AUGURY
What is Augury?
Augury was a form of divination in ancient Rome in which the state priest known as an “augur” observed the species of birds, the direction of their flight, and their calls to read the will of the gods. It was performed before important decisions of war and politics, but it is no longer practiced as a state ritual today.
Overview
- System
- Omen Reading (a historical omen-reading practice, symbolically reenacted with random draws)
- Origin
- Ancient Rome
- What You Need
- Records of bird observation (formerly used; now a symbolic random draw)
- Best For
- Life, timing
- Time Frame
- History, the past (no longer practiced today)
Origins & History
Augury was a form of divination in ancient Rome in which the state priest known as an “augur” observed the species of birds, the direction of their flight, and their calls to read the will of the gods. It was performed before important decisions of war and politics, and was institutionalized as part of Rome’s official decision-making.
The practice endured for a long time through both the Republic and the Empire, but as Christianity spread, augury as a state ritual ceased to be performed. Today it is known only as a historical record conveying the religious culture of ancient Rome.
How It Works
- 01Decide on a single question you want to ask.
- 02Draw one result from a random selection modeled on the items ancient Roman priests observed (the species of birds, the direction of flight, and their calls).
- 03Check the historical explanation associated with the result drawn.
- 04Receive it as a symbolic suggestion, in remembrance of the ancient Roman practice.
What It Reveals
This is well suited as a way to learn about the religious institutions of ancient Rome and the cultural background of omen-reading through birds. It cannot accurately recreate the actual methods of interpretation used in its time, and because it was a practice carried out as a state ritual, it is not a divination meant to serve as an actual decision-making tool for individuals today.
Related Methods
References
- Wikipedia: Augury (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augury)