Gyromancy
Alternatively Gyromancye, Giromancy, and Giromantie.
From the Greek gyros ('ring, circle, spiral') and manteia ('divination'), it is the art and practice of divination by rounds or circles.
In the preferred method of Gyromancy, a circle was drawn upon the ground when the moon was in an appropriate astrological position. Special prayers or incantations were recited, and then a person or group of persons entered the circle and began walking in a circular motion until they fell to the ground from dizziness. Prophetic pronouncements were then initiated. In another version of this method, letters were drawn around the circle, and the letters against which the person or persons stumbled, or the direction of their fall, were supposed to spell out the prophetic message. Sometimes runic, astrological, occult or religious symbols were used instead of letters or numbers.
Another method of Gyromancy consisted in the interpretation of prophetic utterances from people exhausted by frenzied dancing around an enchanted circle.
Yet another method consists in the whirling of a nicked coin in a circle of letters. Words are spelled out by taking those letters toward which the nick in the coin points in its various falls.
See Divination, Acutomancy, Agalmatomancy, Coscinomancy, Cleidomancy, Augur, Stoichomancy, Dowsing, Tarot, Heptameron, Demonology, Sortilege, Idolomancy, Demonomancy, Tephramancy, Anemoscopy, Eromancy, Austromancy, Chaomancy, Roadomancy, Capnomancy, Pyromancy, Meteormancy, Ceraunoscopy, Zoomancy, Felidomancy, Casting Black Magic Spells, Commanding Spirits, The Chakra Store, The Tarot Store, Divination & Scrying Tools and Supplies, and The Pyramid Collection
Sources: (1) Dictionary of the Occult, Caxton Publishing; (2) Spence, Lewis, An Encyclopedia of Occultism, Carol Publishing Group; (3) Dunwich, Gerina, A Wiccan's Guide to Prophecy and Divination, Carol Publishing Group.
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