somatomancy

occult practice

Learn about this topic in these articles:

types of augury

In divination: Interpretive divination
Somatomancy, or body divination, is clearly interpretive in most forms, whether in China or the West, though the system of signs employed comprises private attributes of the client’s physique. Examples are phrenology, which employs features of the head that are normally unnoticed, and the reading…
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omen

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omen

occultism

Also known as: astral omen, portent

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Key People:: Gongsun Hong

Related Topics:: divination; omina

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omen, observed phenomenon that is interpreted as signifying good or bad fortune. In ancient times omens were numerous and varied and included, for instance, lightning, cloud movements, the flight of birds, and the paths of certain sacred animals. Within each type of sign were minor subdivisions, such as the different kinds of bird in flight or the direction of flight in relation to the observer, each of which had a special meaning. See also augury.