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Acutomancy

Also known as acutomanzia, this ancient form of divination uses a number of sharp and pointed objects, such as pins or needles, to tell the future.

In ancient times, Gypsies would use needles as pointers while performing readings. In this method seven (and up to twenty one) needles are dropped into a shallow bowl containing water. The future is read from the patterns of the needles in the water. Some diviners were content to dispense with the water, using a table or other flat surface instead.

Another method, known as acutomanzia, uses thirteen pins Ð ten straight and three bent ones. The pins are shaken and then dropped onto a flat surface which has been lightly dusted with flour, dust, or other powdery substance. The diviner would seek information from the needles and the designs made in the substance.

Many of the designs are lines—broken or parallel, vertical or horizontal. Broken lines are seen as indicating travel or a great journey. Parallel lines represent money in the future, though that money may be either given or taken. Vertical lines represent guided roads that we are meant to take, while horizontal lines may show us our fate.

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