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*[[Heptomology]] — unknown, possibly related to the number [[seven]]<ref name="ootp25">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', Chapter 25</ref> |
*[[Heptomology]] — unknown, possibly related to the number [[seven]]<ref name="ootp25">''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]'', Chapter 25</ref> |
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*[[Palmistry]] — reading the lines on a person's palm<ref name="poa6" /><ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', Chapter 12</ref> |
*[[Palmistry]] — reading the lines on a person's palm<ref name="poa6" /><ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'', Chapter 12</ref> |
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− | *[[Ornithomancy]] — unknown, possibly related to birds<ref name="ootp25" /> |
+ | *[[Ornithomancy]] — unknown, possibly related to birds<ref name="ootp25" /> In history, Greeks studied the actions of birds |
*[[Ovomancy]] — cracking open [[egg]]s and observing which way the yolks fall<ref name="pottermore">[[Pottermore]] introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available [http://lady-slytherin-forever.tumblr.com/post/9001220525/ravenclaw-spoilers-stop-reading-if-you-dont-want-to here])</ref> |
*[[Ovomancy]] — cracking open [[egg]]s and observing which way the yolks fall<ref name="pottermore">[[Pottermore]] introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available [http://lady-slytherin-forever.tumblr.com/post/9001220525/ravenclaw-spoilers-stop-reading-if-you-dont-want-to here])</ref> |
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*[[Tessomancy]] — reading tea leaves<ref name="poa6" /><ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]''</ref> |
*[[Tessomancy]] — reading tea leaves<ref name="poa6" /><ref>''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)]]''</ref> |
Revision as of 08:41, 1 February 2014
- "Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future."
- — Sybill Trelawney[src]
Divination is a branch of magic[1] that involves attempting to foresee the future, or gather insights into future events, through various rituals and tools.
Human divination
Witches and wizards who are born with the rare natural gift for prophecy are known as Seers, who can foresee the future with their Inner Eye. Non-Seers can learn divination methods, but their success varies. Divination is taught as an elective subject from the third year on at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[2]
Diviniation has been practiced since ancient times. The earliest known method of human fortune-telling is the product known in the West as Chinese Fortune Sticks.[3]
Learned wizards and witches seem to regard the practise of divination with scepticism. Hermione Granger once described it as "woolly" and "a lot of guesswork,"[4] Minerva McGonagall thought it was "one of the most imprecise branches of magic,"[1] and before he decided to take on Sybill Trelawney as Divination professor at Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore was inclined to scrap the subject altogether.[5]
Wandlore
Silver lime wands had a reputation for performing best for Seers and those skilled in Legilimency.
Centaur divination
Centaurs have a way of practising divination distinct from that of humans, apparently mainly based around observing the movement of planets, moons, and stars, which they had been doing for centuries by 1996.[6] It can take up to a decade for centaurs to understand what these celestial portents meant, and even then, the results were rarely precise.[6] They may attempt to narrow their prediction of when an event will take place by burning certain herbs, such as sage and mallowsweet, and looking for various shapes and symbols in the fumes.[6]
Centaurs seem to have had a low opinion of human methods of divination. Firenze, who taught Divination at Hogwarts, described what "humans call fortune-telling" as "self-flattering nonsense," and voiced the belief that humans obsess over mundane, day-to-day predictions because they are "blinkered and fettered by the limitations of [their] kind."[6]
Known methods
- Astrology — observing the movements of planets and stars[6][7]
- Cartomancy — reading Tarot cards[4][8][9]
- Chinese Fortune Sticks[3]
- Crystal-gazing — looking into a crystal ball[10]
- Dream interpretation — analysing the meaning of dreams[11]
- Fire-omens — unknown, possibly related to observing flames[4]
- Heptomology — unknown, possibly related to the number seven[12]
- Palmistry — reading the lines on a person's palm[4][13]
- Ornithomancy — unknown, possibly related to birds[12] In history, Greeks studied the actions of birds
- Ovomancy — cracking open eggs and observing which way the yolks fall[14]
- Tessomancy — reading tea leaves[4][15]
- Xylomancy — involving twigs[16]
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First mentioned) (Mentioned as "fortune-telling")[17]
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game) (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Characters of the Magical World (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter LEGO Sets
- The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Notes and references
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 5, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic" - Minerva McGonagall
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 4
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 6
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 37
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 27
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 13
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 10
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 25
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 15
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 12
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 25
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 12
- ↑ Pottermore introduction for Ravenclaws (transcription available here)
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- ↑ Pottermore - Xylomancy trunk description
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 15 - (The Forbidden Forest) - Hermione tells Harry that what he's saying sounds like "fortune-telling," which Professor McGonagall says is a very imprecise branch of magic.
Divination | ||
---|---|---|
Professors: Percival Rackham · Mudiwa Onai · Sybill Trelawney · Firenze | ||
Known Seers: Calchas · Cassandra Vablatsky · Cassandra Trelawney · Gellert Grindelwald · Inigo Imago · Johan Hoffman · Liz Tuttle's mother · Mopsus · Professor Mopsus · Susie Sooth · Tycho Dodonus · Unidentified Canadian Seer · Unidentified female Seer · Unidentified male Seer | ||
Textbooks: The Dream Oracle · Unfogging the Future | ||
Methods: Astrology · Bibliomancy · Capnomancy · Cartomancy · Catoptromancy · Crystal-gazing · Crystal ball · Dream interpretation · Fire-omens · Heptomology · Horoscope · Ichthyomancy · Lithomancy · Myomancy · Ornithomancy · Orrery · Ovomancy · Palmistry · Personal chart · Phyllomancy · Prophecy · Rune stone · Scrying mirror · Tarot cards · Tessomancy · Xylomancy | ||
Divination at Hogwarts: Divination (class) · Divination Classroom · Divination staircase · Sybill Trelawney's office · Classroom Eleven · Xylomancy (class) |