Chapter LIII. Of Divinations, and the Kinds Thereof

The Philosophy of Natural Magic, by Henry Cornelius Agrippa, L. W. de Laurence ed. [1913], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER LIII.

Of Divinations, and the Kinds Thereof.

There are some other kinds of divinations, depending upon natural causes, which are known to every one in his art and experience to be in divers things, by which physicians, husbandmen, shepherds, mariners, and others, do prognosticate out of the probable signs of every kind of divination. Many of these kinds of divination Aristotle made mention of in his book of Times, amongst which Auguria and Auspicia are the chiefest, which were in former time in such esteem amongst the Romans that they would do nothing that did belong to private or public business

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without the counsel of the Augures. Cicero in his Book of Divinations largely declares that the people of Tuscia would do nothing without this art. Now, there are divers kinds of Auspicias, for some are called Pedestria (i. e.), which are taken from four-footed beasts; some are called Auguria, which are taken from birds; some are Celestial, which are taken from thunderings and lightnings; some are called Caduca (i. e.), when any fell in the temple, or elsewhere; some were sacred, which were taken from sacrifices; some of these were called Piacula, and sad Auspicia, as when a sacrifice escaped from the altar, or, being smitten, made a bellowing, or fell upon another part of his body than he should. To these is added Exauguration, viz., when the rod fell out of the hand of the Augure with which it was the custom to view and take notice of the Auspicium.

Michael Scotus makes mention of twelve kinds of Auguries, viz., six on the right hand, the names of which, he saith, are Fernova, Fervetus, Confert, Emponenthem, Sonnasarnova, and Sonnasarvetus; and six on the left hand, the names of which are Confernova, Confervetus, Viaram, Herrenam, Scassarnova, and Scassarvetus. Expounding their names, he saith:

Fernova is an augury when thou goest out of thy house to do any business, and in going thou see a man or a bird going or flying, so that either of them set himself before thee upon thy left hand, that is a good signification in reference to thy business.

Fervetus is an augury when thou shalt go out of thy house to do any business, and in going thou find or see a bird or a man resting himself before thee on the left side of thee, that is an ill sign concerning thy business.

Viaram is an augury when a man or a bird in his journey, or flying, pass before thee, coming from the right side of thee, and, bending toward the left, go

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out of thy sight, that is a good sign concerning thy business.

Confernova is an augury when thou dost first find a man or a bird going or flying, and then rest himself before thee on thy right side, thou seeing of it, that is a good sign concerning thy business.

Confervetus is an augury when first thou find or see a man or a bird bending from thy right side, it is an ill sign concerning thy business.

Scimasarnova or Sonnasarnova is when a man or a bird comes behind thee and outgoeth thee, but before he comes at thee he rests, thou seeing of him on thy right side, it is to thee a good sign.

Scimasarvetus or Sonnasarvetus is when thou see a man or bird behind thee, but before he comes to thee he rests in that place, thou seeing of it, is a good sign.

Confert is an augury when a man or bird in journeying or flying shall pass behind thee, coming from the left side of thee, and, bending toward thy right, pass out of thy sight, and is an evil sign concerning thy business.

Scassarvetus is when thou see a man or a bird pass by thee, and resting in a place on thy left side, is an evil sign to thee.

Scassarnova is when thou see a man or a bird pass by thee, and resting in a place on thy right side, is an augury of good to thee.

Emponenthem is when a man or a bird, coming from thy left side, and passing to thy right, goeth out of thy sight without resting, and is a good sign.

Hartena or Herrenam is an augury that, if a man or a bird coming from thy right hand, shall pass behind thy back to thy left, and thou shall see him resting anywhere, this is in evil sign.

The ancients did also prognosticate from sneezings, of which Homer in the seventeenth book of his poem of the Odyssey makes mention, because they,

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thought that they proceeded from a sacred place, viz., the head, in which the intellect is vigorous and operative. Whence, also, whatsoever speech came into the breast or mind of a man rising in the morning, unawares, is said to be some presage and an augury.