Oomancy

Oomancy (sometimes called ovomancy, ooscopy, oomancia, oomantia, ooscopia, or ovamancy) refers to divination by eggs.

There are several methods to how this can be done, but an example would be the oracular reading (i.e., scrying) of the shapes that a separated egg white forms when dropped into hot water.

[2] Egg divination was often used to gain knowledge about children still in the womb, such as the gender, health, and due date of the unborn baby.

It was also believed that if the yolk contained spots of blood, it was a bad sign indicating a miscarriage or complications during birth.

Another common method of oomancy in regards to the unborn child is to incubate a chicken egg between the pregnant woman's breasts.

When performing this ritual, the egg is passed over the person's body or rolled upon the skin, then it is placed beneath the clients bed, upon the mantle, or on the altar.

After a day, the egg is cracked into a glass or bowl half full of water and is then interpreted to see if the client has been given the evil eye.