A method of divination whereby the psychic can read a person's character from careful study of their old shoes. Scarpa is cod-Latin for shoe.

The way it works is supposedly that the wear pattern, styling, scuff marks, tongue deformation, lace fraying etc. on the shoe all relate to different aspects of the subject's psyche. For example, faced with a pair of shoes displaying noticable wear on the outside edge of the heel, your garden variety psychic may determine from the spirit world that such a person had a rolling gait and was therefore someone in a hurry, with places to go, relaxed, certain of their destiny, slightly arrogant and intolerant of fools. Or alternatively, was suffering from rickets. Or simply walked that way.

As the eyes are the windows to the soul, so the feet are the things that carry the soul about, and the shoes therefore the stalwart protectors of the soul's motive power. Or something.

Sources:
The Complete Illustrated Book of Divination Walter Gibson 1973 Doubleday
Various websites.


Wuukiee suggested this could be subtitled Souls from Soles - but if I added that to this writeup I would have to admit that I didn't think of it!