Dactylomancy (or Dactyliomancy) is derived from the Greek dakterlios 'finger ring' and manteia 'divination.' It is a term applied to a number of ancient methods for divining the future using rings.One involved gold, silver, copper, iron or lead rings placed on the fingernails at certain astrologically dictated times. Wedding rings were thought to be ideal for this form of divination, but no further information is available.
A round table might be inscribed with the letters of the alphabet with a ring suspended above them. The ring would then spell out the message in the fashion of a pendulum. A Ouija board might be used instead of the table or letters might be laid out on the table. Depending on the direction the ring swung, the answers were spelled out.
Another way of performing this particular form of Dactylomancy would be to drop a ring into a container of water. An interpretation would be formed by its position. The bottom of the container might even contain a special pattern to aid in the prediction. Another method involved suspending a ring within a glass. The glass might or might not be filled with water. If it struck the glass once, the answer was yes, and twice meant no.
Dactyliomancy is thought to be one of the earliest forms of Radiesthesia.