astragalomancy

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek ἀστράγαλος (astrágalos) +‎ -mancy.

Noun

astragalomancy (uncountable)

1. Divination by dice made from huckle-bones. They have four flat sides and two round sides which were marked.
2. Divination by throwing astragaloi (see etymology above) onto the pages of a picture book.
3. Simply divination by dice.

Quotations

• ""kinde of divination by the opening of a booke at all adventures..." He adds, "I shall omit to speak here of astragalomancy, that was done with huckle bones; ceromancy, and all other such like fooleries." -- E. Chilmead in Brand Popular Antiquities, Dr. Ferrand, in his Love Melancholy, 1640

• "ASTRAGALOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY: Divination with dice, ranging from crude bones with primitive markings to cubes bearing spots, letters, or cabalistic symbols, all interpreted by the bone caster." -- Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy, 1973

• "Astragalomancy: Today this is a form of divination using two dice, but originally a pair of astragals (probably the left and right ankle-bones of a sheep) would have been used." -- Complete Bk Predictions, 1983

Synonyms

• astragyromancy

Further reading

• astragalomancy on Wikipedia.Wikipedia