xenomancy

Divination by observing the first stranger you meet. Cf. schematomancy and apantomancy.

This word is a compound based on the ancient Greek xenos a foreigner, stranger.
It is first recorded by Shipley, and thence has made its way into the other works listed. It has not been recorded by OED or other mainstream dictionaries.

Citations

1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 17: xenomancy, the first stranger that appears.

1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: xenomancy..fortunetelling by studying the first stranger that appears.

1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 75: Xenomancy Studying the first stranger that appears.

1993 McCormack Q&A 71: XENOMANCY - studying the first stranger that appears.

xylomancy

Divination from wood. Originally this word was used to refer to two oft quoted verses in the Bible; namely Ezekiel 21:21 and Hosea 4:12. These two verses are not very specific in themselves about the method of divination used. However it is generally believed to be a similar practice to that described at belomancy. In this sense it is virtually synonymous with rhabdomancy.

The word is from New Latin xylomantia, derived from the ancient Greek xylon wood.

[1713 Fabricii Bibliographia Antiquaria xii. 419: Rhabdomantia, Xylomantia..vide interpretes ad Ezechielis XXI. 21. & Hoseæ IV. 12.]

1898 Hastings Dict. of the Bible i. 612: Rhabdomancy or xylomancy (Hos 4¹²) and belomancy (Ezk 21²¹) are but forms of divining by the aid of a tree-god.

1920 L. Spence Encyc. Occult 437/1: Xylomancy: Divination by means of wood, practised particularly in Slavonia. It is the art of reading omens from the position of small pieces of dry wood found in one's path. No less certain presages of future events may be drawn from the arrangement of logs in the fire-place, from the manner in which they burn, etc. It is perhaps the survival of this mode of divination which makes the good people say, when a brand is disturbed, that 'they are going to have a visitor.'

1953 Gaynor (ed.) Dict. Mysticism (1974) 202: Xylomancy: Divination by interpreting the positions and shapes of dry twigs or other wood found on the ground.

1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Xylomancy - by dry sticks.

1970 Zolar Encyc. of Ancient & Forbidden Knowledge 470: XYLOMANCY: Divination from pieces of wood. Some diviners pick them up at random, interpreting them according to their shape or formation. Others put pieces of wood upon a fire and note the order in which they burn, thus forming conclusions as to their omens, good or bad.

1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 325: XYLOMANCY: Interpreting the forms or appearance of fallen tree branches or other wood seen on the ground; also the positions of logs burning in a fire. If one falls suddenly, a surprise is due.

1985 N. Drury Dict. Mysticism & Occult 276/1: Xylomancy. A form of divination, practiced by the Slavs. The position and shape of dry pieces of wood found in one's are interpreted for omens.

In Dictionaries

This word was mistakenly entered into the first edition of the Macquarie Dictionary as tylomancy! Obviously from a mis-reading of a hand-written x as a t. This was thence reproduced in the Macquarie Thesaurus. I spotted this error in my researches, and it was fixed for the second edition.

The word is not recorded by OED and first appears in Websters 3rd.

1961 Webs. Third New Int. Dict.: xylomancy..divination by means of pieces of wood.

1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: xylomancy..fortunetelling with pieces of wood.

1981 Macquarie Dict. (1st ed.): tylomancy.

1984 Macquarie Thes. § 268.6: tylomancy.

1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 78: Xylomancy With pieces of wood.

1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 212: xylomancy a form of divination involving pieces of wood.

1991 Macquarie Dict. (2nd ed.): xylomancy..divination from pieces of wood.

1993 McCormack Q&A 72: XYLOMANCY - pieces of wood.

ydromancy

This word represents the Middle English form of hydromancy.

This word was originally borrowed from the Middle French (1300--1600) where it appears as ydromancye. French regularly lost an initial h of Latin words, and they were taken thus into Middle English. In the Renaissance the h was learnedly replaced by writers knowledgeable in Latin and Greek.

Another Middle English form was ydromaunce which was borrowed directly from the Old French ydromance.

The actual headword form ydromancy is not a true form, as it blends the Middle English beginning with the modern English ending. This form only appears in dictionaries.

Citations

1390 Gower Conf. III. 45 (OED):
And of the flood his ydromaunce
And of the fire the piromaunce.

a1392 Gower CA 6.1295-8 (MED):    The craft which that Saturnus fond,
   To make prickes in the Sond,
   That Geomance cleped is,
   Fulofte he useth it amis;
   And of the flod his Ydromance,
   And of the fyr the Piromance,
   With questions echon of tho
   He tempteth ofte.

a1398 Trevista Barth 205b/a (MED): Þey þat vseþ ydromancy meneþ þat þey mowe haue answere of god more herde by þat þan by oþere precious stones.

?a1425 Mandev. (Eg) 115/9 (MED): At a syde of þe emperour table sittez many philosophers and grete clerkez of diuerse sciencez, sum of astronomy, sum of nigromancy, sum of geomancy, sum of pyromancy, sum of ydromancy.

1496 Dives and Paupers (W. de W.) I. xxxvi. 77/2 (OED): Ydromancye, that is wytchecrafte done in the water.

In Dictionaries

1901 OED (H); 1921 (Y).

1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. ydromance [minor words list]

1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: ydromancy..fortunetelling with water.

1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 77: Hydromancy (also hidromancy, ydromancy)

zoomancy

Divination by animals; theriomancy. From zoo-, combining form of ancient Greek zoon an animal.

The earliest examples of this word are in dictionaries. It is recorded in the Century Dictionary, and presumably they had at least one citation to warrant its inclusion.
It was recorded by the OED (under zoo-), but the citation is missing! Though the citation for zoomantist - one who practices zoomancy - is there.

Citations

[1861 F. Hall in Jrnl. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 190 note (OED): Vasantáraja Bhatta, the zoomantist.

] 1899 Century Dict. (1903) VIII: zoömancy.. The pretended art of divination from observation of animals, or of their actions under given circumstances.

1908 Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dict. ii.: zoomancy..divination by observation of animals and their behavior under particular circumstances. Compare necromancy, geomancy, etc.

1912 Webs. New Int. Dict. zoömancy [minor words list]

c1920 Cassell's New Eng. Dict.: zoomancy..Divination by the observation of the movements and behaviour of animals.

1921 OED [no actual citation given]

1932 Wyld Universal Dict.: Divination by observing the behaviour of animals.

1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 78: Zoomancy - Observing the actions of animals.

1988 Chambers Eng. Dict.

In other texts

1970 Man, Myth & Magic v. 658: Zoomancy - from the behaviour of animals.

1973 Gibson Complete Illust. Bk Div. & Prophecy (1989) 325: ZOOMANCY: Portents involving imaginary animals that people claim to have seen, such as a salamander, resembling a lizard, sporting in a fire; or a sea serpent riding the ocean waves.

1983 Complete Bk Predictions 143: Zoomancy Predicting from the appearance and behaviour of animals.

1986 Urdang (ed.) -Ologies & -Isms (3rd ed.) 212: zoomancy a form of divination based upon the observation of animals or their movements under certain circumstances.

zygomancy

A rare term for divination by weights. The specific method for this type of divination is not recorded.

Derived from Greek zygon a balance for weighing things.
Not recorded in OED.

1955 Shipley Dict. Early Eng. (1963) 17: zygomancy, weights.

1974 Mrs. Byrne's Dict.: zygomancy..fortunetelling with weights.

1986 P. Hellweg Insomniac's Dict. x. 79: Zygomancy - Weights.

1993 McCormack Q&A 72: ZYGOMANCY - weights.