From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordDivination through the signs of fire.
- In the bookThe neighboring divinatory terms classify practices by the medium through which a sign appears.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366.
Historical definition
Pyromancy is an art of foretelling by fire.
Meaning
Fire is treated here as a source of signs. The entry names a way of interpreting appearances, rather than a method for transforming a substance. Its place in a chemical dictionary shows how widely the compiler understands the vocabulary required for reading these authors.
Use in the book
The neighboring divinatory terms classify practices by the medium through which a sign appears. Compare Sortilegium, where spirits supply the presage, and Somnia, where the stars are said to operate during sleep. These are the dictionary’s historical classifications.
Places to read
- PyromancyRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- SomniaDreams explained through stellar operations in the sleeper.
- SortilegiumForetelling mediated by spirits.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366 — Facsimile