apantomancy

From Ancient Greek ἀπαντάω (apantáō, “to encounter”) and μαντεία (manteía, “prophecy”).

apantomancy (uncountable)

1. Divination by chance meetings with any objects that present themselves, most commonly animals; for example, the superstition associated with a black cat crossing one's path.
   • 1920, Lewis Spence, An Encyclopædia of Occultism‎^[1]:

     Apantomancy: Divination by means of any objects which happen to present themselves. To this class belong the omens drawn from chance meetings with a hare, an eagle, etc.

   • 1961, H.E. Wedeck, Treasury of Witchcraft:

     Even objects that lie about haphazardly were fit for mantic purposes. The prcatice was called apantomancy.