The Nature Of Psychomancy

The term "Psychomancy" (pronounced, "sy-ko-man-see"), is derived from

two Greek words, the first "psycho," meaning "the soul; the mind; the

understanding" (and generally used to indicate "psychic" or unusual

powers of the soul or mind); the second word, "mancy" meaning "to

divine; to foresee, or foreknow; to detect secret things,"--and in

occult parlance, "~to sense~," or "to receive impressions by the

Astral Senses." o the word, as we use it, may be said to mean "Psychic

Sensing," and in this work will be so used. The word "Psychomancer"

means "one practicing Psychomancy;" and the word "Psychomantic" means

"relating to Psychomancy."



The word "Clairvoyance" is frequently used by people to designate some

of the phases of Psychomancy, but strictly speaking this term is

incorrect when used in this sense, the true occult meaning of the word

"Clairvoyance," being "transcendental vision, or the perception of

beings on another plane of existence--the seeing of disembodied souls,

elementals, etc." And so, in this work, we shall consider the true

phenomena of Clairvoyance, as distinct from that of Psychomancy.



In this work, we shall regard as the true phenomena of Psychomancy, all

the various phenomena known as Psychometry; Crystal Gazing; Perceiving

Distant Scenes; a perception of Past Events, and Indication of Future

Events; either in the full waking state; the state of reverie; or the

state of dreams.



And, so this work will examine, consider, and explain, the various

phases of phenomena above indicated--in short, the phenomena of

~"sensing" objects by means of Astral Senses~, omitting the phenomena

of Clairvoyance, or seeing disembodied souls, etc., which we regard as

belonging to a different phase of the general subject, and which

require special consideration and examination.



The majority of works upon these lines begin by an elaborate attempt to

"prove" the reality of the phenomena in question. But we shall not fall

into this error, for such we regard it. The time for the necessity of

such proof is past. The records of the Societies for Psychical Research

are full of proofs, and evidence, which are as full, complete and

strong as ever required by any court to hang or clear a man. And the

book shelves of the libraries are full of other books, giving like

proof. And, for that matter, this work is not written to convince

people of the truth of this phenomena--it is intended for those who

have already convinced themselves of its reality, but who wish for

specific information regarding its nature, manner of manifestation,

etc. Where we quote instances of the manifestation of some form of

Psychomantic phenomena, in this work, we do so simply to illustrate the

characteristics of some particular form of the phenomena, and not as

corroborative proof. With this explanation, we propose plunging right

into the main subject itself.



There have been many attempted explanations of, and theories regarding

the phenomena of Psychomancy, some of which are more or less plausible,

while others are quite visionary, "wild," and fantastic. In this work,

we shall pay no attention to those more or less ingenious "guesses" of

the theorists, but shall, instead, give you plainly, clearly, and

simply, the time-honored teachings of the advanced Occultists which

teachings we believe to be the Truth, tested and tried by centuries of

investigation, and experiment.