
Contents
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Introduction: Divination and Magic Introduction: Divination and Magic
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Why Use Divination? Why Use Divination?
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How Does Divination Work? How Does Divination Work?
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What Are the Varieties of Divination? What Are the Varieties of Divination?
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Technical Divination: Reading the Divine Signs Technical Divination: Reading the Divine Signs
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Kleromancy: Lots, Dice, and Knucklebones Kleromancy: Lots, Dice, and Knucklebones
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Augury in the Flight of Birds Augury in the Flight of Birds
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Extispicy: Divination through Entrails Extispicy: Divination through Entrails
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Twitches, Sneezes, and Other Bodily Omens Twitches, Sneezes, and Other Bodily Omens
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Divination through Other Natural Phenomena Divination through Other Natural Phenomena
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Natural Divination: Interpersonal Communication with the Divine Natural Divination: Interpersonal Communication with the Divine
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The Delphic Oracle and Hexameter Verse Oracles The Delphic Oracle and Hexameter Verse Oracles
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Other Oracular Shrines and Methods Other Oracular Shrines and Methods
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What Dreams May Come . . . : Dream Divination What Dreams May Come . . . : Dream Divination
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Divination from the Dead: Necromancy Divination from the Dead: Necromancy
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Who Performs Divination? Who Performs Divination?
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Conclusions: Divination and Magic Conclusions: Divination and Magic
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7 Through a Glass Darkly: Divination and Magic
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Published:June 2019
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Abstract
This chapter assesses divination. Divination consists of soliciting and receiving messages from the gods; it is in some sense the reverse of prayer, since it is communication from gods to mortals. As with prayer, divination is an area in which the definition of magic as an extraordinary form of ritualized action becomes particularly useful. Like prayer and sacrifice, divination forms a large part of the order of normal religion in the Greco-Roman world, so divination is only labeled “magic” when it makes claims to authority far outside this normal order, either as a superlatively efficacious procedure that depends on specialized arcane knowledge or, conversely, as a bit of traditional superstition that seems ineffective in comparison with the normally accepted procedures. Technical, indirect, or artificial divination consists in the observation of significant phenomena and the puzzling out of the significance, whereas natural or inspired divination does not rely on such interpretive techniques but rather on interpersonal communication with the divine.
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