Carromancy
Carromancy
Carromancy is a form of divination that draws omens from the shapes formed by melting wax.
Etymology
From the Greek carro ('waxen') and manteia ('divination'); also known as Ceromancy, Ceremancy and Ceroscopy.
Origin
Carromancy is a form of Hydromancy, developed by the ancient Celts and Romans
History
Commonly practiced in Britain, Sweden, and Lithuania, Ceromancy was very popular in the eighteenth century, when correspondence was normally fastened with sealing wax.
Methods
According to scraps of knowledge salvaged from around the period CE 500, it appears that the candle burned during a druid's vigil was poured into a bowl and then into a clear pool of cold water. The auguries for the future could then be read.
Customarily, the diviner, after listening to the inquirer's questions and pondering about it, speaks it loudly. He then carefully melts wax or paraffin in a Balneum Mariae (double-boiler), never using an open flame for the task, to avoid igniting the fumes and causing a dangerous explosion.
Finally, the melted wax is poured into cold water, where it congeals. This action created shapes of hardened wax, forming distinct patterns, letters, numbers and/or symbols that can allegedly be read to forecast auguries of the future. On yet another method, the diviner observed the bubbles formed at the time the melted wax was poured into the water.
Modern forms
Carromancy although very old, remains popular, especially throughout Puerto Rico and Mexico, and also Haiti, where is used as part of Voodoo.
