Posts Tagged ‘divination’

Breaking the rules with words: I have been a busy little bee these last couple of weeks. Many things to do, podcast, work, finishing my stang, a lot of writing and such. Also I gave the main website a make over. Most importantly (at least to you guys) I have created a new section on the main website for the Collection Casting (divination with bits and pieces) and am starting to transfer info over there, as well as working on making new articles and making the workshop I taught at KG make sense for online purposes. Keep checking the “newest articles” box on the main page!

I am working on getting the workshop I did on at the Fest called Building a Personal Divination System up on the website and here on the blog. But I have discovered I need photographs to make it make sense. Must have visual aids! I also work weekends! So in the meantime, here are inks to some of the articles I have written on the subject so far and some other links of interest.

Dem Bones and Bits and Sticks and Stones

Collection Casting: Birthday

Collection Casting June 8

Throwing the Bones and Reading Other Natural Curios

Crystals and Tarot cards

STONE DIVINATION

Divination system update

Follow-up Friday

Solstice Thoughts on the Beach

I went for a lovely walk at a local nature reserve with a friend. We walked half way around the small lake then settled down to sit on the dock, give offerings and watch the geese try to con us out of food.

(Honestly folks don’t feed the wildlife and especially don’t feed them white bread!)

Since its rededication I have been dragging my bag of bits around everywhere with me. Its good to go through a bonding period and it also makes sure I don’t fall into a bad habit of just leaving it to collect dust on a book shelf.

After some pleasant conversation and giving the lake a couple of small pieces of rose quartz I decided to bring out my bag. Mostly just on a whim (it felt right) and partly because I’m always looking for an excuse to cast. We got the cloth directionally aligned and laying flat and as I pulled the collection out of the bag I said “Let’s see what the spirits of this place have to say”. Then without much pomp and circumstance (I did tell the bits to not fall off the dock) I cast them.

It was obvious right away this casting was not intended for me. Firstly there are certain motifs that always come up when the spirits are talking to me, about me, through the collection. Sort of like how when working with tarot, the same cards will often show up for the same person again and again. These did not show up in this casting at all. The second indication was the bright eyed interest of my friend.

When doing a reading I will try not to ask leading questions, such as “I see the romance/love stone is in the west, how is your love life right now?” I feel rather like this is cheating. I also don’t like to pry. If there is information that I need or that the client is willing to share, they will usually offer it to me without prompting.

My job is not to tell people what to do or how to do it. Nor is my job to tell people what is going on in their lives or impress them with my special knowledge or any such silliness, my job in not even to tell their fortune. The gods/spirits/ancestors use the collection to communicate, it my job to translate, to facilitate a dialogue between the client and the spirits. That is all.

I will ask the client if there are certain groupings or pieces that have a stronger draw or that feel more significant to them. I will also ask if they feel that any pieces or grouping are connected to each other.

I also encourage the client to tell me their own impressions of the casting. What a grouping might mean to them. I will give them a brief description of the meaning behind the pieces and a general idea of what a combination of pieces might mean and allow them to come to some of their own conclusions, should they have any. Allowing the client’s thoughts and feelings help to direct the reading can be very helpful. Many of the pieces are self explanatory and people will often know what their meaning is without needing me to tell them. A key means more or less the same thing to everyone, as does a wedding ring, a coin or a turtle.

I don’t allow them to do the actual casting as I find it requires a certain amount of practice to cast a collection that contains pieces of varying shapes and sizes properly. It is much easier to cast lots or stones that are roughly the same shape and size.

I do not actively encourage the client to touch the bits, but I do allow it. I watch carefully which pieces in collection the client seems most drawn to touch, poke, shift and pick up. This can give me additional information that will help me with the reading.

My friend touched a few pieces, especially the grouping in the southwest and the centre grouping with the rabbit bone. The pieces she touched the most were the acorn, the thorn stick, the key and the rabbit bone. The antique ring is the only piece she actually picked up to examine.

Turtle facing away from centre but looking towards amethyst means “Hurry up towards spirituality/religion”. This is in the north and therefore in the physical realm, the here and now, the mud between your toes reality. But it is also at the edge of the circle, meaning that this is not something totally vital, or something at the edge or just outside.

The Goddess Charm is combined with the Stone with a Silver Stripe in north. This says something like “women/goddess will bring the light at the end of the tunnel/be the silver lining in a dark cloud” that this is in the north tells me that this is something very real that will affect my friends life not just some esoteric mystical hocus pocus.

In this reading my friend felt that the pieces in the west were connected strongly with the grouping that bordered the west and south. We both agreed that the whole of the groupings in the centre were strongly connected to each other and possibly also associated with the other pieces and groupings in the west and southwest.

The whole clump of objects in the centre reads something along the lines of “Commitment of resources (both emotional, physical and material) is at the foundation of your otherworld journey to find what you seek. The ancestors, heritage and tradition along with arts and crafts (and possibly commitment to a certain Witch and Stitch group) are what lie below and at the very heart of the matter. Journey with/to find the goddess/feminine can be dangerous and you must be cautious, however doing so will lead you to the male deity that you seek. This male deity is associated with magick, witchcraft, the otherworlds/shamanism and nature. (My friend took a look at that grouping and decided it was probably Odin and I had to agree. Another possibility would be the Horned One) Searching for your animal totems and familiar spirits is what surrounds the matter and will bring you spiritual/magickal purification/clarity.”

(This all seems reinforced by the Goddess Charm and Stone paring previously mentioned)

The objects in the west and southwest point towards the objects in the centre, this is what they say:

“That which fuels you emotionally, as well a romance, is either causing a blockage or causing you to create a protective blockage. Once this protective blockage is removed it will lead you to unlocking a change that will be like a bolt out of the blue, a flash of insight and inspiration that leads to all the things spoken of by the pieces in the centre.”

Exactly how my friend goes about removing this blockage is up to her. Will she be open to these emotions and the romance she is blocking/protecting herself from, or will she remove the person involved so that she doesn’t have to protect or block? Only she knows what its best for her. I find with these readings people usually know what needs to be done, they just need that validation or the kick in the ass to make it happen.

Another thing worth noting is the Jingle Bell and the Bloodstone together in east. Perhaps this means something like “Intellectual creativity and artistic pursuits can lead to a connection with the land”

Also in the east is the Tooth of Communication: “Communicating intellectually” or “Intelligent communication” or “Talking about it is smart” possibly associated with this is the Tiger Eye in the north: “Think about the land”, “Study the Earth” or “Learn about what is physical”

Well, that’s it!

EDITED TO ADD: Check out Emma’s updates on building her own system! I don’t have a livejournal account so I can’t post comments but I thought I’d send you her way.

There are two methods I use for casting my collection: formal and informal.

The formal method means going through a whole ritual process. This is done for more important readings and when I juts plain old have more time.

The basics of this involve all the usual suspects such as lighting a candle and incense, meditating for a while before hand and all that good stuff.

Usually a spirit house or two will be brought out, such as one of my decorative skulls for the ancestors, a fetish or figurine for familiar spirits, a deity idol and so forth. Full invocations are spoken, along with knocking on the ground before me to call them.

The area around me is blessed. This is not a Circle casting or even any kind of making sacred space. It is recognition of the inherent specialness of wherever I’m at, as well as giving a blessing and some love to the genus loci and to the area around me. This involves saying a few words, kissing my hand and then placing that kiss in the different directions around me; before me, to the right, behind me, to the left, above and then below.

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The informal method involves a quick meditation, knocking once to call my spirits and giving the spirit house (quartz skull bead) that hangs on my bag a kiss.

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I should mention I always cast while sitting on the ground and place my casting cloth on the ground. This is a common thread I’ve noticed in my studies of aboriginal bone (and bits) casters, especially in Africa. I think it is partly an energetic thing, partly a traditional thing and party practical; its sucks to have things fall off a table and roll away under your chair.

My casting cloth is laid out according to the directions, so the area that represent north points north (of course). I usually try to sit at the south and face north but sometime space is limited and it doesn’t always work out that way. Being from the Northern hemisphere and a northern country north means up and south means down!

I run my fingers through the collection in the bag and gently “wake them up” then gather them in one hand. Normally I use all the pieces in the collection but sometimes only a few are chosen, especially if I am seeking something more along the lines of “yes” or “no” answers.

With the bag empty I set it between my knees and make sure the skull bead is sitting facing the proceedings.

I then hold the collection in both hands up to my lips and whisper to them. Then I shake them up a bit in my hands.

I hold them over the centre of the cloth, trying to choose just the right height. Too low and they don’t cast well landing in one large lump, too high and they scatter all over the place.

I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths and “listen” … when the time is just right I drop them on to the cloth.

The first thing I do is take a look at the over all spread as a whole. Then I take note of anything that has decided to lay outside the casting cloth. Then I look at groupings, pairings and singles. Working from the south to west to north to east but sometimes going by which quarter has the most or least bits in it. I also work from the outside in and the centre out. Then having all the details, I take a “step back” and look at the whole picture.

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A LOT depends upon context!!!

The closer to the centre a bits is the more immediate and important it is.

Things outside the cloth or the main circle are either not involved, on the way out, or on the way in.

Items in the North represent things in the physical realm, the body, health, solidarity, that which changes slowly, the Earth and the Land.

Items in the East represent things that are on the mind and in thoughts, things that must be thought about, things that are related to study and learning, the intellect, sudden or quick change that maybe unpredictable, Sky and Air.

Items in the South represent passions, that which fuels us/the situation, driving forces, temper, lust, sexuality, infatuation, the love of new change that burns bright and then wanes, the Sun and Fire.

Items in the West represent emotions, feeling, undercurrents, going with the flow, may mean stormy seas or clear sailing or the transition from one to the other, gradual change, The Moon and Water.

Items in the Centre are the heart of the matter, the foundation upon which everything else stands or is built upon, the most important issues and influences, the very core of the issue/answer/the client.

The direction things are “pointing” matters.

Each object in the bag has its own story and correspondences based on how I found the piece, what it is, its colour, where it came from, magickal meanings, folk lore, and what it means to me.

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Here is a sketch and a photograph of the casting I did for my recent birthday. I find drawing the casting helps me remember it, helps me to slowly work through the reading and the drawings looks nice in my Book. It also means I can go back and review previous castings and if I lack time to properly read a casting I can go back to it to a certain extent. I don’t always draw them but often I do. Click on the sketch for full size.

I won’t give you the full reading, they can be lengthy and this one is somewhat personal, but I will tell a little bit about it. You can assume that each part of the reading has more to it than I’m telling you *wink*

For this casting I sat in the west facing east due to the layout of my living room and not wanting to move furniture.

I’m a little concerned that there’s nothing in the south. No passion? No sex? No fires to fuel me? That’s rather odd for a woman often referred to as a firebrand!

Acorn and Clear Quartz moved well outside the cloth, in fact Acorn tried to roll away even further and I had to catch it. Hmmmmmmmmm … why is masculine virility and clarity trying to run away from me?

Jingle Bell and Tiger Eye are on the cloth but outside the circle. Both seem to be moving away from East and South and heading off of the cloth. Creativity and education are leaving intellect and passion behind and heading out the door! Yikes!

Crystal Turtle and Herbivore Tooth are paired together and are just outside the circle, at the border of south and west. They are facing towards south. Perhaps I need to stop and think before I speak and step outside of my emotions and the look upon things with dispassion. Slow down my passionate and emotional speech.

Ivy and Bloodstone are hanging out together just outside east. Even Bren noticed how from my vantage point, the two combined looked rather like a horned god symbol. Also interesting to note that the (green) Bloodstone is used to symbolize such things as blood, circulation, Earth, physicality, the body, dirt/soil, Mother Earth, the land, land/earth deities and spirits. While Ivy is spiral path, as without so within, as within so without, encompassing, surrounding, support. Ah look … they made a shape that is a symbol for my patron and even made a metaphor for our relationship, and there He sits at the “top” of the casting, in Air/Intellect, watching the proceedings.

The Goddess charm hangs out reversed and alone in the west but looking towards the centre. Another metaphor for my relationship with goddesses, or maybe just saying I won’t become a momma this year?

Also alone and reversed is the sea shell. Resting in the east but moving towards south. I know that my connection with water is changing and as I am now in the city, I am more passionate about my connection with water. Ottawa has many water courses running through it, most of its green spaces border these waters and I find my strongest connection with the Land in these bodies of water here. I need to learn more about these waters.

The Coin with a Hole in it rests in the west near the centre and the Coin (with no hole) borders north and east and also rests near the centre but closer to the centre than the Holed Coin. Ah, so concerns about the lack of funds shall be in my emotional future (big surprise there), but there should be enough to get by (and maybe a little more than that).

Antique Ring and Black Stone with Silver Stripe are paired at the edge of south and west. Somehow I take this to mean this old city (Ottawa) and how I will grow to love it.

The Petrified Wood, Deer Fur and the Matches are hanging out together along the border of north and west. Perhaps it’s telling me that working with animals has some emotional and real risk right now? Troubling since working with animals (both with animals in this world and with spirit animals) is a very important part of my practice, even a part of my identity.

There’s two large grouping in the north, which are partially connected to each other. They speak to me of working with arts and crafts and of practical magick, they speak to me of the kind of magick Hawthorn symbolizes, unlocking mysteries, Lunar and feminine magick, goddesses, purification, witchcraft, seeking and hunting. And they all group together in the north, in the physical realm, the “real world”, the actual, the down to earth, toes in the mud realm. I find myself thinking of not just my own usual practice of hedge and hearth witcheries but also of friends I am making and groups I am coming into contact with or am now a part of.

Looking at the two groupings in the east, Brendan said to me that I will finish my book this year. I had to agree it certainly looks that way. Here in the realm of knowledge, education, intellect and Air I find the silver branch, spirituality, protection, the world tree, change, commitment, what lies at the heart of the matter and within my own heart, journeys and love. I also find myself thinking of a (university Master’s Level) class in ritual I will be taking this year, put on by an Elder I know from back home, something I expect to be difficult yet very rewarding

Whew! Well folks it’s two in the morning and I need to head off to bed, so I’m stopping here.

Cheers!

I use a mixture of stones, bones, sticks and bits gathered over the years to practice divination and to talk to the spirits. Or rather to have them talk to me.

It began in the summer of 2002 when I finally broke down and admitted to myself that I am just not the kind of girl to use other people’s systems.

I worked my ass off with tarot through high school, meditating on each card, writing out their meanings, tried a few decks including an old Rider-Waite. All the stuff you’re supposed to do. I tried my hand at the Elder Futhark and Anglo-Saxon Runes; I gave a good try with Ogham as well.

No, I wasn’t lazy and I didn’t expect to be good at them right off the bat. I can honestly say I tried. None of them just really clicked, and none of them ever really drew me in. I was doing it for the sake of doing it, not out of passion, enjoyment, or a real strong interest or connection with the system. The Runes and Ogham were much better than the tarot, and Ogham perhaps my favourite but they just weren’t the right fit.

The way my brain works is a little odd and often more than a little frustrating. The main issue that has caused me such difficulty with the common divination systems is memorization. I am a person who learns best by doing and building, through creation. Memorization by rote is not amongst my stronger skill sets. With most divination systems you must start with memorization by rote, the names, shape and meanings of each piece plus the various layouts and drawing methods.

The main problem is that the other systems are someone else’s systems. They aren’t made for me, and I am not a one-size-fits-all gal. I am a total misfit, even my brain works differently than most people, and that’s diagnosable. So how can a woman who doesn’t think, learn, articulate and express like most people use a system that’s works for most people?

Basically I needed to make my own system. But of course, everything has been done before, so I had to find a system that someone like me created. Or find a system flexible enough for someone like me.

One of my first teachers had a set of semi-precious gemstones he used for divination, based upon their astrological correspondences. I had admired that set but found the system far too left brained and mathematical for my tastes. It also required too much memorization, the kind you do when learning the multiplication tables or something. I remember thinking at the time that there has to be a way to cast stones that was simpler and more intuitive.

I started with a set of stones and used them based upon colour correspondences and gradually added other correspondences as my knowledge of working with stones and crystals grew. This was satisfactory but not quite right. Also as time goes by I find that I am growing less fond of shiny ritual and magickal tools. Ten years ago I wanted a large and impressive shiny dagger for my ritual blade, now I am happy with a small homemade one with a plain wood handle. Many of the stones in the set were getting to shiny for me, too fluffy if I dare say so. The glittery goldstone was starting to annoy me. I tried replacing some of the stones with plainer versions, found stones, beach stones and discovered that they simply don’t cast as nicely. There are reasons why Tiger’s Eye does special things for Chakras and not some random yellow-ish pebble found on the side of the road.

Bone casting caught my eye a few years back but being a Gemini I couldn’t get rid of ALL my shiny rocks just to replace them with ugly old bones. Bone casting is also rather particular to certain traditions and cultures that I do not belong to nor am trained in. I’m not a big fan of cultural appropriation. But maybe, since I have lived on and off farms and such over the years, if a few bones found their way in amongst the stones that would be acceptable? I and my spirits decided it would be. So a few bones were added and few stones removed.

A few sticks from the old Ogham set found their way in when I decided that the stones and bones didn’t always have all the meanings and interpretations I needed. Later I decided I didn’t want anything in the set to be marked, no carvings or painting depicting what is what. So gradually the Ogham marked sticks were replaced with slightly more nondescript sticks.

Along the way other items have been added as well. The story usually goes like this: I decide I need something in the set that signifies something in particular and then stumble upon an item, or the idea for creating an item, that works. I try it out and see if it fits with the other things in the bag. For example, I needed something that would signify “danger, be cautious, playing with fire, taking risks, getting in over you head” … so why not three wooden matches tied together with bright red string?

The collection is always changing and adjusting itself. A Witch needs to be fluid. Many of the original pieces have been replaced. Items bought at a shop replaced by found items, items deliberately gathered for the purpose as well as gifts and so forth. This helps with the memorization issues, each item is known, loved, has a story, we share a history, and they develop little personalities. By this and through this, my spirits can talk to me.

For a long time I had been keeping many of the shiny and colourful stones in the set. Some of them are placed there for energetic or magickal purposes, protection or charging for example. While others had been kept in there for “flash and sizzle” meaning that when doing a casting for others, especially at a group ritual. I’ve found it’s more impressive to have lots of shiny stones in the set, even if they are not even used in the reading at all and merely there for show. However while talking about this with the gals in the book club a little while ago; I decided it was time to do away with that. If people don’t find my bones and twigs and odd bits and pieces impressive enough, that is their problem.

There were also a few new pieces I wanted to introduce to the set and a couple of pieces that need to be retired. I found I needed something to signify “language, communication, speech” and so forth, so I’ve added a molar from the jaw of an animal (which may be a small bison but probably was just a cow). The snail shell I had in there had gotten so beat up it was nearly disintegrated, so I found something else to symbolize “slow down, choose a good pace” and such a small turtle charm carved out of pale rose quartz, “slow and steady wins the race” and all that!

Now and then over the years the whole set has been rededicated and I figured it was time for that this past month. A few pieces were moving in and out, I’m turning thirty this month and it has simply been a while. I have also been having a hard time adjusting to practising in the city and feel that working with my set more often may be a way to kick my ass in gear.

So the pieces no longer to be used were given to the river with thanks and the new pieces introduced to the others. Wooden items were gently sanded and given fresh coats of linseed oil. Everything was pulled out of the bag and then the bag itself, the casting cloth and the bits all placed under the window of my sunroom starting with the peak of the waxing Moon, through the Dark and New Moons right up until the Full Moon. I placed a lock of my own hair in amongst them during this time, to keep the connection to myself strong and because it felt like the right thing to do. Since I adore my hair cutting a lock of it off (even from the nape of my neck) is a small sacrifice. To symbolize the renewal of the set I placed a bud from a lily with the pieces as well.

I should stop here for a second and tell you about the bag and the casting cloth.

The casting cloth I’ve had for some time now, I made it while living in Houston a few years back, it was made to replace a rather boring black piece of broadcloth I was never impressed by. This casting cloth is made of traditional homespun linen, though it is reasonably smooth as I need that sort of surface to cast upon. No I didn’t spin it myself I’m afraid. I hand sewed the hem around its edge and used fabric dye pens to mark out the four directions and the centre upon it. I had considered embroidery for the marking but figured that might influence the rolling and sliding of the bits during casting. Usually I use it right side up with the directions to help with reading the bits, but sometimes I flip it upside down and use it as a “blank slate”.

The first bag was made of rough reddish raw hide and sinew. It had a very Native American look to it, though that hadn’t been intended in its making. It was a little too small, to plain and sometimes bits got caught in its corners. A while back (a year ago, I did blog about it) I made the new bag. With black goat skin and white deer hide, a skull bead so there’s always a spirit house attached to it and a small thin bone bead as well. Purple ribbon as it is my favourite colour and a colour that I equate with spirituality. Since I was rededicating everything this time around, and this was the first re-dedication of the bag itself, I decided to reinforce the seam around the top with red thread. The bag now has a slight stain on one of the white panels, the result of a few drops of oil splatter that got a little smeared and though I do care for the leather it has never come off. It adds character though, makes it look as used as it is. Ritual and magickal tools should look as old as they are, well loved and cared for, but not new.

Back to the re-dedication … I kicked Bren out of the house for a few hours on the night of the Full Moon. I called the ancestors, my spirits and the gods and set to work. I cut my thumb and mixed my blood with a small amount of water in a bowl (actually part of a small mortar and pestle set). I then blessed and charged each item using my various bodily fluids (two kinds of blood if you know what I mean) as I whispered to each item what its name was, the story of how I got it and what it signifies. Then with a smudge stick of sage, juniper and pine, I blew the smoke from the smudge on each item, blessing and charging them with the smoke and with my breath. I said a few words, gathered everything up, gave them a gentle wiping off to get rid of the icky factor, placed them back in the bag and was done.

I have decided to try to do a casting nearly everyday for the next little while and I will try to blog at least once a week about it. So if you are curious about how I cast, decipher, read and what my spirits have to say to me you’ll have to stay tuned.

I have set up a section on the main website for this subject and about making your own Collection (click here)