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Bibliomancy

Bibliomancy is a form of divination in which a passage is randomly selected from a book—often a sacred text such as the Bible, Torah, or classical works like Homer's Iliad or Virgil's Aeneid—and interpreted as guidance, prophecy, or insight into future events or decisions.^[1] The term derives from the Greek roots biblion ("book") and manteia ("divination"), with its earliest recorded English usage dating to 1753, though the practice predates this by centuries and was known in various cultures as sortes (Latin for "lots" or "oracles").^[1] The origins of bibliomancy trace back to ancient pagan traditions, where it was employed using epic poetry for prognostication, as seen in the sortes Homericae and sortes Virgilianae during the Hellenistic and Roman periods.^[1] In Jewish contexts, it emerged prominently during the Second Temple period (circa 2nd century BCE), following the Babylonian exile, as the Torah gained canonical status and was consulted as a "lot oracle" to discern divine will, exemplified by an instance in 1 Maccabees 3:48, where Jews randomly opened the Torah before battle.^[2] Rabbinic literature from the 3rd to 6th centuries CE further developed related practices like kledonomancy, where verses recited by children were interpreted as omens, as recorded in Babylonian Talmud passages such as Hullin 95b and Hagigah 15a-b.^[2] This reflected Judaism's evolution into a "religion of the book," influenced by Hellenistic divination methods.^[2] In Christian traditions, bibliomancy persisted into late antiquity and the medieval era, often under the name sortes Sanctorum or sortes Biblicae, where the Bible served as the primary text for random consultation to reveal God's intentions, distinct from systematic scriptural study.^[2] Medieval Christians, viewing Hebrew as the "language of heaven" with inherent divine power, incorporated bibliomantic elements into magical practices, using abbreviations or specific verses from the Old Testament for supernatural effects, as evidenced in Coptic and Syriac charms from the 7th century onward that invoked Hebrew divine names like "I am that I am" (Exodus 3:14).^[3] While condemned by some church authorities as superstitious, the practice remained widespread across religious and cultural boundaries, adapting to include non-sacred literature in later periods.^[3]

Definition and Terminology

Etymology and Core Concepts

Bibliomancy derives from the Greek roots biblion, meaning "book," and manteia, meaning "divination."^[4] The term first appeared in English in 1753, as recorded in Chambers's Cyclopædia, marking its entry into the language as a descriptor for book-based prophetic practices.^[4] At its core, bibliomancy is a specialized form of stichomancy, the broader practice of divination through randomly selected lines or verses from written works.^[5] It involves opening a book at random and interpreting the revealed passage—typically from a sacred or authoritative text such as the Bible or Virgil's Aeneid—to obtain guidance, prophecy, or insight into future events.^[6] This method emphasizes texts imbued with perceived wisdom or divine authority, where the chosen words are seen as carrying symbolic weight relevant to the querent's circumstances.^[6] The fundamental principles of bibliomancy rest on three interconnected elements: the invocation of chance to determine the passage, the inherent symbolism embedded in the text's language and narrative, and the practitioner's subjective interpretation to derive personal meaning or foresight.^[7] Early historical attestations include the ancient Roman practice of sortes Virgilianae, in which individuals consulted random verses from Virgil's works, particularly the Aeneid, to seek omens or advice, a custom prevalent from the late Republic through the imperial period.^[7] Stichomancy refers to a form of divination involving the random selection of lines or verses from any written text to derive guidance or prophecy, a practice that encompasses but extends beyond the use of books.^[8] This method predates the specific term "bibliomancy" and was employed in various cultures for interpreting omens through textual fragments, with the English word "stichomancy" first appearing in the late 17th century as a translation from French stichomantie in works like those of Rabelais.^[9] A subset of stichomancy is rhapsodomancy, which limits the practice to poetic works, where a random verse from epic or lyrical poetry is selected and interpreted for divinatory purposes.^[10] Closely related are the sortes traditions, ancient systems of lot-based divination using specific literary corpora. The Sortes Homericae, practiced in ancient Greece, involved opening Homer's Iliad or Odyssey at random to obtain a verse as an oracle, often consulted in times of uncertainty and preserved in papyrological fragments from the Roman period.^[11] In early Christianity, the Sortes Sanctorum emerged as a distinct form of lot divination using a specific text (incipit "Post solem surgunt stellae"), where dice pointed to oracles for moral or prophetic insight, documented in Latin manuscripts from the fifth century onward and condemned by church councils yet persisting in monastic contexts.^[12] Bibliomancy shares broader ties with cleromancy, the general category of divination through casting lots, but remains distinct in its reliance on textual selection rather than physical objects like dice or rods; unlike geomancy, which interprets figures drawn from earth or sand, bibliomancy and its kin emphasize interpretive reading of pre-existing writings.^[13] An illustrative parallel appears in the I Ching, an ancient Chinese oracle where hexagrams generated via yarrow stalks or coins direct users to specific textual commentaries for guidance, blending random generation with literary exegesis though prioritizing symbolic figures over pure textual randomness.^[14] Unlike bibliomancy's focus on sacred books, stichomancy applies more broadly to secular or varied texts, allowing for greater flexibility in source material while maintaining the core principle of serendipitous revelation.^[8]

Historical Development

Ancient Origins

In the Greco-Roman world, bibliomancy developed more distinctly as a practice of random textual selection for prophecy. During the Classical Greek period, around the 5th century BCE, Homeromanteia emerged, involving the interpretation of verses from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey as oracular responses. This is evidenced in Aristophanes' comedy Peace (lines 1089–1094), where characters invoke Homeric lines to predict outcomes, reflecting a cultural view of epic poetry as divinely inspired.^[11] Hellenistic influences further connected this to oracular sites like Delphi, where poetic texts may have complemented traditional consultations. By the Roman era, the practice evolved into the Sortes Vergilianae in the 1st century CE, shortly after Virgil's death in 19 BCE, using random passages from the Aeneid for guidance. This form gained traction among Roman elites, with later documentation in the Historia Augusta (early 4th century CE) attesting to its use by emperors like Hadrian for decision-making.^[15]

Medieval to Modern Evolution

During the medieval period, bibliomancy became integrated into Christian monastic life, where it served as a tool for seeking divine guidance in personal and communal decisions. Monks and saints, such as Augustine of Hippo and Francis of Assisi, reportedly employed the practice by randomly opening the Bible or Psalter to interpret passages as oracles, a method documented in hagiographies from the 4th to 14th centuries.^[16] This integration reflected a broader adaptation of ancient Greco-Roman divinatory techniques, like the Sortes Virgilianae, into Christian contexts, where sacred texts replaced pagan literature. A key development was the emergence of the Sortes Sanctorum, a collection of divinatory texts from the 8th and 9th centuries that provided numbered oracles, often consulted via dice or lots for answers to queries about the future. These manuscripts, surviving in Latin, Old Occitan, and Old French versions from the 9th to 16th centuries, were used in monastic settings to offer general predictions, such as outcomes in travel or health, and exemplified bibliomancy's structured form within Christianity. However, the practice faced repeated condemnation by Church authorities; for instance, Charlemagne's 789 capitulary explicitly banned lot-casting with scriptures, viewing it as superstitious, while earlier councils like Agde in 506 and later synods, including Trier in 1310, reinforced prohibitions against such divination.^[17]^[16] In the Renaissance, bibliomancy experienced a revival among humanists who drew on classical texts for divinatory purposes, adapting ancient methods like the Sortes Virgilianae—random consultation of Virgil's Aeneid for prophecy—to explore personal fate amid the era's emphasis on rediscovering antiquity. This humanistic engagement extended the practice beyond strictly religious bounds, incorporating secular literature as a means of introspection and inspiration, though it remained controversial within ecclesiastical circles.^[18] By the 18th and 19th centuries, Enlightenment rationalism contributed to bibliomancy's decline in intellectual and urban settings, as skepticism toward superstition prioritized empirical reason over oracular texts, leading to its marginalization in formal religious discourse. Yet, it persisted in rural European folk traditions, particularly through "Bible-dipping," where individuals randomly selected verses for guidance on matters like marriage or fortune, a custom evident in Victorian England's New Year's rituals and 19th-century British millenarian movements.^[19]^[20] Key figures bridged these shifts; for example, 19th-century poet Robert Browning practiced bibliomancy by opening Cerutti's Italian Grammar at random, landing on a passage stating "If we love in the other world as we do in this, I shall love thee to eternity," which he interpreted as encouragement for his courtship of Elizabeth Barrett.^[21] Such instances highlight bibliomancy's evolution from monastic sacrament to a resilient, if subdued, element of cultural folklore by the 20th century.

Methods and Techniques

General Procedure

Bibliomancy traditionally begins with the selection of a sacred or meaningful book, such as the Bible, the Aeneid, or other revered texts considered to hold divine wisdom. The practitioner formulates a clear question or seeks guidance on a personal matter, often in a quiet setting to focus the mind. This preparation draws on the belief that the chosen text serves as a conduit for higher insight, with historical examples including Roman elites consulting Virgil for omens.^[22]^[23] The execution involves no special tools beyond the book itself. The practitioner closes their eyes, concentrates on the query, and opens the volume at random, either allowing it to fall open naturally or pointing to a passage without looking. In some variants, the book might be pulled from a shelf haphazardly, simulating chance selection. This random method, known historically as sortes or sortilege, ensures the passage is perceived as providentially chosen rather than deliberately sought. For instance, ancient Roman practices described "sudden opening" of poetic works to alight on a verse, while biblical traditions similarly emphasized hazard in selecting scripture.^[22]^[23] Interpretation follows by reading the selected text literally or symbolically, relating its words to the original question through contextual analysis or personal reflection. Practitioners might cross-reference the passage with current life events to discern guidance, warnings, or prophecies, viewing ambiguous phrases as tailored messages. Historical accounts stress cautious application, as overuse was warned against in early church councils; for example, the Council of Agde in 506 AD excluded clerics who practiced or taught such lots, deeming them superstitious.^[23]^[24]

Cultural Variations

In European folk variants, bibliomancy frequently incorporated secular literature rather than sacred texts, with practitioners opening books at random to interpret passages for personal guidance. For instance, the works of classical authors like Virgil's Aeneid were commonly consulted in this manner during the Renaissance and later periods, reflecting a cultural adaptation that emphasized literary wisdom over religious doctrine.^[25] By the 19th century, structured "book of fate" manuals proliferated across Europe, such as Napoleon's Book of Fate, which combined geomantic charts with randomized page selections to provide oracular responses, often printed in popular editions for lay use.^[26] Asian adaptations of bibliomancy highlighted the integration of philosophical and poetic texts into divinatory routines. Related practices in China involved the I Ching (Book of Changes), where hexagrams generated through chance methods like coin tosses directed users to specific interpretive passages for insight into fate and decision-making, blending sortilege with textual consultation.^[27] In broader East Asian contexts, such methods emphasized harmony with cosmic patterns, differing from Western linear interpretations. Islamic traditions, such as fal-e Quran in Persian and Ottoman cultures, involved opening the Quran at random to interpret verses for guidance, adapting bibliomancy to sacred Islamic texts. In sub-Saharan African traditions, bibliomancy emerged through oral-to-text transitions during colonial eras, where introduced Bibles became tools for divination among communities shifting from purely spoken lore to written forms. Practitioners in regions like southern Africa would open these texts randomly to resolve disputes or predict outcomes, merging indigenous interpretive styles with the new medium to create hybrid cultural expressions.^[28] Key differences across cultures often involved the incorporation of local symbols and contextual elements into the practice. For example, in Latin American folk variants, bibliomancy frequently integrated dream symbolism, with users cross-referencing random book passages against personal dreams to uncover layered meanings, reflecting syncretic influences from indigenous and colonial heritages.^[29] This adaptation prioritized narrative fluidity and psychological depth, contrasting with more rigid procedural approaches elsewhere.

Religious and Cultural Contexts

In Abrahamic Traditions

In Christianity, bibliomancy, known as sortes biblicae or Bible-dipping, involves randomly opening the Bible to seek divine guidance or prophecy from the selected passage. This practice dates back to late antiquity and was widespread in early medieval Europe, often used by clergy and laity for decision-making or spiritual insight.^[30] It faced repeated condemnation by church authorities due to associations with superstition and pagan divination; for instance, Gallic synods at Vannes (465 CE), Agde (506 CE), and Orléans (511 CE) explicitly prohibited it, ordering practitioners to be excluded from the church.^[31] Despite these bans, the custom persisted, as evidenced by its mention in hagiographies and liturgical texts.^[32] Thomas Aquinas addressed the ethics of lot-casting, including bibliomantic uses, in his treatise De Sortibus (ca. 1270), written in response to a query about using lots for episcopal appointments. He distinguished permissible lots—those invoking God's providence without superstition—from illicit divination, allowing random selection in sacred contexts if free of demonic influence or presumptuous intent.^[33] This nuanced view reflected ongoing tensions, as the practice was viewed ambivalently: legitimate when aligned with faith but risky when resembling fortune-telling. In Judaism, bibliomancy draws on the concept of goral (lot), referenced in the Talmud for practical divinations like land allocation or selecting the scapegoat on Yom Kippur, though these emphasize communal decision-making over personal prophecy.^[34] Later mystical traditions, particularly in Kabbalah, adapted text-based lots for esoteric guidance, interpreting random selections from Torah or other scriptures as revelations of hidden meanings. A prominent method is Goral ha-Gra, attributed to the Vilna Gaon (Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, 1720–1797), involving structured random openings of the Tanakh combined with gematria and Kabbalistic analysis to discern omens or advice.^[35] A modern continuation appears in Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidism through Igrot Kodesh, the collected letters of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902–1994). Practitioners write queries on paper, insert them into the multi-volume set, and open randomly to interpret the revealed letter as personalized divine counsel, often with rabbinic mediation.^[36] This method, while controversial among some Orthodox scholars for resembling superstition, is defended as an extension of the Rebbe's prophetic authority.^[37] In Islam, bibliomancy centers on the Quran, particularly through istikhara, a prayer seeking Allah's guidance on decisions, which some traditions extend to randomly opening the Quran after supplication to derive insight from the verse encountered.^[38] Though core istikhara emphasizes salah and du'a without mechanical randomness, this bibliomantic variant, known as tariq al-istikharat, persists in folk practices despite scholarly warnings against treating it as soothsaying.^[39] More formalized is the Falnama (Book of Omens), profusely illustrated Persian manuscripts from the 16th century Safavid era, measuring 41.5–66.5 cm in height and used for divination by elites and commoners alike.^[40] Users performed ritual ablutions, recited specific Quranic verses, and opened the book randomly to interpret prophetic images and texts foretelling events like fortune or peril.^[41] Across Abrahamic traditions, bibliomancy embodies a shared tension between reliance on sacred texts for guidance and orthodox prohibitions against divination, often seen as tempting fate or bypassing rational faith. In Christianity, synodal bans underscored fears of idolatry; in Judaism, Talmudic allowances for lots coexisted with Kabbalistic caution; and in Islam, jurists permitted istikhara prayer but condemned random selection as a form of soothsaying. These practices highlight scripture's dual role as both oracle and moral boundary.

In Other Global Traditions

In Hinduism, practitioners sometimes engage in a form of bibliomancy by randomly selecting verses (padas) from sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita or Vedic scriptures to seek guidance, often integrating this with Jyotisha (astrological) interpretations for personal or decision-making purposes.^[42] This practice reflects a broader reverence for scriptural wisdom in Hindu traditions, where the chosen verse is viewed as a divine response tailored to the querent's situation. Beyond the Falnama manuscripts in Islamic traditions, bibliomancy extends to Persian culture through the use of the Divān of Hafez, a collection of poetry by the 14th-century poet Hafez Shirazi. Known as fal-e Hafez, this method involves randomly opening the book and interpreting the selected ghazal (lyric poem) as an omen, particularly for matters of love, fortune, or life choices; it remains a widespread custom in Iran and Afghanistan, performed during Nowruz celebrations or personal rituals.^[43]^[44] The poetic ambiguity allows for flexible, context-specific readings, blending literary artistry with spiritual insight. In Buddhist traditions, particularly Theravada, bibliomancy manifests as heightened reverence for sutras, where random opening of texts or intensified word magic is used to derive guidance, evolving alongside commentary traditions that emphasize scriptural literacy.^[42] In Zen lineages of East Asia, practitioners may select sutras randomly during meditation or rituals for contemplative interpretation, viewing the passage as a koan-like pointer to enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism incorporates elements of revelation through terma (hidden treasure) texts, where concealed scriptures are "discovered" by tertöns (treasure revealers) as timely divine guidance, functioning analogously to bibliomantic unveiling rather than random selection.^[45] Among indigenous practices, the Yoruba Ifá system of West Africa transitions from oral palm nut divination to consultation of a vast written corpus of 256 odu (divinatory chapters), each containing verses (ese Ifá) that the diviner interprets as oracular wisdom following the nut-throwing ritual; this literary repository, compiled over generations, serves as the interpretive foundation for addressing destiny and ethics.^[46] These global variants highlight bibliomancy's syncretic adaptability, contrasting with more rigid scriptural uses in monotheistic faiths by emphasizing fluid, context-driven revelations.

Representations in Literature and Culture

Historical Literary Uses

In classical literature, bibliomancy manifests through practices like the Sortes Homericae and Sortes Vergilianae, where random selections from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey or Virgil's Aeneid served as oracles for guidance or prophecy. These methods transformed epic poetry into divinatory tools, with oracle scenes in Homer's works—such as the consultations with seers in the Odyssey—foreshadowing the interpretive tradition of extracting fateful meanings from textual passages. The Sortes Vergilianae held particular cultural weight, as the Aeneid itself became a source for self-referential divination, where verses describing heroic journeys or divine interventions were applied to real-life decisions, a practice referenced in ancient biographies like the Historia Augusta.^[11]^[47]^[48] In 19th-century novels, bibliomancy functions explicitly as a plot device to propel action and reveal character destinies. Jules Verne's Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar (1876) features a pivotal scene where a randomly selected passage from the Quran determines the protagonist's punishment of blindness, interpreted as part of his trials and triumphs during his perilous mission across Russia, heightening themes of predestination amid political intrigue. Similarly, Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone (1868) employs bibliomancy through the narrator Gabriel Betteredge, who routinely opens Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe at random to seek advice, using the resulting passages to navigate household mysteries and personal dilemmas, thereby infusing everyday decisions with ironic foresight.^[49]^[50]^[51]^[52] Bibliomancy served as a versatile narrative tool in pre-20th-century literature, often symbolizing the interplay of fate and human agency to create irony or underscore providence. Across these works, the device highlights textual authority's power to mimic oracular revelation, bridging the mundane with the metaphysical.

Modern and Popular Culture Examples

In 20th-century literature, bibliomancy features prominently in Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle (1962), where characters in an alternate history world consult the I Ching, an ancient Chinese oracle book, to divine future events and make decisions amid political oppression. Characters such as Juliana Frink and Mr. Tagomi repeatedly use the text's hexagrams for guidance, reflecting the practice's role in seeking insight from random selections within a sacred volume.^[52] Dick himself employed the I Ching during the novel's composition, infusing the narrative with authentic divinatory elements that underscore themes of fate and reality. Film and television adaptations extend these motifs into visual media. Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (2003 novel, 2006 film) portrays symbolic hunts through ancient texts and codes, evoking bibliomancy as protagonists Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu decipher cryptic passages for revelatory insights, though framed as puzzle-solving rather than pure randomness.^[53] In the TV series Good Omens (2019–), based on the 1990 novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, random Bible quotes and apocalyptic scriptures serve humorous yet prophetic roles, with angels and demons invoking verses to navigate end-times events.^[54] Bibliomancy influences broader popular culture, including music, where artists like Bob Dylan have drawn song inspirations from biblical passages and folk texts, echoing divinatory traditions in lyrics that blend prophecy and personal revelation across albums like John Wesley Harding (1967).^[55]

Contemporary Perspectives

Modern Adaptations

In the 21st century, bibliomancy has evolved through digital platforms that facilitate random selection of texts, often via algorithms simulating traditional randomness. Post-2010, apps and websites such as random Bible verse generators have proliferated, enabling users to access passages for guidance or reflection, with tools like BibleDice.com and DailyVerses.net providing instant selections from the King James Version or other translations.^[56]^[57] Similarly, AI-driven text selectors, such as the Bibliomancy tool on YesChat.ai, draw random excerpts from diverse literary works, including classics and poetry, to offer personalized insights.^[58] In Iran, online Fal-e Hafez platforms like HafizOnLove.com allow users to perform digital bibliomancy with the poet's Divan, a practice rooted in cultural tradition but adapted for virtual access.^[59]^[60] Secular adaptations have integrated bibliomancy into self-help and therapeutic contexts, emphasizing inspiration over divination. Practitioners use random quotes from self-help books, such as meditation guides, to prompt reflection and personal growth, as explored in discussions of bibliomancy for creative brainstorming.^[61] In therapeutic settings, it aligns with mindfulness techniques, where selecting passages fosters contemplative states akin to Jungian active imagination, a method involving symbolic engagement with texts for psychological insight.^[62] This approach treats books as tools for self-exploration, detached from religious connotations. A surge in interest in divination practices, including bibliomancy, occurred post-2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with online communities turning to digital tools for solace as part of broader virtual rituals like tarot and astrology on social media.^[63] As of 2025, adaptations continue, with bibliomancy integrated into personal knowledge management (PKM) systems and self-discovery practices, such as using random text selections for new year reflections or daily insights.^[64]^[65] These modern forms raise debates on accessibility versus traditional authenticity, with proponents arguing digital tools democratize the practice while critics question the loss of tactile ritual and personal energy in automated selections. Academic analyses highlight how virtual bibliomancy sacralizes algorithmic randomness, yet some view it as inferior to physical books for conveying spiritual depth.^[66]

Skeptical and Psychological Views

Skeptical organizations, such as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly CSICOP), classify bibliomancy as a form of divination rooted in pseudoscience, arguing that it lacks empirical evidence and relies on subjective interpretation of random text selections rather than verifiable mechanisms. Divination practices like bibliomancy are dismissed by the scientific community as superstitious, with experiments failing to demonstrate any predictive accuracy beyond chance. From a psychological perspective, bibliomancy's perceived efficacy stems from cognitive biases, including apophenia—the tendency to perceive meaningful patterns in random or meaningless data—which leads practitioners to attribute significance to unrelated passages.^[67] Confirmation bias further reinforces this by causing individuals to favor interpretations that align with their preconceptions while ignoring contradictory evidence. The Barnum effect also plays a role, as vague or general textual excerpts are often accepted as personally applicable, enhancing the illusion of relevance without specific tailoring.^[68] Historical critiques of such practices date to the Enlightenment, where philosophers like David Hume condemned superstition—including divination—as fear-driven irrationality that bolsters priestly authority and hinders rational inquiry.^[69] In modern contexts, while supernatural claims in bibliomancy lack support, related therapeutic reading practices known as bibliotherapy have shown placebo-like benefits in reducing stress and emotional distress, as evidenced by studies on its use for mental health support without invoking the occult.^[70] In religious settings, bibliomancy is critiqued for spiritual dangers, including deception and rebellion against divine will, as discussed in Christian analyses of divination.^[71]

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Is Cleromancy (and Divination) Kosher? - Chabad.org
Certain methods of this type of cleromancy are commonly referred to as the Goral HaGra, referring to the Gaon of Vilna, Rabbi Eliyahu—despite there being no ...
[39]
Shraga Bar-On, "Bibliomancy in Jewish Tradition: The Lot attributed ...
Shraga Bar-On, "Bibliomancy in Jewish Tradition: The Lot attributed to the Gaon of Vilna (Goral Hagra)," in Myth, Ritual and Mysticism: Studies in Honor of ...
[40]
אגרות קודש - Chabad.org
... Jewish Kids Zone Kabbalah Online Israel - The Holy Land TheRebbe.org. Tools ... Kazen, pioneer of Torah, Judaism and Jewish information on the web.
[41]
Igrot Kodesh – Your answer from the King Messiah
What is the “Igrot Kodesh” series? It's an easy and comfortable way of turning to the Rebbe שליט"א King Moshiach for problem resolution. Over the years the ...
[42]
Quranic Bibliomancy | MUSLIMOLOGY - WordPress.com
Jun 2, 2008 · The random opening of a page of the Quran is a practice traditionally called: tariq al-istikharat (“the method of choice”) and involves opening a page of the ...
[43]
Public » Askimam
Randomly opening the Quran for decisions is not a practice of Islam. Instead, Istikhārah Salāh should be performed.Missing: istikhara bibliomancy
[44]
FĀL-NĀMA - Encyclopaedia Iranica
The narrower and more common use of the term, equivalent to “bibliomancy,” is confined to texts used as material for divination by the reader directly or ...<|control11|><|separator|>
[45]
“Falnama: The Book of Omens” at the Sackler Gallery Offers First ...
A group of unusual, illustrated manuscripts called the Falnama that were once used by sultans, shahs and commoners to explore the unknown will be on view ...
[46]
[PDF] Commentary Traditions and the Evolution of Premodern Religious ...
Apr 1, 2015 · The earliest canons in the Middle East, Greece, India, Southeast Asia, and China differed widely in their genres and specific contents. These ...Missing: precursors | Show results with:precursors
[47]
Iran's fascinating way to tell fortunes - BBC
Oct 24, 2018 · The tradition of fal-e Hafez has been practised in Iran – and elsewhere in the Persian-speaking world, such as Afghanistan – for centuries.
[48]
Iranians seek guidance from ancient poetry of Hafez despite clerics ...
Jun 15, 2024 · The tradition of Hafez bibliomancy, using his ancient wisdoms for divination and guidance, is known as Fal-e Hafez.
[49]
What is Terma? | Shambhala Times Community News Magazine
Nov 18, 2018 · Terma literally means “treasure” and refers to Buddhist (or Bon) scriptures and relics retrieved from the distant past through a process of revelation.Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy<|separator|>
[50]
[PDF] Management of Indigenous Knowledge (Ifa and Egungun) in Osun ...
The Ifa literary corpus called ODU consists of 256 parts, which are subdivided into verse called ESE, whose exact number is unknown as it is in constant growth ...
[51]
The Sortes Vergilianae : A Philological Study - DiVA portal
Jun 13, 2013 · The so-called sortes Homericae, divination with verses from Homer, are also examined to identify possible influence. Also, the sortes Biblicae, ...
[52]
Sortes Homericae, Vergilianae, Biblicae - Encyclopedia.com
The Vergilian sortes have had a long history. R. Ganszyniec found 169 examples of their use in the 16th century. Charles I (1625–49) of England was ...
[53]
[PDF] Chaucer's Little Lotteries:
Indeed, the game here may be thought of as the mainspring of. Chaucer's whole fiction. ... Similar attempts at divination were possible by casting stones or dice ...
[54]
What Is Bibliomancy? Definition and Techniques - Learn Religions
Feb 27, 2020 · Bibliomancy is the ancient practice of using books as divinatory tools. Learn about the history of bibliomancy, and techniques you can use.
[55]
Biblio-What? - Jeannette de Beauvoir
Jan 16, 2025 · In the short story "The Ash-tree" by M. R. James, bibliomancy is used to produce a warning message from the Bible. The novel The First Verse by ...
[56]
Bibliomancy - Definition and Examples - Poem Analysis
Bibliomancy is a literary divination practice. It uses a sacred text, such as the Bible, as a method to predict the future.
[57]
The Creative Power of Semiotics: Umberto Eco's The Name of the ...
Dec 1, 2014 · Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose provides a distinctive example of what has been called semiomimesis: the creative appropriation and ...
[58]
Subversion of Religious Canon in Pullman's His Dark Materials
The central aim of this paper is to show how Pullman uses various religious concepts, which are mainly related to Christian tradition and doctrines.
[59]
The Canon According to The Da Vinci Code | Modern Reformation
He gives 10 percent truth, luring the reader into thinking everything else is credible, and then he goes on to 90 percent falsehood. First of all, the premise ...Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy
[60]
Good Omens: The Ineffability of God - Bible and Pop Culture
Jan 1, 2020 · Film and cultural critic Toni Carr explores the theology of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens to consider the ineffability of God ...
[61]
This Is Why Bob Dylan's Genius Is Biblical - National Catholic Register
Sep 28, 2017 · Dylan's genius is biblical, not simply because his art is often informed by Scripture, but because the idea of returning to the sources as a necessary ...Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy
[62]
Bibliomancer | Forgotten Realms Wiki - Fandom
The Bibliomancer was a magical device that could recall the contents of a library.[1] The Bibliomancer resembled a desk, covered with all sorts of controls.Description · History · Appendix<|separator|>
[63]
How To Perform Bibliomancy: An Easy & Ancient Divination Method
Jul 26, 2023 · Bibliomancy is all about using books for divination. In fact, if you own any books, then you have everything you need for bibliomancy at home, right now.
[64]
https://newwineoldvessels.substack.com/p/bibliomancy-an-ancient-practice-for
[65]
Welcome to BibleDice.com | Random Scripture Generator | Random ...
BibleDice.com generates random scriptures and bible verses from the King James Version of the Bible.Missing: digital apps
[66]
Random Bible Verse - DailyVerses.net
Get a Random Bible Verse! Simply click the button to see another inspiring Bible verse! Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105.With image · Random Verse about Fear · Random Verse about Joy · Bible booksMissing: digital bibliomancy
[67]
Bibliomancy-Free Literary Insight Tool - YesChat.ai
It operates by selecting random excerpts from a diverse array of literary works, including classic literature, religious texts, modern novels, and poetry, upon ...Missing: selector | Show results with:selector
[68]
https://www.britannica.com/science/Barnum-Effect
[69]
Fal'e Hafiz - Divination with the odes of Hafiz
Hafiz. حافظ. Fal-e Hafiz. In the Persian tradition, whenever one faces a difficulty or a fork in the road, Or even if one has a general question in mind, one ...Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy
[70]
Using Bibliomancy as a Drafting Tool | LitReactor
Dec 21, 2020 · Bibliomancy uses book passages to inspire writing, starting with a passage, using a word, or freewriting based on the passage's evocation.Missing: Renaissance humanism
[71]
[PDF] Psychological Effects of Theurgy in Contemporary Practice
These are some of the purposes of active imagination, an analytical technique developed by Jung. ... In bibliomancy the book is opened and the line.
[72]
New exhibition dedicated to divination explores our universal need ...
the COVID-19 pandemic saw a rise in apps enabling users to generate ...Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy
[73]
Bibliomancy - Urban Arts Space - The Ohio State University
Engaging in the ancient practice of divination with books, Bibliomancy gathers together a collection of texts written by Black feminists, transgender pioneers, ...Missing: anthologies | Show results with:anthologies
[74]
The Theological Imagination and the Logic of Digital Divination Rituals
Aug 12, 2025 · The shift of religion and magic to the virtual realm brings about changes in theology, cosmology, ethics, practice, and religious/spiritual values.
[75]
A historical account of placebos and placebo effects from modern to ...
This chapter provides a succinct account of the key events in the history of the concepts of “placebo,” “placebo control,” and “placebo effect.”
[76]
When the human tendency to detect patterns goes too far - Psyche
Sep 19, 2023 · 'Apophenia' is reflected in pleasant and troubling experiences alike – from seeing faces in clouds to conspiracy beliefs.
[77]
Barnum Effect | Psychology of Self-Deception & Misattribution
Sep 29, 2025 · The effect means that people are gullible because they think the information is about them only when in fact the information is generic. The ...Missing: bibliomancy apophenia confirmation bias
[78]
Of Superstition and Enthusiasm, by David Hume
My first reflection is, that superstition is favourable to priestly power, and enthusiasm not less, or rather more contrary to it, than sound reason and ...Missing: critique bibliomancy
[79]
Bibliotherapy for stress management: a wellness intervention for first ...
This proof-of-concept study aimed to evaluate if a library-initiated program of bibliotherapy could be effective in reducing overall levels of stress and ...Missing: bibliomancy | Show results with:bibliomancy
[80]
The Dangers of Divination - Critical Issues Commentary
Its practice is sinful and forbidden. People who do not want to be restricted from using divination techniques offer two arguments: “methods are neutral,” and “ ...