卜

Ritual/Formal: To divine, consult the oracle, or seek a binary answer from a higher authority.

General/Predictive: Predicting, guessing, or attempting to determine an unknown outcome.

Verb: The act of performing divination.

Noun: The process of divination, or the resulting prophecy/answer.

Modifier: Used in compounds to mark a term as divinatory or prophetic.

卜 (bǔ): Pyromancy via bone or shell; often implies official or state-level ritual inquiry.

筮 (shì): Cleromancy via stalks (e.g., yarrow or millet).

占 (zhān): A broader term for augury or the interpretation of signs (e.g., celestial movements, bird flights).

Variants: U+535C, U+8514.

Pictograph of a crack in a tortoise shell or oracle bone caused by heat (pyromancy), representing the divine answer.

In early or formal contexts, avoid "fortune telling," as it suggests casual superstition. "Divining," "consulting the oracle," or "inquiring of the spirits" better captures the original ritual gravity.