Derived from labio-, combining form of Latin labium lip.
1686 Plot Staffordsh. 288 (OED): So..skill'd was she in this Art (which we may call Labiomancy)..that..when in bed, if she might lay but her hand on their lipps so as to feel the motion of them, she could perfectly understand what her bedfellows said.
1812 Europ. Mag. lxii. 287 (OED): [Title of an article] Labiomancy.
1892 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon IV: 1901 OED.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. labiomancy [minor
words list]
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 166: ..Lampadomancy, by candles and lamps...
[1713 Fabricii Bibliographia Antiquaria xii. 415: Lampadomantia.]
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 330: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Lampadomancy, by candles and lamps. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 303: A divination based on the observation of the movements of the flame of a lamp was called lampadomancy.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: lampadomancy, candles; what burns (and how it burns or the wick floats about) in a lamp.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Lampadomancy, by candles and lamps.
1961 H.E. Wedeck Treasury of Witchcraft xii. 228: Divination by means of lamp flames is known as Lampadomancy.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Lampadomancy - from the flame of a candle or torch.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 467: LAMPADOMANCY: This signified omens from lights or torches.
1973 Collier's Encyc. x. 211/1: Lampadomancy...lamps
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LAMPADOMANCY: Use of lighted lamps for divinatory purposes, according to the appearance or duration of their flames. The ancient Egyptians held a "Feast of Lamps," at which many rites were performed, including divination; and its modern counterpart in India is held in honor of the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi, on the new moon of the month of Kartik, which begins about the middle of our October. During the Diwali, as this festival is termed, lighted lamps are set on floats that are sent downriver or out to sea; and the longer they remain alight, the better the omen.
1979 B. Martin Dict. Occult: lampadomancy - a form of divination by interpretation of the actions of a torch flame. It is a branch of pyromancy.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 138: LAMPADOMANCY This involves taking the omens from a single oil lamp, or from a torch flame.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: LAMPADOMANCY - the flame of a torch.
1901 OED. [cites Gaule and Syd. Soc. Lex.]
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: lampadomancy..The art of divining by the flame of a lamp or torch.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: lampadomancy [minor words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: lampadomancy..Divination by the flame of a torch or lamp.
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: lampadomancy..fortunetelling with the flame of a torch.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 210: lampadomancy a form of divination involving observation of the flame of a torch or lamp. Cf. lychnomancy.
1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.
[1583 Weyer De praestigiis daemonum xii.: lekanomanteia]
1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God 294: Diuination generally was done by diuers means..Hydromancy..done..in a basen of water, which is called Lecanomancie, in which Strabo sayth the Asians are singular.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Lecanomancy, by a basin of water...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: Have you a mind (quoth Her Trippa) to have the truth of the matter yet more fully and amply disclosed unto you..by Leconomancy, of old in prime request amongst the Assyrians, and thoroughly tried by Hermolaus Barbarus.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Lecanomancy, by basins of water. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. Magic ii. 461: Among the various other kinds of divination not here mentioned may be enumerated Chilomancy performed with keys; Alphitomancy or Aleuromancy, by flour; Keraunoscopia, by the consideration of thunder; Eychnomancy, by lamps; Ooscopy, by eggs; Licanomancy by a basin of water; Palpitatim, Salisatio, by the pulsation or motion of some member etc. [copied into Daniels & Stevans 1903]
1897 (Agrippa) Three Bks Occult Phil. lvii. 178: There was of old a kind of Hydromancy had in great esteem amongst the Assyrians, and it was called Lecanomancy, from a skin full of water, upon which they put plates of gold and silver and precious stones written upon with certain images, names and characters. To this may be referred that art by which lead and wax, being melted and cast into the water, do express manifest marks of images of those things we desire to know. There were also in former years fountains that did foretell things to come, as the father's fountain at Achaia, and that which was called the water of Juno, in Epidaurus...
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 161: By leucanomancy...
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662: [copied from Howitt 1893]
1904 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 153: By lecanomancy...
1913 Halliday Greek Div. viii. 150: The most
important and best known type of lekanomancy is, or course, divination
by the reflection in a bowl of water, ink, or fluid of some kind.
Ibid. 160. In many of the examples of lekanomancy which have
been given, and many more might be quoted, there is to be observed
this use of the small boy or the virgin.
c1928 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua and Pantagruel iii. xxv. 486: By Leconomancy...
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 302: I may mention further lecanomancy, which was performed by letting precious stones drop into water; a mysterious little whistling resulted which announced the thing desired.
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 360: Have you a mind, quoth Her Trippa, to have the truth of the matter yet more fully and amply disclosed unto you by..hydromancy, by lecanomancy, of old in prime request amongst the Assyrians, and thoroughly tried by Hermolaus Barbarus? Come hither, and I will show thee in this platter full of fair fountain water, thy future wife, lechering and sercroupierising it with two swaggering ruffians, one after another.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Lecanomancy, by basin of water.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Leconomancy - from the shape taken by oil poured on water.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 467: LECANOMANCY: Requires a basin of water in the divinatory process.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LECANOMANCY: A method of recognizing good or bad omens by dropping various gems in water.
1979 B. Martin Dict. Occult: lecanomancy - a form of divination in which a cup, bowl or similar open vessel is an important accessory.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult
1985 G. Luck Arcana Mundi 255: At least two methods of scrying were used in antiquity. In one the translucent object was a mirror... In the other a glass or bowl of water was used, and for this the terms lecanomancy 'divination by bowl' and hydromancy 'divination by water' are attested.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1993 McCormack Q&A 70: LECANOMANCY - looking at water in a basin.
1626 Cockeram The English Dictionarie (2nd ed.): Leconomancy, Diuination by water in a bason.
[1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Leconomantie: f. Diuination by water in a Bason. ¶ Rab.]
1656 Blount Glossographia: [alphabetised at lec-] Licanomancy (licanomantia) a kind of divination by water in a Bason.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Lecanomancy...
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Lecanomancy, g. Divination by [water in] a bason.
1708 Kersey Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: Lecanomancy...
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: LECANOMANCY [lekanomanteia, Gr.] Divination by Water in a Bason.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): LECANOMANCY [lecanomantia, L. of lekanomanteia, of lekane, a Bason, and manteia, Divination, Gr.] Divination by Water.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: lecanomancy..Divination by means of water in a basin. Crabb.
1892 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon IV: 1899 Century Dict. (1903) IV: lecanomancy.. Divination by throwing three stones into water in a basin and invoking the aid of a demon.
1902 OED.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: lecanomancy..Divination by throwing three pebbles into a basin of water and invoking the aid of a demon.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) IV
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: lecanomancy [minor words list]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: lecanomancy, a bowl of water reflecting candle flames - a practice still current in some Slavic lands, especially at Christmastide. The Psychoanalytic Review in 1913 reported that testing with free association shows "the divinations are merely the results of the medium's own complexes."
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: lecanomancy
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: lecanomancy..fortunetelling by looking at water in a basin.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
211: lecanomancy a form of divination involving the
examination of water in a basin.
The variant form livanomancy appears only in Gaule. Presumably a typographical error.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Livanomancy, [sic] by burning of Frankincence...
a1660 (1693) Urquhart tr. Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv. 133: By Libanomancy, for the which we shall need but a little Frankincense.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1863 William Smith Dict. of the Bible i. 442/2: The other kind of divination was artificial (technike), and probably originated in an honest conviction that external nature sympathised with and frequently indicated the condition and prospects of mankind... When once this feeling was established the supposed manifestations were infinitely multiplied, and hence the numberless forms of imposture or ignorance called kapnomancy, pyromancy, arithmomancy, libanomancy, botanomancy, kephalomancy, &c. of which there are abundant accounts...
1897 Urquhart tr. Rabelais Works of Rabelais iii. xxv. 162: By libanomancy...
1913 Halliday Greek Div. ix. 185: Ooskopy, naturally popular when Orphism was in the ascendant, libanomancy dear to the vegetarians, who abhorred the slaughter of animals, and aleuromancy..belong to the same order of sub-rites.
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 303: Libanomancy was performed by means of the smoke of incense...
1951 Works of Rabelais III. xxv. 361: By libanomancy, for the which we shall need but a little frankincense.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Livanomancy, by burning of frankincense.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 467: LIBRANOMANCY: Requires incense as a means of interprting omens.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LIBANOMANCY or LIVANOMANCY: Forms of divination involving the burning of incense and the smoke arising from it.
1985 G. Luck Arcana Mundi 253: ..if incense is placed on fire, we speak of libanomancy...
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
[1632 Cotgrave Dictionarie of French & Eng. Tongues: Libanomantie: f. Diuination by incense, or frankincense.]
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination: The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Libanomancy, by Incense or
Frankincense.
Ibid. Libanomancy (libanomantia) Divination by
Incense or Frankincense.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Libanomancy, g. Divination by | Libanus, g. Frankinsense.
1727 Bailey The Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: LIBANOMANCY [Libanomanteia, Gr.] a Divination by Frankincense, which if it presently catch'd Fire, and sent forth a grateful Odour, was esteemed an happy Omen; but if the Fire would not touch it, or any nasty Smell, contrary to the Nature of Frankincense proceeded from it, it was thought to forebode ill.
1892 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon IV: 1899 Century Dict. (1903) IV: libanomancy.. Divination by the burning of frankincense.
1902 OED. [labelled obs.]
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: libanomancy..Divination by burning frankincense.
1910 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) supp.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: libanomancy [minor words list; labelled obsolete or rare]
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: libanomancy, burning of incense (so the Fates are not incensed.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): libanomancy..the use of incense as a means of interpreting omens.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: libanomancy (incense)
NOTES: Gaule's spelling
probably a typesetting error due to a misreading of 'b' for 'v' in
manuscript.
Presumedly a mistaken definition of libanomancy
based on the etymological conjecture, from Latin libans,
pp. of libo to pour out.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Lithomancy, by stones...
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1853 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Lithomancy, by stones. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1855 Edward Smedley in Smedley et al. Occult
Sci. 315: lithomancy. A species of divination performed by
stones, but in what manner it is difficult to ascertain. Gale, in a 'Note
upon Jamblichus,' (de Mysteriis, sec. iii. c. 17, p. 239,)
confesses that he does not clearly understand the nature of it; whether it
refers to certain motions observable in idols, or to an insight into
futurity obtained by demons (familiars) enclosed in particular stones.
Ibid. The Rabbis have attributed Lev. xxvi. 1. to
Lithomancy; but the prohibition of stones there given is most probably
directed against idolatry in general.
Ibid. 316: Photius, in his abstract of the life of
Isodorus by Damascius, a credulous physician of
the age of Justinian, speaks of an oracular stone,
the bætulum, to which Lithomancy was attributed.
1868 Chambers's Encyc. III 599: ..Lithomancy, a species of divination performed by stones, but in what manner it is difficult to ascertain...
1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1663: lithomancy - Divination with a precious stone called siderites. By a stone of this kind, Helenus is reported to have foretold the destruction of Troy. Precious stones were not only used for the purpose of divination, but were in themselves held in the highest esteem as amulets or charms against the evil eye chiefly, but also against diseases. Of all relics of the occult arts perhaps the beliefs attaching to famous stones, from the Scone stone under the English Coronation Chair, to the moonstones and toadstones of fable, are in these days as conspicuous as any. How many stories we find nowadays turning upon the safe keeping of some mystic stone,or precious gem, whose loss is fatal to its possessor or his family. Another subsidiary divination was by the well-known crackling sound made by laurel leaves in burning.
1931 Lock tr. de Givry Picture Museum of Sorcery (1963) viii. 303: Libanomancy was performed by means of the smoke of incense, and lithomancy by means of precious stones.
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Lithomancy, by stones.
1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Lithomancy - by stones.
1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 467: LITHOMANCY: Utilizes precious stones of various colors. In its more modern form of divination, these are scattered on a flat surface, and whichever reflects the light most fulfills the omen. Blue means good luck soon. Green realization of a hope. Red means happiness in love and or marriage. Yellow means disaster or betrayal. Purple means a period of sadness. Black or gray means misfortune. Coloured beads may be used instead of jewels for this purpose.
1973 K. Ellis Prediction and Prophecy iii. 41: Lithomancy. Divination by the sound made when two stones were struck together.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LITHOMANCY: Divination by means of stones of unusual origin or appearance, such as meteorites, which inspire the diviner with visions, or issue sounds that he alone can hear and interpret as words. Foretelling the future by observing the colors of precious stones (as with lecanomancy) is often included under the general head of lithomancy.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 138: LITHOMANCY This divination using precious stones, one form of which involves candlelight. Scatter gemstones of different colors around a candle. Darken the room, light the candle, close your eyes, and clear your mind of thoughts. When you open your eyes, notice which color of stone first reflects the light back to you.
1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 1993 McCormack Q&A 70: LITHOMANCY - stones or stone charms.
1656 Blount Glossographia s.v. divination: The
third and last manner of Divination is that which we call
Superstitious, whereof there has been among the Gentiles divers
different kinds. As namely..Lithomancy, by a stone.
Ibid. Lithomancy (lithomantia) divination by
casting Pibble stones, or by the Load-stone, whereby Tretzes in
his Chiliads, delivers, Helenus the Prophet foretold the
destruction of Troy.
1658 Phillips New World of Eng. Words: Lithomancie, (lat.) A Divination, the casting of pebble stones.
1676 Coles An Eng. Dict.: Lithomancy, g. Divination by casting pebble-stones, or by the load-stone.
1708 Kersey Dictionarium Anglo-Britannicum: Lithomancy...
1727 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict.: LITHOMANCY [Lithomanteia, Gr.] was a Sort of Divination performed by a precious Stone called Siderites, which they washed in Spring Water, in the Night by Candlelight; the Person that consulted it, was to be purified from all Manner of Pollution, and to have his Face covered; this being done, he repeated divers Prayers, and placed certain Characters in an appointed Order, and then the Stone moved of it self, and in a soft gentle murmur, or (as some say) in a Voice like that of a Child returned an Answer.
1740 Dyche & Pardon New General Eng. Dict.: lithomancy (s.) a pretended divination by the precious stone called siderites, which was washed in spring-water in the night time by candle-light; the consulter was to be thoroughly purified and hood-winked, then he was to repeat certain prayers, and put particular characters in a set order; and then it is pretended the stone moved of itself, and in a small shrill voice gave an answer to the matter enquired after.
1755 Bailey An Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. (16th ed.): LITHOMANCY [Lithomanteia, of lithos, a Stone, and manteia, Divination, Gr.] a kind of Soothsaying by the casting of Pebble Stones.
1755 Johnson Dict. of the Eng. Lang. (1840): Lithomancy.. Prediction by stones. [cites Browne]
1852 Roget Thes. § 511: ..by precious stones, Lithomancy...
1871 Ogilvie Imperial Dict. ii.: lithomancy..Divination or prediction of events by means of stones.
1882 Worcester Dict. of the Eng. Lang.: lithomancy..Divination or prediction by stones. Browne.
1892 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon IV: 1899 Century Dict. (1903) IV: lithomancy.. Divination or prediction by means of stones. [cites Browne ii. 3]
1903 OED.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: lithomancy..Divination by stones, practised by the ancients.
1909 Encyc. Dict. (Cassell's) IV
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: lithomancy .. Divination by means of stones, as by meteorites. [minor words list]
c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: lithomancy, (precious) stones.
1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: lithomancy
1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: lithomancy..fortunetelling by stones or stone charms.
1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.):
lithomancy..divination by means of stones, usually precious.
See note.
1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: lithomancy (stones)
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 211: lithomancy a form of divination involving rocks or stones.
1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.
1652 Gaule The Magastromancer xix. 165: ..Livanomancy, [sic] by burning of Frankincence...
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1903 OED.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: livanomancy .. erron. form of... [minor words list]
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LIBANOMANCY or LIVANOMANCY: Forms of divination involving the burning of incense and the smoke arising from it.
Napier's Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis descriptio... was published in 1614. The importance of Napier's idea was quickly recognised and many other mathematicians improved on Napier's work and published further tables, so that by 1628 the logarithms for all the natural numbers up to 100,000 had been computed.
Tables of logarithms are, naturally, amenable to calculation, and
are reminiscent of other tables used in the 17th century
for divinatory pruposes, such as those for astrological reckoning,
and geomancy. The works of Robert
Fludd abound in tabulations and schemata representing his various
views of the cosmos and the place of humankind in it.
Nonetheless, just how logarithms were employed to determine
the future remains a mystery. Even modern writers who try to
discuss as many -mancy's as possible, such as Charles Walker
and Max Maven, balk at logarithmancy.
1777 Brand Popular Antiquities (1844) iii. 329: [citing Gaule]
1832 Hone Year Bk 1517/2: [citing Gaule (via Brand)]
1852 Mackay Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions 252: Logarithmancy, by logarithms. [citing Hone citing Gaule]
1959 Robbins Encyc. of Witchcraft and Demonology 139: [citing Gaule] Logarithmancy, by logarithms.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320: LOGARITHMANCY: A mathematical method of divination performed with the aid of logarithms. Now supplanted by modern computers.
1986 F. Gettings Encyc. Occult
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 81: Logarithmomancy - Logarithms.
1892 New Sydenham Society's Lexicon IV: 1903 OED.
1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. i.: logarithmomancy..Divination by means of numbers.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: logarithmomancy [minor words list]
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
211: logarithmomancy a form of divination involving
logarithms.
1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 16: logomancy, words.
1958 Nabokov Lolita 251-2: He was versed in logodaedaly and logomancy.
1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 74: Logomancy - words.
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
211: logomancy a form of divination involving the observation
of words and discourse.
[1713 Fabricii Bibliographia Antiquaria xii. 415: Lampadomantia, Lychnomantia]
1893 Howitt tr. Ennemoser Hist. Magic ii. 461: Among the various other kinds of divination not here mentioned may be enumerated Chilomancy performed with keys; Alphitomancy or Aleuromancy, by flour; Keraunoscopia, by the consideration of thunder; Eychnomancy, [sic] by lamps; Ooscopy, by eggs; Licanomancy by a basin of water; Palpitatim, Salisatio, by the pulsation or motion of some member etc.
[text copied in] 1903 Daniels & Stevans Encyc. Occult Sci. (1971) III 1662.
1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 320. LYCHNOMANCY: Divination from the flames of three identical candles set in a triangle. There are lighted and their flames are interpreted as follows: If wavering back and forth, a change of circumstance. If twisting, spiral fashion, beware of secret plotters. Rising and falling flames, real danger. One flame brighter than the others, good fortune. A sputtering flame, disappointment soon due. A bright point at the tip of a wick, increasing success, but short-lived if the point fades. For a candle to extinguish itself, severe loss or tragedy for the consultant or others involved in that particular divination.
1983 Complete Bk Predictions 138: LYCHNOMANCY This is divination from the flames of three wax candles. Arrange the three candles in an equilateral triangle, and light a fourth candle some distance away to provide enough light for the reading. Switch off all the other lights in the room, and light the three candles from one match. Read the omens from the appearance of their flames.
1912 Webs. New Int. Dict.: lychnomancy .. Divination by lamps. [minor words list]
1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.)
211: lychnomancy a form of divination involving lamps. Cf.
lampadomancy.