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Divination was an important aspect of everyday life in ancient Mesopotamia. Source: breakermaximus / Adobe Stock

Divination and Omens in Mesopotamian Society

Ancient civilizations, throughout history, depended on the skill and intricacy of their diviners. Divination is the method of ritually foreseeing the future and the outcome of big events. In this way...
Carving an oracle bone. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Smithsonian Channel.

This 3000-Year-old ‘Oracle Bone’ Chose a Shang Dynasty Queen (Video)

In the ancient practice of divination , the use of oracle bones played a crucial role, as revealed in a captivating historical artifact dating back over 3,000 years. This fragmentary turtle shell,...
Moses and Joshua in the Tabernacle, wearing the breastplate by James Jacques Joseph Tissot, (1836-1902) Jewish Museum, New York (Public Domain)

The Israelites’ Lost Urim And Tummim, Divine Divination Of Yahweh

The story of the settlement of the Israelite tribes in the Promised Land has long been the subject of controversy among scholars. Moreover, the narrative of the Book of Judges has been regarded as...
Tarot cards. Source: wimage72 / Adobe Stock

Before They Were Divination Tools, Tarot Decks Were Playing Cards

In the English-speaking world, the word ‘tarot’ is most commonly associated with the occult and divination. It is one of the oldest forms of fortune telling, although its origins are somewhat obscure...
Cultures around the world have developed superstitions in an attempt to bring luck or avoid pain. Many of these dealt with ordinary activities and objects, including goats, grapes and gum!          Source: Justinas / Adobe Stock

Eight Bizarre Superstitions from Ancient History

Whether you toss salt over your shoulder or avoid opening umbrellas indoors, we’ve all got our own superstitions. Superstitious beliefs are nothing new - humans have been abiding by these interesting...
Added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2014, Pergamon, Turkey’s ancient northern Hellenistic city (Dimitri / Adobe Stock)

Ancient Tomb of Bird Oracle Priest Found in Turkey’s Pergamon

The ancient city of Pergamon (or Pergamum) in Turkey has yielded several interesting finds recently. The latest in this series of finds is the tomb of the bird oracle priest Markos. Based on the...
These knucklebones from the Hellenistic period, from roughly 2,300 years ago, were recently unearthed in central Israel in an area closely connected with the First Temple period. Source: Israel Antiquities Authority

2,300-year-old Knucklebones Used for Divination Found In Israel

Scientists in Israel have discovered ancient animals' knucklebones used to foretell the future and as a form of spiritual protection in the wild and unpredictable ancient world. They were also the...
Woman practicing molybdomancy for New Year’s Eve. (Source: Gina Sanders / Adobe Stock

Molybdomancy: Divination and the Search for Omens in Molten Lead

Throughout history people have been looking for answers and salvation, seeking the assistance of the gods, the spirits of nature, and looking to them for help. When looking for answers about what lay...
Prophecy has had a strong influence since ancient times

Prophecy Through the Ages: Society, Power and Legend

“Prophecy is an emanation sent forth by the Divine Being through the medium of the Active Intellect, in the first instance to man's rational faculty, and then to his imaginative faculty.” -...
Statue of Dionysus Bacchus.

The Thracian Oracle: Has the Famous Sanctuary of Dionysus Been Found?

The Thracians were an ancient people inhabiting parts of modern day Bulgaria and Greece. The lands of the Thracian tribes were home to several significant ancient cities, important landmarks and...
10 Must-Have Toys for Ancient Kids

10 Must-Have Toys for Ancient Kids

Do you think that today’s mad-dash grab for the hottest toys is just a phenomenon of modern times? Not necessarily. In the past as in the present, where we find children, we find toys, as shown by...
Tarot card reading. Credit: Benjavisa Ruangvaree / Adobe Stock

Tarot Resurgence: People Turn to Occult in Uncertain Times

Faced with the uncertainties of life under lockdown, is it any surprise that many people are turning to methods of fortune telling such as tarot cards ? Journalists are often tempted to ask whether...
Peering Through Time: Early Mirrors in Mesoamerica - Elite Item and Divination Tool

Peering Through Time: Early Mesoamerican Mirrors for Grooming and Divination

Mirrors are known to have been used by human beings for thousands of years. The earliest examples of manufactured mirrors come from Anatolia (known today as Turkey). These were made from pieces of...
Bird are the messengers of omens. Source: Yuriy Mazur / Adobe Stock

Birds in the Ancient World: Messengers of Omens and Auguries

Translators regularly face the problem that the words and expressions of one language do not always translate exactly into those of another. In fact, a literal translation can sometimes seem...
A piece of animal bone used for fortune-telling excavated at the Makimuku ruins in Sakurai, Nara Prefecture. It has three burn marks in the middle.

Ancient Japanese Queen Himiko may have Burned Animal Bones to Tell the Future

Archaeologists believe that a burnt boar scapula found in the ruins of Makimuku in Japan in 2015 may tie the ancient shaman Queen Himiko and leaders of the Yamataikoku ruling establishment with the...
The Hay Harvest (1565), National Museum (Prague), Lobkowicz family collection in Lobkowicz Palace  by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

Divination: Art, Luck or Whim of the Gods?

Marrying a reliable partner to depend on to help eke out a living in harsh circumstances and predicting the weather crucial to a successful harvest, were two of the most vital factors in the lives of...
Gladiators after the fight, José Moreno Carbonero (1882) Museo del Prado.

The Rise and Fall of Vejovis, Etruscan God of Criminals, Slaves and Fighters

In 1939, an excavation underneath Piazza del Campidoglio discovered an almost completely obscured ancient Roman building. This ancient Roman building is identified as the temple of Vejovis, one of...
Photo showing the pages of the 25th oracle

Ancient Coptic text revealed to be divination tool for predicting the future

An ancient Christian oracle book of mysterious origins has been recently translated and found to contain a collection of encouragements, warnings, and cryptic divinations. The 1,500-year-old tome,...
Constantine TV Series logo

Ancient Mythology Is Embedded Within the Constantine TV Series

Constantine is an American TV series that centers around the character of John Constantine, a British exorcist and occult detective who hunts supernatural entities. The entire Constantine series is...
‘The Last Judgment’ triptych (open) (1467-1471) by Hans Memling.

Prophecy of the Popes: Are We Reaching the End of Days?

For thousands of years, people all over the ancient world claimed to have the powers of foresight. In 1143, The Prophecy of the Popes was created - listing the future attributes of the 112 pontiffs...
Balance Physics Science Pendulum Motion Gravity

Ancient Dowsing Alive and Well in Colombia?

Since the Middle Ages dowsing applications have been employed in alternative traditions including ghost hunting, raising spirits, mediumship, divining, fortunetelling and detecting ley-lines -...
Detail of ‘Himiko, Queen of Yamataikoku.’ It is said this mysterious shaman queen of Japan had magic mirrors.

Researchers in Japan Discover the Secrets Behind Magic Mirrors and a Mysterious Shaman Queen

Magic mirrors are not just objects found in fairy tales. An experiment conducted on a replica bronze mirror in Kyoto’s National Museum shows that the original may be an example of an actual magic...
A well-preserved skeleton in one of the 18 tombs that had several types of grave goods in the Ruins of Yin, an area called the Chinese cradle of civilization.

Archaeologists Discover Undisturbed Tombs of Ancient Nomads in the Cradle of Chinese Civilization

Archaeologists in China’s Henan Province have excavated about 90 tombs, 18 of which contained golden earrings and turquoise artifacts, bronze and iron pots, and short swords. The 18 graves, of the...
‘Woman With Brown Hair Near White Painted Wall’ and division of the face according to Mian Xiang

Can Traditional Chinese Face Reading Provide Insight on Your Future, Health, and Character?

面相 (‘miàn xiàng’, or less accurately as ‘mien shiang’) is a type of Chinese divination that relies on the observation of a person’s facial features. Apart from divining an individual’s future,...

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