The Role Of Divination In Aztec Culture

Prophets has always been another main source of previsions. Differently to seers, who interpret external signs, prophets are possessed by divine spirit. Their prophecies usually announce a new leader that will restore or create a new order. One of the most ancient prophecy texts ever found is the Prophecy of Neferti, actually written during the early 12th Egyptian Dynasty (c.1991 – 1786 BC). (it was written 500 years after the described events, to justify the rising of Amenemhat I, who was not connect to the previous sovereign family)
Astrology appeared later than the other divinatory practices: the first Babylonian Horoscope dates back to 410 B.C., but it will be the Greeks to make the practice more structured. Astronomy is one of the most

In Aztec culture, the patron of magic practitioners was Tezcatlipoca, whose name means “smoking mirror”, referred to devices used in the divinatory practice of scrying (Miller 2007pag??). Hallucinogens were also another source of divination, and are still widly used by diviners in Mexico (mIller 2007 pag)
Also Asia had deeply rooted divinatory practices. Divination in ancient China was considered as a practice to “solve doubts”, and show how it was accepted or sanctioned according to the governing dynasty in charge. The famous I Ching, or Book of changes, was originally written as divination manual in the Western Zhou period (1000–750 BC) (Kern

At the end of the XVI century, the Catholic Church abandons the worries about the end of the world and the coming of the Antichrist, which yet will remain important issues for protestant movements and sects (Galois 2007, p.263). However, despite many attempts, no religious authority will be able to eradicate the widespread folk divinatory practices and occult beliefs, from chiromancy to presages interpretation, coming from pagan ancient traditions (Galois 2007, 264). The decline of religious prophecies facilitate the rise of Western Astrology, which lives its golden age between the XIV century and the XVII century. Astrologists offer an alternative to the delusional classic predictions inspired by the supernatural, and the scientific appearance of astrology is able to seduce both contemporary élites and populace (Galois 2007, pp. 273-275). The alleged science finds an effective broadcast medium in the almanacs, widely spread thanks to the enhancements of typographic process, mainly attributed to the work of the goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg in 1439 (McLuhan 1963 p ?). While the majority of oracles where females, considered of great sensitiveness and instinct, astrologists are mainly males, more inclined to the rational and scientific character of astrology (Galois 2007, p