Auspice

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For the werewolf caste and lunar phase in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, see Auspice (World of Darkness).

An auspice (Latin: auspicium^[1]) is a type of omen. In ancient Rome, an auspice was a sign from the gods, as interpreted by an augur. An augur would perform a ceremony (known as "taking the auspices") and would read patterns of birds in the sky. Depending upon the birds, the auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable (auspicious or inauspicious). Sometimes bribed or politically motivated augurs would fabricate unfavorable auspices in order to delay certain state functions, such as elections. Pliny the Younger attributes the invention of auspicy to Tiresias the Theban.

One of the most famous auspices is the one which is connected with the founding of Rome. Once the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, arrived at the Palatine Hill, the two argued over where the exact position of the city should be. Romulus was set on building the city upon the Palatine, but Remus wanted to build the city on the strategic and easily fortified Aventine Hill. The two agreed to settle their argument by testing their abilities as augurs and by the will of the gods. Each took a seat on the ground apart from one another, and, according to Plutarch, Remus saw six vultures, while Romulus saw twelve.

[edit] Modern application of the term

In the vocational education sector of Australia, auspicing is where a registered training organization enters a partnership arrangement with another organisation that undertakes training or assessment on their behalf. The original training organization is still responsible for the quality of that training and assessment. The word is also used when a larger organization, such as local government, accepts and manages grant money, on behalf of a smaller community group, which does not have the necessary financial arrangements in place.