Edited By Isabel Doyle
Though the term has only just started, you may already be wondering about your future essay and exam results. Due to the current travel restrictions, consulting the Oracle of Delphi may not be possible, so you may want to give divination a go yourself.
While sacrificing a lamb in your kitchen to read its entrails might shock your flatmates and leave a mess no one wants to clean up, instead I’ve compiled a short list of somewhat unusual methods of divination found in ancient sources that are slightly more suitable for modern practice.
Oenomancy, divination by wine
There are various methods of divination by wine, and I’m sure you’ll be happy to hear some of them actually involve drinking it! One method is to spill the wine on cloth or paper and study the stains. Other methods include studying the characteristics of the wine, such as taste and colour, or studying the sediment at the bottom of the glass or bottle (or kylix, for those of you who are slightly more old-fashioned). If you want to try out this method, I recommend the Seven Stars near the Maughan Library. The Classics Society also has events planned in the Vault, which may be a good time to test this method as a group!
Tyromancy, divination by cheese
In Book 2 of ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’, Artemidorus calls this method, along with divination by sieves, palmistry, and necromancy to name a few, untrustworthy (though he doesn’t tell us why). Despite expert opinion, I have decided to include it on the list as it is very accessible for the modern student and uses materials you may already have in your fridge. He gives no instructions for how this actually works, but this method is presumably similar to oenomancy.
Interpreting sneezes
The winter essay season luckily coincides with flu season, and the spring essays and exams happen to correspond with allergy season, making this a very convenient (and cheap!) method of divination. No tools needed! Interpreting sneezes, as bizarre as it may sound, is already attested in the Odyssey and hey, that seemed to work for them! If it’s good enough for Homer, it’s good enough for us. In Book 17 of the Odyssey, Telemachus’ sneeze is considered a confirmation or blessing for the words spoken by Penelope. The tricky bit is that the sneeze (or cough, burp, or any other bodily spasm or noise) must be unexpected, and thus unintentional.
Bibliomancy or Rhapsodomancy, Divination by literature
For this method you need a book, preferably poetry. I suggest one in Latin or Greek. Start by opening the book at a random page. If you can’t understand any of the Latin or Greek words, I have bad news regarding that language exam of yours. If you do understand the original (which is always a great start), or have a translation, the poem or passage may contain a message regarding your future exam results.
For further reading (as if you don’t already have enough reading to do), I suggest Artemidorus’ ‘The Interpretation of Dreams’, where he lists several more divination techniques and gives an in-depth tutorial for interpreting the meaning of your dreams. The Maughan also has several ebook copies of abridged English translations.
PS. If you try one or more of these methods and the future looks grim, you may still choose to defy fate (at your own peril). I suggest seeking the advice of our all-knowing Auntie Athena, and perhaps appealing to one of the gods, just in case.