Prestigiation and mock apparitions

Often appears with: sortilege · omens, portents, and signs · necromancy · magic, witchcraft, and the occult · augury

Usually: list or catalogue (1) · censure (1)

Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) primary

Thomas, Aquinas, Saint · c. 1271–1273 (Part II-II written within this period)
PART II-II ("Secunda Secundae") > i.e. without previous judgment [*Vulg.: 'Observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by declining to either side.']. Therefore these three should not be associated with an oath any more than with other human actions. (31/163)

In Art. 3, Aquinas distinguishes several species of divination: demons explicitly invoked (necromancy), observation of movements and signs (augury), and investigatory occult practices (sortilege), including dreams, geomancy, and necromantic rites.

Whether We Ought to Distinguish Several Species of Divination? Objection 1: It would seem that we should not distinguish several species of divination. Where the formality of sin is the same, there are not seemingly several species of sin. Now there is one formality of sin in all divinations, since they consist in entering into compact with the demons in order to know the future. Therefore there are not several spec…