Cleromancy (also spelled cleromancy) is a form of divination that involves the random selection or casting of objects—commonly small stones, sticks, dice, or marked pieces of paper—to predict future events or obtain guidance. The practice is categorized under the broader term sortilege, which refers to divinatory methods that rely on chance.
Etymology
The word derives from the Latin clēra (plural of clāva, meaning “a lot” or “a chance”), combined with the Greek suffix ‑mancy (from manteia, meaning “divination”). Thus, cleromancy literally translates to “divination by lots.”
Historical Overview
- Ancient Cultures: Cleromancy appears in several ancient societies. In the Hebrew Bible, the practice of casting lots is described in passages such as Leviticus 16:8 and Acts 1:26. Classical sources record the use of lots in Greek and Roman rituals, often for making decisions or seeking divine approval.
- Middle Ages: European medieval texts reference the casting of lots for decision‑making, though the practice was sometimes condemned by the Church as superstitious.
- Renaissance and Early Modern Period: Interest in occult sciences revived cleromancy within hermetic and esoteric traditions. Manuals on divination (e.g., the Ars Notoria) included instructions for using dice or marked tokens.
- Contemporary Use: Modern practitioners of neopagan, occult, or New Age traditions sometimes employ cleromancy as part of ritual work, often using specially designed dice or tarot‑like strips.
Methods and Tools
- Dice: Standard six‑sided, twelve‑sided, or other polyhedral dice may be used, with each face assigned a meaning or outcome.
- Sticks or Bones: Known as I Ching yarrow sticks or other bone casting traditions; each configuration is interpreted according to a prescribed system.
- Paper Lots: Small pieces of paper bearing symbols, numbers, or words are shuffled and drawn blindly.
- Pebbles or Stones: Colored or inscribed stones are tossed, and the resulting arrangement is read.
Interpretation typically follows a pre‑established schema, where specific outcomes correlate with particular symbols, numbers, or positional patterns.
Related Divinatory Practices
- Sortilege: General term for casting lots, of which cleromancy is a subset.
- Astragalomancy: Divination using knucklebones or similar objects.
- Dice divination: Specific focus on the interpretation of dice throws, often overlapping with cleromancy.
Scholarly Perspectives
Academic studies of cleromancy treat it as part of the broader field of ritualized chance in religious and cultural contexts. Researchers examine its role in decision‑making, social cohesion, and the expression of belief in probabilistic control over uncertain outcomes.
References
- Encyclopedia Britannica entry on “Divination” (section on “Casting Lots”).
- The Oxford Handbook of the History of Divination (Cambridge University Press, 2015).
- Leviticus 16:8, Acts 1:26 (Biblical references to lot casting).
