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During the Renaissance, astrologers interpreted patterns (geomantic sigils or symbols) made by thrown rocks to divine the future. This practice, called “geomancy,” required tables such as this to connect zodiac symbols to one of 16 geomantic sigils and letters from different languages. Practiced in secret, geomancy was considered one of the seven forbidden divinatory arts of the Renaissance along with necromancy (raising the dead), aeromancy (air), pyromancy (fire), hydromancy (water), chiromancy (palm-reading), and scapulimancy (shoulder blades).