Selenomancy – What is it?

Selenomancy, like most divinatory systems, is quite ancient, and has been practiced since time immemorial by the Babylonians, Scythians, Greeks, and Arabians, among others. It is  the art and practice of divination by the observation of the phases and appearances of the moon.

There are countless moon-related omens that have evolved since prehistoric times. Our celestial companion has long been used to divine the fate of individuals at the time of their birth.

For example:

  • A child born when the moon is one day old will be blessed with wealth and longevity.
  • A child born during the moon’s waning phase signifies that the child will be unhealthy.
  • A child born while the moon is full will be a very strong individual.
  • A child born during the dark of the moon will need special care and will probably die before reaching puberty.

Different methods of Selenomancy take into consideration the patterns observed on the surface of the moon, the phase the moon is in, its visibility through the cloud cover, and the colors of its reflection. In ancient Assyria diviners interpreted the appearance of a ring or halo around the moon as an omen of an impending siege. However, a break in it indicated a fortunate escape.

When interpreting moon reflections and colors, it was believed that:

  • Blue tinge – rain was on the way,
  • Red tinge – a strong wind was coming
  • White tinge – good weather.

In the south of England, it is said that fine days will follow if there is a fine Tuesday after a new moon, moist days will come after a wet or humid Tuesday after a new moon, and if the horns of the moon are obscured on the third or fourth day, this means rain is on the way. If the circle of the moon is red, troubles and hardships are coming.

If if rains on the first Tuesday after the full moon, it will continue to do so for the rest of that moon period. Similarly, if it is dry on that first Tuesday, it will remain dry for that moon period. If the moon is clear on is rising, it denotes that in the summer there will be fine weather but in the winter there will be a severe cold spell. Clearness at the full moon suggests a fair period, as does a halo that melts quickly. A double halo means there is going to be a storm.

An ancient superstition is that it is bad luck to have a child born in moonlight. It was also believed that anyone sleeping in moonlight for any length of time ran the risk of going either blind or crazy.

Sources: Moon Magic and The Occultopedia

Weather Forecasting – Feline Style

In almost every country where they were known, cats were believed to have mystical powers, and among other things, to be able to foretell and control the weather. Here is a list of what can be expected weather-wise based on cat behavior and actions:

  • When cats run about wildly, or claw at carpets and cushions, wind is coming.
  • A cat sleeping with all four paws tucked under means bad weather is coming.
  • To throw a cat overboard causes an immediate storm at sea.
  • If a cat sneezes it will rain.
  • If a cat continually looks out a window on any day, rain is on the way.
  • A German belief says that mistreating a cat can cause a rainstorm to occur on the clothes you’ve hung out to dry.
  • If a cat licks its fur in the opposite way that it naturally lies, there will be significant rain.
  • Alternatively, if the cat calmly and smoothly washes itself, expect fair weather.
  • Forgetting to feed your cat on your wedding day is an invitation to the rain.
  • To see a cat eating grass foretells rain.
  • Anyone who makes cats his enemy is certain to be accompanied to the grave with wind and rain.
  • If the cat tears of the cushions or carpet with its claws, it is a sign that wind is coming, as we say, “the cat is raising the wind“.
  • If cats are playing in the house and an unusually lively way, windy or stormy weather is approaching.
  • If the cat while washing its face draws its paw over its forehead it is a sign of good weather. If not, it means speedy rain.
  • Indonesians and Malays believe that if you wash your cat it will bring rain.

Collected from various sources

Ailuromancy – What is it?



Weather forecasting With Cats:

  • If a cat sneezes it will rain.

Other forecasts:


Gloom and doom:


Your cat may also assist in divination:


Collected from various sources

Aeromancy – What is it?

Aeromancy (from Greek aero, “air”, and manteia, “divination”) is the art of foretelling the future by the observation of atmospheric, air or sky phenomena. This goes beyond the range of weather forecasting, concentrating in such things as wind currents, cloud shape and formation, comets and falling stars, spectral formations, and other phenomena which are not normally seen or visible in the heavens. Even today such visions cause speculation and sometimes consternation among human viewers.

Francis de la Tour Blanche says that Aeromancy is the art of divining by means of specters which are made to materialize in the air, or the depiction by the aid of demons, of future events which are projected on the clouds as if by a magic lantern. For him, thunder, lightning and the aspect of the sky and planets belongs to astrology.

Due to the historical interest people have had in weather, seeing it as a medium by which the gods expressed both joy and anger towards those who worshiped them, it is no surprise that aeromancy is one of the oldest forms of divination. The Hindus, Etruscans, and Babylonians in particular found the signs in the sky to be of great interest and practiced forms of chaomancy and ceraunoscopy. This fascination with the omens in the skies was reflected by the gods worshiped by these peoples. Two gods associated with ceraunoscopy are:

  • Tinia, the Etruscan god of lightning

There are several types of divination that can be categorized under the term “aeromancy”:

  • Austromancy, divination by observing the wind.
  • Anemoscopy is austromancy in which the wind direction and intensity is interpreted.
  • Cometomancy, divination by the appearance of comet tails.
  • Ceraunoscopy, divination by the interpretation of thunder and lightning.
  • Chaomancy, divination by aerial visions, is nearly synonymous with aeromancy, but most often refers to nephomancy or cometomancy.
  • Meteormancy, divination by meteors and shooting stars.
  • Nephomancy is divination by the interpretation of the movement of clouds.

Modern Aeromancy:

Some forms of modern aeromancy have taken a more introspective turn than their historical counterparts. For instance, modern nephomancy is a receptive, almost meditative process, by which a person is said to be able to examine their unconscious. The nephomancer studies the clouds, whose formations are random and constantly changing. The images and symbols the diviner picks out from the chaos are believed to have some sort of significance to the diviner, so long as he applies his own personal interpretations to the symbols, rather than those written or spoken about by another.

Source:  Wikipedia

Weather Divinations for Imbolc



Thig an nathair as an toll
Là donn Brìde,
Ged robh trì troighean dhen t-sneachd
Air leac an làir.

“The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown Day of Bríde,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground.”

Imbolc was believed to be the day the Cailleach — the hag of Gaelic tradition — gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she wishes to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on Imbolc is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood. Therefore, people would be relieved if Imbolc is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over and spring is on it’s way. Read more here: Là Fhèill Brìghde.

Other weather divinations include:

  • “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailor take warning”. This weather rhyme is a quick way to remember that dry particles in the air causes the sky to look red.  Dry air in the west (the night sky), the weather will be dry.  If the sky is red in the east (morning sky), wet weather is headed your way.
  • “Circle round the moon, rain or snow soon.”  A “circle” around the moon indicates moisture in the air, bringing precipitation.
  • Catch the cat cleaning it’s ear’s on Imbolc?  Tradition says that this means a storm is coming.
  • Check out the pine cones.  If they are closed, it means wet weather is on it’s way.  Open cones predict dry weather.

Crickets have been shown to be very good indicators of air temperature. Count the number of chips a cricket makes for 14 seconds.  Add 40 and the sum of the two numbers will equal the temperature to within 1 degree 75% of the time.

From: Wikipedia and

New Years Divinations




























“On New-Year’s Day
Take out and then take in,
Bad luck will begin:
Take in, then take out,
Good luck will come about.”




“If New Year’s-eve night wind blow south.
It betokened warmth and growth,
If west much milk and fish in the sea,
If north much cold and storms there’d be,
If east the trees will bear much fruit
If north east Bee it, man and brute.”




“With business is the year auspiciously begun: 
But every artist, soon as he has tried. 
Works but a bit, then lays his work aside.”



Of Interest

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Bread Crumbs
Moon Phase Tracker
Be Merry


Visitor Stats