Thursday, October 4, 2012

Aeromancy

Meaning: Divination by things in the air - generally clouds, but could also be birds, wind, and I guess aeroplanes, nowadays.

Usefulness: 1 (in a town like Melbourne, meteorology is glorified aeromancy. Could also be applied to watching vapour trails in London or any lazy afternoon outdoors: "I'm just off to the park for some aeromancy.")

Logofascination: 3

In the wild: there appears to be some doubt as to whether Leviticus 19:26 is based on a word meaning clouds (which means divination is forbidden) or the eye (which means enchantment - i.e. the evil eye - is forbidden). It's pretty clear from other scriptures that they're all forbidden, but it does give us an interesting ban in Young's Literal Translation: "ye do not enchant, nor observe clouds."  Meteorologists could be in some trouble.

Degrees: 1

Connections: n/a

Which is used in: the G&P -mancy chapter, of course. Third Book: XXV, How Panurge consulteth with Herr Trippa.
"Have you a mind, quoth Herr Trippa, to have the truth of the matter yet more fully and amply disclosed unto you by pyromancy, by aeromancy, whereof Aristophanes in his Clouds maketh great estimation".  
This seems to suggest that Herr Trippa has not read The Clouds.

No comments:

Post a Comment