Aeromancy

The term aeromancy is derived from the greek words aero (air) and manteia (divine). It refers to the practice of using natural weather conditions as a determinant of divination (seeing the future). There are many types of aeromancy, including:

• Austromancy : divination through observation of the wind
• Nephomancy : divination determined by motions of clouds
• Ceraunoscopy :divination through studying thunder and lightning
• Chaomancy : divination on sighting of comets
• Meteormancy : divination through interpreting shooting stars

Weather and climate have always been important focal points for communities which is probably why aeromancy is one of the oldest methods of divination.

Ancients believed that gods expressed their intentions through natural events to their devotees.

Hindus, Etruscans, and Babylonians have had great interest in interpreting the skies by practicing rudimentary forms of chaomancy and ceraunoscopy. This sort of fascination with signs and omens in the skies is reflected in the variety of gods they worship such as:

• Tinia, the Etruscan god of lightning
• Adad, the Babylonian god of thunder, lightning, and prophesy

Many of these practices have evolved and attained more meditative and introspective aspects. Practitioners of modern aeromancy or even nephomancy feel these are very receptive processes and enable one to look within and examine one's self. By studying the signs in nature, the diviner or the student are supposedly trying to relate them to their lives thus making sense of chaos.