Covenant of the Goddess
Wiccan 101
~ Divination – All the ‘mancies ~
Alectryomancy
Alectryomancy is a form of divination using birds; often a black hen or a gamecock. The diviner will
sprinkle grain and the ground and allow the birds to peck. When the birds have finished, the diviner
will then interpret the patterns left by the birds on the ground.
Aleuromancy
Aleuromancy was a divination method that was popular with the ancient Greeks. Sentences were
composed that were written on very small pieces of paper and rolled up into balls of flour. The balls
were then mixed up nine times and given to those seeking information on their future. This form of
divination was presided over by Apollo.
Alphitomancy
Alphitomancy is a form of divination using a barley leaf. It is used to identify a thief or criminal. Pieces
of the leaf were given to a group of suspects. If you were innocent you would feel no effects, but if
you were guilty you would become sick.
Amniomancy
Amniomancy is a form of divination that uses the membrane, which sometimes covers the head of a
newborn child. Divination of this sort is only done by a woman. The woman will inspect the
membrane and predict the future of the baby. If the color is red it indicates a fortunate life. However,
if the color is lead, it indicates a difficult life.
Anthropomancy
Anthropomancy was a barbaric form of divination that involved using human entrails. These were
usually those of a young virgin child. The magician Julian the Apostate sacrificed young children
during his rituals in order to evaluate their entrails. Anthropomancy was also practiced in ancient
Egypt.
Ariolists
Ariolists were ancient diviners who divined by means of the altar. The Ariolists consulted demons on
their altars. They divined by the movement of the altar, which may tremble or do something else.
Arithmancy
Arithmancy is a Chaldean and Greek method of divination by numbers. The Chaldeans divided their
alphabet into three sections of seven letters and linked these to the seven planets. The Greeks would
analyze the names of opponents and predict the outcome of a contest. Arithmancy is a precursor to
numerology.
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Covenant of the Goddess
Wiccan 101
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Astrology – Revealing the Magic of the Stars
For much of human history, the heavens above were the home of the Great Gods, the forces that
control and shape the fate of nations. Sky-signs such as the movements of the planets and the stars
revealed their actions, will, and desires. By observing and understanding their significance, we might
have a key to destiny and the way the cosmos is unfolding. This is the central motivation for what
became astrologos, the knowledge or way of the stars.
Astrology is as old as the earth and sky. The art of this divination through study of the movement of
heavenly bodies has been greatly refined through the past centuries. It has been kept alive through
the common people during the worst of times in our history, but was nevertheless accepted the
church in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The zodiac consists of twelve signs. A chart can be drawn of the exact positions of the planets and
moon at the exact moment of birth based upon where you were born. The planets then fall into one
of the twelve constellations and into twelve house. The charts are interpreted based upon where the
planets and moon lie, how they lie in relation to one another, where the signs lie, and many other
things including which constellation was on the eastern horizon during your birth.
Zodiac Characteristics
Aries, March 21 - April 20
Element: Fire, Cardinal
Gemstone: Diamond
Planet: Mars
Body Part: Head
Color: Red
Animal: Cattle
Herb: Cayenne
Number: 9
Flower: Thistle
Tree: Fir
Phrase: "I am".
Taurus, April 21 - May 21
Element: Earth, Fixed
Gemstone: Emerald
Planet: Venus
Body Part: Throat
Color: Pink
Animal: Bull
Herb: Garlic
Number: 6
Flower: Violet
Tree: Pear
Phrase: "I have".
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Gemini, May 22 - June 21
Element: Air, Mutable
Gemstone: Agate
Planet: Mercury
Body Part: Lungs
Color: Yellow
Animal: Monkey
Herb: Aniseed
Number: 5
Flower: Lavender
Tree: Walnut
Phrase: "I think".
Leo, July 23 - August 23
Element: Fire, Fixed
Gemstone: Ruby
Planet: Sun
Body Part: Heart
Color: Orange
Animal: Lion
Herb: Saffron
Number: 1
Flower: Marigold
Tree: Citrus
Phrase: "I will".
Cancer, June 22 - July 22
Element: Water, Cardinal
Gemstone: Pearl
Planet: Moon
Body Part: Chest
Color: Silver
Animal: Crab
Herb: Tarragon
Number: 2
Flower: Lily
Tree: Maple
Phrase: "I care".
Virgo, August 24 - September 22
Element: Earth, Mutable
Gemstone: Sardonyx
Planet: Mercury
Body Part: Stomach
Color: Gray
Animal: Cat
Herb: Caraway
Number: 5
Flower: Buttercup
Tree: Hazel
Phrase: "I analyze".
Libra, September 23 - October 23
Scorpio, October 24 - November 22
Element: Air, Cardinal
Gemstone: Sapphire
Planet: Venus
Body Part: Kidneys
Color: Green
Animal: Lizard
Herb: Mint
Number: 6
Element: Water, Fixed
Gemstone: Opal
Planet: Pluto
Body Part: Genitals
Color: Maroon
Animal: Scorpion
Herb: Mustard
Number: 9
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Flower: Rose
Tree: Ash
Phrase: "I balance".
Sagittarius, November 23 - December 21
Element: Fire, Mutable
Gemstone: Topaz
Planet: Jupiter
Body Part: Hips
Color: Purple
Animal: Deer
Herb: Sage
Number: 3
Flower: Carnation
Tree: Chestnut
Phrase: "I see".
Flower: Rhododendron
Tree: Blackthorn
Phrase: "I desire".
Capricorn, December 22 - January 20
Element: Earth, Cardinal
Gemstone: Amethyst
Planet: Saturn
Body Part: Bones
Color: Dark Green
Animal: Goat
Herb: Comfrey
Number: 8
Flower: Pansy
Tree: Yew
Phrase: "I use".
Aquarius, January 21 - February 18
Pisces, February 19 - March 20
Element: Air, Fixed
Gemstone: Aquamarine
Planet: Uranus
Body Part: Ankles
Color: Vivid Blue
Animal: Swallow
Herb: Chili
Number: 4
Flower: Orchid
Tree: Cherry
Phrase: "I know".
Element: Water, Mutable
Gemstone: Moonstone
Planet: Neptune
Body Part: Feet
Color: Sea Green
Animal: Fish
Herb: Chicory
Number: 7
Flower: Water Lily
Tree: Willow
Phrase: "I believe".
Auras
Aura reading is the 'seeing' of the energy field around someone/thing. Everything in nature
emits energy. Depending on the mood of the individual the energy is different, so it emits a
different color. Having the ability to 'see' and interpret these colors, is to read auras.
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Covenant of the Goddess
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The aura is made up of seven main auras, which extend up to four feet from the body. These auras
all occupy the same space at the same time, each aura extending out further than the previous aura.
All auras are interconnected and reliant on the others for normal function.
The seven main auras:
1. Etheric aura – The etheric aura extends about two inches out from the physical body and is
usually a shade of blue in color. The shade of the blue relates to the physical condition and
health of the physical body. Athletes have strong etheric auras of a deeper blue in shade. In
the etheric aura you feel all the sensations, both pain and pleasure. Whenever there is pain
the flow of energy in that area of the etheric is erratic.
2. Emotional aura – The emotional aura extends about two to four inches from the physical
body and appears as rainbow colored clouds. This aura is associated with feelings. Positive
feelings generally create bright colors, whereas negative feelings generally create dark colors.
Problems in this aura will eventually lead to problems in the first and third auras.
3. Mental aura – The mental aura extends about four to eight inches from the physical body and
is usually a bright shade of yellow in color. Within this aura are our thoughts and mental
processes.
4. Astral aura – The astral aura extends about eight to twelve inches from the physical body and
appears as brightly colored rainbow clouds. The astral aura is the bridge between the physical
world and the spiritual world.
5. Etheric template aura – The etheric template aura extends about twelve to twenty four
inches from the physical body and appears as a blue print form. There is an empty groove in
the etheric aura into which the etheric aura fits. The etheric template aura holds the etheric
aura in place. It is the template for the etheric dimension.
6. Celestial aura – The celestial aura extends about twenty four inches from the physical body
and appears as a brighter shimmering light of pastel colors. This is the level of feelings within
the world of our spirit. Here we communicate with all the beings of the spiritual world.
7. Ketheric template – The ketheric template aura extends about thirty six to forty eight inches
from the physical body and appears as an extremely bright golden light that is rapidly
pulsating. This aura takes on the form of a golden egg that surrounds and protects everything
within it.
How to see the aura
Everybody has the ability to see the aura. For beginners a low light is the best way to start. Turn out
the lights and lay on the bed. Leave the window curtains open and let the natural light flow in. As you
are laying on the bed hold your hands out at full distance in front of you. Don’t stare hard but rather
just gaze at your hands. Moving your hands slowly, bring your fingertips together until they are
almost touching. You will notice a cloudy blue haze appear around your finger. This is the etheric
aura.
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Feeling the aura
Draw a circle on your left hand using your right fingertip. Don’t let your finger touch your hand; keep
it at a distance of about a half inch. Move slowly. You will feel the power of your aura.
Colors of the aura
AQUA : healer
BLACK : I often see this in the auras of abused children, divorcees, drug addicts and torture
victims
PALE BLUE : the color of sensitivity
SKY BLUE : strong natural instincts
COBALT BLUE : intuition coming from the higher dimensions of the aura
PRUSSIAN BLUE : represents harmony
ROYAL BLUE : have found this in people who have found their chosen path in life
DELFT BLUE : strong ethics
ULTRAMARINE : seen in the aura of sailors, surfers and people who are around the sea
NAVY BLUE : people with this color tend to move slow, but safe and sure
INDIGO : strong psychic ability
AMBER : personal strength and courage
CARAMEL : find this color in people who are going through positive career changes
COPPER : have only seen this color around people in the mining industry
RAW SIENNA : indicates poor thinking process
FAWN : period of problems is coming to an end
DOE-SKIN : found in people who are very orderly
MUSHROOM : a slowing of destiny
CHOCOLATE BROWN : the color of environmentalist and farmers
RUSSET-BROWN : a hard working person
TERRACOTTA : people who challenge convention
DARK BROWN : indicates a person with common sense
GOLD : a higher level of consciousness
PALE GREEN : spiritual advancement
LEMON GREEN : have found this in people who are liars and cheats
APPLE GREEN : healers
IRIDESCENT GREEN : find this color in very friendly people
EMERALD GREEN : a problem is being put to rest
JADE : a charitable nature
VIRIDIAN : emotional and mental stress
OLIVE GREEN : scrooge
DARK GREEN : mental stress
TURQUOISE : often find this in people who fought their way out of poverty to become a
success in life
GREY : people who feel trapped in life
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SILVER GREY : often see this in people involved in yoga
CHARCOAL GREY : depression
APRICOT : caring communication
ORANGE : strong motivation
PUMPKIN : self-control
PALE PINK : true love
PINK MADDER : loyalty and commitment
SALMON PINK : people who work in a career they love
IRIDESCENT PINK : sexual desire
DUSTY PINK : foolish people
LAVENDER : have often seen this in people who have had a near death experience
LILAC : spiritual balance
MAGENTA : often found in entrepreneurs
MAUVE : humble people
IMPERIAL PURPLE : heightened dream activity
GRAPE : laziness
VIOLET : once again humble people
CARMINE : people who are seeking change
VERMILLION : indicates creativity
RUSTIC RED : short tempered
SCARLET RED : found in people with a big ego
CRIMSON : natural creative skills
MAROON : self-empowerment
CLARET : self determination
SILVER : this is the link between the spiritual realms
ZINC : often seen around sexual organs when aroused
CREAM : heading in the right direction
PEARL : often see this around authentic mediums
PALE YELLOW : shyness
PRIMROSE : optimism
LEMON YELLOW : strength of direction
BUTTERCUP YELLOW : focused on a course of action
GOLDEN YELLOW : inspiration
MUSTARD : have seen this in people who are manipulative
STRAW YELLOW : day dreamers
CHARCOAL GREY, MUDDY BROWN AND PALE PINK TOGETHER : terminal illness
Axinomancy
Aximoncy is a form of divination using an axe. It was this form of divination that was used to predict
the ruin of Jerusalem. There are two methods of Axinomancy. One method involves use of an Agate.
A round Agate must be produced. The head of the axe is heated red hot and placed so its edge is
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standing perpendicularly in the air. The Agate is placed on the edge. If it remains it there, it is a
negative sign. If it rolls way and does this three times it is a positive sign.
Belomancy
Belomancy is a form of divination using arrows. It was used by both the Greeks and the Arabs. One
method involved throwing the arrows in the air, the point in which the arrows inclined pointed out
the direction to be taken.
Bibliomancy
Bibliomancy is divination using a book, sometimes a bible is used. The book will be opened at a
random page and while keeping your eyes closed you will point at a line or passage in the book.
Moslems use the Quran for this divination. During the Middle Ages Virgil’s Adenoid was popular.
Billet test
During a Billet test a question is written on a piece of paper and placed in a sealed envelope. The
psychic then tells the writer what is written on the paper and answers the question. The Billet reading
is often used by stage performers. Using slight-of-hand they switched Billets and read the questions
in advance.
Body Talk
Our bodies are what we share with the animals. They are the source of a deep intuitive awareness
and divinatory response. Head, hands, ears, feet, genitals, guts all have an emblematic quality that
constantly sends signals. The Greek god Pan, half human, half goat, with his big ears and careful gaze,
is a symbol of this kind of attention to the little spirits and waves of body feeling and their wisdom.
Our actions, too, become signs: embrace the idea, find your feet, stiff-necked, itchy-fingered. Like
the shaman’s animal guardians, “helping spirits” live in our bodies, sending signals to inform us about
the world.
We can learn to hear their voice through involuntary actions. Sneezing is a widely recognized body
sign in old cultures. The conjunction of a sneeze and a statement indicates that what was being
talked of would happen. The idea of connection or conjunction is more subtle. An entire divinatory
chapter of the I Ching is guilt on showing what happens when an influx of energy connects with the
toes, calves, thighs, the border between upper and lower body, the spine, neck, and shoulders, or the
mouth and tongue. Another sign shows what happens when each of these body areas is subject to
limit and constriction.
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Our bodies are both a continual source of signs and metaphors and a very sensitive instrument. The
more we are aware of our body and its language, the more we can feel the connection with the world
around us.
European astrologers created a “cosmic man” or “astroman: with each body region controlled by a
particular astrological sign, and physical feelings linked to astral images. Chinese diagnosticians see
the body as a series of interconnected processes, “orbs” of organs and energy meridians similar to
those that run through the earth. These can be “read” through careful attention to the six pulses,
which indicate the relative strength, weakness, or balance of energies in the various systems.
Just as a feeling, a “tingling’, can show where and how spirit is influencing the body, so a symptom
can begin a dialogue with a spirit or unacknowledged “complex”. Old medicine attributed many
disorders to gods or spirits that wished to reach or contact a person. The symptom is the sign. These
could be treated with “sympathetic substances”, things that partake of the god’s nature. More often
the sufferer must enter into a dialogue with the spirit through ritual, sacrifice, imagination, or art.
Physiognomy and phrenology are other forms of body talk. The shape of the face and head was felt
by many peoples to reveal character. In fact, “head” has often been used to indicate inner spirit,
destiny, or daimon. There are old lists of head shapes, facial characteristics and their meanings in
Greek, Sanskrit, and Chinese. In 19th-century Europe, this was elaborated as the “science” of
physiognomy. Different head shapes and features were associated with long lists of qualities, and an
analytical system was evolved through assigning numerical values to virtues and characteristics.
Similarly, phrenology, the “science of the head,” divided the head into 35 zones or “organs”, each
associated with a quality. The investigator examines these organs, assigning a value to the
development of each, in order to arrive at an assessment of a person’s character. Reichian
psychology, which reads the presence of various negative emotions held in the body through patterns
of chronic muscular tension called “armoring”, is a more contemporary form of body divination.
Book test
A Book Test is supposedly initiated by a deceased to supply evidence of their survival after death. The
deceased instructs the sitter to look in a specific place for a certain book not known to the sitter. The
sitter is instructed to open the book on a certain page, on a certain place on that page, where a
certain passage is considered a message from the deceased. The problem is that, the test does not
exclude the possibility that on any page of the book some passage may be interpreted as a message.
Cartopedy
Cartopedy comes from the ancient Persians and it was the term used for the divination of feet. It
many ways it is similar to palmistry. These days Cartopedy is widely practiced in India. A Cartopedy
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was employed by the ancient Persians and Indians on important matters, such as choosing a bride.
Measurements and footprints would be studied intensively. Sometimes the study would take weeks
or months. The size, shape, heels, toes, arches, lines and markings were all studied. Cartopedy is also
used in crime detection.
Ceroscopy
A system of divination using wax that was very popular in Russia. Wash was melted into a brass vessel
till it became a liquid of uniform consistence. The liquid wax was then poured very slowly into
another vessel filled with cold water. The pouring was done in a way that the wax congealed in tiny
discs upon the surface of the water. The divinator then interpreted the figures of wax.
Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese Zodiac is based on a twelve year cycle - each year being represented by an animal. Find
the year you were born to determine your own sign.
Rat (1912,1924,1936,1948,1960,1972,1984,1996,2008,2020)
You are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the person you love. However, you have
a tendency to be quick-tempered and overly critical. You are also inclined to be somewhat of
an opportunist. Born under this sign, you should be happy in sales or as a writer, critic, or
publicist.
Buffalo (1913,1925,1937,1949,1961,1973,1985,1997,2009,2021)
A born leader, you inspire confidence from all around you. You are conservative, methodical,
and good with your hands. Guard against being chauvinistic and always demanding your own
way. The Buffalo would be successful as a skilled surgeon, general, or hairdresser.
Tiger (1914,1926,1938,1950,1962,1974,1986,1998,2010,2022)
You are sensitive, emotional, and capable of great love. However, you have a tendency to get
carried away and be stubborn about what you think is right; often seen as a "Hothead" or
rebel. Your sign shows you would be excellent as a boss, explorer, race car driver, or matador.
Rabbit (1915,1927,1939,1951,1963,1975,1987,1999,2011,2023)
You are the kind of person that people like to be around-affectionate, obliging, always
pleasant. You have a tendency, though, to get too sentimental and seem superficial. Being
cautious and conservative, you are successful in business but would also make a good lawyer,
diplomat, or actor.
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Dragon (1916,1928,1940,1952,1964,1976,1988,2000,2012,2024)
Full of vitality and enthusiasm, the Dragon is a popular individual even with the reputation of
being foolhardy and a "big mouth" at times. You are intelligent, gifted, and a perfectionist but
these qualities make you unduly demanding on others. You would be well-suited to be an
artist, priest, or politician.
Snake (1917,1929,1941,1953,1965,1977,1989,2001,2013,2025)
Rich in wisdom and charm, you are romantic and deep thinking and your intuition guides you
strongly. Avoid procrastination and your stingy attitude towards money. Keep your sense of
humor about life. The Snake would be most content as a teacher, philosopher, writer,
psychiatrist, and fortune teller.
Horse (1918,1930,1942,1954,1966,1978,1990,2002,2014,2026)
Your capacity for hard work is amazing. You are your own person-very independent. While
intelligent and friendly, you have a strong streak of selfishness and sharp cunning and should
guard against being egotistical. Your sign suggests success as an adventurer, scientist, poet, or
politician.
Goat (1919,1931,1943,1955,1967,1979,1991,2003,2015,2027)
Except for the knack of always getting off on the wrong foot with people, the Goat can be
charming company. You are elegant and artistic but the first to complain about things. Put
aside your pessimism and worry and try to be less dependent on material comforts. You
would be best as an actor, gardener, or beachcomber.
Monkey (1920,1932,1944,1956,1968,1980,1992,2004,2016,2028)
You are a very intelligent and a very clever wit. Because of your extraordinary nature and
magnetic personality, you are always well-liked. The Monkey, however, must guard against
being an opportunist and distrustful of other people. Your sign promises success in any field
you try.
Rooster (1921,1933,1945,1957,1969,1981,1993,2005,2017,2029)
The Rooster is a hard worker; shrewd and definite in decision making, often speaking his
mind. Because of this, you tend to seem boastful to others. You are a dreamer, flashy dresser,
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and extravagant to an extreme. Born under this sign you should be happy as a restaurant
owner, publicist, soldier, or world traveler.
Dog (1922,1934,1946,1958,1970,1982,1994,2006,2018,2030)
The Dog will never let you down. Born under this sign you are honest, and faithful to those
you love. You are plagued by constant worry, a sharp tongue, and a tendency to be a fault
finder, however. You would make an excellent businessman, activist, teacher, or secret agent.
Pig (1923,1935,1947,1959,1971,1983,1995,2007,2019,2031)
You are a splendid companion, an intellectual with a very strong need to set difficult goals and
carry them out. You are sincere, tolerant, and honest but by expecting the same from others,
you are incredibly naive. Your quest for material goods could be your downfall. The Pig would
be best in the arts as an entertainer, or possibly a lawyer.
Cledonism
A system of divination that is based on the good or evil passage of words. These words must be
uttered without premeditation when persons come together in any way. The system also regulated
the words to be used on certain occasions. Cledonism was a favorite method of divination at Smyrna
where the Oracle of Apollo was thus interpreted.
Cleidomancy
Cleidomancy is a system of divination using a suspended key. It can only be used when the Sun or
Moon is in Virgo. The name of the person who is being divined must be written on the key and tied to
a Book of Shadows. Both should be hung upon the ring finger of only a virgin girl, who must repeat
certain mystical words.
Communigraph
Known as the Ashkir-Jobson Communigraph it consists of a small table with a free moving pendulum
underneath. The pendulum may then make contact with some small metal plates that represent the
alphabet. The contact closes a circuit and makes a corresponding letter appear illuminated upon the
table. No medium is necessary for this instrument to work. A circle is formed around the table. The
pendulum starts swinging on its own accord.
Coscinomancy
Coscinomancy is a form of divination that is practiced with a sieve and a pair of shears. This form of
divination is used to find a thief. A thread was tied to a sieve by which it was upheld or a pair of
shears, which was held up by two fingers. The divinator prayed to the Gods for guidance. They
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repeated the names of those people under suspicion. The sieve or shears would then swirl around a
person or person’s name. This person was then thought to be the guilty one. In the Athenian Oracle it
is referred to as "the trick of the sieve and scissors". This method of divination was also used to find
missing persons and discover love secrets.
Critomancy
Critomancy is an ancient form of divination of cakes. The paste of cakes, which were offered in
sacrifice, was divined. Omens were drawn from the flour spread upon them after being strewn upon
sacrifices.
Cursed bread
In ancient times cursed bread was used in divination to find a guilty person. A piece of bread
approximately an once in weight would be given to the suspected person. The piece of bread would
have a spell cast over it. If the person became sick he was regarded as guilty. If he remained fine then
he was innocent. Often barley bread was used for this as it often caused choking or the person was
allergic to it.
Dactylomancy
Dactylomancy is a form of divination practiced with rings in ancient times. There are various methods
used. One method involved placing gold or silver rings on the fingernails in certain conjunctions of the
planets. In another way a round table is inscribed with the letters of the alphabet and a ring
suspended above. The ring will then spell out the message. Another method involves suspending a
ring within a glass. If the glass is struck once it will indicate yes or if struck twice will indicate no.
Daphnomancy
Daphnomancy is an ancient method of divination using a branch from a Laurel tree. A Laurel branch is
thrown into a fire and a question is asked. If the branch crackles in burning it is a positive sign. If the
branch burns without doing so it is a negative sign.
Delphi oracle
The Delphi Oracle was a very influential oracle that made predictions and announcements at the
Temple of Apollo at Delphi. The Priestess of Apollo was named Pythia. A goat would be sacrificed and
then Pythia would mount a tripod and sit. She would breathe in intoxicating smoke while awaiting
divine inspiration. When she entered a trance the priests would interpret the oracles from Pythia and
then relay the answers to the seeker.
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Dermography
Dermography is the psychic phenomenon of skin writing. Although it is similar to stigmata it has one
very essential difference. Stigmata lasts for years or an entire lifetime. Skin writing lasts only for a few
minutes usually. In fact fraud in skin writing is widespread. For example: many mediums of skin
writing burn up a pellet on which a question or name is written. They then rub their forehead or arm
with the ashes, which gives the opportunity for covertly tracing the message. Skin markings have also
been produced by mere suggestion in experiments with hypnotism. Sometimes the skin writing is
pictorial. In my research into skin writing I am of the opinion that there is no such real authentic case.
Dowsing
Dowsing has been used for centuries as a method for finding water, treasures, gold, metals, people,
and animals and to tell the past and the future. In fact dowsing has been used for nearly 7,000 years
and probably even longer. It was used by both the ancient Egyptians and Chinese. In the Middle Ages
it was used in Europe to find coal deposits and water. In the 20th century dowsing has been used in
archeological and geological work, and by utility companies in locating damaged pipes and cables.
The traditional tool of the dowser is a forked rod made of wood. Certain wood such as Hazel, Willow,
Ash and Rowan are the best. Many dowsers prefer to work with a pendulum on a string. The dowser
usually attunes to what is being sought through visualization. The dowser holds the forked ends of
the rod making sure palms are turned upwards. The dowser walks until the rod trembles and dips
down marking the spot. In the case of dowsing with a pendulum the dowser hangs the pendulum
over a map.
The art of dowsing relies on a mysterious interaction between the body and concealed forces in the
environment, an interaction focused through the diviner’s rod. Different-shaped rods are used for
different purposes: a traditional Y-shaped rod of wood to locate water, a “bobber” shaped like a
fishing pole to locate oil; metal L-rods that swing out in the hands to explore “earth energies”
associated with sacred sites; a pendulum bob suspended from the fingers to answer personal
questions. In use, the rod is held in both hands, tip pointing up, while the diviner searches; when he
is over the target, the tip swings down or out.
Dream Divination
Opening the Gates of the Dream-world
Most traditional cultures have seen dreaming as communicating with other kinds of realities. Dreams
show us what forces are shaping our imagination, for what were called ghosts and spirits are also
forces and memories beyond our immediate control that are at work within us. Dreams act as a
hidden stage of which they can communicate with us, as do the various parts of our bodies. The
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dream-maker, a deep center in each of us, uses dreams to foreshadow coming events, both inner and
outer, and create strategies to deal with them.
The antique or traditional world regarded dreams as a language of signs we could use to deal with the
events of our daily lives in an imaginative way. Dreams and dream signs were an interface with the
gods. Dream divination was the technique of using these signs, a way to interact creatively with the
natural and the spiritual worlds.
Much of the old significance of dreaming is now returning in modern ways of talking about and
working with dreams. Sleep researchers who study brain function during sleep compare it to the
operation of quantum mechanics, a “fertile chaos.” They have also found that depriving a person of
dream sleep leads to psychosis. Psychologists see it as the “royal road” to the unconscious. On a
popular working level, dreaming plays a major part in virtually all kinds of therapy. Working with
dreams has become a part of many people’s lives.
Most people today regard dreams as meaningful and see them offering a connection to creative
energies that can enrich their lives. Dreams give them access to ways of knowing that would
otherwise be closed to them. There are many sorts of dream-work to help you use the language of
dreams to “see” the flow of events, both inner and outer. By using these or other techniques to
enter the dream-world, you can find the real treasure of meaning and beauty hidden there.
Dreams may be clear and vivid, or strange and labyrinthine. Though they use our thoughts,
experiences, feelings, and memories, they do not speak our normal language. Dream images
contradict themselves, relate seemingly unrelated things, and create impossible events. This
constant taking apart and putting together generates symbolic energy. It moves us and can act as a
system of internal guidance. By interacting with dream images we can play a part in creating our own
future.
Many modern forms of psychotherapy use dreams as a way to get at things that are usually hidden
from normal way to get at things that are usually hidden from normal awareness or to analyze how
key symbols are acting in the imagination. Modern “dream workers” are continually coming up with
ways to “put you in touch with your dreams” through dreams groups, art, dance, poetry, and creating
rituals. Sleep researchers are using the physiological changes that they see occurring in dreaming to
posit a connection between how the brain works and how the quantum world of subatomic particles
works—a “dreaming universe”. Dream-divination has another emphasis. It presumes that dreams
have a message for the dreamer. Its goal is to make this message clear.
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Accounts of dreaming from the ancient world show how important this process was. Dreaming was a
place where you could enjoy the company and the guidance of the gods. The quality of modern
dreaming reflects our desire for this dream-world. It shows our imagination constantly at work
“symbolizing” the events ad things we encounter in order to build a language of dream.
Most people in a tribal or a traditional society knew something of the language of dreams and had a
personal contact with the dream-world. Clear dreams that foretold coming events and required little
or no explanation were a part of their lives. This “Big Dream” was a particular style of reaming that
impressed by its clarity and impact. “Inspirational” dreams might reveal the plan for a temple, a work
of art, a business venture, or the resolution of a problem. Other kinds of dreaming relied on dialogue
with the dream interpreters to find the message. These dream-diviners were familiar with the
symbols of their culture and how these symbols might be moving in an individual situation. They
were adept at creating the kind of meaning that connected people and let the dream flow into their
lives.
Thresholds
In most cultures there is a threshold or barrier between the day-world and the night-world, just as
there is a transition zone between other opposites that interact but do not directly touch each other
like night and day, sun and moon, light and shadow, inside and outside, life and death. Partially this
barrier is fear, our fear of death. The figures in the dream-world have long been thought of as the
souls of the dead. This is a primary characteristic of the dream-world. It breaks things down and
takes them apart, sometimes violently, and sometimes subtly. Dream-divination is ultimately
concerned with reassembling a meaning from this breakdown. The first step, however, is to fall apart.
This opens you to one of the guiding spirits of the underworld of dreams: Eros, the god of love and
desire who is constantly taking us apart and putting us back together again.
Images of the Threshold of Dreams or the entrance to the night-world reflect this deconstruction.
The boundary between waking and sleeping is portrayed as a Dark Door, a hole in the ground, a
shadowy crossroads, the entrance to a tomb. It is a dimming, a lowering or wounding of the light,
and often it first leads into the shadows, to what has been refused or repressed, and a host of angry
or vengeful figures. To enter the dream-world we go down-into the underworld, the unconscious,
the unacknowledged, and the unknown. The entrance is often through ruins, slums, and shadows
that take apart what we thought we were.
The Place and the Language of Dreaming
The process we call dreaming probably goes on all the time. Poets, artists, and seers have all attested
that there is a constant flow or river of images beneath our normal kind of thinking. It breaks through
into our awareness as visions, hunches, close encounters, and the sudden realization that something
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is “symbolic” and weighted with a hidden significance. Some people have seen this flow of images as
infantile, primitive, meaningless, or dangerous, something we must, at best, tame and control.
Others see it as a source of spirit, creativity, and guidance.
Descriptions of dreaming in traditional cultures see it as both a place and a language. It is a place of
encounter, a kind of stage where dream-events unfold and various kinds of beings interact. What
were called gods, souls, ghosts, spirits of the body, previous lives, and important thoughts become
real. They become the players on the dream stage, acting out their roles for our interpretation.
Perhaps the best description of this place is the “Imaginal Realm;” a place at once real and imaginary.
It is peopled by the potential structures of experience, which have been imaged as heavens and hells,
gods and demons, archetypal landscapes and figures. As a language, dreams seem to represent a
special kind of thought process, an interaction of images that mirrors and comments on our normal
ways of thinking. Dreams are mysterious. They put things together in impossible ways that “mystify”
logic yet feel as if they have direction, nets of associations that are pregnant with meaning. We
experience dreams as happening to us. They feel as if they come from somewhere outside, and they
show attitudes, standards, and actions that are often quite different from what our ego, this thing we
call “I”, believes to be true. This can challenge or compensate, help or correct. It takes part in a kind
of ongoing balancing act in the psyche as a whole. Dreams do this by being dramatic. They are
images that also tell stories, present characters, suggest plots. They ask for dialogue by presenting
you with a challenge and an invitation to interact with the imaginable situation they have portrayed
for your benefit.
The Vision Quest
The Vision Quest was a kind of incubation used throughout North America to acquire a spiritprotector, a cure to disease, to promote success in hunting, find power to recover from mourning,
name a child, enter a secret society, or enact revenge. It was always carried out under a strong
emotional impulse and might involve literal or ritual self-mortification. The normal procedure was to
go into solitude, fast, and supplicant the spirits to take pity on the sufferer. Among the Crow nation,
the quest lasted four days, and the vision usually occurred on the fourth night. Most often, a specific
figure, in some way related to the tribe’s collection of myths, appeared as an answer to the dreamer’s
supplication. The dreamer entered into a special relation with this figure, who would recite the
formula of adoption: “I will have you for child”. The dreamer would collect certain objects and
behave in certain ways given by the spirit in order to keep the connection during the time after the
vision.
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The Dream Goddess
In Japan, dream incubation was associated with both Shinto and Buddhist deities. The most famous
of these shrines were those connected to the Bodhisattva Kannon, in Chinese Kwan Yin, the
Compassionate One.
Here again dream incubation focuses the power of dreams on a specific problem. If you were the
pilgrim, harassed by some insoluble problem, you would journey to the shrine, observing ritual purity
and furnished with a gift for the deity. You made a vow to stay at the shrine for a specified time,
often 7, 21, or 100 days. During that time, through prayer, meditation, abstinence, and offerings, you
sought the intervention of the god. You would sleep each night in the main hall of the temple, as
near to the inner sanctuary as possible. The divinity would come in a dream, often on the last night
of the vigil.
People came to these shrines with three sorts of problems, and were offered different kinds of cures.
Each came in the same kind of dream, in which the deity appears from the inner shrine and speaks
directly to the dreamer, or acts through a miraculous boy or an old Buddhist priest. Dreamers might
be cured of sickness. A man suffering from incurable leprosy spent seven days in the shrine of
Kannon, whereupon a boy appeared from the inner sanctuary at the goddess’s instructions and licked
the leper’s entire body. When he woke, the man was cured.
Dreamers may be cured of their sorrow. A noblewoman, divorced from her husband and deeply
miserable, came to the temple for a seven-day sleep and was given a numinous vision of Kannon who
handed her a jewel. The dream-jewel was in her hand as she woke. She took it home and, soon
after, her husband returned and she bore a child. The family lived happily ever after.
Dreamers might also be given a symbolic glimpse into their fate. Here the dream goddess will hand
them a symbol. A young noblewoman received a two-sided mirror. One side showed her mourning
and weeping, but when the mirror was turned it revealed a rich robe, a curtain, and the glimpse of a
beautiful garden. The goddess said: “This will make her happy.”
In Tibet, the practice of dream-divination is particularly associated with the goddess Tara, the “savioress” and Bodhisattva of Active Compassion. Here a person will go into a meditation retreat to acquire
her blessing. This involves visualizing her form and reciting her mantra. At some point during this
retreat, she will give a sign that her gift of divination has been conferred. With this blessing, the
dream-diviner can, whenever necessary, pose a question or problem, meditate on the goddess before
sleeping, and receive a dream vision in answer to the question. This capacity can be and is used to
help others.
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Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming is related to the first stages of dream yoga, when the dreamer becomes aware that
he is dreaming inside the dream. This kind of dream had a special status in early Christianity, in
medieval Islam, and in Buddhism because it indicated the dreamer was waking from the dream of the
world and its attachments. The lucid dream emerged as a secular phenomenon in 19 th-century
Europe, in the era of spiritism and the occult revival. In the last 20 years it has become the object of
study by sleep researchers and dream laboratories. It is now seen as a “peak experience” in the
Dream-work Movement.
In a lucid dream, you become aware that you are in the dream-world. This can happen
spontaneously or can be induced. There is usually a sudden intensification of the sensory quality of
the dream and an ecstatic mood. The dreamer can consciously interact with other dream characters,
or take on their identity. He may transform, though not control, the dream environment and travel
where he wishes. The lucid dream seems to lead naturally toward light and transcendence. Lucid
dreamers repeatedly ascend or fly toward the heavens, or say that they have experienced the
fundamental source of light.
Another characteristic of the lucid dream is the emergence of the Inner Guide, Inner Self Helper, or
Center who explains the dream-world and tells the dreamer about him-or herself from a spiritual
viewpoint. This figure can and does produce helping or healing dreams and a host of paranormal
experiences. She or he is usually encountered in a high, light-filled place and takes on the guise of a
guru, angel, monk, or helpful spirit.
Dream temples
The ancient Greeks sought dream oracles within sacred dream temples. One of the renowned dream
temples was the Temple of Amphiaraus at Oropos. People would go to the temple and "purify
oneself" first by making an offering to the Gods. A ram was the sacrificed, its fleece removed and
then used as a sleeping mat inside the temple. Another famous temple was the Temple of Pasiphae.
The magistrates of the city used the temple to receive answers to difficult questions. Sleeping within
religious temples continued down through history. Another famous dream shrine was located in
Lough Derg in Donegal, Ireland. It was a cave known as St. Patrick’s Purgatory. People would entomb
themselves in tiny cells for up to nine days waiting for a vision of what was waiting for them in hell.
Egyptian dream scrying
Egyptian dream scrying may be traced back thousands of years. The method used by the Egyptians
was recorded in the Greek magical papyri, which were written between 200 B.C. and 500 A.D. In
preparing to use the Egyptian dream scrying method you must not speak to anyone on the evening
you plan to scry. You should remain in silence after the setting of the sun. Do not consume alcohol on
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that day or engage in sex. You must refrain from consuming food for up to four hours before the
scrying. After having a warm bath you anoint your temples with olive oil. You will need an oil lamp
which must not be colored red or bear any inscription. Write on a short narrow strip of white linen
with ink mixed with myrrh the name of the dream God and the purpose for the dream scrying. Twist
the linen strip into a wick and insert into the oil of the lamp. Place the lamp on a table beside your
bed. Using the ink draw the image of the dream God upon your left palm. You must decide which God
or Goddess you wish to use. Thoth was well used with the Egyptians. Light your lamp. Kneel before
the lamp. Concentrating on the image on your left hand recite the following invocation: Thoth I
invoke, blessed power of dreams divine, Angel of future fates, swift wings are thine, Great source of
oracles to human kind, When stealing soft, and whispering to the mind, Through sleep's sweet silence
and the gloom of night, Thy power awake the sight, To silent souls the will of heaven relates, And
silently reveals their future fates. You need to concentrate on your question you wish to know the
answer to. Around your left hand wrap a piece of black linen about four inches wide and about thirty
inches long. The black cloth is called "black" of Isis. Blow out the flame of the lamp. Now go to bed,
clear your mind and go to sleep. Have a tape recorder beside your bed so that when you awaken you
may record your dreams while still fresh in your mind. You will find that the dream will come to you
in a voice that is clear and powerful rather than in dream images. Sometimes the message is sent in
cryptic form so take your time in working out the answer.
Eggs
There are a number of different systems available for egg divination. Oomancy is one system of egg
divination by the outer and inner forms of the egg. One method was to break the egg into a glass of
water and interpret the shapes assumed by the white. Another method was Oomantia. It involved
divining the signs or characters appearing in eggs.
Eromancy
Eromancy is one of six different divination practices by the Persians using air and water. The divinator
covered his head in a napkin and exposed to the air a vase filled with water. Over the vase they then
whispered their desires. If the surface of the water showed bubbles it was regarded as a good sign.
ESP Test, Telepathy and Mind Control
ESP
ESP - Extrasensory perception is the term used to describe a means of getting information from other
than the five senses that everyone uses as their primary means. The five senses are seeing, feeling,
smelling, tasting, and hearing. These are considered to be our 'normal' senses and any sense or
gathering of information, is said to be 'extra', or out of the ordinary.
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When a person develops their ESP, they have increased their mind power by a quantum leap above
other people. It enables them to send and receive information almost at will to influence things that
are important to them.
ESP is mental telepathy; our other sense
Mind reading, clairvoyance, and precognition are all perceived through mental telepathy. Mental
telepathy makes possible the "knowing" about past, future, or current events that is not supposed
to be part of our knowledge. When someone demonstrates an ability to send and receive information
that is not part of their five ordinary senses, it is placed in the realm of "extra" almost as though it
was bizarre or abnormal and not part of the human psyche or sense abilities. However, telepathic
ability is available to all those willing to practice and learn how to increase this talent that is given to
everyone at birth.
Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven (Chinese
astronomy) and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for
the discipline is Kan Yu (literally: Tao of heaven and earth).
The term Feng Shui literally translates as "wind-water" in English. This is a cultural shorthand taken
from the passage of the now-lost Classic of Burial recorded in Guo Pu's commentary:
Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water
Historically, Feng Shui was widely used to orient buildings—often spiritually significant structures
such as tombs, but also dwellings and other structures—in an auspicious manner. Depending on the
particular style of Feng Shui being used, an auspicious site could be determined by reference to local
features such as bodies of water, stars, or a compass. Feng Shui was suppressed in China during the
Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, but since then has increased in popularity.
Modern reactions to Feng Shui are mixed. The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience states that
some principles of Feng Shui are "quite rational", while noting that "folk remedies and superstitions...
[have been] incorporated into Feng Shui's eclectic mix".
The history of Feng Shui covers 3,500+ years before the invention of the magnetic compass. It
originated in Chinese astronomy. Some current techniques can be traced to Neolithic China, while
others were added later (most notably the Han dynasty, the Tang, the Song, and the Ming).
The astronomical history of Feng Shui is evident in the development of instruments and techniques.
According to the Zhouli the original Feng Shui instrument may have been a gnomon. Chinese used
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circumpolar stars to determine the north-south axis of settlements. This technique explains why
Shang palaces at Xiaotun lie 10° east of due north. In some cases, as Paul Wheatley observed, they
bisected the angle between the directions of the rising and setting sun to find north. This technique
provided the more precise alignments of the Shang walls at Yanshi and Zhengzhou. Rituals for using a
Feng Shui instrument required a diviner to examine current sky phenomena to set the device and
adjust their position in relation to the device.
The oldest examples of instruments used for Feng Shui are liuren astrolabes, also known as shi. These
consist of a lacquered, two-sided board with astronomical sightlines. The earliest examples of liuren
astrolabes have been unearthed from tombs that date between 278 BC and 209 BC. Along with
divination for Da Liu Ren the boards were commonly used to chart the motion of Taiyi through the
nine palaces. The markings on a liuren/shi and the first magnetic compasses are virtually identical.
The goal of Feng Shui as practiced today is to situate the human built environment on spots with
good qi. The "perfect spot" is a location and an axis in time.
Qi (氣) (pronounced "chee" in English) is a movable positive or negative life force which plays an
essential role in Feng Shui. In Feng Shui as in Chinese martial arts, it refers to 'energy', in the sense of
'life force' or élan vital. A traditional explanation of qi as it relates to Feng Shui would include the
orientation of a structure, its age, and its interaction with the surrounding environment including the
local microclimates, the slope of the land, vegetation, and soil quality.
The Book of Burial says that burial takes advantage of "vital qi." Wu Yuanyin (Qing dynasty) said that
vital qi was "congealed qi," which is the state of qi that engenders life. The goal of Feng Shui is to take
advantage of vital qi by appropriate siting of graves and structures.
One use for a Luopan is to detect the flow of qi. Magnetic compasses reflect local geomagnetism
which includes geomagnetic induced currents caused by space weather. Professor Max Knoll
suggested in a 1951 lecture that qi is a form of solar radiation. As space weather changes over time,
and the quality of qi rises and falls over time, Feng Shui with a compass might be considered a form
of divination that assesses the quality of the local environment—including the effects of space
weather.
Polarity
Polarity is expressed in Feng Shui as Yin and Yang Theory. Polarity expressed through yin and yang is
similar to a magnetic dipole. That is, it is of two parts: one creating an exertion and one receiving the
exertion. Yang acting and yin receiving could be considered an early understanding of chirality. The
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development of Yin Yang Theory and its corollary, Five Phase Theory (Five Element Theory), have also
been linked with astronomical observations of sunspots.
The Five Elements or Forces (wu xing) – which, according to the Chinese, are metal, earth, fire, water,
and wood – are first mentioned in Chinese literature in a chapter of the classic Book of History. They
play a very important part in Chinese thought: ‘elements’ mean generally not so much the actual
substances as the forces essential to human life. Earth is a buffer, or an equilibrium achieved when
the polarities cancel each other. While the goal of Chinese medicine is to balance yin and yang in the
body, the goal of Feng Shui has been described as aligning a city, site, building, or object with yinyang force fields.
Bagua (eight trigrams)
Two diagrams known as bagua (or pa kua) loom large in Feng Shui, and both predate their mentions
in the Yijing (or I Ching). The Lo (River) Chart (Luoshu) was developed first, and is sometimes
associated with Later Heaven arrangement of the bagua. The Luoshu and the River Chart (Hetu,
sometimes associated with the Earlier Heaven bagua) are linked to astronomical events of the sixth
millennium BC, and with the Turtle Calendar from the time of Yao. The Turtle Calendar of Yao (found
in the Yaodian section of the Shangshu or Book of Documents) dates to 2300 BC, plus or minus 250
years.
In Yaodian, the cardinal directions are determined by the marker-stars of the mega-constellations
known as the Four Celestial Animals:
East
The Blue Dragon (Spring equinox)—Niao (Bird 鳥), α Scorpionis
South
The Red Phoenix (Summer solstice)—Huo (Fire 火), α Hydrae
West
The White Tiger (Autumn equinox)—Mǎo (Hair 昴), η Tauri (the Pleiades)
North
The Dark Turtle (Winter solstice)—Xū (Emptiness, Void 虛), α Aquarii, β Aquarii
Traditional Feng Shui
Traditional Feng Shui is an ancient system based upon the observation of heavenly time and earthly
space. The literature of ancient China, as well as archaeological evidence, provide some idea of the
origins and nature of the original Feng Shui techniques.
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Geomancy – Writing on the Earth
Geomancy is one of the fundamental Western divinatory systems. The word comes from gaiamanteia, literally, “earth-seeing”. It is used to describe two different divinatory methods, one
oracular and one locational. Geomancy ("earth divination") is a method of divination that interprets
markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand. The most
prevalent form of divinatory geomancy involves interpreting a series of 16 figures formed by a
randomized process that involves recursion followed by analyzing them, often augmented with
astrological interpretations.
Once practiced by people from all social classes, it was one of the most popular forms of divination
throughout Africa and Europe in the middle Ages and the Renaissance. Books and treatises on
geomancy were published up until the 17th century when most occult traditions fell out of
popularity. Geomancy has recently seen a new interest through the works of John Michael Greer and
other practitioners, with more mainstream occult circles practicing and teaching geomancy.
In Renaissance magic, geomancy was classified as one of the seven "forbidden arts," along with
necromancy (communication with the deceased), hydromancy (divination by means of water),
aeromancy (interpreting atmospheric conditions), pyromancy (divination by means of fire),
chiromancy (palmistry), and spatulamancy or scapulimancy (divination using bones - also termed
omoplatoscopy).
Wind and Water
Locational geomancy or geo-location is concerned with finding the best sites for human
constructions. The best example of this kind of divination is the Chinese system called Feng Shui or
“wind-water”. It relies on an elaborate universal compass, the Lo P’an, and a series of ideal landscape
forms to determine the optimum flow of ch’I or positive energy for any particular construction. The
ideal is to produce an environment that brings peace of mind, happiness, health, and prosperity.
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Good Feng Shui relies on the relation of the building site to “dragon lines” of energy that move over
the earth, and to the free flow of ch’I energy within the building. Ch’I naturally flows in curving lines,
like water. It should flow through an entire building effortlessly. If it is confined, it stifles and
stagnates. If it is drawn away, the energy of the people in the building goes with it.
The geomancer may propose a site in an optimum relation to hills, open spaces, and running water.
He will then read the site using his compass, which includes lucky and unlucky directions, times, days,
qualities (the Five Transformative Processes), and celestial constellations. The square base is aligned
with the shape of the building, and the movable compass adjusted so its needle faces south. The
diviner then reads the favorable times, directions, and qualities for the building, including where to
place entrances and exits. Within the building he will adjust the flow of ch’I by insuring it has a free
path. He may place mirrors decorated with the eight trigrams of the I Ching to help direct the flow.
He will above all seek to break up straight lines that draw sha a negative energy that can produce
accidents, illness, and a bad atmosphere.
This practice, in which buildings are adjusted to coincide with an idea of sacred space, has parallels
worldwide. Early European geo-diviners would “see” psychic patterns or “earth lights” produced by
electromagnetic and geo-thermal configurations in order to site temples and cities. These geolocators would then unfold their ideal pattern of “sacred space” through a ceremony called “killing
the dragon”, driving a central stake into the ground to symbolically fix the flux of underworld forces.
The Earth Oracle
Oracular geomancy is quite different. This system relies on 16 signs that were originally produced by
making and counting random marks made in the earth or sand. Through its precise origins are
uncertain, geomancy grew out of the same “Alexandrian atmosphere” that gave birth to alchemy
individual astrological charts, hermetic magic, and “the occult image of man.” According to late
antique sources, the presiding genius of this system is Hermes Trismegistus (“Thrice-Greatest
Hermes”), mysterious father of all things erudite and magical.
The first concrete evidence of the system emerges about 800 C.E., in the Arabic “sand-science” called
ilm al-raml. It was carried into North Africa by the Islamic wars of conquest, to be completely reinvented in Nigeria as Ifa or Fon divination and in Madagascar as Sikidy or Vintana. At the same time,
like many other “pagan” practices, it was reintroduced into Europe through translations from Arabic
between about 900 and 1100 C. E., where it became a popular part of the underground divinatory
tradition. It was, in the poet Dante’s view, a false image of truth and its practitioners were assigned
to deep circles of hell. Along with alchemy and hermetic magic, it formed part of an outlawed
complex of practices associated with intellectual paganism: bird-sign, animal oracles, lots, dream25
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divination, moon-magic attention to random words and sounds. In the 16th century, primarily
through magicians and alchemists such as Cornelius Agrippa, it was associated with astrology and the
chart of the houses. It became a way to manipulate astrological images and enabled magicians to
make an “instant horoscope” of an event without recourse to either books or calculations.
Geomancy was carried into the Americas primarily in its African form Ifa or Fon, by slaves. It was
associated with spirit possession cults and the determination of a person’s “head” or in-dwelling
spirit. It remains a vital force today throughout Black America.
The system was magically reinterpreted as a form of “earth’ divination by the Order of the Golden
Dawn in the late 19th century. At the same time a shortened version enjoyed widespread popular use
throughout Europe as Napoleon’s Book of Fate.
The Geomantic Signs
Geomancy relies on 16 different signs that have names, meanings, and a wide range of associations.
These signs are often used by ritual magicians to produce sigils, offensive charms that reach out to
grasp the quality invoked, and amulets, charms that protect against that specific quality.
Gyromancy
Gyromancy is a form of divination performed by going round in circles. The circumference of the
circle is marked by letters. The message was gained from the words formed by the inquirer when
they stumbled on the letters when going round the circle.
Graphology
Handwriting analysis is referred to as Graphology. Handwriting may also be regarded as "brain
writing". It is an expression of the whole personality. Writing is expressive movements and these
movements have their meanings and interpretations.
Direction of Lines
Instruction in writing has usually insisted in writing in straight lines. When we buy writing paper it is
ruled in a straight line. But even after years of practice the reality is that few people write in a straight
line. Deviations from writing in a straight line are not the exception but more the norm. In some cases
fatigue can be considered a reason for a descending line. Generally speaking descending lines may be
caused by depression or pessimism. Experience shows that people in a mood swing may temporarily
write in descending lines. On the other hand ascending lines may indicate optimism. When we write
we move from left to right, in other words we progress. The activity of writing may therefore be
interpreted as a movement toward the future. It may be said it represents our hopes and dreams. A
person who writes a straight line may also go straight toward his daily aim. If a person writes in a
precisely straight line we may say that person is unyielding. People who write in convex lines (a line
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that ascends then descends) start their project with ambition and enthusiasm only to lose interest
and give up before the task has been completed. People who write with concave lines (a line that
descends than ascends) approach their task with little optimism but gain self-confidence as the task
nears completion. Out of a sample of 1,000 people only 3 people were found to write concave lines.
Lines that are ascending steps are often found in people who have little stamina. Descending steps
are often found in writers who bravely fight off depressive moods. Wavy, meandering lines may be
indicative of moodiness.
Space between Words
Space between the words is non-deliberate. When we write the words follow one another as they do
in speech. When a person speaks with pauses it may be because they are accustomed to pondering
and considering before they act. It may also be because the person wants to let the words sink in to
the audience’s consciousness. However, on the other hand if the pauses outweigh the importance of
the speech, then we may conclude the speaker is conceited. If there is no pause between the writer’s
words then we may say this is a person of action. This person may also be impulsive. Sometimes
writer’s words are widely spaced and at other times narrowly spaced. We may say that this writer is
unstable in both thinking and emotions.
Space between Lines
The space between the lines is most probably deliberately planned. The space between the lines can
be described as the picture of the writers mind. A person who writes with wide space lines may live a
life of order and system. These people have executive ability and reasonableness. But if the space
between the lines becomes too wide it may indicate a person who likes to keep their distance. Small
spaces between the lines may indicate a person who likes to be around other people. Overlapping
lines may indicate a person who suffers from an emotional or mental disorder. If the lower zone
descends in the following lines upper zone it may indicate a person who has strong sexual impulses.
The Margins
Left margins are deliberately chosen. Only in a few cases is the right margin chosen with such
purpose. The width of the left margin might be indicative of the distance we wish to maintain to
other people. However this only betrays what we want, because it is the non-deliberate right margin
that shows the distance we really assume. Wide left margins are often in handwriting of proud or shy
people. Pathologically self-conscious people will watch and control both the left and right margin.
Many graphologists take the assumption that upper margins are determined by outside influences
such as letterhead. It may be said that narrow upper margins betray informality and wide ones show
withdrawal. No margin is indicative of a person who wants no distance between other people. They
want to be one with the world. Wide margins are indicative of a withdrawn person.
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The Pen in Writing
A majority of writers will admit some appearance of handwriting is in some extent relevant to the pen
you use. People are aware of this fact. Therefore people give much thought to the selection of a pen
that feels natural to them. But the same person with the same pen never writes the letter or word
twice in exactly the same way.
The Slant
It may be said by some that the right slant is the normal slant. It may also be perceived that whoever
writes from left to right naturally uses the right slant. But as we know some writers do not. In general
interpretation of writing it may be said that the left direction is interpreted as the direction towards
the mother as well as the past. Left slant writing is seen more often in women than in men. We often
see left slant in people who have a disturbed balance in the parental equilibrium. Writers with left
slant are generally much closer to their mothers. The upright slant is found in people who are very
independent in life. They tend to have no inclination to either the mother or father. Wholly upright
hands are very rare. In fact this may only be achieved by a show of discipline. The right slant is the
most common and most natural slant. The right slant is found in people in a hurry, impatient people
and the active writer.
Pressure in Writing
The pressure against the paper is called primary pressure. The pressure against the penholder is
called secondary pressure. The primary pressure indicates our strength and vitality. The secondary
pressure indicates our aims and inner convictions. Primary pressure can be analyzed through the
contrast between thinner upper strokes and heavier downward strokes. The task is to define
between pressure produced by will and pressure produced by inhibition. Genuine pressure will
appear naturally. Forced pressure looks forced and even cries out. Extreme added pressure is often
seen in hands of criminals. Pressure less writing is often seen in the hands of feminine writers.
Body Image
A person’s body is projected in his writing. His left side is to the right, and his right side is to his left. It
may suggest that the crossing of the neurological pathways typical in muscle brain center correlations
is relevant here.
Zones
The upper zone shows what a writer thinks, how they think, what they strive for, and imagination,
pride and ethical ideas. The lower zone harbors manifestations of things not yet known to the writer.
There we see what fills the unconscious. In the middle zone the writer’s daily routine is shown; the
social behavior, relations, preferences and rejections.
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Symmetry
Symmetry is a yardstick of the writer’s inner balance and development. Symmetry is used to establish
style value. When the upper zones are strongly developed we are dealing with a person of
intelligence and ambition. However their emotional development remains infantile. If the middle
zone is strongly developed this is a person who’s sentimental and senility and concern for themselves
are likely to result in emotional pain. If the lower zone is overdeveloped we are dealing with a writer
who is over concerned with money.
Legibilty
Legibility is a measure of the writer’s sense of purposefulness. Legible handwrites make good
teachers and speakers. They are sincere and co-operative. But beware of the person whose writing is
impressively legible. These people are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Size of Letters
The size of a letter is indicative of the writer’s self-reliance. A letter may extend in four directions, up,
down, right or left. A letter may also be tall and wide. Tall capitals are people who tower above the
rest. Tall initials come from impressive people. Small capitals are people who are modest in nature.
They concentrate on facts, not ideas. Wide letters are extroverted people. Narrow letters come from
loners.
Connection of Letters
The connection of letters shows the writers attitude toward others. In writing there are three mainly
used links, garland, arcades and angles. Deep garland indicate people who take things too tragically.
Enclosed garlands are people who tend to be calculating. Flat garlands tend to come from the
practical business man. Square garlands tend to come from narrow minded people. Supported
garlands come from people who need emotional support in life. General arcades show people who
rely on instincts. High arcades show artistic gifts. Low arcades show hypocrisy. General angles show
people who have contradictions in feelings.
Space between Letters
Space between letters show the extent the writer relies upon their own intuition. When all letters are
connected it indicates a person with logical and systematic thinking. When only some letters are
unconnected it shows an artistic and intuitive thinker. When most letters are unconnected it shows a
person who is an egocentric. Lack of end strokes indicates a shy person. When the first letter stands
apart it shows a cautious person.
Pace of Writing
Specific pace furnishes us with a variety of human characteristics.
 Spontaneous Writing : Ambition, activity, instability, restlessness, impatient, quick thinking
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
Non-spontaneous Writing : Inflexible, cautious, sluggish, plotter, schemer
Concealing Stroke
There are two interpretations of the concealing stroke. Inhibition and insincerity are the basic
meanings of the concealing strokes. In the first letter : frustrated ambition. In upper zone : Secretive.
Middle zone : Emotional delusions. In garlands : Shyness. In arcades : Shrewd. In angels : Trickster.
Hakata
Hakata are pieces of bone, ivory or wood that was used by African witch doctors for divination. These
different objects are inscribed with symbols that represent the signs of the zodiac. They are cast upon
the ground by the witch doctor that then interprets their meaning.
Hand trembling
Hand trembling is a technique used on the Indian reservations in Arizona and New Mexico. As their
hands trembled and shook, they entered into an altered state of consciousness. These very gifted
Navajos usually sprinkle corn pollen on their hands. In this paranormal state they are able to locate
lost objects and diagnose illness. In Navajo culture the Hand Trembler held a highly respected place.
Hepatoscopy
Hepatoscopy is a form of divination using the entrails of animals. In ancient times the liver was
regarded as the focal point of life and of special occult importance. The liver was divided into sections
with each section representing a particular deity. The markings in these zones were of great
importance.
Hippomancy
Hippomancy was a form of divination that was practiced by the Celts. The Celts kept certain white
horses in a grove. These horses were made to walk straight after the sacred cart and auguries were
drawn from their movements.
I Ching
The Classic of Change
The I Ching or Chou I, the Chinese Classic of Change, is the oldest continually used divination system
in the world; the classic example of what we call wisdom divination. Its three-thousand-year-old
roots connect it with shamanistic practices, while its symbols are the origin of philosophical thought.
It is a cosmology, a cultural institution, and the core of a traditional science. It has had a seminal
influence on the development of Western ideas of synchronicity and the structure of the imagination.
All these are directly connected to its use as a tool for personal guidance and transformation.
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The I Ching is composed of 64 basic symbols, usually called hexagrams. These symbols open a
universe that ranges from popular magical practices to the most abstruse philosophical speculations.
Divining with these symbols gave birth to the fundamental ideas of Eastern thought: the tao or
“way”, the flow, harmony, and source of things that is at once universal and individual; yin and yang,
two primal forces of shadow and light, receiving and initiating, giving form and providing inspiration;
seeing the world as a never-ending series or dance of interlocking processes; and the ideal of the
chiin t’zu, the person who uses divination to live his life in accord with the way.
This version of the great Book of Fate has two basic premises. The first is that the book itself, by
virtue of the way it is made, the symbolic elements it contains, and the way it is consulted, directly
participates in the “ongoing process of the real.” It is a double of the tao or “way” in action. The
second premise is that we experience the “way” not through bliss, stasis, or eternal order, but
through change. Change is the interplay of chaos and order, a continual return to the fertile
beginning of things. From a human perspective, it has a purpose, the creation of a certain kind of
awareness called shen ming, bright spirit, or the light of the gods. This is a continual dance between
chaos and order, the experience of which we call meaning. It indicates that you have become a
conscious participant in the “ongoing process of the real”. For at least 2,500 years, people
throughout Asia, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and more recently, Europe and America have turned to
divination with the symbols of the I Ching as a source of practical and spiritual guidance. Old Chinese
shamans, nobles seeking the “mandate of Heaven”, scholars and philosophers searching for a way to
understand how people interact with the world, bureaucrats navigating the dangerous seas of
imperial preferment, ordinary people seeking a meaning and creative strategy to deal with the
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difficulties they face in life have found in it access to the “way”, the hidden heart of things and the
guidance of heaven.
The Goddess of Compassion
Divining with the I Ching inspired many other oracle practices. One such system, widespread
whenever Chinese is spoken, is called Chien Tung, and is sponsored by the Goddess of Compassion
and Mercy, Kwan Yin. Like divining with the I Ching, the basic purpose of this divinatory way is to give
you advice on how to deal with the crises and decisions you face in life. This protects you and, over
time, deepens your understanding of the way spirit plays through your life. It can free you from
obsession and compulsion by opening the imaginative world.
The oracle of Kwan Yin is a temple oracle. To use it, you would enter the temple dedicated to this
goddess, light sticks of incense, make a prayer for guidance before her altar, then pick up a hollow
wooden cylinder, often the joint of a large bamboo. In this cup are 100 thin slats of bamboo, painted
red on one end—sign of riches and luck—and marked on the other with a number and a character.
You shake this cylinder with your right hand until one stick jumps out. You then look up the text
corresponding to this number in Kwan Yin’s book.
Here is an example: A woman was engaged to oversee the export division of a large firm. To do well
was important to her in many ways. But she experienced great difficulties with her immediate
supervisor who, though about to retire, insisted on maintaining strict control and dominating his
employees. The woman did not know whether to challenge him openly, or to wait out the time.
There were issues of character as well as profit at stake, but they hinged on whether or not this was
the right time to make a move.
The oracle replied: When you climb a mountain together with a tiger your heart trembles every
minute with the fear of danger.
In Business Matters: The situation is not favorable; take no risks at present. If you don’t want your
life to be profoundly disturbed, you must take conscious precautions to protect yourself from danger.
Look to the future in everything you do, so you will not be taken by surprise. Do not insist on your
supposed rights!
The image proved to be accurate. By avoiding conflict she not only acquired the place she wanted
after the “tiger’s” retirement, but she avoided the serious harm that was done to others in similar
positions that directly challenged the mountain of difficulties.
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The oracle’s answer achieved two things. It gave the woman an image of the situation, and it gave
her a sense that there was a spirit looking after her welfare. This creates foresight and compassion in
the person who has received the answer—the long-range goal of the Goddess of Compassion.
I Ching Hexagrams
The I Ching does not give you specific answers to your questions but rather reveals patterns, which
help you, arrive at the answer you seek. Answers are given in 64 hexagrams of solid lines (yang) and
broken lines (yin). These represent a state of being. The most common method used to determine
hexagrams is to toss three coins three times. The traditional method is to toss a set of 50 yarrow
sticks. The I Ching dates back to around 2852 B.C. The Chinese emperor Fu-hsi developed a set of
trigrams. Later on around 1143 B.C. the trigrams were doubled to hexagrams. The I Ching found its
way to western culture in the 19th century.
The text of the I Ching is a set of oracular statements represented by 64 sets of six lines each called
hexagrams (卦 guà). Each hexagram is a figure composed of six stacked horizontal lines (爻 yáo), each
line is either Yang (an unbroken, or solid line), or Yin (broken, an open line with a gap in the center).
With six such lines stacked from bottom to top there are 64 possible combinations, and thus 64
hexagrams represented.
1 THE E IGHT T RIGRAMS
Creating a Hexagram
To generate a hexagram you must form a clear question for the oracle. Think carefully and write the
question down. Take any three identical coins and shake them in your cupped hand, then toss them
onto a flat surface. Each throw creates one line of the hexagram. It starts from the bottom and works
its way up to the top. Keep going till you have six lines stacking one on top of the other. Some lines
are so charged with positive or negative energy they can move or change into their opposite. The line
positions are the fundamental building blocks of the I Ching. They are distinguished by their quality,
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yin or yang, as well as position. Each line has a specific significance. The first line indicates a
fundamental problem or change. The changing second line shows instability. The third line shows
changes due to unforeseen timing shifts. The fourth line indicates changes due to the involvement of
others. The fifth line may point to changes because of unforeseen circumstances. The sixth line shows
a situation that is overbalanced.
Structure of the Sequence
The 64 hexagrams are grouped into 32 pairs. For 28 of the pairs, the second hexagram is created by
turning the first upside down (i.e. 180° rotation). The exception to this rule is for the 8 symmetrical
hexagrams that are the same after rotation (1 & 2, 27 & 28, 29 & 30, 61 & 62). Partners for these are
given by inverting each line: solid becomes broken and broken becomes solid.
1. CH`IEN HEXAGRAM
Ch`ien : The Creative, Heaven, creative force in action. Air over Air. Keywords : dynamic, enduring,
moving. The great force of heaven is the beginning of all. This power is now available to you.
Persistence is the key. Remain true to your vision. The Ch`ien brings harmony to all situations.
2. K`UN HEXAGRAM
K`un : The Receptive, Earth, nurturing and receptivity. Earth over Earth. Keywords : serving, receptive,
power, nourish. Your path is to support. Be of service in all ways possible. Bring things to balance.
Yield gracefully to the plans of others.
3. CHUN HEXAGRAM
Chun : Difficulty at the Beginning. Water over Thunder. Keywords : sprouting, gathering support,
hoarding. Don’t expect things to proceed easily. Give things space to grow. Once things start going,
the situation will prove to be abundant.
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4. MENG HEXAGRAM
Meng : Youthful Folly. Mountain over Water. Keywords : young, closed, unaware. Your inexperience
clouds your judgment. Stay to the sidelines and gather your information. Learn from others. Increase
your knowledge and increase your chance for success.
5. HSU HEXAGRAM
Hsu : Waiting. Water over Air. Keywords : patience, hesitate, stopped by rain. Patience, now is the
time to wait. Carefully observe the situation. Timing is utmost important. Just be patient and wait.
6. SUNG HEXAGRAM
Sung : Conflict. Air over Water. Keywords : controversy, quarrels, seek justice. Confrontation
surrounds you. Don’t arouse more conflict. Carefully clarify your position. Remain neutral if able. The
conflict may be inside yourself.
7. SHIH HEXAGRAM
Shih : The Army. Earth over Water. Keywords : organization, discipline. Everything is confused at
moment. You need to take the lead. Concentrate on detail. Pay attention. Delegate to trustworthy
people. Offer support and encouragement.
8. PI HEXAGRAM
Pi : Holding together. Water over Earth. Keywords : unite, create, harmonize. Look at the underlying
reasons for a current situation. Address the fundamental principles of your life. Reorganize your
affairs. You may have outgrown your current situation.
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9. HSIAO HEXAGRAM
Hsiao : The Taming Power of the Small. Breath over Air. Keywords : tolerate, take in, tame, train. You
are surrounded by unrelated details. Store information for the future. Use this time to improve your
experience.
10. LU HEXAGRAM
Lu : Conduct, Treading Carefully. Air over Sea. Keywords : practicing, walking, following tracks. Tread
very carefully. Take one step at a time. The path is difficult. Pause after each step to check your
position. Make changes to your position when needed.
11. T`AI HEXAGRAM
T`ai : Peace. Earth over Air. Keywords : fertile, great, prosperous. You are flowing with the spirit. Send
peace to all. Enjoy this blessed time.
12. P`I HEXAGRAM
P`i : Standstill, Stagnation. Air over Earth. Keywords : obstacle, keep quite, disapproval .You are being
blocked at every turn. Do not attempt to impose your will. You must try to look for a quite way out.
Wait with patience to find a new direction.
13. T`UNG HEXAGRAM
T`ung : Fellowship, Friends, Lovers, Union. Air over Fire. Keywords : sharing, agreement, community.
Join with those who share your vision. Develop friendship. Nurture common bonds of understanding.
Unite everyone. Bring warmth to your close friendships.
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14. TA YU HEXAGRAM
Ta Yu : Possession in Great Measure. Fire over Air. Keywords : nobility, possessions, goal orientation.
Commit to your goals. You now have the ability to gain financially, spiritually. Be generous. Develop
your flow by sharing with others.
15. QIAN HEXAGRAM
Qian : Modesty, Moderation. Earth over Mountain. Keywords : humility, stillness, immobility. Ignore
the apparent highs and lows on the surface and seek the deeper levels. The sage is modest as is
fitting for one truly enlightened. Avoid ostentation.
16. YU HEXAGRAM
Yu : Repose, harmony. Thunder over Earth. Keywords : enthusiasm, rejoicing, contentment,
precautions. Calm confidence and well-earned relaxation follow a progressive period. Take quiet
pride in a job well done. You are in a holding pattern. Take time now to prepare for the future.
Accumulate resources. Think things through several times in detail.
17. SUI HEXAGRAM
Sui : Following and Adaptation. Sea over Thunder. Keywords : inevitable, on path, sequence, accord.
The Universe is preparing a path for you. Follow this path. Flow in the direction your heading. Take
the path of least resistance.
18. KU HEXAGRAM
Ku : Work on what has been spoiled, Correcting. Mountain over Breath. Keywords : decay, evil,
poisoning, seduction. You have built on a corrupt foundation. You must stop for repairs. Clean up
confusion and error. Wait patiently for a new path to emerge.
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19. LIN HEXAGRAM
Lin : Approach, Promotion. Earth over Sea. Keywords : inspect, approve, honor. You are on the verge
of attaining a higher level. Be patient. Keep expectations humble.
20. KUAN HEXAGRAM
Kuan : Contemplation, view. Breath over Earth. Keywords : instruction, examination, observatory. You
have lost sight of the big picture. Take a step back and observe. Take time to contemplate. Direct
your attention to areas of need.
21. SHIH HO HEXAGRAM
Shih ho : Biting through, Gnawing. Fire over Thunder. Keywords : bite, crush, arrive at truth. Keep
working to overcome obstacles. If necessary, instigate legal action to protect yourself.
22. P`I HEXAGRAM
P`i : Elegance, Grace. Mountain over Fire. Keywords : adorning, luxuriance. Esthetic pleasures arise
from harmony and balance. Rooted in the warmth of affection, elegance flowers in creative
expression. Enriching and inspiring time.
23. PO HEXAGRAM
Po : Splitting Apart. Mountain over Earth. Keywords : remove, uncover, cut away. You are overloaded.
Remove useless parts of an endeavor. Get down to the essentials. Deterioration.
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24. FU HEXAGRAM
Fu : Returning, (the Turning Point.) Earth over Thunder. Keywords : retrace, renew, rebirth. You have
lost contact with your original inspiration. Go back to your origins. Returning to your origins will
reconnect to the universal stream of energy.
25. WU WANG HEXAGRAM
Wu wang : Innocence, the unexpected. Air over Thunder. Keywords : reckless, rash, enmeshed. In
order to advance you must look into your motives. Release pride, greed, vanity and revenge. If you do
not let go of negative emotion you will lose your chance of success.
26. TA CH`U HEXAGRAM
Ta ch`u : The Taming Power of the Great, Energy, Great Nurture. Mountain over Air. Keywords :
leadership, control, ability. Focus on a central idea and determine what has value. Test your ideas in
the world. This is the right time to initiate plans.
27. YI HEXAGRAM
Yi : Providing Nourishment. Mountain over Thunder. Keywords : eat, take in, provide necessities.
Assess the way your actions are feeding you mentally, emotionally, physically and mentally. Are you
giving yourself what you need in food, friends, work and spiritually.
28. TA KUO HEXAGRAM
Ta Kuo : Preponderance of the Great, Great exceeding, Excess strain. Sea over Breath. Keywords :
breaking point, critical mass. Great burdens may also be great responsibilities. This is your chance to
shine under pressure. Re-establish your grounding. Act swiftly and with confidence. Be open to new
information in rebuilding your future.
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29. K`AN HEXAGRAM
K`an : The Abyss, Water, Danger. Water over Water. Keywords : repetition, coaching, skill. You need
to crash through a situation that’s holding you back. You will gain practice at dealing with obstacles.
You will gain strength from your actions in overcoming obstacles.
30. LI HEXAGRAM
Li : The Clinging, Fire. Fire over Fire. Keywords : Radiance, beauty, intelligence. This suggests a
peaceful, productive period after a shakeup. Good fortune to come.
31. HSIEN HEXAGRAM
Hsien : Conjoining, Attraction, Pleasure. Sea over Mountain. Keywords : contact, mobilization,
wholeness. Your focus and energy is scattered. Bring together that which belongs together. Reach out
and join others. Someone or something has the vital piece of the puzzle.
32. HENG HEXAGRAM
Heng : Persevering. Thunder over Breath. Keywords : enduring, habitual, cycles of the moon.
Persistence; a constant effort towards a goal. Persevere in spite of heavy obstacles. Your steps can be
small and comfortable, just be consistent.
33. TUN HEXAGRAM
Tun : Retreat, Yielding. Air over mountain. Keywords : obscurity, seclusion, trickster. Time to
withdraw from the present situation. It’s time to rest. Use your period of rest to rebuild. Avoid
difficult people.
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34. TA CHUANG HEXAGRAM
Ta Chuang : Great Invigorating. Thunder over Air. Keywords : inspiration, nobility, maturity. Your
personal power is at its peak. Use this power to protect and lead others. Act firmly and decisively but
take care for the good of all around you.
35. CHIN HEXAGRAM
Chin : Prospering. Fire over Earth. Keywords : rise, permeate, promotion, progress. Finally the Sun is
coming out from behind the clouds. Step into the light and enjoy. Share what you have and
encourage others to relax too.
36. MING YI HEXAGRAM
Ming yi : Darkening of the Light. Earth over Fire. Keywords : Darkening, Injury, repression. You are
venturing in uncertain waters. Conceal your strengths. Draw no attention to yourself. Assess the
dangers that lie ahead and put them to rest.
37. CHIA JEN HEXAGRAM
Chia jen : Dwelling People, Family, Clan. Breath over Fire. Keywords : relations, community, mastery
of skill. Your strength comes from the friends around you. Focus on improving the relationship with
others around you. Support others with enthusiasm. Focus your energies on bringing out the best in
people.
38. K`UEI HEXAGRAM
K`uei : Polarizing, estrangement, opposition. Fire over Sea. Keywords : contrary, creative tension, odd
perspective. You are separated from your desired result. Clarify what is working against you. Adjust
details so as to work with the power of the opposition. Use the power of the opposite as your own.
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39. CHIEN HEXAGRAM
Chien : Limping, Obstacles. Water over Mountain. Keywords : troubles, difficulty, halting, hardship.
Symbolic abundant rainfall leading to avalanches, mud slides, flash floods blocking the road ahead.
What seems normally benevolent, even essential, like water, may become violent like a bursting dam.
Patience and care are required to eliminate internal causes of trouble.
40. HSIEH HEXAGRAM
Hsieh : Taking Apart, deliverance. Thunder over Water. Keywords : discharge, server, free from
constraint. Take action to dispel tensions. Untie yourself from troubling situations. This will bring
support from the universe.
41. SUN HEXAGRAM
Sun : Diminishing, decrease. Breath over Breath. Keywords : lessen, give away, sacrifice. Clean out
your closets. Get rid of anything or anyone who is holding you back. Ask yourself, "What am I doing?"
Make room for new things in your life.
42. YI HEXAGRAM
Yi : Augmenting, increase. Breath over Thunder. Keywords : Gain, benefit, increase. A gentle breeze
clears away the thunderclouds and encourages the newly moistened earth to bring forth abundant
fruits. When an objective is kept in mind, progress can be made each day.
43. KUAI HEXAGRAM
Kuai : Displacement, resoluteness. Sea over Air. Keywords : resolution, settlement, breakthrough.
Misperceptions and errors are building around you. State your purpose in clear and certain terms.
Confront difficulties in a calm approach. Stand firm in the face of opposition.
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44. KOU HEXAGRAM
Kou : Coupling, Sexual Meeting. Air over Breath. Keywords : temptation, magnetism, primal forces. Be
open to the unknown. A brief meeting may lead to great possibilities. Respond with truth to what you
find. This period of change will not last. Use this time to replenish yourself.
45. TS`UI HEXAGRAM
Ts`ui : Clustering, gathering together. Sea over Earth. Keywords : unity, concentration, assembly.
Your leadership powers are strong now. Inspire others with your vision. A time for organization. Seek
out and learn from powerful people.
46. SHENG HEXAGRAM
Sheng : Ascending, Advancement. Earth over Breath. Keywords : promotion, effort, fulfilled potential.
It is time to grow upward and seek the Sun. Set your sights on ascending. Gather your resources
around you. This path requires careful timing and preparation.
47. K`UN HEXAGRAM
K`un : Confining, Oppression. Sea over Water. Keywords: Weariness, adversity, exhaustion. Sinking
into dark chaos for a period of up to 3 years encountering bad times and misfortune. True words may
be spoken but they will not be heard or believed.
48. CHING HEXAGRAM
Ching : Welling, The Well, The Source. Water over Breath. Keywords : nucleus, well, resources. The
source of truth lies beneath you like a deep well. You must dig deep into your nature to find it. Once
connected, maintain your access by sometimes dipping into the well.
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49. KO HEXAGRAM
Ko : Skinning, Renovation. Sea over Fire. Keywords : change, elimination, revolution. Express yourself
in a new way. Remove old patterns. Step forward as the self you want to be. Put aside old regrets.
Trust your instincts.
50. TING HEXAGRAM
Ting : Holding, Cauldron. Fire over Breath. Keywords : magic vessel, transmutation. Focus is the key to
positive change. What your mind can contain in its magic cauldron, you can recreate in life.
51. CHEN HEXAGRAM
Chen : Shake, Shock. Thunder over Thunder. Keywords : awakening, breakthrough, earthquake. This is
the time of the judgment call. This is a period of major changes. Remain calm, for when the shock
passes, you will find treasure.
52. KEN HEXAGRAM
Ken : Keeping Still, bound. Mountain over Mountain. Keywords : boundary, standstill, completion.
you have reached the limit of a situation. You must be still to perceive the true nature of your
condition. Look beyond your current desires to the big picture. Refrain from compulsive action.
53. CHIEN HEXAGRAM
Chien : Infiltrating, development. Breath over Mountain. Keywords : gradual progress, partnership.
Suggests a union like a marriage between two individuals; increasing fortune and prosperity will be
the result. Consider your partnerships well.
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54. KUEI MEI HEXAGRAM
Kuei mei : Converting the Maiden, subordination. Thunder over Sea. Keywords : belonging, changing
form. You are being led by a great force into a new situation. Accept what fate has delivered to you.
Let go of present attachments and prepare yourself for the enormous change that fate has planned
for you.
55. FENG HEXAGRAM
Feng : Abounding, development. Thunder over Fire. Keywords : abundant, exuberant, luxurious. This
is your time to shine. Your energy radiates to all those around you. Share with others. Put arguments
behind you.
56. LU HEXAGRAM
Lu : Sojourning, Travel. Fire over Mountain. Keywords : the wanderer, traveling. Sunset beckons the
traveler westward to the promised land. Compulsory journeys are inevitable for immigrants,
fugitives, nomads, and refugees. A traveler or stranger is regarded with suspicion.
57. SUN HEXAGRAM
Sun : Ground, Calculations, Spirit. Breath over Breath. Keywords: Gentleness, Breath, Wind. Gently
penetrating breezes bring the breath of life to nature in each season of renewal. Inspiration will come
to you.
58. TUI HEXAGRAM
Tui : Open, Joy. Sea over Sea. Keywords : exchange, delight, persuasion. Time to socialize, party,
gather friends together. Get involved in creative activities. Its time to play and enjoy.
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59. HUAN HEXAGRAM
Huan : Dispersing, dissolution. Breath over Water. Keywords : wash away, disperse. Clear up any
misunderstandings. Shine the light on all your efforts. Take the lead and be flexible in your path. Your
actions will clear the energy block.
60. CHIEH HEXAGRAM
Chieh : Articulating, restraint. Water over sea. Keywords : sections, economy, limits. It`s time to
reorganize and take care of unfinished business. Manage your time more effectively. Use the power
of this hexagram to reorganize your affairs.
61. CHUNG FU HEXAGRAM
Chung fu : Center returning, Inner Truth, Inner insight. Breath over Sea. Keywords : reliability,
sincerity, stability. The key to your questions lies in your ability to make your actions fit your words
and ideas. Practice what you preach. If you show you are trustworthy you will move forward faster.
62. HSIAO KUO HEXAGRAM
Hsiao kuo : Small Exceeding. Thunder over Mountain. Keywords : lessen, unimportant, getting clear
of. A pile of red tape is on the horizon. Don’t get overwhelmed. Take care of one thing at a time. Keep
focused firmly on your goal.
63. CHI CHI HEXAGRAM
Chi chi : Already fording, equilibrium. Water over Fire. Keywords : overcoming, cross a river. You’re on
your way to completion now. Resist the temptation to become complacent. Continue to put energy
into your project.
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64. WEI CHI HEXAGRAM
Wei chi : Not yet Fording, incompletion. Fire over Water. Keywords : overcoming, beginning, Before
Ending. You have lots of energy and are ready to act on possibilities. Make sure of your chosen path.
Once you are sure, set off on your new journey.
Lampadomancy
Lampadomancy is a form of divination involving divining the flame of a lamp. It was good fortune if
the flame had a single point. However two points is a sign of bad luck. A flame that bent may indicate
illness and sparks indicated news. Sudden extinction of a flame was considered a very bad omen.
Lecanomancy
A form of divination where a stone is thrown into a basin of water. The scryer will divine by the sound
the stone makes in the water and the images of the rippling water. Sometimes oil is used instead of a
rock. In this case the scryer interprets the shapes of the oil floating on the water.
Lychnomancy
Lychnomancy is a form of divination by candle flame. It is a branch of Pyromancy. The diviner is
concerned with the flames of three candles arranged in a triangle. A positive answer to the question
asked would be indicated by one flame burning higher than the other two. A wavering flame would
indicate a journey. A spiral flame indicated plots by enemies. An uneven flame danger. Sparks would
indicate you should be cautious and a sudden extinction indicated bad luck.
Molybdomancy
Molybdomancy is a system of divination that uses melted metal. Melted lead or tin is dropped into a
container of water. The diviner interprets the shapes to make his predictions. Molybdomancy is
similar to Ceroscopy, which uses wax.
Monitions of approach
Monitions of Approach are ideas of an impending meeting with someone. Basically it’s when you see
someone you know only to realize it’s not them, and then soon after the real person appears. Some
Monitions appear in a much more complicated way. For example it may come in the voice of
announcing someone, then the real person. It may be that the astral body of the person is somehow
projected in advance.
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Muscle reading
Muscle reading is similar to telepathy or mind reading. Muscle readers generally work with an
audience. It is the unconscious movement of a member of the audience whose hands they hold that
guide the performer in giving dates of coins, combinations of safes, location of hidden objects, etc.
Myomancy
Myomancy was a form of divination involving rats during ancient Egypt, Rome and Assyria. Their cries
were believed to indicate the presence of evil. When King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Egypt, his
soldiers discovered their quivers and bows had been gnawed by rats. His soldiers fled unarmed and
were slain.
Numerology
Numerology is the consideration of nature through mathematics. The basics
of numerology is to reduce a number to one through nine by adding them
together. For instance 266 would be 5.
2+6+6=14, 1+4=5
Numerology is used with your birth date, your name, and many other dates and occurrences that
involve numbers. The explanation of the numbers slightly varies from the different cultures, but most
are similar in most respects. The number arrived at from adding one's name together is generally
known to reveal one's personality, while the number of the birth date arrived is said to reveal the
potential of one's fate.
Numerology is very similar to astrology in that there are many considerations. We cannot completely
describe everyone by grouping then into nine categories. These two numbers are only a small part of
the larger picture. If you are truly interested in numerology as a way divination, then take time to
learn.
The Power of Numbers
For many ancient people, numbers were fate. The nine single whole numbers and the mathematical
forms that you can build from them expressed a fundamental mystery of the cosmos. Numerological
divination and “magic squares,” number charms to draw and control spirit energies, are found in
India, Greece, Egypt, China, and old Europe. A number gave shape to things; it “set the gods and
demons in motion. If you knew your number, you knew who you were and what would be the
challenges and blessings you faced in this life.
Modern numerologists use their systems to produce analysis of personality traits and behavior
patterns, and describe the potential for compatibility. They can help explain why certain people may
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have difficulty understanding each other and point at areas of possible communication. They
investigate the powers of names, fortunate numbers and dates, and their effect on identity and
individual happiness.
Omens
An omen is a sign that relates to a future event. It may or may not give a time frame as to when this
event will occur. Some omens are signs of good fortune while others are a sign of impending
misfortune.
Heard and Overheard
If bones tell of the presence of the dead and need ritual specialists to handle the contact, the kleidon
or random word omen was available to all. It suggests an atmosphere charged with souls and spirits
who express themselves through turning and redirecting “winged words”. It appears in virtually all
cultures on both a popular and a highly sophisticated level.
On the most basic level, the word omen appears spontaneously. Here is a modern example: a
woman was walking down the street, struggling with what to do about a complicated relationship,
when she heard a female voice scream from a telephone booth: “All right, then I’ll simply take my
things and go!” The omen spoke directly to her situation. These omens can also be solicited. In
Tibet, a diviner may propose a question; put a bone with a piece of juniper tied to it with white wool
in his left pocket, and walk out the door. The first words he hears answer the question. In traditional
China, officials would pay very careful attention to the songs that children sang in the streets, seeing
them as a direct reflection of coming events.
Crossing the Threshold
Any event that occurs at a “threshold” becomes an omen. Traditional peoples are much more aware
of borders, thresholds, and liminality, the in-between state where things change shape, than we are.
Like a cat approaching a door, they are very careful of the images that emerge from this in-between
state, where, literally, anything may happen. The threshold may be the first step out of the door, the
beginning of a journey, the passage from one stage of life to another, the transition from sleep to
waking, from the known world into an unknown, the beginning of a relationship, and the approach to
a crossroads. All are a dark door or portal into the unknown. Images that emerge at this time are
charged with importance.
Celtic diviners used the augury of the “first thing seen” as a trial or proof of significant events. The
diviner would climb a hill or grave mound, consider the question and start down. The first creature
he met was the answer to the question. To find the luck of the year to come, an inquirer would walk
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out of his house on the New Year with his eyes closed. When he opened them, the first thing he saw
was the omen.
Border Crossing
Here are two practices that may make you aware of the power hidden in the small events of everyday
life. The two thresholds we cross virtually every day are the border from sleep to waking and the
threshold of the house. Be like an animal, which is very careful about crossing these borders. Take a
moment to wake up, and remember the last images you have as you move into the day. Similarly, as
you cross the threshold of your house, be aware of any happening or image that reaches out to you
that strikes your attention. Carry these images with you during the day and watch how they connect
with the things that happen to you. Entertain the images, and let the connections emerge.
Birds of Omen
A look at what traditional cultures value as signs and omens gives us another clue as to how the
divinatory language works. In many cultures, birds are the creatures of omen par excellence. In fact,
signs and birds are interchangeable: “Happy is he who can distinguish the birds, and avoid the evils”,
an old poet said. Birds are messengers of change, fate, illumination, death, and transformation,
spirit-guides and vehicles for travel in other realities.
Soul-birds and bird-masked dancers haunt the 15,000-year-old- cave-paintings at Lascaux. They
descend into the shaman’s body to carry him on the heavenly journey. The “feathered guest” and
ecstatic journey of the Chinese shaman would draw the spirits to incarnate in human bodies. Raven
and crow, crane and diver bring the shape-changing gifts of culture. Owl and vulture announce the
opening of the gates of death and wisdom, the dove heralds a visit from the Goddess of Desire or the
Holy Spirit, the “calling crane” points at an immortal soul. The bird sign signals an influx of spirit, a
reminder of an old celestial paradise. It gives people the assurance that they are not alone in a world
full of demons and hostile forces. Migratory birds have an uncanny ability to follow electromagnetic
currents and predict weather patterns, while trackers know that birds will tell them of everything that
is moving in a forest. Birds’ movement parallels the gifts of thought; their sudden appearance is the
visible sign of what we call intuition. Learning to speak the “language of the birds” is a sign for the
clairvoyant ability to perceive hidden patterns. Bird flight was seen as the origin of writing, bird song
as the beginning of music. Transformation into a bird is the happiest of fates and sign of the ecstatic
journey.
Birds, said Plutarch, a Greek philosopher and oracle-priest of c. 46-120 C.E., because of their speed,
intelligence, and the justice of their movements, through which they show themselves aware of
everything that strikes the imagination put themselves, like true instruments, at the service of the
divine. It permeates their movements and pulls their songs and calls from them. Sometimes they
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hold back, sometimes they launch themselves with the impetuous force of the wind to interrupt
violently certain of our acts and intentions or to aid their realization. That is why we call them
“messengers of the gods”.
Birds are the sign for the intervention of spirit in human life. Drawing lots, the random fall of a card
or dice, the sudden appearance of a figure in dreams, a sudden body sign, an unexpected voice,
event, or vision all have the numinous and mythic quality associated with the bird as spiritmessenger. All these signs were seen as “bird”, and further associated with the daimones, spirits of
the air who hold the world of the gods and the human world together. This is the background to the
long effort of medieval Christian literature to turn birds into the helpers of the saints.
Though any bird could be an omen when it appeared in a “charged moment,” certain birds were
singled out as particular carriers of meaning. In Homeric Greece, as in many Indo-European cultures,
the bird of omen was the lone eagle or hawk, the oinos, associated with kings, destiny, blood, and
sacrifice.
Like many Mediterranean cultures, archaic Greece recognized three kinds of divining and diviners:
the hieros, who read signs in animal sacrifices; the onieropolos, the reader of omens in dreams; and
the mantis, who read bird signs and “saw” through a kink of imaginative induction that was induced
by a sign. This ability was a gift—or curse—that ran in certain families.
Omphalomancy
Omphalomancy is a form of divination by the navel of a new born first child. It is used to ascertain
future conceptions by the mother. These indications were obtained from the number of markings on
the navel of the child.
Onimancy
Onimancy is a form of divination based on the observation of the angel Uriel. Some oil of olives is
placed on the palm or nails of a young virgin child. If money is sought the face of the child must be
turned to the east. If divining about romance, the child must face south. For robbery, west, and for
murder, south. The child must repeat the 72 verses of the Psalms, which the Hebrew Kabalists
collected for the Urim and Thummim.
Onychomancy
Onychomancy is a form of divination by the fingernails. It was practiced by watching the reflection of
the Sun in the nails of a young boy. The future was divined by judging the shape of the figures, which
appeared on the surface.
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Oracle
An Oracle is a person who acts as a go between for those who seek council from the Gods. Some
people use an Oracle to seek a prophecy. Sometimes the Oracle will take on the role of being a
medium whose soul is temporarily taken over so as to pass on the information. Oracles have been
used by the Dalai Lama and as well in ancient cultures such as Greece.
Ornithomancy
Ornithomancy is a method of divination that interprets the flight patterns of birds. It also refers to
the divination of the songs of birds. It was a very popular form of divination during ancient Rome
where in fact it was part of its religion.
As the Crow Flies
The crow or raven omen occurs in many cultures, and if you have ever observed how these
remarkable birds interact with humans, you will have a sense of their “ominous”, unsettling presence.
The crow was a sun-bird and a trickster, eater of corpses, and shape-changer in cultures as diverse as
those in China, Greece, and North America. No Greek would continue a journey or an activity if a
crow flew on or toward his left. In traditional Tibet, the crow or raven was the divinatory bird par
excellence. Crows were never killed, for they were regarded as messengers of the Mahakala, the
great protectors. People watched their movements and learned to understand their strange, piercing
calls and cries. As in Greece, Etruria, and Babylon, there were specific tests dealing with interpreting
these bird-signs that combined the direction of flight and the time of day to produce a series of
specific omens ranging from the appearance of a guest, enemy, or malevolent demon to where to
search for something lost. But this is just a background. Most often the meaning lies in the
immediacy of the sign.
Celtic peoples recognized both the raven and the wren as divinatory birds. Here too we see an
association of bird-signs, “seeing”, dreams, and other divining methods. Later Celtic diviners
attempted to locate the appearance of the sign in a divinatory cosmos based on the direction of the
birds’ calls. The efforts are noted in medieval manuscripts.
Palmistry
Palmistry has been studied for ages as well all over the world. Palmistry in India 5000 years ago
was called Hast Samudrika Shastra and was part of a greater science, Samudrika ShastraIt was
studied by the Egyptians, the Tibetans, and was most notably documented by Aristotle in his book
Chiromantia. In this Aristotle writes.
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De coelo et mundi causa
The lines are not written into the human hands without reason, they come from heavenly
influences and man's own individuality.
Palmistry is the study of the hands; their shape, size, lines, texture, and their changes. This old
divinatory art spread throughout Europe, Africa, and the East. Palmistry sees the hand as a
microcosm on which a life is figured forth. Each part of the hand is associated with a planetary
spirit—the “mounds” of Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun, Venus, the fields of Mars, while the general shape of
the palm and its relation to the fingers show a person’s temperament. The lines on the palm weave
the story of an individual life unfolding: life line, heart line, head line, fate line, line of the Sun, girdle
of Venus; while smaller patterns like chains, crosses, branches, and islands connect or modify their
flow. Reading the interactions gives clues to the potential, problems, and direction of a person’s life.
Pendulum
Pendulum divination is quite a varied art. For the most part it involves a weight suspended from a
string or chain. The weight can be anything; a ring, crystal, piece of metal, wood, or stone. The
pendulum is then suspended over the palm, a chart, sand, a glass of water or many other things.
Before you begin it is important to decide the answers. For instance you may say that if it swing
clockwise that is 'yes' while counter-clockwise is 'no'. It could be side-to-side and front-to-back, or the
number of tapes on a glass. Others draw a chart first and where the pendulum swings is the answer.
Pendulum use was prevalent in Roman history and notably used by Nostradamus.
Pendulums have long been used to divine the future. Witches often use pendulums as well as other
divination techniques to decide if it is the right time to perform a ritual or spell. Questions asked of a
pendulum must be clear and unambiguous. Rest your hand on a table or other stable surface, holding
the pendulum so that the two weights swing freely. Start by asking a question to which you know the
answer is "yes." Watch for the pendulum to respond by swinging slightly in one direction. It makes no
difference which direction. This is the direction of your "yes" answer and will guide you in future
questions. Be sure to purify your pendulum with water mixed with a purifying herb such as anise,
blessed thistle, cedar, hyssop, or rosemary. Say a brief prayer to the goddess or god of your choice
while dipping the ends of the pendulum into the water mixture.
Pessomancy
Pessomancy is a form of divination that uses beans or pebbles. The beans are marked with symbols
relating to health, success, travel, love, etc. The stones were usually thrown out after shuffling in a
bag. The divinator would then interpret from this.
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Phrenology
Phrenology is the art of reading bumps on a person’s head. It is believed that confirmations of the
skull correspond with characteristics of the mind and body. Phrenologists believe that external areas
above the skull grow above specific regions of the brain in that a person chooses to develop.
Phrenologists believe that balanced development of the mind is essential.
Phyllorhodomancy
Phyllorhodomancy is a form of divination by Rose leaves. During ancient Greece, they would clap a
Rose leaf on the hand. The omen was in the sound it made. A good clear sound was positive, but a
muffled sound was a bad omen.
Planchette
The Planchette was an instrument designed for the purpose of communicating with spirits. It was
made of a thin heart shaped piece of wood, that was mounted on two small wheel castors and
carrying a pencil pointing downwards. The hand is placed on the wood and the spirit uses the pencil
to write, operating through the psychic force of the medium.
Poppy seeds
Divination by smoke was very common in many ancient cultures. For this purpose Poppy seeds were
often used on the fire. If the smoke rose lightly and straight towards the heavens it was considered a
good sign. If however, the smoke hung around it way considered a bad omen. In ancient Europe a
pregnant woman would place Poppy seeds on a window ledge if she wanted a Boy, and sugar if she
wanted a Girl.
Prenestine lots
Prenestine Lots was a form of divination by lots. This form of divination was popular in ancient Italy.
The letters of the alphabet were placed in an urn, which was shaken. The letters were then turned
out on the floor. The words that were formed were regarded as omens.
Psychic telephone
The Psychic Telephone was an instrument consisting of a box inside which was a rubber bag
connected with a pair of earphones from a radio set.
If a Medium inflated the bag with their breath and then sealed it, the bag would then take the place
of the medium.
Direct voices would be heard through the earphones.
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Psychometry
Psychometry is the ability to read the history of certain objects by holding the object in your hand or
placing it to your forehead. Usually small personal objects such as a watch, ring, key or other personal
objects are the best.
People with the ability to scry this way are called Psychometrists. The term psychometry was
invented in 1842 by J R Buchanan.
Buchanan experimented with some students from Cincinnati medical school and found that when
certain students were given an unmarked bottle of medicine they had the same reaction as if they
had taken the medicine. Buchanan developed the theory that all things give off an emanation.
These emanations contained a sort of record of the history of the object. Buchanan believed that
objects recorded senses and emotions and these could be played back in the mind of the
psychometric scryer.
Some theosophists attempt to explain psychometry in terms of the Akashic records. Psychometrists
usually scry in a normal state of mind.
In other words there is no preparation needed or any need for trance, etc. Scryers are sometimes
unable to hold certain objects because of that objects past. For example: if the object had been used
in a violent crime.
In some cases if a scryer has been handed an object of someone who recently died of illness the
scryer may suffer from symptoms of the illness. Psychometric impressions may come in the form of
emotions, sounds, scents, tastes or images.
The visions are usually very rapid in nature. The visual images occur with no logical sequences.
Psychometrists usually experience a loss of energy and an increase in body temperature when
scrying. Some scryers report an irregular heartbeat.
It is generally thought that psychometry is a natural power of the human mind, but some people
believe that it is controlled by spiritual beings. Some scryers feel that they act as an instrument and
that the spirits do the actual scrying.
If you possess a talent for psychometry you probably already know it. It usually starts at an early age
and seems to be a natural gift not something that is learnt.
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Runes
Runes are the ancient alphabet of the Norse. They have been used for divination purposes as well by
many other tribes of the past including many Germanic. They are most often carved into stones, but
can be craved or drawn on anything from bones to shells, and wood. There are 24 runes, but some
include a blank rune, the Rune of Odin. The runes are used in a similar fashion to the tarot. The actual
rune marking themselves are different depending upon what era and what area they are from, the
Norse being the most widely used.
Carved in Wood and Stone
Runes are the magical alphabet of the North, of central and northern Europe. Though they were
used as a form of writing, particularly for short magical inscriptions, their primary use was divination
and decision making. The word “rune” means “whisper” or “secret”. They are a system of secret
talking and sacred signs, symbols that connect you with ancestors, spirits, and the living world.
Runes as a system of divination and communication actually arose from collision between cultures
from two ends of Europe. They combine very old signs and symbols, seen on pottery, standing
stones, ritual objects, and cave paintings throughout the North as early as Paleolithic times, with a
variant of what is probably an old Etruscan on North Italic alphabet.
One myth of origins has to do with the Volsungr, an ancestral northern tribe that wandered into
Europe ahead of the great Ice Age. They were seen as semi-divine beings that cared for the world,
guardians of the primordial forests and the “dragon-paths”, the ancient lines of connection between
things. They “sowed the world” with the signs and the wisdom of the Ur-runes, which offer help to
anyone suffering need or oppression.
At some point this Ur-horde of signs encountered one of the early Mediterranean alphabets.
Through this collision it became a divination system, a magical writing. The act of putting these two
things together, of seeing that magic, system, and insight are simultaneously possible, is described in
a myth of Odin. This god of wisdom, divining, and the Horde of the Dead, hung upside down on the
World Tree for nine days, “dedicated to himself”. At the end of this shamanistic journey he “saw”
how the magical and the systematic power of signs—and of the mind—could be put together. He
“took up the runes”.
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The oldest and most often used form of the runes is the collection of 24 Germanic rune-staves that is
called the Elder Futhark. This collection of signs defines an imaginative world inhabited from
Paleolithic times until well into the 17th century. As late as 1700, people were burned for using them.
The 24 signs are arranged in three families, or aett (plural of aettir), of eight signs each. The
sequence of signs in each aett is significant, and each is ruled over by a particular spirit: Freya and
Frey, goddess and god of fertility, love and increase; Heimdall, the Watcher and keeper of the
Rainbow Bridge to the Heavens; and Tyr, war-leader and spirit of the Just. Each rune is a symbolic
storehouse and a magical talisman with a field of meanings that connects objects, creatures, feelings,
experiences, spirits, and archetypal processes. They are seen as a description of the inner structure
of reality. Their movement in a particular situation articulates the way Wyrd, fate, is weaving our
lives.
Because the runes did not go through the fixation of meaning associated with imperial culture and
the development of a universal compass, their fields of meaning remain fluid and individual. Old
texts and traditions, written much later than the signs themselves, give sets f associations, but the
intuition still has free play. This is one of the reasons for their modern rediscovery.
The runes are more than a way of sending secret messages. They exist in the middle of a group of
“pagan” practices that includes weaving spells, speaking with the dead, and traveling in the spirit.
They were inscribed on objects to give them power and potency, used to curse enemies, and seen as
doorways to identification with a pagan god. They would be used to examine the life-path of a
newborn child or to determine the path a tribe would follow. The cultures that used the runes put a
high value on women and the power of the goddesses. Wise women and runemasters used these
signs to understand what the gods wanted; to see and change the shape of coming events.
Nordic Runes
Fehu
Symbolism: cattle and therefore possessions,
community wealth and prosperity.
Magickal Uses: Can be used for temporary good
luck or success in the sense of community.
Uruz
Symbolism: Wild Oxen, strength, sacrifice
Magickal Uses: Releasing or taming powers
of oneself and nature.
Thurisa
Symbolism: a giant or demon.
Magickal Uses: increases the fears of those
already afraid.
Ansuz
Symbolism: mouth, river mouths, Loki.
Magickal Uses: invocation, writings,
especially prose.
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Raido
Symbolism: journeys, riding away in the
darkness, the soul after death.
Magickal Uses: necromancy and séance, as well
as help in great changes.
Kano
Symbolism: a torch, torchlight, or lit entrance
to a cave.
Magickal Uses: spiritual understanding,
learning, banishing darkness.
Gebo
Symbolism: gifts or offerings
Magickal Uses: a sign by which a an offering can
be made under.
Wunjo
Symbolism: joy without sorrow or suffering.
Magickal Uses: good to help in the timing of
spells. Always works best in multiples of nine.
Hagalz Hail, ice, and other damaging winter
weather.
Symbolism:
Magickal Uses: meditation, decisions,
overcoming obstacles of the self.
Nauthiz
Symbolism: constraints, locks, and bindings.
Magickal Uses: success from what binds you.
Isa
Symbolism: staff or spear
Magickal Uses: useful when there is a need for
authority.
Jera
Symbolism: fall and the harvest.
Magickal Uses: farming, gardening. Carve
into your door at the new year for luck.
Eihwaz
Symbolism: the yew tree
Magickal Uses: some protection and balance.
Useful with other runes to aid in the balance of
spells.
Perth
Symbolism: the Phoenix, secrets, burial
mounds.
Magickal Uses: confrontation of our
weaknesses, failures, and dark side.
Algiz
Symbolism: elk's head.
Magickal Uses: protection.
Sowelu
Symbolism: the sun.
Magickal Uses: strength, power, and
knowledge.
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Teiwaz
Symbolism: victorious battle.
Magickal Uses: protection and/or victory.
Berkana
Symbolism: birch tree.
Magickal Uses: healing, fertility, childbirth.
Ehwaz
Symbolism: horse and the movement of the sun.
Magickal Uses: good luck, aid from friends and
the divine.
Mannaz
Symbolism: human.
Magickal Uses: to know oneself, improve
dreaming, or magick for a particular individual.
Laguz
Symbolism: breaking waves, ebb and flow, the
sea.
Magickal Uses: psychic ability.
Inguz
Symbolism: The hero Ing, or a village behind
walls.
Magickal Uses: to establish dedication or to
work with the influence of a community.
Othila
Symbolism: a home, native land, or possible a
lock.
Magickal Uses: strengthening latent talents and
aiding in partnerships of all kinds.
Dagaz
Symbolism: the sun, daylight, prosperity.
Magickal Uses: good luck and spiritual
advancement
Making your own Runes
When you make your own runes, you really have a great opportunity to make a very personalized
divination item. Runes can be made on stones, sticks, feathers, seashells, clay, nearly anything you
can write one on. You may choose to use only stones, only sticks, or a combination of a few.
You will need 24 pieces of your chosen media, some people include a 25th as the rune of Odin, it is
blank. You may want to make them small enough that you can fit them all in your hand at once in
order to cast them.
Next prepare your pieces however they need it, sand them, and clean them, whatever. Then you can
paint, burn, carve, and engrave your runes. All that would be left is make a bag to carry them in.
Ogham Runes
The Ogham rune set can be used for both writing and for divination. When written it can be read
either from the top down or from left to right. In the example, below, both vertically and horizontally,
these spell WITCHES.
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These runes can make candle rituals especially powerful if you inscribe the desired effect of the ritual
in the candle wax. This can be done either by choosing the one rune that most fits the desired effect
and inscribing it or actually using the alphabet correspondences to write it out.
For divination you can use the runes in several different ways. Choose an individual rune to get an
overall insight into the situation. A simple divination technique is to choose three runes, the first
signifies the past, the second the present and the third the future. This gives a bit more of an in depth
look into the situation.
Beith / Birch
Letter: B
Magickal Uses: A new start and beginning, cleansing, changes.
Luis / Rowan
Letter: L
Magickal Uses: Protection against enchantment,
control of all the senses, responsibility for your own
life.
Fearn / Alder
Letter: F, V
Magickal Uses: Oracular and protective, spiritual guidance, help
in making choices.
Salle / Willow
Letter: S
Magickal Uses: Night vision , lunar rhythms, female
aspects, gaining balance in life.
Nuin / Ash
Letter: N
Magickal Uses: Inner and outer worlds linked, macrocosm and
microcosm, feeling constricted in your choices, being locked into
one course of events.
Huathe / Hawthorn
Letter: H
Magickal Uses: Cleansing and chastity, protection,
enforced rest, either spiritual or physical.
Duir / Oak
Letter: D
Magickal Uses: Solid protection, doorway to the mysteries,
strength.
Tinne / Holly
Letter: T
Magickal Uses: Best in the fight, finding the energy
and guidance to solve problems.
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Coll / Hazel
Letter: C, K
Magickal Uses: Intuition, straight to the source, drawing on
creative energy.
Quert / Apple
Letter: Q
Magickal Uses: Having to choose between two
equally good options, a choice that must be made.
Muin / Vine
Letter: M
Magickal Uses: Prophesy, inner growth, relaxation.
Gort / Ivy
Letter: G
Magickal Uses: The spiral of the self, search for
self, take time in making a decision.
NgEtal / Reed
Letter: Ng
Magickal Uses: Direct action, sudden surprises or upsets.
Straif / Blackthorn
Letter: Ss, St, Z
Magickal Uses: No choice, however unpleasant,
cleansing, refusal to look at the truth, confusions and
resentment.
Ruis / Elder
Letter: R
Magickal Uses: The end in the beginning and the beginning in
the end.
Alim / Silver Fir
Letter: A
Magickal Uses: High views and long sight, a need to
learn from the past.
Ohn / Furze
Letter: O
Magickal Uses: Be alert for information which is coming, good at
collecting, a magpie.
Ur / Heather
Letter: U, W
Magickal Uses: Links to inner-self, all heal, healing
and growth on a spiritual level.
Eadha / White Poplar
Letter: E
Magickal Uses: Helps rebirth, prevents illness, doubts and fears
may arise.
Ioho / Yew
Letter: I, J, Y
Magickal Uses: Rebirth and everlasting, complete
change.
Koad / Grove
Letter: Ch, Kh, Ea
Magickal Uses: A sacred place, all knowledge available past,
present and future.
Oir / Spindle
Letter: Th, Oi
Magickal Uses: Sweetness and delight, sudden
intelligence, must finish obligations before forward
motion is possible.
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Uilleand / Honeysuckle
Letter: Pe, P, Ui
Magickal Uses: Hidden secret, be cautious in moving forward.
Phagos / Beech
Letter: Ph, Io
Magickal Uses: Old knowledge, old writing.
Mor / The Sea
Letter: Xi, X, Ae
Magickal Uses: The sea, travel, maternal links.
Scrying
Scrying is the act of gazing into an object, usually a dark bowl of water, mirror, flame, or crystal
ball to reveal insight. This was used in many forms all over the world, and is still a common
form of divination today.
You may have heard or read that unless a crystal sphere is made of true quartz, it will not work. Or
that a perfect sphere without any visible flaws is a must. While still others say that a scrying mirror or
crystal must never be touched by sunlight or it will not work. These statements are simply not true.
There are however, legitimate reasons for each of these myths, but it doesn't mean that you have to
follow them in order to scry effectively.
In order to better understand scrying let us break down the process to the basics so we can
understand why there are some real rules that do exist. This way you can determine for yourself if
you wish to follow them or not.
In order to scry you will need some type of reflective surface. This is in order to achieve what is more
commonly known as the Ganzfeld effect or state. An example of this state would be staring at a blank
wall until you begin to hallucinate and see patterns or images that seem to appear on the wall.
While the example above is a very basic one, it does give an accurate example of how scrying works.
The only difference is that scrying has an actual occult side to it. It isn't how you get to the mind state
of scrying that is important, it is the mysteries that are revealed to you once you are there that is
important.
The difficult part of the process is interpreting what you see when you scry. There are many books
that will define each image you see, but the bottom line is that it is up to each individual to determine
for themselves what the images mean.
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To begin you should place your scrying medium on your altar or on a table at a 45 degree angle from
your line of site while sitting in a comfortable position. Then arrange some candles throughout the
room so that they are elevated above the scrying medium but remain outside of your direct line of
sight. Some individuals choose to cast a circle of protection at this time or recite a blessing or charge
over the medium and over the entire scrying session.
Breathe deeply and rhythmically while gazing at the medium. When you feel that you are relaxed,
keep looking at the medium. Your first sessions many last 10 to 30 minutes, but work up to an hour at
a time. Do not be critical of yourself or your results at first. If you fall asleep that's ok, if you
daydream that's ok too. Just let it happen, no matter what. In this way you will begin to refine your
skills. Relax your gaze as if you were looking at one of those 3D magic eye hidden picture puzzles. If
you have trouble with those don't worry, scrying is similar only tin that you relax your eyes and don't
really "look" at the surface of your scrying medium.
After you have finished it is a good idea to write down a few notes. Then, ground yourself and clean
up. Later on go back over your notes and fill in more details as you remember them. This will help to
clarify the images that were seen during your session.
Remember while there are many books that "interpret" scrying images or dream images the only one
who can interpret the images you see is YOU. With practice, your interpretation will become better
and better. As is the case with all knowledge practice is the key.
A Bowl Full of Shadows
The divining or scrying bowl, which links water and the mirror, is a central image for “seeing.” This
bowl comes in many forms. It is at the center of a cluster of symbols and practices concerned with
water sources, reflection, inspiration, seeing, and the world of the dead. For the Chinese, water is a
symbol of the way, or Tao, mother of all signs and symbols. In old Greece, the first being to know the
secrets of the future was Metis, goddess of shifting waters and fluid possibilities. She was swallowed
by Zeus, king of a new generation of gods, and lived on inside him, giving him the ability to see the
shapes of all things to come.
Cloud scrying
Throughout history symbols of political or religious importance have been seen in the clouds. In A.D.
312 when Emperor Constantine was marching against the army of Maxentius at Rome, both he and
his entire army saw a shining cross of light amid the clouds.
It was said the cross contained the Greek words "By This Conquer". Later that night Christ appeared
to Constantine in his dreams bearing a cross in his hand ordering Constantine to have a military
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standard made in the same image. Under this standard his outnumbered army was victorious. Down
through history entire military battles have been witnessed in the clouds. Some of the U.F.O.
sightings have in fact turned out to be disk shaped cloud formations. Generally cloud scrying is done
on days when cloud conditions are good. Having too few or too many clouds is no good for scrying.
The best is when the clouds are thick. Find a nice location to lie down and just relax. Try not to focus
on any one cloud but rather allow the clouds to drift across your view.
Visions cannot be forced; they will come naturally when the time is right.
Crystal Gazing/Scrying
In order to scry, your attention must be diverted directed away from the normal flow of events. “The
speculum, ball, or cup is treated with respect, and both it and the place of seeing are set off from
everyday things. Begin by centering your breath and opening the heart-space. Focus attention gently
on the ball; if your attention drifts away, gently bring it back. Eventually the ball will become hazy,
full of a swirling “astral” mist. The direction and colors of these clouds can themselves be a sign. If
you persevere, a darker area will open in the mists, a window in the mind or tunnel in time through
which images will flow. These images do not appear in the ball itself but in the “mind’s eye” that has
opened. They may be literal events, symbols, or sudden personifications of your own hopes and
fears. As you work with the symbols, a language will open up.
Because of the cost of rock crystal balls many people use a glass ball but this is not advisable. Brazil
has the best crystal rocks in the world. Although crystals may grow to a considerable length, they
seldom exceed one inch in thickness. There are however some exceptions. Flaws in a crystal such as
cracks, bubbles and discolorations do not make crystal unfit for scrying although they may distract
your attention. Size is however not important and bigger does not mean it will be better. Crystal
scrying should be done in near or total darkness.
The main thing is to avoid reflections on the surface of the crystal. The best method is to use the light
of a candle when scrying but make sure the candle does not reflect in the ball. Focus your gaze on the
center of the crystal not on its surface. Try looking through the crystal as if it were a mirror upon the
astral world. The first things you may see are clouds that change color. Eventually a mist will spread
outwards from the center of the crystal to reveal images. When you scry for visions sooner or later
you will achieve communication from the spirits. These spirits will help you to understand what you
have seen in the visions. It may be helpful to charge your crystal ball once a month with moonlight.
Place the ball in a glass bowl of natural water in the glow of a full moon.
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Dee scrying method
John Dee (1527 to 1608) was one of the greatest scryers in history. Dee's private library of books was
renowned throughout Europe. Through his studies Dee was well versed in the magic of the ancient
world. In 1591 he became strongly interested in spirit communication when he started having
troublesome dreams and hearing knocking noises. He records these disturbances in his private diary.
Dee began by trying to see visions within a small rock crystal. Dee met Edward Kelley in 1582 when he
came to his house seeking information about turning base metals into pure gold. Kelley had little
interest in the angels other than trying to use them to make money. The angels treated Kelley with
contempt and only used him as a line of communication to Dee. Dee had a strong interest in using the
angels as political channels, but the angels where not interested.
The angels where only interested in passing on the system of Enochian magic. The actual scrying
method of Enochian magic was recorded in Dee's diary Libri Mysteriorum.
Dee's crystal was a small globe of rock crystal. Sometimes Dee used a mirror of obsidian, which he
called his jet shewstone. The crystal rested within a golden frame that had a cross on top. The crystal
in its frame rested upon a seal called Sigillum Aemeth. The angel Uriel gave instructions about this.
The Sigillum resides in the British museum today. The Sigillum was placed in the middle of Dee's
scrying table. The angels gave instructions for the table as well. It was to be made of sweetwood and
two cubits in all directions. A magic square of twelve Enochian letters occupies the center of the
table. The table was draped with a white silk cloth. Around the central square of the table were seven
talismans known as Ensigns of Creation. Dee always opened each scrying session with a prayer. Dee’s
method shows just how exact a scryers table must be. The details were dictated to Dee by the angels.
Lamp scrying
Both the Egyptians and Babylonians scryed by means of an oil lamp. The lamp itself was in fact a
stone shaped as a low open dish with a strip of white linen coiled in the oil that had an end hanging
over the end of the dish. The Egyptians used clear Oasis oil, which was a kind of palm oil. The clearer
the oil the better. The Egyptians used a lamp that was red in color, which is the color of the God Set.
Set is in fact the God of evil. It may be advisable for you to use a white lamp. Place your lamp on a
table and sit on the west side facing east across the lamp. You should address your invocation to the
Greco Roman God who rules the day you scry on.
Sunday : Sol.
Monday : Luna.
Tuesday : Mars.
Wednesday : Mercury.
Thursday : Jupiter.
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Friday : Venus.
Saturday : Saturn.
Using the name of the God of the day you should chant a suitable invocation doing so directly into
the flame. This invocation should be chanted in a soft voice and done so several times. Gently focus
on the flames of the lamp. You will begin to see moving shadows off to the side. Do not look directly
at the shadows or they will vanish. Ask the shadows what it is you seek. You may hear voices or you
may see images.
Mirror scrying
Mirror scrying is an evolved form of water scrying. When it became possible to build mirrors they
were regarded as being like water that was fixed into one place.
The early mirrors were made of polished copper, brass, marcasite, tin foil or mercury behind glass,
polished silver and obsidian. All types of mirrors may be used for scrying and the size is not
important.
Because mirrors are linked to the moon mirrors should be backed with silver. Try and use a round or
oval mirror instead of a square mirror.
For the frame try and use a mirror that has a silver frame. Old mirrors also seem to work better than
new mirrors.
Most seers prefer to use a black mirror. Because this is difficult to buy you may have to make one.
Just simply take out the glass and paint it black. You may have to give it a few coats of paint though.
When you put it back in the frame make sure the glass part is to the front.
The use of black mirrors may be traced back over the centuries. John Dee used a black mirror of
obsidian.
When using the black mirror for scrying you do not want to see your reflex ion. The best is to leave
the mirror on a table and look at it from an angle.
Look into the depths of the mirror as though you were looking into a bowl of water. At first it may
appear gray than colors will come and go.
With time and practice you will be able to see scried images like still photographs or moving film
images. Spirits may sometimes look at the scryer, talk to the scryer or even touch the scryer. The
visions may even exist outside the mirror and surround the scryer on all sides.
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Oil scrying
The history of oil scrying can be traced back to the ancient Babylonians. Some of their magic books
have survived down through the centuries with details of the methods they used. One of their
techniques was called the "Princess of the Thumb". A scryer anointed the forehead and thumbnail of
a subject. The shiny nail acted as a magic mirror in which the scryer saw spirits. Another version was
called the "Princess of the Hand". Oil was mixed with black soot to make a black paste that was then
smeared upon the hand. The scryer then used the hand as a mirror to scry future events. A third type
of oil scrying was called the "Princess of the Cup". Sesame seed oil was used to coat the inside of a
cup that was rested on its side. The cup was used as a concave magic mirror to capture and magnify
the light of a candle that was fixed on its inner rim.
From the Babylonians oil scrying found its way to the Egyptians and Hebrews. The most detailed
examples of oil scrying are written in the Greek Magical Papyri written in Egypt between 200 B.C. and
A.D. 500. Four kinds of water, which is to be mixed with the oil, is used for four types of divination. If
you call upon the services of the heavenly Gods then use rainwater. If you invoke the terrestrial Gods
then use sea water. If you invoke the Gods Osiris or Serapis use river water and if you call upon the
souls of the dead then use spring water.
Pendulum scrying
The ancient Romans were renowned for pendulum scrying and their methods were detailed in the
writings of Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus. It is also possible that French seer Nostradamus
used this same Roman method of basin scrying by means of a pendulum to produce individual letters
that formed intelligible prophetic verses. The bowl used was a composite material of many metals,
meaning it was made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver. A ring was attached by thread to a
wand. The ring was probably a band of electrum with occult characters engraved upon it. The twenty
four letters of the Greek alphabet were engraved into the flange of the basin. The table used was
probably a tripod in which to support the basin. It was made out of branches of laurel and had three
legs. Laurel was the substance specified by the Enochian angels for the scrying table of John Dee.
Another method, which has been used in Europe for centuries, involves the suspension of a ring from
a thin silk thread inside an ordinary water goblet. The responses come in the form of tapping sounds
as the ring gently raps the side of the glass. The seer asks a specific question that can be answered
with a yes or a no. A single tap indicates a yes while two taps indicate a no. More than two taps
indicates the spirit is not certain of the response. Another method is to use a sheet of paper with a
cross marked upon it. The ring is held suspended over the cross in the left hand upon a silk thread. A
simple question is asked which only requires a yes or no. If the answer is yes it will swing back and
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forth along the vertical arm of the cross. If the answer is no it will swing side to side along the
horizontal arm of the cross. Some scryers prefer to use a crystal instead of a ring.
Once you have made your pendulum you should purify it. Fill a clear bowl with fresh pure water. Say
a cleansing prayer: "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, Wash me, and I shall be whiter than
snow. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me". Dip the crystal and thread into
the water and leave for a few minutes. On the night of a full moon place the pendulum and thread in
the moonlight and leave for several hours. Never allow your pendulum to be placed in direct sunlight.
Shell scrying
This is a modern method of scrying and is becoming more popular. Most people are familiar with the
sound they hear when a shell is placed over the ear. It sounds like the ocean. But in fact it is the
sound of blood flowing through the vessels in your ear. If however you listen to this sound you will
eventually be able to pick up fragments of conversation. At first you may be able to only make out a
few words, but in time you will come to understand whole segments of conversations. The subject of
this talk will be usually meaningless, but if you can mentally break into this communication you may
find the voices may choose to respond.
Smoke scrying
Smoke scrying is best done while relaxing in front of a campfire. You should be in comfortable visual
range of watching the smoke rise. Do not follow the smoke up but rather allow the smoke to forms
patterns within your spiritual gaze. In time you will see visions of many far off events. I have generally
found people who have natural artistic skill good at this form of scrying. The American Indians
practice a special type of smoke scrying. It's called a sweat lodge. Water is poured over hot rocks in a
tent to create steam. The steam is inhaled by those who sit naked around the rocks. The combination
of temperature, humidity and elevated levels of carbon dioxide produce a state in which visions can
arise. This form of scrying may be dangerous and should only be undertaken by experienced people.
Water scrying
You will need a large, deep bowl made from glass, brass or silver. It must have a smooth and even
rim. You must set your base on some sort of tripod for best results. A tripod made of laurel boughs is
the best. You will need to do your own testing to find out which bowl works best for you and how
much water you should use. Do not use water from a tap. Get clean, fresh water from a stream. The
ancient Greeks believed that nature spirits dwelled in fresh water. The water may be stored in a
vessel and used again. However it is a good idea to replace your water once a month. Never collect
the water of a day time. Water should only be collected at night preferably on a full moon. To make
your wand use a branch from a bay tree, hazel tree or the laurel. The end of the wand should be
covered in dry tree sap or resin. Dip the end of the wand into the water until it becomes wet. Wet the
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rims of the bowl. The best time to scry is at night when it is quite. By gently drawing the rim of the
wand around the bowl it will cause it to resonate.
The action of the resonating basin will cause circular ripples to form in the basin. The water seems to
breathe with the sounds. It is the harmonics that seem to whisper forth predictions of the future.
These are interpreted with the help of a guardian angel. You may also receive visual impressions,
which Nostradamus likened to that of a "burning mirror".
Wind scrying
Ancient Greeks practiced wind scrying in the sacred grove of Dodona, which was dedicated to Zeus.
Psellus referred to this technique writing "there is a mode of predicting by means of the air and the
leaves of the trees. The method seemed to involve the hanging of striking wands from branches of
sacred oak trees in a way that they struck resounding brass basins when the wind blew.
Interpretations were made of these sounds and that of the wind. The wind gives itself naturally to
scrying because it talks the same as you or me. Find a quiet place in the bush where there is no noise
of cars, music, etc. A place among the trees is the best. Find a tree and sit under it. Casually focus
your attention on the wind, blocking out all other thoughts. In time the wind will talk to you.
In order for you to scry the wind, you must, for a time, become the wind.
Tarot – The Book of Light and Shadows
The 78 symbols of the Tarot deck open the mythic underworld of Western Europe. Tarot is in many
ways the quintessential divination system of the postclassical world, carrying a whole series of myths
about what divination is and does. It first appeared as a game of images in the courts of northern
Italy, set amid the reimaging of pagan mysteries we call the Renaissance. It has shown an uncanny
ability to fascinate the imagination and catch the shadow of individuals and culture ever since. It has
been associated with gypsies, witches, and the shadow side of popular culture. Its imaginative
process has been “explained” in terms of all of Europe’s underground magical traditions and romantic
visions: Cabala, Hermetic Magic, Egyptian mysteries, Gnosticism, Chaldean oracles, Rosicrucianism,
astrology, Celtic shamanism, and the Great Goddess. It has been called a great philosophical
machine; the universal key to all religions; simple fortune telling; a map of the imagination; a machine
to tell stories; superstition; charlatanism and the devil’s workshop.
Tarot practices have also informed much of the modern reinvention of lost divinatory ways. They
offer a way of personally connecting with a great variety of myths and visions. Much of this ability to
collect and organize projections lies in the Renaissance spirit of this divinatory way. It affirms the
value of imagination, suffering, and the underworld journey and the possibility of personally
experiencing the friendship of the spirit, the sacred aspect of experience.
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Tarot history
The Tarot has a fragmented history that intrigues historians, scholars, hobbyists, and spiritualists
alike. Drawing on the concrete facts that are available, we will attempt to briefly explain the origins of
the Tarot, and trace some of its milestones through the centuries.
The designs of the 22 cards in the Major Arcana can be traced back as far as 1440, when the first
known deck appeared in Italy. The 3 decks called the "Visconti Trumps" are generally regarded as the
"forefathers" of the decks that are widely available today. It is believed that they were originally
created as a game for Nobles. It is not until centuries later that the cards reemerged, this time as a
tool of divination. In the latter half of the 15th century, the card makers in Marseilles, France began
to standardize the Trumps. Before this organized production, those who played the Trumps could
dictate which they wanted to include, and which they wanted substituted or eliminated. Certain
cards; Death, the Devil, and the Tower in particular; were considered offensive by the more
conservative Nobles. These images caused religious leaders to attempt to ban the Trumps.
The first detailed reference to the Trumps of the Tarot is in the form of a sermon. This sermon, given
by a Franciscan friar in Italy sometime between 1450 and 1470, contends that the Trumps were
invented and named by the Devil. It condemns the use of the cards, and generally credits them with
the triumph of the Devil. According to the friar, the Devil wins through the loss of the souls of those
who play what was then, quite probably, nothing more than a simple game.
The rebirth of the Tarot, and its beginnings a means of divination, are attributed to Antoine Court de
Gébelin in 1781.He believed it was Egyptian in origin, and that it contained mystical knowledge that
had been purposefully encoded in the symbolism of the Trumps. Specifically, he theorized that the
cards were the key to lost Egyptian magical wisdom written by Thoth, the Egyptian God of inspired
written knowledge. The Trumps themselves began to noticeably evolve from this point forward.
Changes were thought to have been introduced by the different secret societies that produced the
decks.
The first account of divination through the use of cards is attributed to cartomancer Jean-Baptiste
Alliette, better known as "Etteilla", in 1770. He was the first to publish divinatory meanings for cards,
and only 32 cards (plus one, representing the querent) were included in this edition. At this time, only
regular playing cards were mentioned. Later, Etteilla published several works that involved the Tarot
Trumps specifically. It is no surprise that these later writings coincided with deGebelin's thenrecently-public treatment of the Tarot as a wellspring of Egyptian occult knowledge. Etteilla must
have anticipated the Tarot's jump in popularity: his was the first deck available to the public expressly
for the purpose of Cartomancy.
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In the nineteenth century, the famous occultist known as Eliphas Lévi developed a correlation
between the Tarot and the Kabbalah: the Hebrew system of mysticism. This fueled a new belief that
the Tarot originated in Israel, and contained the wisdom of the Tree of Life. The new theory brought
all 78 cards together as keys to the mysteries, but again, there were no concrete facts to support it.
Nevertheless, something important was accomplished. The theory would later serve as proof that the
symbolism of the Tarot crossed all boundaries. From this point forward, many magical and esoteric
groups recognized the Tarot as a timeless body of knowledge that had significance in every mystical
path.
Since that time it has been linked with almost every magical system or religion known to humankind.
The Tarot is comprised of archetypal images that cross linguistic, cultural, geographical, and temporal
barriers.
The Theosophical Society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Rosicrucians, the Church of
Light, and the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.) all secured the Tarot's position in the 19th and 20th
centuries. In the United States of America, the Tarot became popular and more readily available in
the 1960's, when a period of exploration in spirituality began.
Arthur Edward Waite is credited with the renaissance of the Tarot in the Twentieth Century. He
commissioned artist Pamela Coleman Smith to create what he called the "rectified" Tarot. Created by
a member of secret societies also known as a revered mystic, Waite's version has been widely
accepted as the standard, and is by far the most popular deck of the century, rich in symbolism and
easily understood due to the simple nature of the artwork.
In the opinion of many learned Tarot enthusiasts, the most significant change the deck has
experienced is Smith's treatment of the Minor Arcana. Hers are the first "pip" cards to contain images
depicting the meaning of the cards. These graphics allow readers to explain the significance of each
cards nuance to querent’s who, in most cases, have never encountered the cards before. This artistic
trend can be traced through the majority of the decks produced after the Rider-Waite (1910), and
Smith's influence is readily recognized, as many of the images echo her drawings.
Today's Tarot card designs reflect specific trends in sexuality, religion, culture, and philosophy. There
are literally hundreds of interpretations, and more are being conceived as this is being written. The
diversity of the styles allows Tarot Readers to choose a deck that suits their personalities, the subject
of the reading, the person receiving the reading, or any other variable as they so choose. Certain
decks have a serious tone, some have a dream-like quality, and others are full of cartoon images. The
true beauty lies in the Tarot's ability to retain its "soul" through each metamorphosis and incarnation.
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It is, on many levels, a mirror of those who work with it, and allows them to make each reading a
truly personal experience.
Tarot is perhaps best known as a tool of divination, the art of delving into past, present, and future
through paranormal means. The symbols of the Tarot are keys to the psychic mind, and trigger
psychic awareness. Effective Tarot readers are able to perform their craft under a variety of
conditions, even over the telephone or on the Internet. Distance is not an obstacle to psychic
awareness. Psychic energy travels at the speed of light, acting as a web of information throughout the
universe. It is, in fact, a form of light. By tuning in to the “aura,” or light energy of a seeker, Witches
are able to sense and advise on challenges in a seeker's life, helping that person to navigate a path to
his or her best destiny.
Choosing the right Tarot Deck can be like finding the right mate. The Tarot is a deeply personal
journey that each person takes in his or her own time. Often, I've heard it said that one can only be
given a deck. While it is certainly wonderful to receive such a meaningful gift from a close friend, it is
equally important to seek out your own Tarot deck, one that suits your personal tastes and cultural
affinities. Whether it is based on Celtic mythology, feminist spirituality, or Jungian psychology, finding
the “right” Tarot deck can often take years of searching. When you find that deck, you will feel as
though you've come home. The imagery of the particular representation of Tarot symbolism you
choose will resonate deep within your soul.
Major and Minor Arcana
The deck itself is arranged into two parts; the Minor and Major Arcana.
The Minor Arcana is then divided into four sub-groupings: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. From
there they numbered similar to a deck of playing cards: One through 10 then King, Queen, Page, And
Knight.
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards with symbolic meanings. Each card also holds a numerical
value.
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MAJOR ARCANA
0
1
The Fool is our inner child, our
spontaneous decisions. It can be
new experiences that we just need
to take that step to achieve, or
childish innocence and honesty.
The Magician is clever and skillful;
he is wise and creates his own
world. He must learn to balance the
inner and outer voices of the mind
and spirit.
2
3
The High Priestess is the secret
mysteries, she is intuition. She
embraces all the "good" attributes
of humanity at the same time she
embraces all "evil" attributes as
well.
The Empress is our Mother Earth;
she is fertility and growth in our
many intellectual and psychological
aspects. Birth is transformation, yet
birth can also be painful.
4 The Emperor exudes a sense
5
of order. He is stable, he drives to
expand and educate ourselves,
and he wants us to be protected.
He is sometimes critical and too
strict, but with good intentions.
Sometimes the intentions can do
more harm than good.
The Hierophant is the trust that
steams from faith. The hierophant
represents ethics and virtue. We
must learn to have faith in ourselves
be for we can trust ourselves fully.
6
7
The Chariot is a driving force
forward. It is the only 'departure' card
that shows a favorable departure.
One should keep their confidence at
bay, while the Chariot shows skill; it
is also heading off in a direction new
to the traveler.
The Lovers can describe a great
love or connection. The Lovers is
also the card of decisions. It is an
unmistakable "yes".
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8 Strength is also a balance of
9
the conscious and the
subconscious. Strength is the
reconciliation between humans and
nature, as well as the animal within
all of us, and the strength to tame
instead of repressing the inner
animal.
The Hermit is a time for
introspection. Who are we, where do
we want to go, how can we achieve
this. Follow the Hermit's light deep
within yourself.
10 Wheel of Fortune is the
11
outer influences of our lives, the
ones that present opportunities to
learn, grow, and mature.
Depending on position, the Wheel
of Fortune can show positive or
negative situations out of your
control, or at least the feeling of
powerlessness.
Justice is responsibility for
surrounding and experience. It is
getting what we give, judgment and
balance. Justice is karma.
12 The Hanged Man can be a
13
time for introspection during
stagnation. This is a time to
change one's life. The Hanged
Man can also show that we are
'hanging on' and need to proceed
with great effort. Occasionally this
can mean sickness.
Death is natural transformation, the
natural ending. We need to let go in
order to allow the next stage
develop; rebirth.
14
15
Temperance is balance, harmony,
and moderation; it is the polar
opposite of XV The Devil. This can
be a time for healing as well.
The Devil is a symbol of obsession,
temptation, materialism, greed; he is
our dark side.
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16 The Tower is what we have
17
created around us, our
convictions, our beliefs, and our
relationships. The Tower shows
that we have out grown these
'walls' or that they are too tight to
move in. This realization is
generally something profound
and/or devastating.
The Star is a hopeful card. We are
planting something that will mature
far into the future. This card
generally denotes success.
18
19
The Moon is mystery, our desires
and dreams. It is also the fears we
have in the dark, of what is
intangible.
The Sun overcomes the darkness, it
is reborn freshness. It is our
conscious mind full of clarity and
confidence. It is the challenge to
over some the darkness.
20
21
Judgment is the great liberation.
The releasing of suppressions and
inhibitions. It can be liberation from
worries and needs.
The World is unity or harmony. We
may have met a goal in our life or
have found where we belong and
have peace in that.
The Modern Tarot
Once the Tarot returned to its spiritual essence, modern artists began replicating the cards with their
own spin or interpretation. These early decks have been associated with the artists that created
them, or at least inspired them. One of the most renowned was called the Baldini- Mantegna, named
after the artist Mantegna who inspired their creation. This deck separated itself from other
"religious" interpretations and encompassed a universal theme. It grouped the cards into 10 classes,
the first 5 being:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Celestial (the planets)
The Virtues (hope, justice, etc.)
The Sciences (Theology, astrology, etc.)
The Muses (Apollo, Clio, etc.)
The Conditions of Life (The Pope, the King, the Beggar, etc.)
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As travel became easier and more extensive, different experiences began to influence the Tarot into
the many different decks we see today. The most popular in this Century has been the traditional
Rider Waite deck, named after the famous occult scholar Dr. Edward Waite who produced the deck in
1910.
The Tarot Decks of Today
Modern Tarot decks typically contain 78 cards, which are divided into two sections.
The Major Arcana: Depicts the path or journey to enlightenment; these cards begin with the
Fool, numbered 0 and end with the Universe numbered 22.
The Minor Arcana: Depicts the fabric of life, the actions and values of existence; the Minor
Arcana is separated into four groups; each group depicts an overall essence of life, physical or
spiritual. The following are the most common groups in a tarot deck and how they relate to
the modern playing deck. Many new artists are designing their own decks and some of these
groups may be substituted for other symbolism.
WANDS = Clubs
Represent the essence of Enterprise, Inspiration, and Distinction.
CUPS = Hearts
Represent the essence of Emotions, Happiness, and Abundance.
SWORDS = Spades
Represent the essence of Strength, Struggle, and Animosity.
PENTACLES = Diamonds
Represent the essence of Finances, Money, and Business Interests.
Why Use the Tarot for Divination?
Divination means from the Divine, the basis of any Tarot lies in its spirituality. The images of the Tarot
only serve as a reminder, a visual connector from your conscious mind to knowledge you already
have in your higher spiritual essence or soul mind. The sequence of cards is like an unfolding process
to the psyche in its quest for unity with the universe. The cards aid the psyche to focus, concentrate
and guide the energy needed to make this connection. The series of images depicted by the cards link
our psyche with the process of initiation. "As initiates we start anew each time we question our
direction or seek a higher level of awareness and understanding". The Tarot not only helps us find
that understanding, but they also help us to question.
Choosing a Good Tarot Deck
When you go shopping for your first deck of cards, you want to look for a few specific things. The
major characteristic should be that each card in the minor arcana is unique or has symbolism that
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sets it apart from the other cards in the suite. One of the best examples of this is the Rider-Waite
deck. When you perform your divination, you want to see as much detailed symbolism in the
'pictures' of the card as possible. If the suites in your deck are identical and the only difference
between two cards are one has 3 swords the other 4, than you will not get an accurate or detailed
reading from the spread. This is very important; I cannot emphasize enough the value that symbolism
plays on the divination of the cards. Even if the only difference between one card and another is a
back-ground color, that small difference can add valuable information to a reading.
The second thing you want to look for is a deck that easy to handle. Many new Tarot decks are being
created as large cards that are difficult to shuffle and hold. If you don't feel comfortable with your
deck, then you're going to have a hard time making a connection to it.
Lastly, if you plan on using your cards a lot and you really like the deck you've chosen, buy two decks.
Set the second one aside somewhere for future use. When your first deck begins to wear out through
use, you'll always have a new deck waiting in the wings. Many people get attached to one specific
deck and when the time comes to replace it with a new one, they are terribly disappointed to find
that it's no longer in print or available. So plan ahead.
Meditation with the Tarot
Other than the obvious benefits of meditating with the Tarot, you can learn more about the cards by
experiencing their individual energies, as well as, pull the positive qualities of each card into your own
life. Each card contains a landscape, an event and objects to be interacted with. By focusing on one
card and pulling that image into your meditation, you can learn and experience the sights, sounds and
smells of that card.
In your meditation, examine the positive message the card represents. Does your life incorporate the
qualities of that card? If not, try to feel the positive energy of that quality. Visualize your life with this
quality in it. How would this quality change your life? Pull those images back with you from that
meditation and consciously try to live them.
Introduction to Your Tarot
Whenever possible, handle your Tarot deck. This doesn't mean you need to continually layout
spreads, or conduct readings. Simply hold your deck, shuffle the cards, spread them on a table etc.
This manipulation solidifies your energies to your deck. It helps your higher consciousness link with
your deck and makes it easier for you to connect with the cards. Keep in mind a channel would never
conduct a reading with an "un-seasoned" deck. Once you've connected with your deck, never let
anyone else handle them. The only exception to this rule might be in allowing a client to cut the deck
before laying out a spread.
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Think of it this way. The deck is your connection to the divine. You are the person who is reading the
messages within the cards, so your connection to them is what's important. The connection to the
client is created through you. You are basically an extension cord. The source of energy comes from
the socket in the wall (the Divine), it travels through the cord (you) and is delivered to the light fixture
(the client). If you let someone else interfere with that flow of energy, then the connection can be
tainted or not as clear for you.
There are several methods in storing your deck. Some practitioners, like Eileen Connolly, recommend
that you keep your deck wrapped in a silk pouch and then inside a wooden box when not in use.
Others suggest keeping your deck wrapped in any natural fiber, such as cotton or silk and keeping
them with you. Personally I think it's up to the individual. They're your cards, and you need to feel
comfortable with how they're handled and even how they're stored.
Preparing for Divination
As with storage, many experienced practitioners require a series of items to prepare for divination.
Eileen Connoly suggests the following:




A wooden table to perform the divination
A silk scarf to cover the table
A second silk scarf to wrap the remaining cards not used in the spread
A wooden box to place the cards into after the deck is wrapped.
Some people may consider this to be overkill, but ceremonial rituals can help the channel relax and
open up to the divine energies. Incorporate your own rituals, light a candle to symbolize the internal
light of knowledge, clear the "reading" space with Sage and Cedar. Perhaps you’re more comfortable
with cultures from the Far East and prefer ringing chimes or a gong. The point is how you prepare and
what you use is entirely up to the individual.
One thing you should always have is a small tape player to record your reading. Even if the reading is
for yourself, the tape can help you review the messages you received. This way you won't be
distracted by someone taking notes, or you won't have to stop in the middle of your own reading to
write down what you think you see.
What's important here is that you must feel comfortable and secure; otherwise it may be difficult to
get a clear message. If you need some more detailed help, you can try this method from start to
finish.
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Divination (The Spread)
There are just as many Spreads as there are Tarot channels. There are some basics that you should
find in every Tarot book. The following are a couple of examples. But it's important to remember the
style of the spread is entirely up to you. Try different layouts to keep yourself interested. If you get
bored, you're likely to concentrate less and again, it may be difficult to get a clear message.
Before you lay out a spread it's important for you to give each card an intention. In other words, each
card represents an aspect or time, thus the intent of the card in the spread has a specific meaning. In
a traditional 3 card spread, the first card is usually for Past actions, the 2nd for Present events and the
3rd for Future consequences. When you "make-up" your own spread, know the intent of each card
before its chosen and placed on the table.
How to Read a Spread
Shuffle the deck several times. The client (if the reading is for yourself, you are the client) should
focus on one question, situation or event. I like to ask the client what kind of spread they would like
(i.e.: Past, Present, Future or a general overall view). Another technique is to ask the client to pick a
number between 1 and 15; the number they choose will determine what type of spread you want to
lay out for them. But before any cards are drawn from the deck, you should have an idea of what
you're going to layout and the intent being given to each card. Again, by intent, I mean the purpose of
each card in the spread.
Let me give an example; my client has chosen a past, present and future spread. As I select the cards
from the deck and lay them on the table, I am projecting the purpose of the card on the card. I lay
down the first card and say (out loud or to myself) "This is the Past" and so on until all 3 cards are on
the table.
Intuitive Interpretation vs. an Authors Interpretation
Many readers will lay out a spread and then begin to decipher the exact meaning of the cards
specified in a book or an accompanying pamphlet that came with the deck. By doing this, you the
reader are limiting the information you could gain from all the symbolism in the card. My suggestion
and the best results I've seen in any reading by any practitioner (novice or experienced) is to learn the
general meanings of each suite and then throw away the books and encyclopedias.
Your psychic connection to your deck should determine the meaning of the card in any given spread.
Your view and interpretation of the all the symbolic images on the card will give more valuable,
accurate and detailed information for a client then any generic interpretation of a card listed in a
book. Trust in your own abilities, not in an author who wrote some translation over 100 years ago.
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Remember, you are the psychic, you are the channel. So use your divine gift and allow that energy to
flow through you.
How do you interpret the symbolism?
Place the cards, face down, on the table in the same order they were selected and in the layout style
you have chosen. Close your eyes, then as soon as you’re centered on the first card, turn it over and
open your eyes. Focus on the first thing you see and make note of what it looks like or reminds you
of. Don't look at the entire card, try not to notice it's the 2 of cups for instance, just focus on one
specific symbolic image.
Example:
A card may have a cup pouring water out into a stream, but what you see is, water from a
waterfall, pouring into a cup. In this example you may interpret the image as 'life is filling up
your cup, replenishing you and giving you the gifts of life.' If the card was reversed, you might
see water from the cup pouring out into the river. In this you might feel the message being
given is 'life is pouring out, the energies are becoming depleted.
The point is what you see and what you feel will determine the meaning of the symbolic images.
Next, concentrate on the images around that spot, moving outward until you can focus on the entire
card. Continue this process until you've moved out to see the whole card. Then try to summarize all
the symbols you picked up on.
For instance, building on the previous example of the cup as you move your view outward you see a
pyramid shape. You may interpret this as a symbol for a desert, you may get the feeling that the
client has just come out of a desolate or dry period in their life, one without feelings or emotions. So
now, the waterfall filling up the cup takes on a new meaning. The waterfall of life, the universal
stream is pouring into the client’s life, adding meaning and emotions to their existence. Opening
them up to a new growth period, after all you need water to grow veggies in your garden.
Use this method for each card in the spread. Once all the cards have been shown, try to put the
overall meaning of the entire spread together. When you have examined each card and tried to
interpret the meaning for yourself, check your divination against your accompanying book or
pamphlet. Take notice at how much more information you gained by relying on your own instincts,
how more accurate your reading is to the clients current situation. With each divination you will gain
confidence, your abilities and interpretations will increase and become more and more accurate.
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Common Spreads:
The following are examples of the most common spreads used in divination. But it's important for
you to keep yourself interested, so try any combination or pattern that interests you.
Daily Spread
The Daily spread can be used to layout your actions for the start of a day, you can gain insights or
warnings before the day begins. Perhaps you should wear a business suite today for an unexpected
visit from the boss. Or you can use this spread at the end of a day to review/explain any events that
might have occurred. Perhaps you require clarification or additional information about an event that
took place.
Crossing Challenge
This spread indicates the situation through the first card and any blockage that may exist through the
second card. If the two cards are of the same suite, then the blockage may be easily overcome.
The Past, Present and Future
This spread requires 3 cards, laid out from left to right. Typically a specific question is being addressed
by this spread. The Past explains the situation and how it came to be. The Present explains the
current status of the situation and any blockages that may exist. The Future explains any
consequences and/or any additional influences that may play a part in the situation.
Celtic Cross
This is one of the most famous spreads and can be one of the most difficult to read. Each card in this
spread has a specific intent, which builds on the card before it.
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2 CELTIC C ROSS SPREAD
1. The Significator: the present position of the situation.
2. The Crossing: existing influences or obstacles.
3. The Foundation: subconscious influences and the relationship of the questioner to the issue.
4. The Goal: the desired outcome of the issue.
5. The Past: influences in the recent or distant past which are still in operation.
6. The Future: influences that will come into manifestation.
7. The Attitude: present position and attitude of the questioner.
8. The Environment: influences from nearby energies or other people.
9. The Feelings: inner hopes, feelings or anxieties not expressed by the questioner.
10. Manifestation: the final result and culmination of the issue.
Trust in your own abilities to tap into the wisdom and higher knowledge the universe has to offer.
Everyone in the world is psychic, everyone! Some people are naturally attuned to their 6th sense,
while others need to practice and work on making a connection to their higher knowledge. But once
you become familiar with your abilities and can trust your own instincts, gaining information and
knowledge from within you gets easier with each divination experience.
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The Celtic Cross Illustrated
Description
The Celtic Cross is probably the oldest and most popular pattern for reading the
tarot. It has survived so long because the layout of the cards is simple, but
powerful. A strong energy has built up around this spread due to its use by so
many people over the years.
You can think of the Celtic Cross as divided into two sections: the Circle/Cross
(six cards) on the left, and the Staff (four cards) on the right. (See diagram
above.) The Circle/Cross simulates the Celtic cross found throughout Ireland. This cross has a circle
linking the four perpendicular spokes. The circle and cross symbolize the joining of spirit and matter
and the unity of all events in time.
The feminine energy of the circular section works in unison with the masculine energy of the Staff
section. These two parts of the Celtic Cross mirror the dual nature of manifested reality - the
polarities that abound in the human psyche.
The Circle/Cross section is made up of two crosses - a central one (two
cards) nested within a larger cross (six cards). The smaller cross represents
the heart of the matter - what is most central to you at the time of the
reading. It is the hub around which the wheel of your life is turning.
The larger cross consists of two lines that overlay the mini-cross. The
horizontal line (H) shows time moving from your past on the left into your future on the right. The
vertical line (V) is your consciousness moving from your unconscious on the bottom to your conscious
mind on the top. Together these six cards give you a snapshot of your inner and outer environment at
the time of a reading.
The cards of the Staff section comment on your life and lie outside of the immediate situation. Here,
your Inner Guide helps you understand what is shown in the Circle/Cross section. You receive
guidance about yourself and others, your life lessons and your future direction.
There are a number of versions of the Celtic Cross Spread. The differences are usually in cards 3-4-56. I use a circular placement to emphasize how the unconscious and the past (Cards 3 and 4) lead to
the conscious and future (Cards 5 and 6). I have also added some meanings to Card 9. This position
traditionally means "hopes and fears," but I also use it as a lesson or guidance card. It is always
possible to adapt a spread to your own needs as long as you decide on any changes before you do a
reading.
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Positions
Interpretation
Here is one approach to interpreting the Celtic Cross Spread.
Look at the six cards of the Circle/Cross section. They show what is going on in your life at the
moment of the reading.
Examine the cards in pairs, perhaps in the following order:
Look at Cards 1 and 2 to find out the central dynamic.
Look at Cards 3 and 5 to find out what is going on within you at different levels.
Look at Cards 4 and 6 to see how people and events are flowing through your life.
From these six cards, create a description of your immediate situation.
Consider the Staff section of the spread, perhaps in this order:
Look at Cards 7 and 8 to find out how more about the relationship between you and your
environment.
Look at Card 10 - the projected outcome. How do you feel about it? What does it say to you?
Review the cards to discover the factors leading to the outcome. See if one card stands out as key.
Also:
Compare the projected outcome (Card 10) to a possible alternative outcome (Card 5).
Consider how the near future (Card 6) contributes to the projected outcome (Card 10).
See if Card 9 tells you something you need to know. Do you have a hope or fear that is relevant?
KEYWORDS
CELTIC CROSS SPREAD
POSITION 1
POSITION 2
POSITION 3
Heart of the Matter
Present Environment (Outer)
Present Environment (Inner)
Primary Factor
Opposing Factor
Factor for Change
Secondary Factor
Reinforcing Factor
Root Cause
Unconscious Influence
Deeper Meaning
Unknown Factor
POSITION 4
POSITION 5
POSITION 6
Past
Receding Influence
Attitudes and Beliefs
Conscious Influence
Future
Approaching Influence
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Resolved Factor
Quality to Let Go
Goal or Purpose
Alternate Future
Unresolved Factor
Quality to Embrace
POSITION 7
POSITION 8
POSITION 9
You as You Are
You as You Could Be
You as You Present Yourself
You as You See Yourself
Outside Environment
Another's Point of View
Another's Expectations
You as Others See You
Guidance
Key Factor
Hopes and Fears
Overlooked Factor
POSITION 10
Outcome (Overall)
Outcome (Inner State)
Outcome (Actions)
Outcome (Effects)
Deeper meanings to Celtic cross
Position pairs in the Celtic cross spread
The Celtic Cross is a powerful spread because it contains many natural pairings. Certain positions
complement each other, so the cards that fall there relate in meaningful ways.
Position 1 and Position 2 - The Core Situation
The 1-2 Pair is at the very center of the Celtic Cross. These cards form an obvious pair because Card 2
sits right on top of Card 1, turned 90 degrees! The 1-2 pair symbolizes the heart of a situation. It
shows two factors coming together, either on a collision course or for mutual support. Sometimes
Card 1 shows the central issue and Card 2 what you must do about it.
Position 3 and Position 5 - Levels of Consciousness
Cards 3 and 5 represent two levels of awareness. You can learn much about a situation by comparing
your innermost knowledge with your conscious attitudes. You can find out:
Card 3
real feelings
Card 5
expected feelings
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example 1
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deeper truth
surface appearances example 2
wisdom of higher self beliefs of ego-self
example 3
Position 4 and Position 6 - Time
Cards 4 and 6 are mirror images. Time is the theme of these two cards. Card 4 the past, and Card 6,
the near future. Together they form the two halves of the circle of time that surrounds the present
(Card 1). These two cards can show something that is:
Card 4
Card 6
moving away
approaching
example 1
to be released
to be embraced
example 2
already experienced to be experienced example 3
Position 7 and Position 8 - Self and Other
We may experience ourselves as separate from an outside world, but we are linked to our
environment by countless threads of cause and effect, emotion and thought. The 7-8 Pair can show
us these connections. Card 7 represents you; Card 8, the other. Card 8 can stand for another person,
a group, or the environment in general.
Position 5 and Position 10 - Possible Futures
Three cards refer to the future: Card 6 (near future), Card 10 (long-range future), and Card 5 (possible
alternate future). The 5-10 pair lets you compare what you think will happen (5) with what is actually
projected to happen (10), if all energies continue as they are. There are several possibilities:
Card 5
Matches?
Card 10
positive vision does not match
negative outcome example 1
negative vision does not match
positive outcome
vision
example 2
matches/reinforces projected outcome example 3
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When Card 5 reinforces Card 10, your beliefs are flowing with the thrust of events. If you react
positively to both cards, you can stay the course. If you react negatively, you can change your beliefs
to change the outcome.
Position 9 - Wild Card
Traditionally, Card 9 represents your "hopes and fears," but it can also be a guidance card. When you
read the cards for yourself, you need a card that can help you put everything together. Card 9 can
explain and integrate the other cards by showing:



approach to take or way to proceed [example 1]
key person, problem or obstacle [example 2]
element of surprise [example 3]
The cards in a reading do not always form pairs. Looking for them is just one technique among many.
The pairings in this lesson are only suggestions. Let your intuition guide you to combinations that are
meaningful to you.
NUMBER CHOICE SPREAD
It's a five-card spread for use with specific questions. The reader asks the querent to shuffle the
cards. The reader takes the cards and asks the querent to choose five numbers; the first one has to be
between one and 78, the second between one and 77 and so on. The reader picks the card from the
deck (starting from the top) that corresponds with each number. Lay them out in a horizontal line
from left to right.
The first card on the left is the situation as it stands now; what will happen if the querent takes no
action and continues on the present course. The second card represents what the querent could do
to change that situation, whether for better or worse. The third card represents why the querent is in
this situation. The fourth card represents forces (internal or external or both) that can help or hinder
the querent. The fifth card is what the outcome will be if the querent follows the changes
represented by the second card.
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THE WHEEL SPREAD
Background
The Wheel Spread is used when there is no specific question. The strength of this spread is that it
provides information about all areas of a person's life.
Interpretation
The twelve cards represent the twelve zodiac houses. When a card is interpreted, it is done so in the
meaning of the house the card is placed in. The meaning and sign association of the house are:
House
Ruler
Glyph
1
Aries
Self-Identity
2
Taurus
Values, Possessions
3
Gemini
Communication Skills
4
Cancer
Home, Security
5
Leo
Creativity. Self-Expression
6
Virgo
Service, Health
7
Libra
Partnerships
Reading of Card
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House
Ruler
Glyph
8
Scorpio
Rebirth, Sex, Death, Taxes
9
Sagittarius
Exploration, Expansion, Learning
10
Capricorn
Public Recognition, Career
11
Aquarius
Group Consciousness, Uniqueness
12
Pisces
Subconscious, Secrets
Reading of Card
THE ENGLISH SPREAD
BACKGROUND
This Golden Dawn spread is especially well suited for the Thoth deck!
The primary purpose of this spread is to provide information on choices in a querent's life. It is made
up of five groups of three cards. The numbers on the cards show their order of placement. In the four
quadrants, the spread is read from the outside cards to the inside cards. When the cards are read,
they are done so in a story book fashion. For example, if the following cards were present:
12: King of Swords
8: Two of Cups
4: Eight of Wands
These cards could be read: A man, one of thinking and intellect, will make a proposal to you in the
very near future.
INTERPRETATION
Cards 2-1-3: Here and now.
1 is the querent's general state.
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2 is the internal aspects of the querent's environment (i.e. mental/intellectual influences).
3 is the external environment (i.e. physical/material influences).
Card One: This represents the Querent, the problems surrounding them, their present situation and
primary influences. This position is a card of summation, telling the nature of the entire spread.
Cards Two and Three: These in conjunction with card one, are the key cards of the spread. They give
extended information on the situation of the Querent, and provide clues on the outcome of the paths
indicated.
Cards 4-8-12: Events and influences in the 'near future'
8 is the querent's general state.
4 is the internal influences or ordeals.
12 is the external influences or ordeals.
Cards Twelve, Eight, and Four (Upper Left): These show one direction in the Querent's life. If desired,
the position can be the possibilities for alternate action, which may be desirable or undesirable,
depending on the other cards in the spread.
Cards 13-9-5: Events and influences further into the future, but not so far as to be blind. Maybe a
week or a month at the most.
9 is the querent's general state.
13 is the internal influences or ordeals.
5 is the external influences or ordeals.
Cards Thirteen, Nine, and Five: These show another direction in the Querent's life. If desired, the
position show the direction the Querent's life will naturally follow, unless some action is taken to
change this course ("The Stars impel, they do not compel").
Cards 14-10-6: Influences or events.
These cards represents the mode of the influences or events in either or both the near future and the
further future.
10 is the querent's general state.
14 is the internal influences or ordeals.
6 is the external influences or ordeals.
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Cards Fourteen, Ten, and Six: These cards show where the Querent has leverage in life. This can
indicate strength, or provide a warning about events that can be changed.
Cards 7-11-15: Likely outcome
This is the likely outcome of these events, if things go as they currently are and the appropriate
methods or influences are perceived and employed.
11 the querent's general state or state change.
7 the querent's internal state or growth.
15 the querent's external result or manifestation.
Cards Fifteen, Eleven, and Seven: These show what cannot be changed. In all lives, there are events
that are out of our control. To be aware of these events keeps one from wasting energy and time.
6 card layout
Card 1: The past.
Represents a portion of the past that is the basis of the question.
Card 2: Emphasis.
This card also represents the past and is an emphasis card telling more about what led up to present
situation.
Card 3 and 4: Energy surrounding the question.
Factors in play at the time of the question which are important to be considered.
What the inquiring person feels about the present situation.
If it's about a relationship:
The cards represents male and female attitudes about the question.
It is NOT specified which card is male and which is female. You'll just have to know!
Card 5: What to work for.
What needs to happen or be worked for, to attain the outcome.
Card 6: The outcome.
The outcome or immediate future.
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PYRAMID SPREAD
By James Schlesselman
This spread is based on the Tree Of Life glyph as found in the Kabalah. The cards are laid out in a
sequence which follows the "path of the flaming sword", which is the traditional order in which each
circle or, "sephira", is manifested on the Tree. The two lower sephira, numbers 9 and 10, are "raised
up" to fit between the 7th and 8th sephira to form the pyramid configuration. The first card is
referred to as the "key card", while the sixth is called the "core card".
The beauty of this layout is in its flexibility. The path of the flaming sword sequence is what generates
the spread. The interpretation may then proceed from this literal "Tree of Life" format in which each
card is referred to its corresponding sephira on the Tree, and is considered in light of the qualities
thereof, or, once the spread has been generated, one may choose to "detach" from the "Tree of Life"
format and introduce one or more of any number of possible configurations that form new patterns,
or grids, based on various structural relationships. I have included nine samples of possible patterns
that I have come up with. Of course, anyone can create their own patterns as well. Often, the
placement of the cards will suggest a pattern on their own. This allows for the cards themselves to
determine and reveal relationships that indicate story lines, or pictures, that can be used in the
interpretation of the spread as a whole.
"...the Tarot, the most satisfactory of all systems of divination, rises from and finds its
explanation in the Tree and nowhere else. That may seem a dogmatic statement to the
scholarly historian searching for traces of the origin of these mysterious cards, and we may
add, most lamentably failing to find it; but when it is realized that the initiate works the Tarot
and the Tree together, that they dovetail into each other at every imaginable angle, it will be
seen that such an array of correspondences could be neither arbitrary or fortuitous."
-Dion Fortune
So, being based on the Tree, the Pyramid Spread is rooted in a natural setting, and reflects the sacred
and powerful energies associated with the ancient system of The Kabalah. This in combination with
the variety and flexibility that it offers makes it a very practical layout to use.
Here is an explanation of the nine sample patterns, which I included:
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Wedge
The key card oversees. The three solid black cards represent influences descending
from above that wedges in between the two three card pyramids that represent two
different ways of receiving and dealing with the solid black cards.
Grand triangle
Three three-card pyramids placed around the core card.
Grid and wheel
The solid black cards represent solid, fixed, male, or yang energies. The white cards
represent yielding, moving, female, or yin energies.
Double whammy
The key card oversees two six-card pyramids representing two possible outcomes, or
yin and yang, etc. The three-card pyramid at the bottom center is an area where the
two six-card pyramids overlap and are integrated.
Reducing
The key card, "x", absorbs or pulls up the two outer rows, "y and z", forming a single
three-card pyramid comprised of "x, y, and, z". (all of the "component" cards are
considered in this "reduced" pyramid.) This simplifies (reduces) the reading into two
three-card pyramids consisting of "x, y, and, z" and the three "a" cards respectively.
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3 pillars
This reflects a direct correspondence to the three pillars of Severity, Mildness, and
Mercy found on the Tree of Life. (see either of the above mentioned books)
3 dimensional
As the name implies this pattern "pops out" at you, so the core (black) card is the
uppermost point of a cone, while the six cards (gray) surrounding it are the central
portion of the cone, and the three corner cards form the base. Or, the direction can be
viewed in reverse, so the core card is furthest away, as if you’re looking into a tunnel.
Triple mesh
Three three-card pyramids whose bases are represented by "A, B, and, C". the points of
these pyramids can be outward pointing, represented by "X", or they can point inward
and share a common point represented by "O".
Yod, He, Vau, He
Derived from the Tetragrammaton, this represents the sacred progression of
manifestation. From the top of the layout it's: the point, the line, the triangle, and the
square.
Tasseomancy – Reading the Tea Leaves
Much of any wise woman’s ability to “see” involves the use of a speculum, a reflecting surface of
some sort that allows them to “cross-over” into another kind of space and time and thus “scry” into
the stream of images that tells of coming events. A piece of polished stone, a pool of still water, a
glass filled with wine, or a blackened bowl filled with water are examples. In Europe since about the
16th century, the object of choice was a ball made of rock crystal or in later times, glass. Reading tea
leaves, scrying from the shapes and position of the leaves left in the bottom of a teacup, is a more
domestic form of the wise woman’s cosmic mirror. It has been used in Europe since the introduction
of tea in the 18th century, and is also practiced with coffee grounds, or marc de café. The gypsy
woman who called at the door to “read” for the women of the house was a popular Victorian figure.
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This art still revolves around the kind of questions asked over a cup of tea: love, family, home,
partnership, and career.
The art of reading tea leaves is referred to as Tasseomancy. This form of divination is strongly
associated with the Gypsies and the English. Tea Leaves/Tasseography is mainly practiced in the Far
East, India, and Great Britain. The history of tasseomancy can be traced back hundreds of years.
During a reading the client drinks a cup of tea but leaves a small amount in the bottom of the cup.
The cup is turned upside down on a saucer and turned. The reader picks up the cup and reads the
patterns formed by the tea leaves. Usually the best tea readers also have natural artistic skills.
Various symbols have certain meanings. Time frames are estimated by the proximity of the leaves to
the rim. Leaves closest to the rim represent the immediate future. Coffee grounds are also used by
some readers. This form of divination is thought to have come from Italy. Diviners who read coffee
grounds often recite incantations.
Xylomancy
Zylomancy is a form of divination that is practiced by the Slavs. The divination is done by interpreting
the shape and position of dry pieces of wood found in one’s path. These are considered Omens.
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