Question Two of Chapter Nine of the Third Decade
How many genera and species of divinations there are in which demons are invoked
It is asked how many genera and species of divinations there are in which demons are invoked.
It is answered that there are three genera or modes of divination in general.
The first genus is that which occurs through the express or manifest invocation of demons.
The second is that which occurs without express invocation of demons, through consideration alone of the disposition or motion of some thing.
The third occurs without express invocation of demons, through one’s own operation—that is, when we do something so that something hidden may be revealed and manifested to us.
The first genus of divination pertains to necromancers. This genus contains under itself five species or modes.
The first species is called a prestigium, through which, by the operation of demons, the imagination and eyes of human beings are deceived and deluded so that they do not see what is true but believe what is not true. Thus it happened in the case of the woman who appeared to everyone as a mare, but who appeared as a woman to Saint Macarius when the illusion was dissolved by the power of his holiness, as was said above.
The second species is called divination through dreams—for example, when demons are expressly invoked for this purpose in waking life, and express or manifest pacts are made with them while awake; afterward, in dreams, foreknowledge of some future events is caused in human beings through the revelation of demons.
The third species is called necromancy, in which, by certain prayers and with blood employed, the dead appear to be raised, to divine, and to respond to questions. It is called necromancy from the Greek nekros, in Latin “dead,” and manteia, that is, “divination,” as is evident among those who divine with the tongues of a dead ass.
The fourth species is called divination through a python—that is, a ventriloquist, or a pythoness, that is, a female ventriloquist—through whom future things are foretold by means of living human beings, as is evident in those who are seized and in 1 Kings 28 concerning Samuel.
The fifth species occurs through certain figures or signs which appear in inanimate things. These figures or signs appear in some terrestrial body—for example, in earth, water, fire, polished iron, or polished stone.
If it occurs in earth, it is called geomancy, from Greek ge, in Latin “earth,” and manteia, which is “divination,” as is evident among those who make divinations with the tongues and limbs of suspended human beings.
If it occurs in the air, it is called acromancy, as is evident among those who mark animals so that they may not be eaten by wolves, or who divine betrayal from a great wind.
If it occurs in water, it is called hydromancy, from Greek hydor, in Latin “water,” and manteia, which is “divination,” as is evident among those who divine thefts with a glass vessel full of water or with a urinal.
If it occurs in fire, it is called pyromancy, from Greek pyr, in Latin “fire,” and manteia, as is evident among those who divine through green wood sparkling in a fire, or among those who refuse to lend fire to neighbors on certain days of a week, month, or year.
If it occurs in the viscera, membranes, or intestines of animals sacrificed on altars of demons, it is called haruspicy, and those who practice such things are called haruspices or soothsayers.
If, through the craft of women, certain bindings are made for someone’s harm or benefit—as with a rooster’s comb, a frog, or an image of wax—it is called sorcery.
The second genus of divination contains two species or modes.
The first species occurs through consideration alone of the disposition, position, and movement of the stars. This mode pertains to astrologers. If they use consideration of the stars to foreknow future things and the conditions of births from the celestial bodies naturally, their divination will not be unlawful or superstitious.
But if they use consideration of the stars to foreknow future causal or fortuitous events, or even to know the works of human beings with certainty, which proceeds from a vain and false opinion, their divination will thus be unlawful, because then the operation of a demon interposes and mingles itself so as to entangle human minds in vanity and falsehood, as Thomas says in the Second Part of the Second Part, question 95, article 3.
The second mode or species of divination occurs through consideration of the motion or calls of birds or of any animals whatsoever, or through the sneezes of human beings; such a practice is called augury. Augury is said to take its name from the chattering of birds, just as auspicy takes its name from the inspection of birds, the first of which pertains to the ears and the second to the eyes.
Auspicium occurred in the case of Romulus and Remus. One of them, Romulus, named the city of Rome that he had founded after himself because he, the victor, had seen twelve vultures, whereas Remus had seen six.
An omen from chattering occurred in the case of an old woman who, upon hearing a cuckoo sing five times in the morning on the first day of May, believed that she would take a handsome young man as her husband.
The third genus of divination occurs through consideration of the things which result from certain acts that human beings perform deliberately in order to inquire into something hidden—when we do something so that something hidden may be manifested to us. This genus is called divination by lots and contains three species under itself.
The first species is called chiromancy, that is, divination of the hand. For from consideration of the lines of the hand, divination is made concerning hidden future things.
The second species is called spatulamancy, from certain figures appearing in the shoulder blades of some animal.
The third species is called geomancy. This is done in order to inquire into something hidden by the drawing of points; by considering figures which arise from molten lead cast into water; from certain written or unwritten slips placed in a hidden place, when it is observed who takes which slip; from the casting of dice, to see who casts more points; or when it is observed what meets a person opening a book.
All these bear the name of lots and are superstitious and unlawful, because association with demons is exercised in them. These things are from Thomas in the place cited above and Raynerius of Pisa of the Order of Preachers; see also cause 26, question 3, chapter Igitur.