Prayers to Saint George
Commonplace Book – Pages: 185-186
Prayer in Honor of Saint George
O God, who didn’t grant to Saint George strength and constancy in the various torments which he sustained for our holy faith; we beseech Thee to preserve, though his intercession, our faith from wavering and doubt, so that we may serve Thee with a sincere heart faithfully unto death. Through Christ our Lord. Amens.
Invocation of Saint George
Faithful servant of God
and invincible martyr, Saint George;
favored by God with the gift of faith,
and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ,
thou didst fight valiantly
against the dragon of pride,
falsehood, and deceit.
Neither pain or torture,
sword nor death could part thee
from the love of Christ.
I fervently implore thee for the sake of this love
to help me by intercession
to overcome the temptations that surround me,
and to bear bravely the trials that oppress me,
so that I may patiently carry the cross
which is placed upon me;
and let neither distress nor difficulties
separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Valiant champion of the Faith,
assist me in the combat against evil,
that I may win the crown promised to them
that persevere unto the end.
Prayers to Saint Joan of Arc
Commonplace Book – Page 183
“Prayer to Saint Joan of Arc” by The Bishop of Orleans, France (1939)
O Joan, holy liberator of France, the powerful holy force in the days of old, as you yourself said, “Peace would be found only at the point of a lance,” who used the weapons of war when no other means were able to obtain a just peace, take care and help today those who do not want to do violence and patiently try to employ all possible peaceful means of resolution, but now allow the violence of war.
Heroine of Orleans, transmit to our leaders, your talent to inspire your soldiers to accomplish great deeds of valor, in order that our soldier’s efforts will come to a rapid and successful end.
Triumphant One of Reims, prepare for us the just peace under the shield of a force that will be henceforth vigilant!
Martyr of Rouen, be near to all the soldiers who fall in battle, is order to support, console, and help them and those dear ones that they leave behind.
Saint of the Country, excite in all souls, in every home of the world, the zeal to contribute to the salvation of the world and the return of peace, works which you crave, the rediscovery of a more Christian life, though holy thoughts and actions, forgiveness and persistent prayer, that as you yourself once said, “God must be served first.” Amen.
Prayer to Saint Joan of Arc for Faith
In the face of your enemies, in the face of harassment, ridicule, and doubt, you held firm in your faith. Even in your abandonment, alone and without friends, you held firm in your faith. I pray that I may be as bold in my beliefs as you, St. Joan. I ask that you ride alongside me in my own battles. Help me be mindful that what is worthwhile can be won when I persist. Help me hold firm in my faith. Help me believe in my ability to act well and wisely. Amen.
Euphemisms for Death / Dead / To Die
Commonplace Book – Pages 96 – 97
“At Room Temperature”
“Dirt Nap”
“Pushin’ Up Daisies”
“Passed (on, away, over, etc)”
“Deceased”
“Ex-”
“Stone Dead”
“Demised”
“Ceased to be”
“No More”
“Expired”
“Gone to Meet His/Her/Their Maker”
“Stiff”
“Bereft of Life”
“Resting in Peace”
“Off the Twig”
“Kicked the Bucket”
“Shuffled Off the Mortal Coil”
“Run Down the Curtain”
“Joined the Choir Invisible”
“That Good Night”
“In a Better Place”
“Six Feet Under”
“Crossed Over”
“Crossed the Bar”
“Crossed the River Styx”
“Wandering the Elysian Fields”
“Paid Charon’s Fare”
“Sleeping with the Fishes”
“Bought the Farm”
“Asleep”
“Belly Up”
“Bloodless”
“Buried”
“Cadaverous”
“Checked Out”
“Sent Up the River”
“Cold”
“Cut Off”
“Defunct”
“Departed
“Done for”
“Erased”
“Extinct”
“Gone”
“Inanimate”
“Late”
“Lifeless”
“Liquidated”
“Mortified”
“Offed”
“Perished”
“In Repose”
“Rubbed Out”
“Snuffed Out”
“Wasted”
“Lost”
“Be Taken”
“Bump Off”
“Check Out”
“Croak”
“Dance the Last Dance”
“Finished”
“Gone into the West”
“Kicked Off”
“Got a One-Way Ticket”
“Sprouted Wings”
“Succumbed”
“No Longer With Us”
“Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust”
“Return to the Ground”
“In Heaven (or Hell)”
“With the Ancestors”
“Give Up the Ghost”
“Put Down”
“Going to the Big ___ in the Sky”
“Worm Food”
“Living-Challenged”
“Gathered to his People”
“Cash in (or out)”
“Eat it”
“Popped Off”
“Dead as a Doornail”
“Come to an Untimely End”
“Davy Jones’ Locker”
“Join the Greater Number”
‘Der Vampir’ by Heinrich August Ossenfelder and Facts on Death
Commonplace Book – Pages 63-64
Der vampir
My dear young maiden clingeth
Unbending, fast and firm
To all the long-held teaching
Of a mother ever true;
As in vampire unmortal
Folk on the Theyse’s portal
Heyduck-like do believe
But my Christian thou dost dally,
And wilt my loving parry
Till I myself avenging
To a vampire’s health a-drinking
Him toast in pale tockay
And as softly thou art sleeping.
To thee shall I come creeping
And thy life’s blood drain away.
And so shalt thou be trembling
For thus I shall be kissing
And death’s threshold thou’lt be crossing
With fear, in my cold arms.
And last shall I thee question
Compared to such instruction
What are a mother’s charms?
Facts on Death
- In as little as 10 years, the skin of a corpse begins to sag and turn to liquid, the bones only remain whole for a few 100 years.
- By 800 B.C., cremation became common.
Sarcophagus: A stone coffin, often inscribed or decorated with sculpture. From the Greek “sarx” meaning “flesh”, and phagein meaning “to eat”, which refers to the limestone that was thought to decompose the flesh of corpses interred within it.
Catacombs: An underground, often labyrinthine, cemetery consisting of chambers or tunnels with recesses for graves.
- ‘Cemetery’ is derived from the Greek ‘κοιμητήριον’ for ‘dormitory’, a place where one sleeps.
- By 600 B.C., cremation spread to the Roman Empire, and it became popular for hygenic concerns.
Crypt: An underground vault or chamber, especially one beneath a church that is used as a burial place.
- By 400 A.D. a cremation’s remains were damned and Constantine declared burning the dead to be pagan.- Those who couldn’t be buried in the church, were buried in mass graves or ‘potter’s fields’
- It was during the plagues of early Europe that churches began to move cemeteries out of the church and into the church yard to bury all the dead
Necropolis: A cemetery, especially a large and elaborate one belonging to an ancient city. From the Greek “νεκρόπολις” – nekropolis, meaning “city of the dead”
- In some European cemeteries, you had to pay a fee for a specific time after your death and when your time was up, your bones were grind to dust and were replaced with another’s bones.
- In the 1830s, the United States became to make cemeteries more appealing for visitors
- The Riverside Cemetery in California can provide space for 1,400,000 bodies
- 1848: The Fist Company came up with a steel, air-tight model for a coffin
Ossuary: A chest, building, well, or site made to serve as a resting place for human remains. The greatly reduced space taken up by an ossuary means that it is possible to store the remains of many more people in a single tomb than if the original coffins were left as is.
- Early markers were simple wooden crosses, as crosses were a sign of death even before Christianity.
- The graveyard in Okinawa, Japan is the most densely populated in the world, containing 189,000 bodies, honoring WWII dead.
- New Orleans’ graveyards are the most with above ground tombs, due to the city being below sea-level
Burial vault: A usually private, structural underground tomb. A crypt may be used as a burial vault.
- 1838: The American Civil War caused New Orleans’ graveyards to overflow, so an unused racetrack was turned into the Metairie Cemetery, with street signs.
- The Greeks were fond of sleeping in tombs, to better hear the advice of the dead.
- 1920s: The automobile was finally considered dignified enough for a funeral procession
Grave field: A cemetery with a notable lack of above-ground structures, buildings, or grave markers.
- 1938: The Victoria-style hearse was introduced
- Crystal Car Company: each day, only five hearses are made
Tumulus: Ancient burial place where bodies were placed in stone or wooden vaults, over which large mounds of soil were heaped.
- Dating to 1876 and built on Gallows Hill in Washington, Pa., the LeMoyne Crematory was the first such facility to be built in the United States. (Been there! Very cool place ^^)
- Cremation are performed in computer-controlled chambers, after the container is loaded in, burners are activated and the heat reaches 1800 degrees for over 1.5 hours
Cairn: Ancient burial place where bodies were placed in stone or wooden vaults, over which a pile of stones was placed.
Works of Elizabeth I and Harry Potter Spells
Commonplace Book – Pages 42-49
“Much suspected by me
Nothing proved can be
Quoth Elizabeth prisoner”
-Written with a diamond on her window at Woodstock
O Fortune! how thy restless State!
Hath fraught with Cares my troubled wit!
Witness this present Prisoner whether Fate
Hath borne me, and the Joys I quit
Thou causedest the Guilty to be loosed
From Bands, wherewith are Innocents inclosed;
Causing the guiltless to be strait reserved,
And freeing those that Death had well deserved:
But by her Envy can be nothing wrought
So God send to my Foes all they have thought
Elizabeth Prisoner AD M.D.I.V.
-Written on a wall at Woodstock
The doubt of future foes exiles my present joy
And wit me warns to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy
For falsehood now doth flow, and subject’s faith doth ebb
Which should not be if reason ruled or wisdom waved the web;
But clouds of joy untried do cloak aspiring minds Which turn to rain of late repent by changed course of winds
The top of hope supposed the root upreared shall be,
And fruitless all their grafted guile, as shortly ye shall see
The dazzled eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds Shall be unsealed by worthy wights whose foresight falsehood finds
The daughter of debate that discord aye doth saw
Shall reap no gain where former rule still peace hath taught to know
No foreign banished wight shall anchor in this port Our realm brooks not seditious sects, let them elsewhere resort
My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ
To poll their tops that seek such change or gape for future joy
- The Doubt of Future Foes
“My loving people, We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit ourselves to armed multitudes for fear of treachery; but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people. Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chieftest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjects; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust. I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king and of a king of England too and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge and rewarder of everyone of your virtues in the field. I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince they shall by duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general [Robert Dudley] shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people.”- Speech to the Troops at Tilbury
—————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Harry Potter Spells
Accio: Summons an object to the caster, potentially over a significant distance
Aguamenti: Produces a jet of water from the wand
Alohomora: Used to open and unlock doors
Anapneo: Clear’s the target’s airway
Aparecium: Makes invisible ink appear
Apparition / Disapparition: Causes the user to magically teleport
Avada Kedavra: Causes instant; painless death, and leaves no physical signs of cause of death. No counter-curse.
Avis: Creates a flock of birds from the wand
Cave Inimicum: Strengthens enclosure from enemies
Colloportus: Locks a door
Confringo: Causes anything that comes in contact to explode
Confundo: Causes victim to become confused and befuddled
Crucio: Inflicts intense pain on victim
Defodio: Causes deep gauges to appear on object
Deletrius: Erases images and magical “after effects”
Densaugeo: Makes victim’s teeth grow rapidly
Descendo: Moves targeted object downwards
Deprimo: Places immense downward pressure upon target, which can cause violent fracturing
Diffindo: Tears the target or area on target
Dissendium: Causes objects to part or separate
Duro: Turns target into stone
Engorgio: Causes object to swell in size
Episkey: Heals relatively minor injuries
Erecto: Erects a tent or similar structure
Evanesco: Makes something vanish
Expecto Petronum: Defensive spell used to conjure an incarnation of the innermost positive emotions to act as a protector. It can also send messages.
Expelliarmus: Used to disarm or throw the target backwards
Expulso: A curse which causes that which comes into contact with it to explode violently
Ferula: Creates a bandage and splint
Fidelius Charm: Enables secret information to be hidden within the soul of the recipient. It becomes irretrievable unless the Secret Keeper chooses to reveal it
Fiendfyre: Cursed fire that takes the shape of fantastic creatures
Finite: Negates spells or effects of spells
Flagrate: Leaves fiery marks
Furnunculus: Causes target to be covered in boils
Geminio: Creates a duplicate of any object cast upon
Glisseo: Causes stairways to form a ramp, slide or chute
Homenum Revelio: Reveals human presence in the vicinity
Impedimenta: Capable of impeding targets progress toward caster in any way possible
Imperio: Places target in dream-like state, in which they are subject to the will of the caster
Impervious: Repels substances and outside forces
Inanimatus Conjurus: Conjures inanimate objects
Incarcerous: Ties someone or something up with ropes
Incendio: Produces fire
Langlock: Glue’s the subject tongue to the roof of their mouth
Legilimens: Allows caster to delve into the mind of victim to see memories, thoughts and emotions
Levicorpus: Victim is dangled upside-down by ankles
Locomotor…: Spell causes the named object to rise in the air and move around at the will of the caster
Locomotor Mortis: Locks the legs together, prevents the victim from moving the legs in any way
Lumos: Creates a beam of light that shines from the wand’s tip
Metaleolojinx Recanto: Causes weather effects caused by spells to cease
Mobiliarbus: Levitates and moves trees
Mobilicorpus: Levitates and moves bodies
Morsmordre: Conjures the Dark Mark
Muffliato: Fills people’s ears with an unidentifiable buzzing to keep them from hearing nearby conversations
Nox: Turns off light – counter-acts Lumos
Obliviate: Used to hide a memory of a particular event
Obscuro: Causes a blindfold to appear over the victim’s eyes
Oppugno: Causes animals or beings of lesser intelligence to attack
Orchideous: Makes a bouquet of flowers to appear out of wand
Petrificus Totalus: Temporarily binds victim’s body, the victim will usually fall to the ground
Piertotum Locomotor: Spell used to animate statues and suits of armor to do the caster’s bidding
Portus: Turns an object into a portkey
Prior Incantato: Causes the echo (a shadow or image) of the last spell cast by a wand to emanate from it
Protego: Causes minor to moderate jinxes, curses and hexes to rebound upon the attacker
Protego Horribilis: A shield charm against the darkest magic
Protego Totalum: Presumably doesn’t allow anything to enter into the area protected by the spell
Quietus: Makes a magically magnified voice return to normal
Reducio: Makes an enlarged object smaller
Reducto: Disintegrates or destroys objects in the caster’s path
Relashio: A charm used to force someone or something to release that which it holds by means of shooting fiery sparks out or, underwater, shooting out bursts of water
Rennervate: Brings someone out of unconsciousness
Reparo: Used to repair objects
Repello Muggletum: Leads Muggles away from wizarding places by causing them to remember important meetings and to forget what they were doing
Rictusempra: Imbues the recipient with an extremely potent sensation
Riddikulus: Forces a Boggart to take the appearance of an object the caster finds humorous
Scourgify: Used to clean anything
Sectemsempra: Creates a large, blood-oozing gashes on the subject as if said subject had been “slashed by a sword”
Serpensortia: Conjures a serpent
Silencio: Makes something silent
Sonorus: Magnifies the spellcaster’s voice when the wand is pointing to the side of the caster’s neck
Specialis Revelio: Apparently causes an object to show its hidden secrets or magical properties
Stupefy: Puts the victim in an unconscious state
Tarantallegra: Makes victim’s legs dance uncontrollably
Tergeo: A spell used to siphon matter from a surface
Waddiwasi: Appears to launch small objects through the air
Wingardium Leviosa: Levitates objects
Wonders of the World
Commonplace Book – Pages 19-21
7 Wonders of the Natural World
Mount Everest in Nepal
The Victoria Falls in Zambia / Zimbabwe
The Paricutin Volcano in Mexico
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia
The Northern Lights in Alaska, United States
The Harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States 
Other Natural Wonders
The Angel Falls in Venezuela
The Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Canada
The Inguacu Falls in Brazil / Argentina
Krakatoa Island in Indonesia
Mount Fuji in Tokyo, Japan
Mount Kilimanjano in Tanzania
The Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada
Modern Wonders of the World
The Channel Tunnel
The Clock Tower (Big Ben) in London, England
The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
The Empire State Building in New York, United States
The Gateway Arch in Missouri, United States
Golden Gate Bridge in California, United States
The High Dam in Aswan, Egypt
The Hoover Dam in Arizona / Nevada, United States
Itaipu Dam in Brazil / Paraguay
Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, United States
The Panama Canal
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Statue of Liberty in New York, United States
The Statue of Cristo Redento in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Suez Canal in Egypt
The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia
Forgotten Wonders
Abu Simbel Temple in Egypt
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
Aztec Temple in Tenochtitlan in Mexico
The Banave Rice Terraces in the Philippines
Borobudur Temple in Indonesia
The Colosseum in Rome in Italy
The Great Wall of China
The Inca City of Machu Pichu in Peru
The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy
The Mayan Temples of Tikal in Northern Guatemala
The Moai Statues in Rapa Nui, Chile
Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy
The Throne Hall of Persepolis in Iran
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece
Petra, rock-carved city in Jordan
The Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar
Stonehenge in England
Taj Mahal in Agra, India
Temple of the Inscriptions in Palenque, Mexico
The Hippocratic Oath – Enchanted Objects of Arthurian Legend
Commonplace Book – Pages 17-19
The Hippocratic Oath
I swear by AEsculapius, Hygeia, and Panacea and I take to witness all the gods, all the goddesses, to keep according to my ability and my judgment the following Oath:
To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; To look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art; to live in common with him and if they so desire without fee or written promise; to impart to my sons and the sons of the master who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone the precepts and the instruction.
To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug, not give advice which may cause his death.
Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion.
But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest. I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.
In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves.
All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal.
If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all time; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot.
Enchanted Objects of Arthurian Legend
Caliburn: Original Latin name for Excalibur
Calwdvwlch: Sword of King Arthur before Excalibur
Carnwennan: Knife or dagger of King Arthur
Excalibur: King Arthur’s sword. In one version, he drew it from a stone, in another, he received it from the Lady of the Lake
Rhongowennan: Spear of King Arthur in Welsh legend
Pridwen: The shield of King Arthur. According to Welsh tradition, it was called Wynebgwthucher
Pridwen, Prydwen: Ship of King Arthur
Coreiseuse: Sword of King Ban
Galatine: Sword of Sir Gawain
Bleeding Lance: Sometimes known as the Spear of Longinus. The spear would continuously bleed. Belonged to Sir Percevale and Sir Galahad.
Fail-not: Bow of Sir Tristan
Ring of Dispel: Ring given to Lancelot by the Lady of the Lake, which can dispel enchantment
Types of Swords – 20+C+M+B _ _
Commonplace Book – Pages 10-13
Types of Swords
Bastard sword: Long, straight blade, 70-100 cm
Claymore: Swords used by Scottish highlanders in the medieval ages.
Cutlass: Curved blade sharpened on the convex side. Upper hand in slicing.
Dao: A category of single-edged Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping. Recent use was in WWI.
Espada Ropera: ‘Sword of the robe’. A Spanish sword that was lighter, thinner and more ornate. Forerunner to the French rapier or ‘epee rapiere’
Estoc: ‘ Tuck ‘ in English. Long, straight blade, very rigid and could be thrust with one hand. Could split the rings of chainmail and go through a plate of armor.
Falchion: 11th – 16th c. Lower average quality and status. Used more as tools than weapons. Fairly short, one-edged sword of European origin.
Foil: A light, thin, blunt-edged sword with a button on its point to prevent injury.
Gladius: Used by Roman legionaries and gladiators. Straight, double-edged, with V-shaped tip and made for thrusting. Also the cross-section provides good stability for stabbing.
Greatsword: Largest version of slashing, straight-bladed Euro-swords. Very heavy, needs two hands to wield.
Jian: Double-edged straight sword used during the last 1000 years in China.
Katana: Japanese longsword. Curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by samurai. The scabbard is called “saya”. The art of practice of this sword originally was “kenjutsu”, but now is “gendai budo”. The art of drawing a katana is “iaido” and the art of fencing with a bamboo katana is “shinai”
Katar: “Bundi dagger”. Short punching sword used in Persia and northern India. Blade often folded and effective in armor piercing.
Long-sword: 14th c. Larger size than sword meant for single-hand use. Can use for off-hand for punches, grabs, and throws.
Machete: A long, heavy, broad-bladed knife used especially in Central and South America and West Indies as a tool and weapon.
Rapier: Slender, sharply pointed sword. Can be double-edged or single-edged with a sharp triangle blade or edgeless. Capable of cutting and thrusting. Mostly associated with sword duels.
Sabre: European backsword with distinctive curvature and large hand guard. Made to be worn in a scabbard.
Scimitar: Deeply curved blade with single cutting edge. Middle-East origin.
Scramsax: Blade is gently curving, usually tapering to a point, with a false edge on back up to a 1/3 of the whole length. Customarily worn by Lombard warriors and sign of rank from 4th-9th c. A.D.
Spadone: Two-handed sword used by knights. But could be held as a spear.
Spatha: Straight slashing sword and usually worn by Roman cavalry.
Swallsword: European dueling sword. Faster and lighter.
Tachi: Japanese sword. More curved and slightly longer than a katana. Usually used by cavalry.
Tanto: Japanese small sword. Smaller version of katana. Can stab or slash.
Tsurugi: Japanese straight, double-edged sword, no longer in use.
Wakizashi: Traditional Japanese blade. Usually worn with katana. Together they are “daisho”.
Zweihander: Brutish, German, two-handed sword.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————
20 + C + M + B _ _
Epiphany is traditionally a time for blessing homes by marking the front door of the house with the year and 3 letters said to stand for the names of the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar, introduced by the 3 crosses (for ‘holy’). These letters are otherwise understood to stand for ‘Cristus mansionem benedict’ (May Christ bless this home). You can mark the door frame with chalk. Holy water may be sprinkled throughout the house or at the front door. All make the sign of the cross and the leader begins: “Lord our God, bless this household. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of Your law. We give thanks to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. Let us bless the Lord.” All respond, making the sign of the cross.
Divination
Commonplace Book – Pages 7-10
Aeromancy: Foretelling future events by observing atmospheric phenomena
Aleuromancy: Divination by means of flour
Alomancy: The diviner analyzes the patterns in which grains of salt fall or travel through the air when thrown
Amniomancy: From inspecting a child’s caul, wise women would foretell the baby’s future. Red is happy days and good fortune while lead-colored is misfortune.
Apantomancy: divination of any object which presents itself by chance
Aspidomancy: the diviner draws a circle in which he positions himself on a shield and recites certain incantations. He enters a trance and upon returning, tells things which the devil revealed to him.
Austromancy: Divination concerned with observance and interpretation of winds
Batanomancy: Method of scattering or burning of vervein and heather leaves in a high wind
Belomancy: To throw a certain number of arrows and interpret the incline as they fall
Capriomancy: Method of divination by observing the fumes rising from poppies on live coals
Cartomancy: A method of telling on individual’s fortune with a deck of playing cards
Causimomancy: It was thought to be a good omen whenever combustible objects didn’t burn
Ceremancy: The divination through the shapes of molten wax dipped into water
Chaomancy: Divination concerning divining clouds or visions in air
Chiromancy: Palmistry
Cleromancy: A system practiced by throwing black and white beans, small bones, dice or stones to be used as lots
Critomancy: The paste of cakes that are offered in sacrifices is closely examined and from the flour that’s spread upon them, omens are drawn
Daphaomancy: During the burning of a laurel branch in a fire if there is cackling, this is a sign of good luck. But if there is none, then the prognostication is false.
Gastromancy: The voice of the seer seems to come from the stomach
Geomancy: A system of divination that employs the scattering of pebbles, grains of sand, or seeds on earth and then the interpretation of their shape and direction
Hydromancy and Crystalomancy: a mode of divination practiced with the help of a crystal lobe, or pool of water.
Icthyomancy: Divination that studies the entrails of fish
Lampodomancy: Divination that studies the form, color and movements of a flame from an oil lamp or torch. A single point was good luck while two was bad. A flame that was bent indicated illness. Sparks were thought to indicate forthcoming news. Sudden extinguishing of flames meant disaster.
Lecanomancy: One method was to interpret the image formed or the sounds that the object’s made when thrown into a container of water
Libanomancy: Incense is thrown into a fire, and the smoke carries the prayers to heaven. If it is consumed, prayers will be answered.
Margaritomancy: The pearl is covered with a vase and placed near a fire while names of subjects were read aloud. When the name of the guilty person was announced, the pearl would pierce the bottom of the vase.
Molybdomancy: Interpretation of the meaning of shapes that have been produced by dripping molten lead or tin into water.
Necromancy: The practice of communicating with the dead to predict the future
Oneiromancy: Form of divination by which the symbolic and/or prophetic properties of dreams are interpreted.
Onychomancy: Divination by use of human fingernails. It’s the observation of the shapes which the sun produces when shining on the fingers of a young boy.
Ophlomancy: Divination based on the color and movements of serpents
Phyllorhodomancy: Practiced by Greeks who clasped a rose leaf in the hand and judged by the sound the success or failure of their desires
Rhasomancy: Divination by which a work of the great poets is read. A verse or passage, or word is interpreted relating to an inquirer’s questions.
Scapulomancy: Interpretation of the cracks in shoulder blades of animals burned in sacrificial fires
Stolisomancy: Divination by the way a person dresses himself
Syncomancy: Divination by use of fig tree leaves. The diviner’s question is written on the leaf. If a leaf died slowly, then the prophecy is good, but if it died quickly, the omen was bad.
Tasseomancy: divination by reading tea leaves. Tea is poured into a cup without use of a strainer. The inquirer consumes all the tea, the leaves remaining are observed. The snake means emnity or falsehood, spade is good fortune, mountain means journey and a house is change and success.
Taphramancy: the ashes remaining from the fire that has burned victims in sacrifice are used for interpretation.
Small Poems – Japanese Superstitions
Commonplace Book – Pages 1-2
Married in blue, your lover is true
Married in pink, your fortunes will sink
Married in green, you will not long be seen
Married in yellow, ashamed of a fellow
Married in brown, you’ll live out of town
Married in grey, you’ll live far away
Married in black, you’ll wish you were back
Tuesday for wealth
Wednesday the best of all
Thursday brings crosses
Friday losses
Saturday no luck at all
February Bride – affectionate, tender mother
March Bride – frivolous, chatterbox, quarreling
April Bride – inconsistent or forceful, well-meaning
May Bride – handsome, agreeable, practical
June Bride – impetuous, generous
July Bride – handsome, slightly quick-tempered
August Bride – agreeable and practical
September Bride – discreet, affable, well-liked
October Bride – pretty, coquettish, loving but jealous
November Bride – liberal, kind but sometimes cold
December Bride – entertaining but extravagant
Japanese Superstitions
~ The number 4
~ Sticking chopsticks vertically into rice
~ Passing food from chopstick to chopstick
~ Sleeping facing North
~ If a funeral car passes, bite your thumb
~ You will turn into a cow if you lie down immediately after eating
~ A snake will come if you whistle at night
~ A black cat crossing your path
