from words meaning "shoulder blade". This practice was widespread across North America and Eurasia.13
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- augury
…shoulder blades of animals (scapulimancy), entrails of sacrificed animals (haruspicy), or their livers, which were considered to be the seat of life (hepatoscopy).
Read More…shoulder blades of animals (scapulimancy), entrails of sacrificed animals (haruspicy), or their livers, which were considered to be the seat of life (hepatoscopy).
Read More - divinationInductive divination
Scapulimancy—divination from a fire-cracked shoulder blade—was widespread in North America and Eurasia. The related but more elaborate Chinese technique of tortoise shell divination was inspired by the idea of equating the carapace (back) and ventral (lower) shell with their view of a rounded sky over…
Read MoreScapulimancy—divination from a fire-cracked shoulder blade—was widespread in North America and Eurasia. The related but more elaborate Chinese technique of tortoise shell divination was inspired by the idea of equating the carapace (back) and ventral (lower) shell with their view of a rounded sky over…
Read More