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There seems to be a basic need within men and women to divine the future. Every culture on planet earth has one or more methods of fortune telling. In ancient Greece oracles predicted the outcome of battles and the fate of kings. In medieval times every ruler consulted a court astrologer or wizard. Even in Siberia, the village shaman would heal the sick and prophecy the future. Predictive methods of fortune-telling include astrology (interpretation of the movements of heavenly bodies as influences on earthly events), numerology, and the utilization of objects such as playing cards, tea leaves, crystal balls, dice, fire, water, and scattered salt. Fortune-telling as a process of character analysis can take such forms as graphology (study of handwriting), physiognomy (study of facial characteristics), phrenology (study of contours on the skull) ,and palmistry (study of lines on the palm of the hand). |
Copyright Lisa McGarrity 2011. All Rights Reserved. |