gastromancy

English

Alternative forms

• gastronomancy

Etymology

From gastro- +‎ -mancy.

Noun

gastromancy (uncountable)

1. Divination by interpreting the sounds and signs of the belly.
   • 1693 Urquhart translating Rabelais Gargantua & Pantagruel iii. xxv.

     By Gastromancy, which kind of ventral Fatiloquency was for a long time together used in Ferrara by Lady Giacoma Rodogina, the Eugastrimythian Prophetess.

2. Divination by noting magical visions in large-bellied glasses, sometimes described as a technique where a child is placed in front of a glass filled with water, the images in the glass then interpreted. Similar to crystallomancy.
   • 1610 Vives in J. Healey Saint Augustine of the Citie of God

     Diuination generally was done by diuers means..Hydromancy..done either in a glasse bottle full of water, wherein a Childe must looke, (and this is called, Gastromancy of the glasses belly)...

   • 1985, G. Luck Arcana Mundi, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     The methods [of scrying] varied according to the nature of the shiny object used and the medium employed... Sometimes the term gastromancy ('divination by the belly') was used, because the vessel filled with water was called gastra 'belly-shaped vessel'.

Related terms

• gastromancer

Translations

divination by interpreting the sounds and signs of the belly

divination by noting magical visions in large-bellied glasses