Week Two

Divination Terms

Now that we’ve discussed a basic definition of Divination, we’ll be looking at the terms that will commonly come up in our study of Divination. Please note that these terms may vary from one resource to another, but these definitions should help you understand these terms in the course of our lessons.

Querent – the person who is asking a question or seeking information

Reader – the person who is completing a reading or performing another method of Divination

In some cases, the Querent and Reader may be the same person. Although not all methods of Divination involve “reading”, I will use the term Reader to generally refer to the person performing the method.

Tool – an object used to aid in the process of Divination, such as Tarot cards

Symbol – a image or representation of an object or concept that appears in Divination, often representing something else

Branch – a subset of Divination; for example, Cleromancy is any Divination done by casting

Method – a particular type of Divination and the process used to complete it

There is some overlap between branches and methods of Divination, but in some cases there are distinctions, so be careful using these words interchangeably.

Last week, I asked you to hypothesize what the suffix -mancy might mean. Many of our branches and methods of Divination end with this suffix, which is derived from the Greek word manteia, meaning prophecy. By breaking down these words and analyzing their roots, we can often discover their meaning. For example, the Greek word lithos means stone; therefore, Lithomancy is Divination by gems or stones.

Homework

Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. Your responses must be in your own words.

1. Describe a situation in which the Querent and the Reader might be the same person. 5 points

2. Symbols that appear in Divination often have either a positive or negative connotation, or feeling. For each of the following symbols, describe whether you think the reading would be positive or negative, and briefly explain your answer. 3 points each

  • Kite
  • Pig
  • Wheat
  • Butterfly
  • Hourglass

3. Based on its root word, what do you think Pyromancy is? What about Hydromancy? 5 points