Divination
DICE DIVINATION
Clear your mind. Then think of the question. Spin the dice (or die).
The number will correspond to an answer.
1 Yes
2 No
3 Take Care
4 Be Wise
5 Good Luck
6 Of Course
7 Have Faith
8 Be Patient
9 Certainly
10 Doubtful
11 Nonsense
12 A Chance
ICHING
The Iching does not give you specific answers to your questions but rather reveals patterns which helps 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 Iching 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 Iching found its way to western culture in the 19th century.
The art of reading tea leaves is referred to as Tasseomancy. This form of divination is strongly associated with the Gypsies and the English. 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.
DOWSING
Dowsing has been used for centuries as a method for finding water, treasures, gold, metals, people, animals and to tell the past and the future. In fact dowsing has been used for nearly 7,000 years and probably even longer. In the middle ages it was used in Europe to find coal deposits and water. In the 20th century dowsing has been used in archaeological 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 attunes himself to what is being sought usually through visualization. The dowser holds the forked end 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 pendulum feels like its being pulled down on the spot.
Dowsing is a searching tool that has been used for at least one thousand years by prospectors who have tried, with the help of a Y shaped rod, to locate underground water, ore bodies, oil and other important resources. Dowsing is subjective by nature. Its success depends on the qualities developed by the dowsers themselves, who sense, via a mind-body link, the presence of underground structures. Scientists have tried to understand the physical basis of dowsing; what factors link the movement of the rod in the dowser’s hand to underground structures. No one has yet successfully explained the dowsing signal.
Dowsing searches for high points in electromagnetic energy. When dowsing, the following position is most recommended. Dowsing rods can be made by bending wire coat hangers in the following way: Rods should be parallel to the ground, and not held too tightly. The rods will either go cross over, or out apart. You can program then by asking them to show you yes. Do this several times to check if it’s correct. Program them by saying:
If yes:
This is yes, this is yin, this is positive.
Or if no:
This is no, this is yang, this is receptive.
OUIJA BOARD
The Ouija Board has been around since the time of the Roman Emperor Valens in the fourth century. It is also thought to have been used by the Greeks since before the time of Christ. The modern Ouija Board is the combination of two tools used for scrying. The first is a wheel made up of the letters of the alphabet. The second is a glass, usually a wine glass which is inverted and placed in the middle. The letters are usually written on small pieces of paper which are placed in a circle around the table. It was in 1891 that a patent was granted to Elijah J Bond on the first modern Ouija Board. The following year, the rights were purchased by William Fuld. The name Ouija means yes-yes. In 1966 the Parker Brothers purchased the rights to the Ouija Board and shifted its manufacturing facilities to Salem, Massachusetts. The Ouija Board ended up outselling the game of Monopoly in its first full year at Salem. Over two million copies of the Ouija Board were shipped. The layout of the Ouija Board seems to vary from country to country. The original and best layout appears to be to place the yes at the top of the circle and the no at the bottom. The letters are placed in a circle starting with the letter A next to the word yes and continuing around until the final letter Z ends up on the other side of the word yes. The nine numbers from one to nine should be placed at the bottom next to the no. The board usually requires a minimum of two people to operate it. It is very rare that one person has the power to operate the board. The two people should sit opposite each other and place the tip of only one finger on the glass. The fingertip should only gently touch the glass. Someone starts by asking a simple question, such as ” is there a spirit present?” If there is no response the question should continued to be asked. The glass eventually moves and answers the question. The first time you use a Ouija Board is quite startling. Sometimes someone will deliberately push the glass but this is easy to spot. The glass tends to move in jerks rather than free flowing. There are stories that Ouija Boards are dangerous to use.
It is helpful to write down the questions you wish to ask before you start. It is also helpful to have a third person writing down the answers as you go for future reference. Once you become experienced at the Board you will find the pace of responses coming from the glass will increase. In fact sometimes the glass will speed across the table at such great speeds it is almost impossible to keep up. It should be noted that sometimes the communication will be in foreign languages or sometimes it is English backwards. My advise to most people is to make their own Ouija Board. This is simple to do and most effective. Just have a smooth table to work from and cut up small pieces of paper to write on. Any glass will do, though a wine glass is most effective. The responses you get from the board will really depend on your attitude and commitment.
SHELL SCRYING
This is a modern method of scrying and is becoming more popular. Most people are familiar with the sound of when a shell is placed over the ear. It sort of sounds like the ocean. But in fact it is the sounds of blood flowing through the vessels in your ear. If however you listen to this sound you will eventually by 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. Just exactly what is happening here I’m not sure, but for those of you who have seen the movie “The Phantom Menace” it may give you a clue.
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 practise 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.
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 reflexion. 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 grey than colors will come and go. With time and practise you will be able to see scryed 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.
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. Laural 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 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.
Still the pendulum Say to it, “Show me YES.” It will soon swing in one direction…. could be side to side, back and forth, or circles. Say, “Show me NO.” It should swing in the opposite direction. Program similar to the dowsing rods. Practice makes this easier and faster. Now you are ready to begin. Ask your questions. Eventually you will hear the answers in your mind.
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 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.
WIND SCRYING
Ancient Greeks practised 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 tress 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 quite 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.
DREAM SCRYING
Dream scrying may be traced back thousands of years. The methods used was recorded in the Greek magical papyri which were written between 200 B.C. to 500 A.D. In preparing to use the 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 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.
Light your lamp. Kneel before the lamp. Concentrating on the image on your left hand recite the following invocation :
God/dess 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.
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 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”.
CRYSTAL SCRYING
Both Merlin and John Dee used a crystal globe for scrying. 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 centre of the crystal not on its surface. Try looking through the crystal as if it were a mirror upon the astral world. The first thing you may see is clouds that change color. Eventually a mist will spread outwards from the centre 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.
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 wiccans 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.
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. They used clear Oasis oil which was a kind of palm oil. The clearer the oil the better. They 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 scy on.
Sunday : Sun.
Monday : Moon.
Tuesday : Mars.
Wednesday : Mercury.
Thursday : Jupiter.
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.
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 Psychometrist. 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 where 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.
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.
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 Dali Lama and as well in ancient cultures such as Greece.
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 its not them, then just 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 appears. It may be that the astral body of the person is somehow projected in advance.
LECANOMANCY
A form of divination where a stone is thrown into a basin of water. The scryer will divinate 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.
HAKATA
Hakata are pieces of bone, ivory or wood that were 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 who then interprets their meaning.
COSCINOMANCY
Coscinomancy is a form of divination that is practised 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 repeated the names of those people under suspicion. The sieve or sheares would then swirl around a person or persons 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 were divinated. 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 that would be about an once in weight would be given to the suspected person. The piece of bread would have a spell caste 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 may be allergic to it.
DACTYLOMANCY
Dactylomancy is a form of divination practised 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, and twice will be no.
