Omphalomancy is a method of divination used to determine an individual's character or fate by interpreting the size, shape and peculiarities of their navel (belly button).1
In Buddhist tradition, the shape of the navel is classified and associated with certain types of behaviour. In ancient Chinese culture this was developed into a science.2
Omphalomancy is also used to determine the number of future children a mother may have, based on the number of knots in a child's umbilical cord3 or the number of marks or bands on the navel.4
References
References
- Dunwich, Gerina (2018). The Wiccan's Dictionary of Prophecy and Omens. Citadel Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780806539669.
- Murillo, William L., ed. (2018). Omphaloplasty: A Surgical Guide of the Umbilicus. Springer. p. 142. ISBN 9783319643137.
- Buckland, Raymond (2003). The Fortune-Telling Book: The Encyclopedia of Divination and Soothsaying. Visible Ink Press. p. 344. ISBN 9781578597932.
- "Omphalomancy". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-12-08.