manzia
Hydromancy
Hydromancy, from the Greek hydor "water" and manteia "divination", is the practice of drawing omens from water: observation of surfaces, reflections, ripples, drops, behaviour of liquids in a basin. It was practised in Mediterranean antiquity and in Indo-European cultures and lies at the root of modern practices such as crystallomancy with a water mirror.
Variants
Lecanomancy: observation of oil poured onto water. Pegomancy: reading of sacred springs. Catoxomancy: observation of figures formed by raindrops. The practice was often performed at wells, springs or sacred basins. Egyptian and Babylonian priests, and later Greeks and Romans, used it in ritual contexts.
Technique
You pose a question, then drop a bead of oil or wine into water, or stare at the still surface of water in a dark basin. You interpret shapes, reflections and movements. It is a variant of scrying: it requires meditative concentration rather than "supernatural" abilities.
FAQ
Is it safe?
Yes, it is a wholly harmless practice. Use clean water and stable basins.
Is it religious?
Historically it was practised in ritual contexts at sacred springs. Today it can be done in a secular key as a meditative practice.
Is it linked to dowsing?
Indirectly: both work with water (hydromancy observes, dowsing searches). They are distinct practices.