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divination

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divination

Art of ascertaining future events or eliciting other hidden knowledge by supernatural or nonrational means. Divination played a large part in the ancient civilizations of the Egyptians, Greeks (see oracle), Romans, and Chinese (using the I Ching), and is still practised throughout the world.

Divination generally involves the intuitive interpretation of the mechanical operations of chance or natural law, although dreams, often specially induced, have also been interpreted to tell the future.

Forms of divination have included omens drawn from the behaviour of birds and animals; examination of the entrails of sacrificed animals; random opening of such books as the Bible; fortune-telling by cards (especially tarot cards) and palmistry; dowsing; oracular trance-speaking; automatic writing; and necromancy, or the supposed raising of the spirits of the dead.



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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The second is, that probable conjectures, or obscure traditions, many times turn themselves into prophecies; while the nature of man, which coveteth divination, thinks it no peril to foretell that which indeed they do but collect.
The Essays by Bacon, Sir Francis View in context
Placed in an envelope, and addressed to Fouquet, it had not even been divined by Planchet, who in divination was equal to Calchas or the Pythian Apollo.
Ten Years Later by Dumas, Alexandre View in context
I saw him, from the midst of my act, meet it with a divination, and on the perception that even now he only guessed, and that the window was still to his own eyes free, I let the impulse flame up to convert the climax of his dismay into the very proof of his liberation.
Turn Of The Screw by James, Henry View in context
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