Sortilegies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form of magic or sorcery that involves the manipulation of supernatural forces
2. The practice of ritualistic activities aimed at influencing events or outcomes through mystical means
3. The art of performing spells or enchantments often associated with divination or intentional alterations of reality

Etymology: "Sortilegies" is the plural of "sortilegy", a noun for the practice of casting lots or performing spells. The word is built on Latin "sortilegium", which combines "sors" (lot, fate, chance) with "legere" (to gather, choose, read). Divination by drawing lots was the original core of the idea: the sense of picking out or reading signs from chance is baked into the stem, long before the word came to mean magic in general. The plural form points to the word's sense of several distinct acts of spell-casting or lot-reading, each counted separately. Its meaning has stayed close to its Latin roots, with the emphasis on fate and chance as a means of uncovering hidden truths or influencing events.

Synonyms: sorcery, witchcraft