Home Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
divination
divination
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Barotse basket diviner. The diviner shakes various objects in the winnowing basket and, by interpreting their final juxtaposition, seeks to predict the outcome of an illness and to name the sorcerer responsible. tarot card
For Students
tarot card
divination summary
Read Next
Statue of Nostradamus
Nostradamus and His Prophecies
Statue of Nostradamus
Nostradamus and His Prophecies
Discover
Alexandria, Egypt - September 12, 2014 - Wedding Bridesmaids Competition, reward for Best Bridesmaids for participation in competitions. Prize for victory
Who Votes for the Academy Awards?
Moonrise over Tucson, Arizona
Why Doesn’t Arizona Observe Daylight Saving Time?
Close up of a hand placing a ballot in a ballot box. Election vote voter voting
Have Any U.S. Presidents Decided Not to Run For a Second Term?
Giorgione, Italian, 1477/1478-1510, The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1505/1510, oil on panel, overall: 90.8 x 110.5 cm (35 3/4 x 43 1/2 in.), Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.289, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
8 Must-See Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
airplane in flight (plane, aircraft, flying)
7 Puzzling Plane Disappearances
Alexander the Great on his deathbed
How Did Alexander the Great Really Die?
Still from the film Deliverance, 1919. The story of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan. View shows Keller in the cockpit/front seat of an airplane.
How Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane?
religion
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/divination
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/divination
Also known as: soothsaying
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
Category: History & Society
Key People:
Nostradamus
Gongsun Hong
Balaam
Thomas The Rhymer
Artemidorus
Related Topics:
oracle
augury
necromancy
crystal gazing
fortune-telling
See all related content →

divination, the practice of determining the hidden significance or cause of events, sometimes foretelling the future, by various natural, psychological, and other techniques. Found in all civilizations, both ancient and modern, it is encountered most frequently in contemporary mass society in the form of horoscopes, astrology, crystal gazing, tarot cards, and the Ouija board. In the context of ancient Roman culture and belief, divination was concerned with discovering the will of the gods. Today, however, scholars no longer restrict the word to the root meaning. Divinatory practices and the beliefs undergirding them are greater in scope than discerning the will ...(100 of 4444 words)

Access the full article
Help support true facts by becoming a member.