different between sortilege vs lithomancy

English

Etymology

From Old French sortilège, from Medieval Latin sortilegium (“witchcraft”), from Latin sortilegus (“sorcerer, diviner”), from sors (“fate”) + legere (“choose”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s??t?l?d??/

Noun

sortilege (countable and uncountable, plural sortileges)

1. Witchcraft, magic, especially as a means of making decisions or predictions.
   • 1819, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe:

     We have therefore summoned to our presence a Jewish woman, by name Rebecca, daughter of Isaac of York — a woman infamous for sortileges and for witcheries.

   • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, page 115:

     Orthodox believers […] were less happy about using sortilege to coerce God into taking decisions on their behalf.

   • 2001, JT Leroy, Sarah:

     ‘Too much evil sortilege,’ Glad always says when someone suggests he open a franchise over Cheat Ridge.

Derived terms

• sortilegious

Translations

Latin

Adjective

sortilege

1. vocative masculine singular of sortilegus

English

Etymology

litho- +? -mancy

Noun

lithomancy

1. divination with the use of precious or semi-precious stones, gemstones, or normal stones by either interpreting the light they reflect (crystallomancy), or how they fall (sortilege).

References

"Lithomancy, by stones..." -- The Magastromancer xix, Gaule, 1652

"Lithomancy, a species of divination performed by stones, but in what manner it is difficult to ascertain..." -- Chambers's Encyc. III, 1868

"LITHOMANCY: This divination using precious stones, one form of which involves candlelight. Scatter gemstones of different colors around a candle. Darken the room, light the candle, close your eyes, and clear your mind of thoughts. When you open your eyes, notice which color of stone first reflects the light back to you." -- Complete Bk Predictions, 1983