Back to Home Page or
Contents Page or Divination
or Index
Onimancy (or Onycomancy)
A very elaborate practice of divination based on the observation of the Angel Urial. Oil of
olive leaves is placed upon the right hand of an unpolluted boy or a young
virgin girl. Or, even better is a mixture of walnut oil and tallow or blacking
to be placed on the child's hand. If money or things hidden in the earth
are sought the young child's face must be turned toward the east. If knowledge
concerns a crime or of a person of affection then the face must be turned
toward the south; for robbery toward the west; and for murder toward the
south.
Then the child must repeat the seven-two verses of the Psalms, which the
Hebrew Kabbalists
collected for Urim and Thummim. These are found in the third book of Johann
Rechlin on Kabbalistical art (De arte cabalistica, 1517), and the
treatise De verbo mirifoco (c. 1480). In each of these verses occurs
the venerable name of four letters, and the three lettered name of the seventy-two
angels, which are referred to as the sacred name Shemhanphorash,
which was hidden in the folds of the tippet of the high priest.
When the child or student had completely repeated all the verses he was
told he would "see wonders."
Other authorities believe that onycomancy refers to the interpretation of
spots on human nails. A.G.H.
Source: 9.