The E-Sylum:  Volume 9, Number 33, August 13, 2006, Article 29

VOCABULARY WORD: BIBLIOMANCY

Bob Johnson forwarded the following item from the A Word A Day mailing
list, which I've mentioned a few times before in The E-Sylum.  This
week's theme is words related to forecasting and divination.

"bibliomancy (BIB-lee-o-man-see) noun

  Divination by interpreting a passage picked at random from a book,
  especially from a religious book such as the Bible."

"If you are having a hard time deciding between turning groupie and
following your favorite band around or to stay put in your accounting
job, help is at hand. Try bibliomancy. Here's the step-by-step method:

1. Pick a book you trust a lot.
2. Put it on its spine, and let it fall open.
3. With your eyes closed, trace your finger to a passage.
4. Interpret the passage as your lifemap to the future."

[So, here's how numismatists can practice bibliomancy: take your
favorite numismatic reference off the shelf and let it fall open
as described above.  Now point to a random passage.  Whatever
numismatic item that passage pertains to, make it your lifelong
collecting passion, be it the U.S. Large Cents of 1793, the U.S.
coinage of 1873, Canadian Exhibition Fair Carnival Medals, Depression
Scrip clam money, National Bank notes, Connecticut Coppers, U.S.
Centennial Medals, Aramco gold discs, New Brunswick, New Jersey
paper money, watercraft on world coins, Lincoln peace medals or die
varieties of Lithuanian subway tokens.  Or save the wear and tear
on your library and scroll to a random point in your weekly E-Sylum.
You never know what may catch your fancy.  Live long and prosper!
-Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

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