foreteller

A foreteller is a person who claims to predict future events or outcomes. The term is used across cultures and historical periods to describe individuals who offer guidance about what may happen, based on signs, revelation, or perceived connections between present conditions and possible futures. Foretelling is often discussed alongside related terms such as seer, oracle, prophet, or fortune teller, with distinctions depending on tradition and context.

Etymology and usage: The word foreteller is a compound of fore- and teller, literally “one who tells what comes before.” In English it has long been used to describe practitioners of divination or prophecy, though more specialized terms are common in specific settings (for example, seer or oracle in ancient contexts, tarot reader in modern settings).

Practices and traditions: Methods attributed to foretelling vary widely and include interpreting omens, analyzing celestial or astrological data, reading symbolic objects such as cards or runes, and interpreting dreams or visions. Some traditions involve communication with spirits, deities, or other supernatural sources, while others rely on pattern recognition, intuition, or psychological insight. Foretelling appears in many cultures, from ancient Greece and China to India, the Americas, and contemporary Western popular culture.

Role and reception: Historically, foretellings could be sought by individuals seeking personal guidance or by rulers seeking counsel. Attitudes toward foretelling have ranged from reverence to skepticism, and in some jurisdictions it has been regulated or challenged as fraud. In modern contexts, foretell ers often work in entertainment, advisory services, or fiction, where the practice serves narrative or interactive purposes rather than scientific forecasting.

See also: seer, prophet, oracle, fortune teller.