The Mantic Arts, have you ever heard of them?
In layperson terms, the Mantic Arts are divination with earthly objects, like fire, smoke air water, and much more.
There are hundreds of ways to employ the mantic arts. But before we dive into that long list, let’s look at the Encyclopedic Psychic Dictionary by June G. Bletzer and some history on the Mantic Arts.
“To ask a question silently or verbally and immediately use a mundane system, non-human or human organism or inert object, in a manner that will reveal the hidden answer.
The theory originated from the I Ching in 2,000 B.C. The description goes on to say there is no chance. All things in the universe follow a definite order; symbols serve as models or patterns from which physical objects evolve. Wow 2,000 years before Christ, well, they have certainly been around a while.
Mantic Art skills in ancient times were used to predict and guide the conduct of persons and nations, settle disputes, and uncover personal problems. In the Mantic arts, symbols are formed in the atmosphere that precede earth doings and are sent to humans to announce or warn of these earthly events. In ancient times everyone believed that the orderly universewrites its patterns in all things and the lay person became proficient in the skill of divination. The word Mancy was born of the Greek word Mania which means hidden or sacred things which is a much better use of the word than what we are currently used to.
There are so many forms of Mancy arts it would be difficult to name them all, so I will only list a few. Divination by animal behavior can be Theriomancy or zoomancy. Divination by using the atmosphere is Alectromancy.
Interstingly, there is divination by book, and it is called Stichomancy while bibliomancy, a word we are more familiar with is specific to the bible only, and pyromancy is divination by burning objects.
Here is a funny one that will make a friend of mine happy, divination by cake dough is called Critomancy, and divination by cakes and cookies is Aleuromancy. By candle is Lampadomancy, and by wind is Aeromancy. Divination by crystal ball is crystalomancy, while crystal pieces are crystallomancy.
Dream divination is Oneiromancy, and divination by mediumship is Psychomancy and the list goes on. In short, the Mantic Arts are divination by whatever is at hand. My grandmother divined by talking to pretty much everything.
I enjoy the mancy arts because they are elements of the things around us. I like being able to listen to a blade of grass whisper, “water” or to have it give me that image in my mind. It builds a connection and they are great for exercising our magical skills.
Maybe now the next time you stop to pick up a rock or feather or anything else, gently hold it and see if you can get it to speak to you. and tell you its secrets.
