Divination by examining ashes, especially those of a sacrifice or victim; tephramancy; tuphramancy: Spodomancy is a method of fortune-telling by means of the cinders, ashes or soot from sacrificial fires. The specific type of spodomancy that used patterns formed in the ashes of burned offerings made to the gods was often called "tephromancy".

According to a Middle Ages method, hollow, oblong cinders were known as "coffins", indicating a coming death in the family. Oval cinders, called "cradles", were indicative of the advent of a child. Round cinders, called "purses", indicated prosperity, and heart-shaped ones were the sign of a lover.

In Scotland it was said that if a clot of soot fell down the chimney during a wedding breakfast, it was a portent of bad luck for the newlywed couple.