Aichmomancy is a form of divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

 somewhat similar to Acultomancy

Acultomancy

Acultomancy is a form of divination that uses needles for readings....

 in that it uses sharp pointed objects to show patterns to read.




Aichmomancy readers use pins, knives, forks, nails, and handmade pieces of wood sharpened to a point. Readers drop sharp pointed objects onto a flat surface, find patterns and interpret them.





In the most ancient form of this divination a spearhead was spun in the sand. Several centuries later, during the Early Middle Ages

Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...

, divinations with pins became popular in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. Readers used seven pins and a table covered with cloth. Pins were thrown over the table, and the patterns were read and interpreted.




The basic patterns and their interpretations:

1 – Love	5 – Danger	9 – Honesty	13 – Sickness	17 – Pleasure	21 – Break-up
2 – Money	6 – Quarrel	10 – Rudeness	14 – Wedding	18 – Encounter	22 – Health
3 – Gift	7 – Prison	11 – Joy	15 – Birth	19 – Meeting	23 – Vanity
4 – Grief	8 – Engagement	12 – Letter	16 – Resistance	20 – Success	24 - Road