From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordForetelling mediated by spirits.
- In the bookCompare Pyromancy, classified through fire, and Somnia, explained through the action of stars during sleep.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371.
Historical definition
Sortilegium is a presage by spirits.
Meaning
The distinguishing feature is the agency attributed to spirits. The entry identifies a kind of presage, without saying what visible sign, instrument or verbal practice is involved.
Use in the book
Compare Pyromancy, classified through fire, and Somnia, explained through the action of stars during sleep. The dictionary organizes these practices by different media or causes and does not reduce all of them to a single method.
Places to read
- SortilegiumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- PyromancyDivination through the signs of fire.
- SomniaDreams explained through stellar operations in the sleeper.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 43; facsimile PDF page 371 — Facsimile