apantomancy

Etymology

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

Why this word is great

APANTOMANCY — [Noun] Divination by chance encounters with objects or animals, such as the superstition of a black cat crossing one's path. From Ancient Greek ἀπαντάω (apantáō, "to encounter") and μαντεία (manteía, "prophecy"). Unlike "augury" (which narrows its gaze to birds in flight) or "omens" (which cast a wide net over all signs), apantomancy is the art of reading fate in the stray and unplanned: the sudden flutter of a moth against a windowpane, the glint of a coin on wet pavement, or the way a crow alights on a fencepost just as you pass—each an unscripted whisper from the universe, stitching meaning into the fabric of coincidence.

noun

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.“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.”