Dactylomancy

Dactylomancy
Dactylomancy
Terminology
2006-01-21 Ring of love.jpg
A golden ring. Associated with Sunday in dactylomancy practices of the Middle Ages.
Definition The use of a finger rings for divination
Signature The movement and/or resting place of a ring is used to form an answer, or to indicate that which is to be consulted for an answer
See also Divination

Dactylomancy, from the Greek word for finger, is a term used by proponents to define a form of divination using rings.[1]

Modern dactylomancy

In some traditions of dactylomancy, a ring is suspended like a pendulum above a surface that is marked with letters or symbols. The direction of the swing indicates which symbols are to be consulted, or which letter are to be formed into a message, in answer to a specific question.[2][3] Another tradition follows the same pattern as Séance table-rapping. In it a ring is suspended from a tumbler so that it may touch the sides if swung and a code is agreed upon (e.g., 1 for yes, 2 for no). A question is then posed and the number of the times that the ring strikes the side of the tumbler is interpreted as being an answer.[2][3]

Historic dactylomancy

A more complex form of dactylomancy was practiced in Europe during the Middle Ages in which a ring was suspended above a circular table marked with the symbols of the zodiac. 78 metal discs inscribed with a letter of the alphabet (three discs per letter) were then placed on the table and the thread holding the ring was burnt. The letters that the ring rolled across and the one on which it halted were then consulted to form the answer to the question being divined.[3] In this tradition, the metal that from which the ring was made of was determined by the day of the week.[3]

  • Monday - Silver, to represent the moon
  • Tuesday - Iron, to represent Mars
  • Wednesday - Tin/lead, to represent Mercury
  • Thursday - Tin, to represent Jupiter
  • Friday - Copper, to represent Venus
  • Saturday - Lead, to represent Saturn
  • Sunday - Gold, to represent the sun [3]

Modern dactylomancy is usually associated with spiritualism and new age beliefs, rather Parapsychology.

References

  1. ^ Jacob, P. L. (1878) "Science and Literature in the Middle Ages, and at the Period of the Renaissance", Bickers and Son
  2. ^ a b Spence, Lewis (2003), "Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology", Kessinger Publishing, ISBN 0766128156
  3. ^ a b c d e Cunningham, Scott (2003), "Divination for Beginners: Reading the Past, Present & Future", Llewellyn Worldwide, ISBN 0738703842

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dactylomancy — Dac*tyl o*man cy, n. Dactyliomancy. [R.] Am. Cyc. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dactylomancy — noun divination by various methods using rings. Such as using silver or gold rings placed on the fingernails in patterns in conjunction with the planets …   Wiktionary

  • dactylomancy — divination using rings Divination and Fortune Telling …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • Astrology — Not to be confused with Astronomy. ‹ The template below (Ast box) is being considered for merging. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. › …   Wikipedia

  • Divination — This article is about divination as a whole. For the numerous varieties of divination, see Methods of divination. For other uses, see Divination (disambiguation). This man in Rhumsiki, Cameroon, supposedly tells the future by interpreting the… …   Wikipedia

  • Numerology — is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs. Numerology and numerological divination by systems such as isopsephy were popular among early… …   Wikipedia

  • Augur — Not to be confused with auger or agar. For other uses, see Augur (disambiguation). Augury redirects here. For the band, see Augury (band). An augur holding a lituus, the curved wand often used as a symbol of augury on Roman coins The augur… …   Wikipedia

  • Dowsing — For the English iconoclast, see William Dowsing. A dowser, from an 18th century French book about superstitions …   Wikipedia

  • Necromancy — This article is about the form of magic. For the film, see Necromancy (film). Necromancer redirects here. For other uses, see Necromancer (disambiguation). Illustration portraying a scene from the Bible wherein the Witch of Endor uses a… …   Wikipedia

  • Crystal gazing — Ball gazes and Ball gazing redirect here. For the American poker player, see Bill Gazes. For the lawn ornament, see Gazing ball. Crystal saw redirects here. For the magic trick, see Crystal Sawing. Crystal see redirects here. It is not to be… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”