Scapulimancy (also spelled scapulomancy and scapulamancy, also termed omoplatoscopy or speal bone reading) is the practice of divination by use of scapulae or speal bones (shoulder blades). It is most widely practiced in China and the Sinosphere as oracle bones, but has also been independently developed in other traditions including the West.
Historically, scapulimancy has taken two major forms. In the first, "apyromantic", the scapula of an animal was simply examined after its slaughter. This form was widespread in Europe, Northern Africa and the Near East. However, the second form, "pyromantic" scapulimancy, involving the heating or burning of the bone and interpretation of the results, was practiced in East Asia and North America.
common use of scapulimancy (mitunsaawaakan), differentiating them from other native populations in the Americas. Generally, scapulimancy and associated...
nigromancy, geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy, and scapulimancy. The division between the four elemental disciplines (viz., geomancy...
necromancy, geomancy, aeromancy, hydromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and scapulimancy. Fire rituals in East Asia most often revolved around animal bones. In...
geomancy, hydromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and spatulamancy (scapulimancy). It was thus condemned by Albertus Magnus in Speculum Astronomiae as...
magic, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and scapulimancy. The Arabic tradition consists of sketching sixteen random lines of dots...
Prohibitae nigromancy geomancy hydromancy aeromancy pyromancy chiromancy scapulimancy Related History of magic Magic and religion Psychological theories of...
divination – in ancient China, mainly during the late Shang dynasty. Scapulimancy is the specific term if ox scapulae were used for the divination, plastromancy...
geomancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy (palmistry), and spatulamancy (scapulimancy). Crystal gazing – Method for seeing visions by gazing at a crystal Lecanomancy –...
turn around Image of scapula Suprascapular canal path Scapula Anatomy Scapulimancy/Oracle bone the light side This article incorporates text in the public...
necromancy, geomancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, hydromancy, and spatulamancy (scapulimancy). During the 16th century the art of palmistry was actively suppressed...
longest. The Shang king would communicate with his ancestors by means of scapulimancy, inquiring about subjects such as the royal family, military success...
spatilē, excrement + manteía, prophecy) spatulamancy → see scapulimancy (from scapulimancy, influenced by Latin spatula, splint) spheromancy → see scrying...
ruling Shang dynasty royal family. These divinations took the form of scapulimancy where the oracle bones were exposed to flames, creating patterns of cracks...
Prohibitae nigromancy geomancy hydromancy aeromancy pyromancy chiromancy scapulimancy Related History of magic Magic and religion Psychological theories of...
communication through fire and smoke to the divine realm, a practice known as scapulimancy. The heat would cause the bones to crack and royal diviners would interpret...
However, the horse had no special status in Scapulimancy; any large animal bone would do. Similarly, Scapulimancy is mainly practiced by a knowledgeable community...
related to horses and tack. Some Ubykh also practiced favomancy and scapulimancy. However, the Ubykh gained more prominence in modern times. By 1864,...
pieces of metal and gems and other things of significance to the healer. Scapulimancy Campbell, A.C. (1968). "Some Notes on Ngwaketse Divination". Botswana...
communication through fire and smoke to the divine realm, a practice known as scapulimancy. The heat would cause the bones to crack and royal diviners would interpret...
to animals for divination purposes is found in ancient cultures(e.g. Scapulimancy), and some modern religions such as Santeria continue to do animal sacrifices...
war if the shoulder blade of a white sheep cracked while being heated (scapulimancy). Khitan women hunted, rode horses and practiced archery. They did not...
not the shoulder blade of a white sheep cracked while being heated (scapulimancy). Many elite Khitans, including noblemen and refugees who became the...
magic), geomancy, hydromancy, aeromancy, pyromancy, chiromancy, and scapulimancy. Modern scholarship continues to debate on how to classify the various...
variant on this method was to use ox shoulder bones, a practice called scapulimancy. When thick material was to be cracked, the underside was thinned by...
vessels and pottery steamers and the development of ceremonial vessels and scapulimancy for purposes of divination. The British sinologist Francesca Bray argues...
are portentious), plastromancy (divination using turtle plastrons), scapulimancy (divination using the shoulder blade; the Scottish term is slinneanachd)...
the flesh of the animal without touching the bone with tooth or nail. Scapulimancy Oracle Bone This article incorporates text from Dwelly's [Scottish] Gaelic...
by bad spirits. The shaman could also provide the valuable service of scapulimancy, which predicted the location of game when hunting was scarce. An infamous...
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