geomancy

American  

[jee-uh-man-see] / ˈdʒi əˌmæn si /

noun

1. divination by geographic features or by figures or lines.

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geomancy British  

/ ˈdʒiːəʊˌmænsɪ /

noun

1. prophecy from the pattern made when a handful of earth is cast down or dots are drawn at random and connected with lines

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Other Word Forms

• geomancer noun
• geomantic adjective

Etymology

Origin of geomancy

1325–75; Middle English < Old French geomancie ≪ Late Greek geōmanteía. See geo-, -mancy

Example Sentences

Feng shui is a traditional Chinese geomancy practice that is used to determine which location would be most auspicious.

From Reuters

Traditional faiths came under especially harsh treatment, with the government banning bedrock traditional practices, from worshiping ancestors and local deities to following the advice of geomancy masters and spirit mediums.

From New York Times

Chinese people, including the country’s leaders, have a long tradition of putting their faith in soothsaying and geomancy, looking for answers in times of doubt, need and chaos.

From Reuters

For centuries, the resinous wood inside incense trees, agarwood, has been prized in East Asian religion, art and geomancy.

From Time

Nonetheless, Gildong continues to study military treatises and to master astrology, geomancy and “the magical arts of invisibility and metamorphosis.”

From Washington Post