What Is Spodomancy?

by Craig Shrives

Spodomancy is divination by examining the remnants of a fire (e.g., ashes, cinders and soot) especially, but not exclusively, from a sacrificial burning. Spodomancy is practised worldwide for both religious ceremonial reasons and folkloric traditions.

Spodomancy has at least three subcategories:

• Ceneromancy. Divination involving the ashes of a specifically sacrificial or ritual fire.
• Libanomancy. Divination by studying the burning of incense, or the patterns made by incense smoke or ash.
• Xylomancy. Divination by observing the shape wood takes while burning.

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