A Guide to Greek Alphabet Divination (Runes)

As many may already know, Runes are a popular form of divination in order to communicate with the gods! However, aside from the popular Norse runes (elder futhark) that everyone might be aware of, did you know that there’s also a form of “rune casting divination” for the Greek alphabet?

First found inscribed in Olympos, a city in ancient Lycia, the Greek alphabet divination system uses the 24 letters from the Greek language and assigns them meanings, and based on what rune you pull, can give you advice from the gods on your current situation!

There were many Alphabet Oracles in ancient Greece, and the idea of reading the Greek alphabet for signs of the gods is one of the oldest divination methods that we know of.

To create your runes, any way of making them works! Historically, they would be painted onto pottery shards, but any way you can think of to have them accessible to throw/draw is completely okay. I have personally used black stones with gold paint on them.

You create one piece per letter, and in total there will be 24. Each letter will be listed and elaborated on later on in the post!

In order to call upon the Theoi to get an answer, you can firstly call upon them in an invocation. After you have called upon them or asked your gods to give you an answer (sometimes no formal structure is needed) you can reach into a bag which contains the letters and pull out one at a time and read that, or you can grab them and throw them and look for patterns or groups of letters that are clumped together. 

THE LETTER MEANINGS

And those are the letters! Happy letter-casting! 

I’m finishing my alphabet oracle today ✨

What are runes?

Runic alphabets have been around since about 150 AD and used as a writing system by a lot of Germanic languages. These systems were eventually phased out, slowly but surely, with the progressive Christianisation that started around 700-1100 AD. The three most commonly known (and used?) Are the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark and Futhorc.

Runes aren’t, themselves, broadly meant for divination, thought there are a few passages in the Eddas that mention Odin “finding” and using them.

Alright, so which alphabet should I use?

Whichever one you want! I prefer using the Elder Futhark, because it’s the first alphabet I learned and got familiar with, but that doesn’t at all stop you from using the Younger Futhark or Futhorc. I’d heavily suggest making sure you read up on the differences in each alphabet though; Ansuz, for example, won’t look the same, mean the same or even be called the same from one alphabet to another. 

Familiarize yourself with each of them if you want/can, and choose based on your own preferences and criteria. Always work with what feels best for you!

But I’m not really familiar with Germanic traditions / I’m a baby witch, should or can I use runes for divination?

This is the concept that got my goat real good the first time. You do not, in any way, shape or form, need to be experienced to cast runes. This is a notion that is outdated and perpetuated by gatekeepers and exclusionists. No one gives a flying flip how long you’ve been practicing witchcraft, or if you even practice at all!

Divination should be seen as a tool to further yourself and/or your craft. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with other activities, practices or beliefs. I was 15 when I started learning about runes (dear god that was literally over ten years ago) and I had no idea what I was doing back then. I read up as much as I could about the system I was wanting to use and, once I was comfortable with it, I started doing small readings.

It shouldn’t matter how new or familiar you are to divination, rune casting or Germanic traditions. If rune casting feels right to you, you are more than free to use whatever divination method feels right to you.

What should I do before I start a reading?

As a Norse Pagan, I usually invoke my patron deities (Baldr and Loki, in this case), as well as Odin and Freyja, sometimes Gullveig/Heiðr because reasons. I have no idea whether or not this has any actual bearing on the reading itself, as mine were as accurate before I converted as they are now.

Making sure you’re in a quiet and/or comfortable space is also a good idea, even if that just means popping in some earphones and listening to something that makes you focus and feel calm.

This is also a good time to mention that cleansing your runes (stone, bone, wood or otherwise) is a very good idea. I typically do this with candles, incense, a bowl of water and a point of quartz for each element. I don’t do this nearly as often as I probably should, since most people suggest cleansing them after each reading… but, whatever, being lax with that hasn’t bitten me in the ass so far. So if you’re a spoonie, don’t worry: cleanse your runes when you feel they need to be cleansed, and that’s it.

Alright, I think I’m ready; how do I start reading?

Let me start by saying that the bullshit about never reading yourself? It’s just that. Bullshit. Do readings on yourself if you want to. Who the hell is going to stop you. Do whatever you want.

On that note, there are a few ways to cast runes, though these probably aren’t close to being the only ones: 

If you can think of another method, literally nothing is stopping you from using that instead. The runes are acting as a universal translator for whatever it is you’re tapping into. They’re just a tool to receive a message. How you choose to receive that message is completely up to you!

So I’ve got my runes laid out, now what?

Now comes the fun part. I can only really give you a good run-down of the Elder Futhark, and though it’s a good starting point, I would highly advise you do your own research on whatever alphabet you want to use. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but don’t stop there: look at several different websites and lists and compare. Combine and condense the information for yourself, and get to learn the definitions and meanings for yourself!

Phew! What a list. These are just brief descriptions and meanings that I’ve been able to compile and condense over the years.

But, what does “opposed” mean?

I see where you’re coming from. As a baby diviner, I, also, was confused by this. But let me explain how I’ve come to understand it! 

Sometimes, if you’re doing a set spread, you’ll have a spot for things like, “what will oppose you”, or “what you need to avoid”. Things like that. If, say, a rune like Suwilo was found in something like that, you’d want to try and keep a sharp mind to avoid deceptions or letting yourself be too gullible.

When runes don’t have a reversed form, their position in your spread will usually determine what they mean. (Though really this is true for literally any rune.)

Anything else I should know?

The best advice I can ever give anyone is to always do what you feel is right. If you find yourself wondering, “Should I do this? Is this right?” If you question yourself at all, you should probably not to the thing and go with something else.

It’s also important to mention that the names I have for the runes may not be the ones that you’ve learned to know them by; a lot of runes can go by different names depending on who you ask and where you look. Do your research, and know the runes by the names you feel are best! (And preferably historically accurate.)

As always, if you have any questions regarding runes and how to read them, please ask me! My ask box is literally always open and almost always empty.

ᚺᛖᛁᛚᛚ ∙ ᛟᚲ ∙ ᛋᛇᛚᛚ

The Witchy Lifestyle: Divination

We have all read and heard the stories. A group of teens go to the fairground and see the stall of a psychic, palm reader, tarot reader, et cetera. Though completely skeptical (except for the one or two who are adamant that everything is real), one teen reluctantly gets his future told, and before his eyes it all comes true.

Life may not be like the TV shows, but divination is commonplace, and is part of the witchy lifestyle. But methods of divination, and what divination is used for, vary wildly from witch to witch.

What is divination?

Divination is a meditative process by which a witch may be able to glean some foresight in regards to the outcomes of decisions that have been made. Often, it is done in order to help inform decisions made in the present based upon decisions that had been made in the past.

In some circles, it is believed that this foresight is a direct connection with the divine thus divination could be described as seeing the future through the eyes of the divine.

How do you do divination?

Every culture on Earth has developed some form of divination. The most well known methods used by witches today are scrying, card reading, tea reading, palmistry, and astrology. However, those aren’t the limit to how divination is done.

Other methods of divination include rune casting, pyromancy (using candles or other flames to divine), augury, bibliomancy, ceromancy (using melted wax), pendulums, talking boards (something I personally never use, but others do… the best example would be a oija board), and many many others.

So say you’re a newbie witch looking to get into divination. Consider this article a stepping point into whatever method of divination you feel most comfortable with. Like any magic, intuition is very important in this. However, in divination, intuition is the primary tool that you must use in order to glean any meaning from any kind of reading you do.

If a method of divination doesn’t really speak to you (and by that, I mean it doesn’t strike you as a method that you feel comfortable jumping into), look at other methods. Experiment until you find something that works best for you!

Tarot, Lenormund, and Playing Cards

Card readings are a classic method of divination, and are often portrayed in many television shows and movies as being the method of a “false psychic.” However, there is more to card reading than having someone choose a card, looking at the pictures, and making crap up.

Every card has its own meaning, yes, but it also is linked to your intuition. The meaning of a card is not carved into stone. So if doing a reading, you get a Death card, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to die if you make a certain decision. It only means that there may be the opportunity for rebirth or that there will be a resolution to conflict.

There are many different versions of card reading. Tarot is the most popular, and encompasses many different styles. However, what is generally common with tarot is that it is a form of divination that makes use of its own suits. Sometimes, tarot cards can be sorted into two significant portions of the deck: The major and minor arcanas. This provides a certain meaning, and then the individual cards help to narrow down the meaning that’s being read.

When looking into tarot, be sure that you find a deck that speaks to you. You must love the art, and holding the cards must feel right. At a swap meet, I had found a deck of Marseilles tarot cards. I had bought them because it felt right to do so, but reading them didn’t feel right. Sensing that they were trying to get to someone I know, I gave them to one of my witchy friends. The deck later came back to me once again, and my boyfriend adopted them and uses them on occasion. Meanwhile, some witches prefer the classic Rider-Wait decks. I use a “modern pagan” deck, whose artwork portrays witches engaged in modern, everyday practical magic.

Lenormund is another form of card reading that is gaining popularity. While I am not completely familiar with it, I do know that while reading tarot spreads involves much intuition, Lenormund is simpler to read. In essence, a Lenormund deck will write out a sentence for you. The meanings are more solidly placed (intuition is still key, however). Like tarot, when you want to explore Lenormund, you must look into getting a deck which speaks to you and whose art you identify with.

Lastly, standard playing cards have been used in divination for centuries. Divination, as you can imagine, is often sought out in gamblers’ dens by those who are desperate to find some sort of winning solution to their troubles. While a witch could be prosecuted for having tarot cards in her possession, having a deck of playing cards would not be questioned.

Playing cards are read in the same manner as tarot, with face cards serving as the major arcana. Unlike tarot, however, there are fewer cards in a deck of standard poker cards. In addition, the suits may have different meanings.

When I was living with a friend of mine several  years ago, his father told me about how playing cards were often read and linked to seasons. Four seasons in a year, four suits in a deck. This makes sense to me!

Runes, Shells, and Bones

Runes are another popular method of divination for many witches, and vary depending upon what system is being  used. Typically, a witch may be pictured using Norse runes on stones or chips of wood. In general, the system being used there is an alphabet called Elder Futhark.

However, runes aren’t limited to Futhark. Sometimes, Ogham is used. Other times, witches have their own symbols that they’ll inscribe as a rune.

Regardless, if runes are used on an existing system of language, it is important to learn and understand what each symbol means, both culturally and intuitively. For instance, I could draw Ansuz (an Elder Futhark rune) and know that it typically means “wisdom.” However, on a cultural level, I understand that Ansuz is linked specifically to Odin himself, it is talking of wisdom brought on by experience and age. Furthermore, combining that meaning with my instinct might tell me that drawing Ansuz in the situation is encouraging me to open up communication or to seek advice from a respected elder.

In Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, the voodoo priestess Tia Dalma (later revealed to be the goddess Calypso) is often seen whispering and casting crab claws and shells when looking into the future or divining locations. Sometimes called the Sea Oracle, casting shells is a fairly common practice of divination in some areas. The table before you may be separated into different portions, and the shells scattered on it. Some shells may have different meanings, so drawing from that and connecting those meanings to where they land in relation to the table and to one another can sometimes glean desired information. Bones are usually used in a similar manner.

Pyromancy and Ceromancy

Entire articles can be devoted to the art of candle divination. From the way the flame burns to the puffs of smoke that may be released, to even the way the wax melts. This is a discreet and practical form of divination, which also relies significantly upon the intuition of the witch. There are many different signs for potential aspects in divination that can be drawn from candle divination. For instance, some circles believe that if the candle flame flickers, then there is a spirit present in the room with the witch.

If you practice a lot of candle magic, this can be a great way of incorporating divination into all of your rites!

Tea/Coffee Reading

You sit down with a lovely, hot cup of tea and indulge in it’s aromas and gentle flavors. Once finished, though, what do you do with the loose bits of leaf in the bottom of the cup? A very common practice is to divine with it.

Swirl your cup three times clockwise, then turn it over on the saucer before flipping it back over. The shapes created by the leaves and debris can be used to determine futures or solutions. Tea reading can be as simple or as elaborate as the witch desires. Some rely solely on intuition and symbology in order to read their cups. Other witches have cups dedicated specifically to reading the leaves, complete with astrological markings, lines separating the areas of the cup into various principles or concepts to inform the reader of the tea’s message, et cetera.

In today’s modern world - at least in the United States - tea has largely been supplanted by coffee in popularity. If you’re not really much of a tea drinker, you can use coffee instead. If you want to divine using coffee, I would recommend using a method of brewing that will give you plenty of grounds to read from. As such, using a Keurig or drip percolator might not be ideal. Instead, try using something like a French press in order to guarantee the presence of loose grounds. The process of reading a cup of coffee is exactly the same as when reading tea leaves!

Pendulums

A simple way of divining simple answers for simple questions, pendulums have been used for centuries, and have taken on various forms. If the question pertains to a personal relationship, a wedding ring may be used, suspended by hair or thread. However, in general, crystals are the most common weights used when divining with a pendulum.

This practice largely involves letting a pendulum hang freely in front of you. When asking it a simple yes-or-no question, you would pay attention to the direction it begins to swing. Depending upon your tradition, a straight back-and-forth motion would indicate a yes, while a circular swing would indicate a no.

Some witches expand this a bit, adding a “maybe” option, or an option that shows that the future can’t easily be revealed.

The pendulum can be combined with the concept of a talking board: on a board, draw out a circle. Around this circle, write Yes, No, and Maybe twice, mirroring across the circle (i.e. if Yes is closest to you, then directly across the circle from you should be the other Yes). When holding the pendulum over this circle, how the pendulum swings can be more easily read.

Treat your pendulum as you would any other crystal, caring for it, consecrating it, and cleansing it frequently.

Talking Boards

This is a method of divination that is frequently depicted in horror films. It is one that is equally respected and feared, frankly. I cannot give much information on the subject of talking boards largely because I do not use them - all of my divination is generally covered with pendulums, runes, and cards.

However, when looking into using talking boards as a method of divination, be sure that you’re well-protected in terms of spells and wards. Make sure your ritual space is thoroughly cleansed and that you are well-grounded. When first practicing the use of a talking board, it’s definitely recommended that you have an experienced witch present in the off-chance that possession occurs or that you accidentally invite the wrong spirit into the space. Similarly, cleanse your talking board and all of its components frequently and thoroughly.

Scrying

While all forms of divination are meditative in some form, scrying takes this meditation a little further. By this, I mean that more focus is required to scry than there may be required to use a pendulum. In short, scrying is the act of gazing into a surface and entering a trance-like state in order to glean information.

The most stereotypical form of scrying is through the use of a crystal ball. If this is your cup of tea, go for it! However, when looking into crystal balls, it is often recommended that you use natural crystal. If the ball is completely clear, with no inclusions, bubbles, or cracks, then generally there is nothing for the images to project themselves onto. Therefore, it’s often recommended that if you prefer using glass, that it has bubbles or other floaty bits within. If you’re looking for natural crystal, keep a scrutinizing eye. It is not uncommon for shops to try to pass off glass for crystal. You’ll know you’re looking at the real deal if there are cracks and inclusions inside the sphere - natural impurities in the stone.

The type of crystal depends upon what your preference is - I use clear quartz, but I have seen other witches use beautiful onyx spheres, and I’ve seen others use citrine and rose quartz.

However, scrying is not limited to gazing into the crystal ball. Mirrors are often used, and it is usually recommended that for scrying, a special black mirror be used. Such a mirror is easy to create with a picture frame bought from your local crafts store. Remove the glass from the frame, paint one side black (use a couple of coats so the paint is even) and then return the glass to the frame with the painted side facing away from the viewing side. Clean the glass and set it wherever you prefer to scry. Some witches will use the mirror like this as is, while others enjoy placing a candle between themselves and the mirror.

Another method of scrying is using ink in water. In a shallow bowl, black ink is dropped into water and mixed until the water creates what is essentially a black mirror. Scrying is done as normal here.

In general, most witches prefer a still surface to gaze into. It gives the yes fewer distractions and makes it easier to slip into meditation that way. However, other methods of scrying have been used throughout history. In some cultures, a portion of the ground would be cleared and flattened. An elder would sit and watch what happens to this area of cleared earth, divining the future based on what insects and crawlies crawl out of the disturbed ground, how they move, and in which direction they leave the space.

Other forms

The forms of divination are nearly endless. Some witches use bibliomancy - using books (in some traditions, the book is specifically chosen - the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, et cetera) to divine the future. Still others perform augury - watching the movements of birds in flight.

A common form of divination is through the use of omens. Some witches call these body signs. These are usually local “superstitions” that often prove themselves to be true. I’ve even described some in previous articles that I use - if a feather falls in front of me, I usually look at the color to determine what the message is supposed to be. A ring around the sun or around the moon may mean something to you, as another example.

Whatever the method of divination you choose, remember that meditation, patience, and intuition are your primary influences when practicing. Always research your method of divination, and make sure that ultimately, your beliefs guide your practice.

May your divinations always be clear!

Blessed Be! )O(

Beautifully written <3

I would just like to add, divination is for anyone. You don’t have to be a witch to do divination, and you don’t have to do divination to be a witch. 🔮✨

i just found this amazing site which is a random sentence/passage generator from tons of classical pieces of literature. everything from the illiad to bram stoker’s dracula and more. a pretty awesome way to do bibliomancy, especially if you don’t own some of the books it generates! i just used it with my spirit companion and it worked beautifully. 

The Works of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Published 1850

The sight of blood inflamed its anger into phrenzy.

Grimms’ Fairy Tales

The Brothers Grimm

Published 1812

’ ‘Yes, yes,’ answered the mouse, 'by all means go, and if you get anything very good to eat, think of me.

Literally me anytime anyone goes anywhere lol…

All you need is a deck of Harrow and your game night is on track to be hella spooky…

[Image: a pastel infographic about astragalomancy a.k.a. divination with dice. Text reads as below.]

Astragalomancy: Ain’t Just for Squares: A Quick Guide to Polyhedral Divination

Four-Sided

Six-Sided

Eight-Sided

Ten-Sided

Twelve-Sided

Twenty-Sided

Master List of Ways to Tell Fortunes

Different types of Divination;

Common Types of Divination

ASTROLOGY is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

CARTOMANCY is fortune telling using cards such as the Tarot.

CLAIRAUDIENCE is “clear hearing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.

CLAIRVOYANCE is “clear seeing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.

CRYSTALLOMANCY is divination through crystal gazing.

DOWSING or DIVINING RODS are methods of divination where a forked stick is used to locate water or precious minerals.

NUMEROLOGY is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters.

OCULOMANCY is divination from a person’s eye.

PALMISTRY is the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand.

PRECOGNITION in an inner knowledge or sense of future events.

PSYCHOMETRY is the faculty of gaining impressions from a physical object and its history.

SCIOMANCY is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanelers.

SCRYING is a general term for divination using a crystal, mirrors, bowls of water, ink, or flames to induce visions.

TASSEOGRAPHY is the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk.

Uncommon Types of Divination

AEROMANCY divination from the air and sky, particularly concentrating on cloud shapes, comets, and other phenomena not normally visible in the heavens.

ALECTRYOMANCY is divination whereby a bird is allowed to pick corn grains from a circle of letters. A variation is to recite letters of the alphabet noting those at which a cock crows.

ALEUROMANCY is divination using “fortune cookies”; answers to questions are rolled into balls of dough and once baked are chosen at random.

ALOMANCY is divination by table salt.

ALPHITOMANCY uses special cakes that are digestible by persons with a clear conscience but are unpleasant to others.

ANTHROPOMANCY is the long-outlawed means of divination by human sacrifice.

APANTOMANCY is divination through chance meetings with animals (e.g., a black cat), birds, and other creatures. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.

ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY is an earlier form of NUMEROLOGY where divination is made through numbers and the number value of letters.

ASTRAGLOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCYis a form of divination by dice where the faces of the dice bear numbers and letters.

AUGURY is the general term for the art of divination and is chiefly applied to interpretations of signs and omens.

AUSTROMANCY is divination by the study of the winds.

AXIOMANCY is divination through the observation of how an ax or hatchet quivers or points when driven into post.

BELOMANCY is an ancient form of divination performed by tossing or balancing arrows.

BIBLIOMANCY involves divination by books.

BOTANOMANCY is divination from burning tree branches and leaves.

BUMPOLOGY strictly a modern term, a popular nickname for PHRENOLOGY

CAPNOMANCY is the study of smoke rising from a fire.

CATOPTROMANCY is an early form of crystal gazing that utilizes a mirror turned to the moon to catch moonbeams.

CAUSIMOMANCY is divination from behavior of objects placed in a fire.

CEPHALOMANCY refers to divination with the skull or head of a donkey or goat.

CERAUNOSCOPY seeks to draw omens from the study of thunder and lightning.

CEROSCOPY, CEROMANCY is a form of fortune telling in which melted was is poured into cold water.

CHIROMANCY is divination from the lines on people’s hands.

CHIROGNOMY is the study of the general hand formation.

CLEROMANCY is divination by “casting lots”, similar to dice but with objects such as pebbles or sea shells.

CLIDOMANCY or CLEIDOMANCY is divination using a dangling key. seeRADIESTHESIA.

COSCINOMANCY is divination using a hanging sieve. see RADIESTHESIA.

CRITOMANCY is the study of barley cakes.

CROMNIOMANCY is divination using onion sprouts.

CYCLOMANCY is the practice of divination from a turning wheel.

DACTYLOMANCY is an early form of RADIESTHESIA using a dangling ring.

DAPHNOMANCY requires one to listen to laurel branches crackling in an open fire.

DEMONOMANCY is divination with the aid of demons.

DENDROMANCY is divination with either oak or mistletoe.

GASTROMANCY is an ancient form of ventriloquism whereby the voice is lowered to a sepulchral tone and prophetic utterances are delivered in a trance state.

GELOSCOPY is the divination from the tone of someone’s laughter.

GENETHLIALOGY is divination by the influence of the stars at birth.

GEOMANCY is the study of figures on the ground and the influence of the Earth’s “currents”.

GRAPHOLOGY is the analysis of character through handwriting.

GYROMANCY is a divination procedure where a person walks in a circle marked with letters until they become dizzy and stumble at different points, thus spelling out a prophesy.

HALOLMANCY see ALOMANCY

HARUSPICATION IS fortune-telling by means of inspecting the entrails of animals, as practiced by priests in ancient Rome.

HIEROMANCY or HIERSCOPY is divination by observing object of ancient sacrifice.

HIPPOMANCY is a form of divination from the stamping and neighing of horses.

HOROSCOPY is the practice of casting of astrological horoscopes.

HYDROMANCY is divination by water including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool.

ICHTHYOMANCY is divination using fish.

LAMPADOMANCY is divination using lights or torches.

LECANOMANCY uses a basin of water for divination.

LIBANOMANCY is the study of incense and its smoke.

LITHOMANCY is divination using precious stones of various colors.

MARGARITOMANCY is the procedure of using bouncing pearls.

METAGNOMY is the divination using “visions” received in a trance state.

METEOROMANCY is divination from meteors.

METOPOSCOPY is the reading of character using the lines if the forehead.

MOLEOSOPHY is the study of moles and indicators of a person’s character and future indications.

MOLYBDOMANCY draws mystic inferences from the hissing of molten lead.

MYOMANCY is the study of the prophetic meaning of behavior of rats and mice.

OINOMANCY is divination using wine.

OMPHALOMANCY IS counting the number of knots in the umbilical cord to predict how many more children the mother will have

ONEIROMANCY is the interpretation of dreams and their prophetic nature.

ONOMANCY is the study of the meaning of names.

ONOMANTICS is the application of ONOMANCY applied to personal names, particularly in the sense of occult interpretation.

ONYCHOMANCY is the study of fingernails.

OOMANTIA and OOSCOPY is the method of divination by eggs.

OPHIOMANCY is divination from serpents.

ORNISCOPY and ORINITHOMANCY is the study of omens associated with birds, particularly birds in flight. see APANTOMANCY

OVOMANCY is another type of egg divination.

PEGOMANCY concerns itself with spring water and bubbling fountains and the omens contained therein.

PHRENOLOGY is the long practiced study of head formations.

PHYLLORHODOMANCY is a means of divination whereby one slaps a rose petal against the hand and judges the favorability of the omen by the loudness of the sound.

PHYSIOGNOMY is the study of character analysis through physical features.

PSYCHOGRAPHY is a form of mysterious writing having a divinatory nature.

PYROMANCY and PYROSCOPY are forms of divination by fire or flame, often assisted by substances thrown onto the flames.

RADIESTHESIA is the general term for divination using a device such as a divining rod or pendulum. Other forms include “table tipping” which was practiced at the White House in the 19th century, the Ouija board, automatic writing (or superconscious writing), and scrying.

RHABDOMANCY is divination using a stick or wand. These methods were forerunners of the divining rod.

RHAPSODOMANCY is a means of divination using a book of poetry whereby the book is opened at random and a passage read.

SIDEROMANCY is the burning of straws with a hot iron, the resulting figures having divinatory properties.

SORTILEGE is the casting of lots and the assessment of omens indicated.

SPODOMANCY is divination using cinders or soot.

STICHOMANCY is another form of throwing open a book and selecting a random passage for the purpose of divination.

STOLISOMANCY draws omens from the way people dress.

SYCOMANCY is performed by writing messages on tree leaves; the slower they dry, the more favorable the omen. A modern variation is to write on slips of paper (always including one blank) and rolling them up. They are then held in a strainer over a boiling pot; the first to unroll will be answered.

TEPHRAMANCY is divination by ashes obtained from the burning of tree bark.

TIROMANCY is a type of divination using cheese.

XYLOMANCY is divination from pieces of wood, either from their shape when collected or their appearance when burning.

Samhain Divination

Apples have always been popular tools for foretelling the future. There are a number of traditional methods in folklore for seeing who one’s lover might be.

Water is known for its magical properties in many belief systems, so it’s only natural to use it for divination workings. Try one of these on Samhain night.

There are a number of divination methods that use foods, baking and cooking as their focus. Some of these are still practiced today.

Samhain is a time to do some serious divination - it’s the time of year when the veil between our world and that of the spirits is at its thinnest, and that means it’s the perfect season to look for messages from the metaphysical. Scrying is one of the best known forms of divination, and can be done in a variety of ways. Basically, it’s the practice of looking into some sort of reflective surface – such as water, fire, glass, dark stones, etc. – to see what messages, symbols, or visions may appear. A scrying mirror is a simple black-backed mirror, and it’s easy to make one yourself.

It is believed that in many parts of the early Celtic world, at the time Samhain, villagers would throw the bones of slaughtered cattle into the fire, and then make predictions by scrying, or reading the images in the flames. You can do this too, or you can make a set of divination bones, which is something many magical traditions rely on. To make your own set, follow these tips, but use bones instead of stones.

For many modern Pagans, Samhain is a good time to see what the coming year will hold - after all, it is the beginning of the Pagan new year! Consider taking some time to do a Tarot card reading - or have a friend do one for you - and focus on a bit of quiet reflection on what’s to come. It’s worth noting that if you choose to do this, it’s worth the time and energy to do a detailed reading - after all, we’re talking about an entire year to come! It’s also a good idea to make notes as you go along. That will help you remember what you read during the process, especially when you’re trying to figure out in June what you saw back in October. For some different Tarot layouts you can try, click here.

*Source.

Traditional Samhain Divination Practices

Hanging Sheets

In Scotland, young women would hang wet sheets in front of a fire on Samhain because it was said that they would be able to see the image of their future husband.

Bobbing For Apples

When bobbing for apples, two different factors were said to predict the participant’s love life. First, how many tries it took to catch and apple, and second how crisp the apple was.

The fewer tries it took to catch an apple, the sooner the participant would fall in love or marry.

If the apple was crisp or crunchy the participant would have a happy marriage. If the apple was soft or rotten there would be heartache and misery. (x)

Peel The Apple

The participants would peel one long strip of skin from an apple and throw the peel over their shoulder. Whatever letter the peel resembled was said to be the first letter of their soulmate’s name. (x)

Spin The Apple

Many strings would be tied to the stem of an apple and each string held by a participant as they walked around a fire (with the apple directly above the fire). The first string to break would indicate the person who will marry first. (x)

Hazelnut Fortune

Couples would throw hazelnuts into a fire. If the hazelnuts split apart the relationship will be tumultuous and rocky. If the hazelnuts caught fire and burned without splitting the relationship will be strong, happy, and long. (x)

Barmbrack Cake

A barmbrack cake is an Irish tea cake made with raising and spices and filled with symbolic objects. These objects include:

The cake would be cut and served and the object in the recipient’s piece would serve as a prediction of their future. The person who cut the cake was traditionally the host or the designated “Mother or Dame Halloween”. (x)

Saucers

Four saucers would be occupied by water, clay, salt, and a ring, respectively. The participant would be blindfolded and have to choose a saucer at random. The contents of the chosen saucer would predict an aspect of the participant’s future: (x)

The Chest

“Perhaps the most involved divination game is The Chest. This is played at the stroke of midnight. All the girls are gathered together in a dark room. Mother or Dame Halloween lights a candle and  each girl is given an unlit candle. One by one they light their candle from Mother Halloween’s and they are told to follow her leader. As she says this a side door is opened revealing a small child dressed in a fancy costume and mask. The child approaches the girl, bows, and then leads the way out of the room to a distant part of the house where there is a closed door.

The child tells her that she must enter and take a numbered box from a chest of drawers in the room but not open it. She must continue in silence and close the door behind her on the way in and out. After she has retrieved the box and if she has luck, on the way back to the door she will see the shadow of her future husband walking beside her.

Once the girls are back to the party they may open their boxes, inside are small presents or party favors.

The key to this game is in preparation. The room must be prepared in advance,  cleared of everything but the chest of drawers, and it must be completely dark. The door to this room should remain closed and no guests allowed to enter. During the evening the hosts would plant ideas as to what dark, ominous, or even dangerous things are inside the room so as to scare the young girls and test their bravery when they entered.” (x)

Intro to Stichomancy

Hey everyone! If you’re looking for an easy and effective method of divination that doesn’t require you to go out and buy expensive or hard-to-find tools like tarot cards or rune sets, stichomancy may be the thing for you! In this post, I want to give a nice, quick and easy tutorial to performing a basic stichomancy tutorial. Let’s get started :)

What is stichomancy, Livi?

Stichomancy is arguably one of the oldest known forms of divination. Some sources say that it is at least 3000 years old, but it is hard to get an exact estimate on when this form of divination began. Stichomancy refers to a method of divination in which a random passage from a random book is used to bring clarity to a situation or predict the future. Bibliomancy is an extension of stichomancy that uses a holy book, such as the Bible.

How to perform a stichomancy reading

1) Find a place with lots of books. The more the better! I typically use either a small shelf of books that I have in my room or a larger book case that is in my house. You can go to a library, a bookstore, or any place where there will be a variety of books in one place. If you’re going to the library or bookstore for this, you can choose a specific section with books in a genre that you’d like to use for stichomancy (Classics are commonly used, but any genre could be used.)

2) Stand in front of your chosen shelf and close your eyes. Think about your question (Try to steer away from yes/no questions. The same question guidelines for tarot/runes/etc. apply to stichomancy). Find the book that *calls* to you. You can run your hand along the books if you wish. While closing your eyes, pick the book and remove it from the shelf.

3) Now, flip to a random page in the book. You can keep your eyes closed or open them if you wish. I like to flip around in the book until I get the feeling that it is time to stop. When I feel like it’s time to stop, I stop on whatever page I’m on.

4) Keep your eyes closed and point with your index finger to a random spot on the page. Open your eyes and read the passage that you have pointed to.

5) Use your intuition and interpretation skills to interpret the passage in regards to your question!

As you can see, stichomancy is pretty straight forward. The hardest part of stichomancy is the interpretation. For example:

I stand in front of my bookshelf and ask my question, “How can I make this Summer less sad and boring?”. It’s a pretty simple question– nothing to serious. I close my eyes, pick my book, flip to a random page, and point. When I open my eyes, I see that I’ve picked the book, Wild by Cheryl Strayed. The passage says:

Now, at first, I’d think, “How on Earth does this relate to my summer?”, but if I think about it, I can deduce that this means that I need to move on from the past and let go of the friendships that have died, even if I still wish things could’ve been different. I have to look into the passage a little bit and think about it, but when I relate it to my own personal situation, it makes sense. Use your intuition and think about the feelings and thoughts that the passage automatically inspires in you. It may seem cryptic at first, but if you look deep enough, you should be able to find the true meaning of the passage in regards to your question. Note that these readings can be confusing, especially to a newbie, and, because of this, I do not recommend using stichomancy for serious life decisions unless you have been practicing stichomancy for a long time and have a very solid grasp on how to interpret passages.

Let me know how your stichomancy readings go! If you don’t have access to books for stichomancy, try this virtual stichomancy website: http://www.facade.com/stichomancy/

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial! f you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask! Thanks for reading,

Livi

Core Meanings of the Minor Arcana: Cups

Ace of Cups - An opportunity for an emotional experience or growth. Two of Cups - Deep emotional connection or attraction. Three of Cups - A spontaneous, unexpected joy or pleasure. Four of Cups - Dissatisfaction with reality. Five of Cups - Experience of loss and grief. Six of Cups - Happy moments. Seven of Cups - Dreams and desires. Eight of Cups - Leaving something behind to search for something else. Nine of Cups - Material, emotional, and physical well-being. Ten of Cups - Happy home. Page of Cups - One who is assessing something in the area of emotions, relationships, or art. Knight of Cups - One who acts in the realm of emotions, art, or relationships. Queen of Cups - One who develops and cares for others in the realm of emotions, art, or relationships. King of Cups - One who has authority, makes decisions, or is a professional in the realm of emotions, art, or relationships.

Source: Tarot For Beginners: A Practical Guide to Reading the Cards by Barbara Moore Core Meanings of the Major Arcana Core Meanings of the Minor Arcana: Pentacles Core Meanings of the Minor Arcana: Swords Core Meanings of the Minor Arcana: Wands

I have a tendency to do things backwards, but I’m slowly adding on to my growing list of posts about reading tarot cards using the lenormand reading style. 

For those new to this, I much prefer the reading system of lenormand than I do of tarot, but I like the symbols and history of tarot, as well as the many more cards (which is multiplied when you consider tarot has reversals and lenormand does not). So I created a system to combine the two.

I’ll eventually get to the suits, but above are all the majors and their reversals broken down into (noun) keyword (my own interpretation of the cards, fyi) and other parts of speech (noun, adjective, verb and adverb). 

For those TOTALLY new to lenormand, lenormand cards are pulled in multiples and never singly (i.e. no single card draws). The cards are read in combination of one another in a sentence-like manner (i.e. one card as subject and the others as modifiers).

Three card or more draws include stringing together the subject with various parts of speech to make a coherent sentence.

So anyway, I broke each major card into the parts of speech for reference when reading tarot in lenormand style. The 4 suits will be coming at some point for a complete reference.