Bone Divination

Show and Tell: DIY Bone Divination Set

I have a PowerPoint presentation on bone divination that I give from time to time. In it I have a bone set made from items found on my daily dog walks, and items that I found lying around the house. I use it to show what you can put together for free if you are willing to take the time to get outdoors into the fresh air and look around your home with an eye to what could be used as a divination piece. I live in an urban area. While a few of the items in this set came from city parks that are flush with trees and wildlife, most of the outdoor pieces were picked up from the street, curb, or edges of the front lawns I pass while walking my dog every day. Those pieces make up the first three rows of the photo.

Snail shells come in a variety of colors and sizes. However, I have found that they often have thin spots that will crack over time. If you use them it may be wise to have a back up piece, and not be too upset if they should break.

I am blessed to have many friends and acquaintances who gift me beautiful pieces, many one of a kind, as possible additions to my bone sets. I chose not to include any of them in this thrown together set. The things from my home were gathered on a quick look around my house for odds and ends.

Chicken Wing Bones from Buffalo Wings.

The first four bones are from a tasty dinner of buffalo style wings. I cleaned them myself and bleached them lightly with a weak hydrogen peroxide solution. I rarely cook a whole chicken, but if I wanted more bones I would do so and I would definitely salvage the wishbone. The next two rows are things I got from my home.

Pencil lead cases

These held pencil leads for mechanical pencils. I have thought of either painting them or covering them with beads. They open and could be used to store magical ingredients as well.

$1.78 USD and 1.50 Mexican Pesos found while walking.

Instead of costing money, this set made me money. This is some of the change I have found on my walks. I live in Southern California – 15 miles from the US/Mexico border so finding Mexican coins is not unheard of.

A wide assortment of seeds and pods.

Most, if not all of these seeds and pods come from ornamental trees, plants, and shrubbery in the front yards of the homes I walk by each day. Twigs are also plentiful and are often different enough in color and texture to be easily distinguishable from one another in a set.

Possibly an oxtail (cow) bone found on the lawn of the common area in my subdivision.

Possibly an oxtail (cattle) bone found on the lawn of the common area in my subdivision.

I found this bone stripped clean like this. I have also found small animal bones on the lake shore in a nearby trail park, but I always suspect that they are the remains of a picnic lunch. I come across dead animals fairly frequently on my walks, but I have yet to pick any up for personal use. They are rarely there again the next day as the city is good about picking them up, so they are not around long enough to decay down to the skeleton.

DIY Bone Divination Set

This set has over 50 pieces and it cost me nothing but some time. It shows that you can put a decent set together without spending any money if you are willing to build your set slowly over time. It also shows that you can expand a basic or starter set very easily and inexpensively.

Some stones and shells from the dollar store. A variety of shells and stones can expand your set easily. Not everyone lives near a body of water and the dollar store is less expensive than E-Bay and other online sources. This tin holds the shells that were not broken from a bag of shells, and the stones that I found interesting from a bag of stones.

If you are willing to spend a couple of dollars you can expand it even further with dollar store rocks and shells. This brought the net cost up to a little more than $0.40 with tax.

This is the last post I will be doing for 2016. My next post will be in late January 2017.

Happy Holidays and may the year 2017 be your best year ever!

Roots, Seeds, Pods, and Twigs in Bone Reading: Little John to Chew

Little John to Chew

I have several roots and other organic pieces in my bone sets. One of them is Little John to Chew or Galangal (Alpinia galanga).

Per Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic, Little John to Chew is believed to be lucky for court cases. I have also seen it described as being used, along with other ingredients, to keep the law away.*

I use it primarily to represent court cases and legal matters. However, if the client is not involved in any legal issues at the time I sometimes interpret it as a warning to be honest, and above-board in all of their dealings, and to do things by the book. Avoid short-cuts or cutting corners. Cross every “t,” and dot every “i.” Failure to do so could lead to future legal issues.

Pieces nearby can shed more light on this piece. If it is near the heart, perhaps a divorce or family matter may end up in the courts. If it is near a large sum of money it can indicate receiving (or paying) a settlement. I often see this piece when the client is considering starting a business of some type. It can be a warning to get all agreements or contracts in writing, and/or to enlist the services of a lawyer before signing anything.

It is a sturdy root and mine have held up well for several years now. You can get it from shops that sell hoodoo herbs, or from shops that sell Asian spices as it is used in cooking some Asian dishes. It is a member of the ginger family (sometimes called “Thai Ginger”). Don’t buy the fresh version – get the dried with whole pieces, not slices. You can read more about this root in Dr. E’s article about the three Johns.

Little John to Chew with the piece for the heart and the client’s partner.

*Hoodoo, Conjuration, Witchcraft, Rootwork by Harry Middleton Hyatt, Volume One, Page 609, Spell 2097

Show and Tell: Bone Reading Set from Ritual Witch

I got this set from The Ritual Witch Shop over a year ago, and sadly they are no longer available. The shop owner says that she will have sets with different pieces after the New Year, so if you are interested check back after the holidays.

The set comes with: 3 chicken leg bones, a raccoon baculum, 3 purple cowrie shells, 1 abalone shell, 1 clear quartz, 1 evil eye bead, 1 chicken foot, 1 water buffalo tooth, 1 mini wish bone, 1 snake vertebra, 1 horseshoe charm, 1 skeleton key charm, 1 pretty bead, 1 pair of dice, 1 bone skull, 8 small porcupine quills, 1 broom, 1 cloth doll

A one page sheet with brief suggested meanings came with the set. As previously stated this set is no longer available but The Ritual Witch Shop plans to offer bone sets again after the New year.

The Ritual Witch Shop

Happy Bone Reading!

The Canine Tooth in Bone Divination

I have a canine tooth in both my sets. They are naturally colored on the tooth end and darkened on the root end. I originally had a dog bone in my sets, but when I got the teeth I replaced the dog bones because I felt using a tooth gave me a wider choice of meanings. I interpreted the dog bone as the good qualities of dogs – faithful, loyal, protective, companions. The bi-colored tooth gave me the option of adding a more negative interpretation. So the tooth could be the faithful, protective, loyal companion, or it could be the snarling, growling, biting, attacking dog.

This client may be feeling (blue stone)underestimated (wolverine bone) at work (thimble) and ready to fight for recognition (dark side of dog tooth).

This client may be feeling (blue stone) underestimated (wolverine bone) at work (thimble) and ready to fight for recognition (dark side of canine tooth).*

The dark end seems to come up in readings more often than the lighter end. I find that when the dark side is prominent in relationship questions it can indicate arguments, disagreements, or tension in the relationship. Almost all relationships will experience these things, but when this side of the tooth is in a prominent position, the fighting could be becoming more frequent or more of a problem. It can also represent anger on the part of the client and a need or desire to fight for oneself. Conversely, if the light side is prominent, the person is probably loyal, faithful, and protective.

Fighting between partners resulting in them feeling or actually being separate (separator) from each other.

Fighting between partners resulting in them feeling, or actually being separated (separator) from each other.*

This client may have their mind on marriage or a long-term commitment (ring). Their intended partner seems to be reliable, loyal, a good companion (light side of canine tooth), but may have been hurt previously in a relationship (healed possum rib bone). Sound finances are a plus (coin face up).*

I got the teeth I use at a gem show, but you can find teeth from canines on Ebay or Etsy.

Happy Bone Reading!

P.S. I will be a guest on Candelo’s Corner Monday the 24th of October. I would love to see you in the chat-room.

*These are sample interpretations for illustrative use only. You may see a different interpretation based on your own experience or understanding.

Show and Tell: Mother Maggie’s Travel Bone Sets and Oracle Bone Set – All Porcupine Bones

Mother Maggie’s Travel Bone Set

Mother Maggie’s Travel Bone Set

Mother Maggie’s Travel Bone Sets are small sets similar to the Pocket Bone Sets by The Mystic Cartel, which makes sense since the pieces themselves and the instructions are sourced from The Mystic Cartel. What makes these sets unique is their packaging and the fact that each set has different contents. Some sets have the familiar round tin of Pocket Bone Set, but you can also get them in antique tins, or even a Sucrets tin. The number and type of pieces vary depending on the container, and the prices vary accordingly.

The sets come with four pages of instructions to get you started, and the set can be used as is, or as a starter set to build upon. There is room in the tin for more pieces should you decide to add pieces.

Rabbit skin does not come with the set.

You can order a set here.

Oracle Bone Set – All Porcupine Bones

Oracle Bone Set – All Porcupine Bones

I got this set from Etsy early this year. The vendor does not have any items for sale at this time so I am not including the link as I am not sure they are in business any longer. I am an unrepentant collector of bone divination sets and the fact that I do not read the bones using a one species method did not dampen my collecting instincts.

This set was described as follows:

“27 Various Porcupine Bones
12 Porcupine Quills (Sharp Points Removed)
3 Porcupine Molars
1 Extra Large Porcupine Claw
1 Smaller Porcupine Claw with some Hair On
1 Quartz Crystal Point” *

This set also comes with a shell that could be used for storage and/or casting, and a drawstring bag. The largest bone is almost 4 inches long. The larger bones have a clear sealant applied which gives them a glossy shine. If I were going to use this set I would remove the gloss with a very fine sand paper as I don’t care for it, but some may find it both appealing and/or useful. There were no instructions in the set – the seller suggests purchasing a book on the topic if one is so inclined.

One species sets usually use bones from a chicken or opossum, making this set somewhat unusual. If you are interested in one species style bone divination you can get an overview and some suggestions on how it is done in Throwing the Bones: How to Foretell the Future with Bones, Shells, and Nuts by Catherine Yronwode.

Happy Bone Reading!

*From Item description on Etsy

Interview with Bone Reader Chas Bogan

Chas Bogan is a key figure in my bone reading journey. He was the first person to give me a bone reading and his reading was so accurate, and his set so beautiful, that I knew I had to try this divination method myself. I bought a starter set of bones the next day and now, here we are. Chas is the co-owner of The Mystic Dream, a metaphysical shop in Walnut Creek California. He is a talented bone reader, an amazing artist, and a good friend.

· How did you get started in bone reading?
I have a friend who is a medium, who brings a bag of trinkets to her sessions. When the spirits have problems communicating she will have them choose a curio and expand on its meaning. I began putting items together for that purpose, and realized I had all the elements of a bone reading kit.

· How long have you been reading bones?
I believe it was around 2010 when I started.

· Did you have any teachers? Who?
I relied mostly on my spirit guides and the pieces themselves to educate me initially. I also joined various groups and sought out other readers, and learned plenty of tricks from them. Cat Yronwode’s book Throwing The Bones was highly influential. I encouraged several of my friends to get into the practice so that I could in turn learn from them.

· Where did you get your bone pieces?
There was a shop in Albany called The Bone Room that I frequented, but regrettably it is gone now.* I’ve gotten some of my favorite pieces from Lucky Mojo as well. Since my friends know that I do bone throwing I am frequently gifted bones.

· How many bones in your set?
38· How long did it take you to put your set together?
I built to that number quickly, but with some pieces that were less than ideal and were later switched for others. Since I also read Lenormand, I patterned my initial set after that system.· Are you still adding pieces?
I am not expanding on my current set, however as things deteriorate I switch them out. Some items change their meanings subtly over time, so I need to make adjustments occasionally.

Bone Reading Cloth Designed by Chas Bogan

· Do you use a special cloth or reading surface?
I have an old, shallow wooden box that I favor, as it allows me to throw them on a table without the fear of pieces falling to the ground. Interestingly, I have designed some reading cloths, and although I have used them well, I always default to my old wooden box.

· Did you do any consecration ceremony for them?
I sometimes will rub some oils or Hoyt’s cologne on a piece to feed it, but that is about it.

· Do you cleanse them?
If I have used them in a reading that has left me feeling dirty or sticky, which sometimes happens, then yes, I will cleanse them, most often by spreading the pieces out and blowing white sage smoke over them.

· Do you do anything special before a reading – invocations, prayers, etc?
I have a simple way of connecting with Spirit that is internal. Really I just focus my attention away from the mundane and towards the presence of my guides so that they may speak to me. If I feel that the person I am reading for will benefit by beginning with a prayer, which many find soothing, then I will pray accordingly.

· How do you think the bones work? Ancestors? Spirits? Etc.
I definitely rely on my guides to help me interpret the bones. Each bone, or curio that I use has it’s own identity though, it’s own indwelling spirit that has something definitive to say. I have tried on occasion to find a bone to represent a certain quality, but there is more a play here than creating a symbolic system, since each bone defines itself despite what I might try to establish.

· Do you throw all of your bones or some subset?
I usually throw them all, however I will sometimes have a client reach into my bag and pull out three items, one for the past, the present, and the future.

· Do you read for yourself? Some people feel that they do not do well reading for themselves.

Bone Reading Sign Designed by Chas Bogan

I do not read for myself. I found that I would always question those readings, and that in doubting them I was doing damage to my faith in my abilities.

· Do you teach bone reading?
Informally, yes, but not to the extent of doing public classes as I do with other things.

· What advice do you have for bone readers just starting out?
You want to create a set that acts as a community, where each piece has its own voice. Some pieces are mouthier than others. For instance, I find that Raccoon Baculums tend to be the mansplainers of the bone world, getting all up into every reading even when they have nothing relevant to say. When dealing with such a bone you can either treat him like you would that guy at the party who won’t shut up and ignore much of what he has to say, or you can invite someone to take his place, someone who knows only to talk when the subject is something he has knowledge of. I find that approaching each piece as an individual with it’s own quirks and interests is key, as is knowing how well they will interact together.

· Do you read professionally?
I do read bones professionally, along with Tarot and Lenormand. I book according to time, not modality, so a person can book for a half hour and choose what type of reading they want once we begin.

Website: http://chasbogan.com
Formats you read in: email, in person, and telephone

Happy Bone Reading!

Fear or Worry in Bone Divination

Stone to represent fear or worry.

Do you have a piece in your set that represents fear? I do. In my travel set it is a small tumbled stone that is solid black on one side, and brown and black on the the other. If the solid side is up I assume it has nothing to say in the reading, but if the brown side is up, I look to see what is nearby because it indicates that the client is dealing with some type of fear.

These pieces could be interpreted as fear about a romantic partner’s feelings.

We have all been afraid many times. Sometimes our fear is justified – if our physical well being is threatened we naturally feel afraid. But I find that most of the time when I am feeling fear it is not because I am being threatened with bodily harm. Most of the time fear is about the thoughts we have or the stories we tell ourselves rather than real physical danger. We fear being left alone, we fear losing our job or our source of financial security, we fear for our health, we fear for our children and loved ones, and friends – the list goes on, and on. Since we all have fears I find that a piece to identify them is quite useful. If you find the word fear too strong, you could substitute worry.

This could be interpreted as fears or worries about work/career possibly involving another person.

I often find that when I tell a client about the fears or worries I see in the throw they are relieved that I brought it up so that they can talk about them. I always listen carefully and look at the rest of the throw to see if there is any other information about the area of concern that could be useful. Identifying a fear can also lead to a separate throw about the issue with an eye towards what can be done to mitigate the issue and/or achieve a favorable outcome.

Sometimes the fear piece is brown side up, but there are no amplifying pieces nearby. This could indicate anxiety or just a feeling of general unease or worry. Hopefully the reading will give the client concrete areas to focus their energy and thus provide some measure of relief.

While I chose a stone to represent fear you could use anything that represents fear or worry to you, say a spider, or a small weapon like a miniature knife or a pointed stick or twig. These items have the additional quality of being able to point directly at other pieces. I have found the fear piece to be very useful. Perhaps you will too.

Back side of the stone representing fear or worry.

Happy Bone Reading!

Interview With Bone Reader Shaun Laveau

Shaun Laveau is a young bone reader living in Omaha Nebraska. He is an ardent student of African American folklore, folkways, and folk magic with an eye towards ensuring their preservation, and he reads the bones professionally at festivals and at other venues.

How did you get started in bone reading?

I actually came to bone reading from a reading dice. I had a big interest in learning to read the bones. I didn’t know where to start, but I had heard that reading dice was very similar. I started reading dice, and then evolved into bone reading.

How long have you been reading bones?

Almost 2 years now.

Did you have any teachers? Who?

I never had any formal training or lessons on bone readings. A person I always credit as a teacher is Michele Jackson because her book Bones, Shells, and Curios really helped me get started and get a feeling for my style of reading bones.

Where did you get your bone pieces?

I was originally gifted a set of bones by a local worker who gave me four raccoon bones, and a tiny skull piece.

How many bones in your set?

33 pieces

How long did it take you to put your set together?

2 years

Are you still adding pieces?

Yes. I feel like I’ll have a good collection when I reach 66 or 70.

Do you use a special cloth or reading surface?

Yes I do. It’s actually a mat with planetary symbols and Astrology signs on it.

Did you do any consecration ceremony for them?

For my pieces whenever I get a new one I take it to my ancestors and tell them what it means to me. Then I meditate with it in my hand to put the energy of its meaning into it. For my mat I dipped it in Holy Water and then allowed it to air dry.

Do you cleanse them?

After every reading I spray both my pieces and my mat with Florida Water Cologne

Do you do anything special before a reading – invocations, prayers, etc.?

It is all depends. If I am reading for myself I do a little prayer to ask my ancestors to speak clearly to me and ask that all my spirits be present to offer their messages too. Sometimes my clients want to do a prayer before the first toss and sometimes they don’t.

How do you think the bones work? Ancestors? Spirits? Etc.

I believe that your ancestors and your spirits are what come through to help with the readings and offer whatever wisdom may be needed.

Do you throw all of your bones or some subset?

All of them.

Do you read for yourself? Some people feel that they do not do well reading for themselves.

Yes I do, but sometimes I do go to other people for readings to maybe confirm my feelings or get more clarity on the situation.

Do you teach bone reading?

No, I don’t feel I have the experience under me to teach others yet.

What advice do you have for bone readers just starting out?

Make sure that you know yourself and have a working relationship with your ancestors and spirits before you start reading bones.

Do you read professionally?

Yes I do. I offer Skype, email, and phone readings. If you want a reading and wish contact me you can reach me through my email mystichhut@gmail.com

Happy Bone Reading!

New Bone Bag

A few months ago I started seeing beautifully crafted leather bags in my Facebook timeline. They were being made by Jonathan E. Emmett. I finally decided to purchase one. When I contacted him he asked what I was looking for specifically and we discussed it via several Facebook Instant Messages. I wanted a bag that was larger than usual, and I wanted a stiffer leather because I wanted to try my hand at casting directly from the bag. Once we finalized the requirements he went to work and a few weeks later I got my bag in the mail. It was better than I had imagined it. The fine attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the bag – most of the seams have colorful felt trim as an accent. My favorite detail is the vertebrae circling the middle seam. What could be more appropriate for a bone set?

When I fold the top half down, the bag forms a bucket-like shape that I can cast from. Again, I asked for a thicker than usual leather to make this possible. It took a little trial and error to determine how to cast from the folded down bag, but I figured out where and how to hold it to get the best throw. Now the basket that I had been using to store and carry my bones is optional instead of required. It was awkward to travel with and now I can carry just the lid if I want to cast from the basket, or leave the entire thing at home and use just the bag.

Based on the quality of the leather, the heavy-duty stitching, and the workmanship I believe I will be using it for many, many years.

If you are looking for a beautiful, yet functional, high quality bag, made to your specific requirements send Jonathan E. Emmett, an Instant Message on Facebook and see if he can create the perfect leather bag for you.

Close up of decoration. It goes all the way around the bag.

Bone Reading Workshop Hoodoo Heritage Festival 2016

Happy Bone Reading!

Creating a Little Black (or any color) Book for your Bone Reading Set

Little black book for bone divination meanings

I recently started taking a bone reading class with Iyanifa Ayele Kumari. I take classes on bone reading whenever I see them offered if I am able to do so at the time. I am very happy and comfortable with my method of reading, but I enjoy learning different approaches and methods, and I enjoy the interaction with other bone readers that a class provides. It also forces me to look at bone divination with beginner’s eyes which I find refreshing and challenging.

Since I am starting this class with a new set of bones put together according to the class recommendations, I thought I would share something that helps me to learn a new system – a little black book. When you buy a deck of tarot cards, there is usually a small booklet with card meanings in the box with the deck. It has come to be known as the “little white book.” If there is no full length book available for the deck it is the only source material you have that gives insight into the meanings used by the artist or deck creator. Early on you usually find yourself referring to it frequently until you feel comfortable that you understand the deck.

When you buy a set of bones, you may get a few pages with suggested meanings, or you may get nothing but the bones themselves. This makes sense because bone reading is highly personal, and even when meanings are provided they are usually described as “suggested” meanings. Over time, as you become more comfortable with your set you may devise meanings that have no similarity at all to the suggested meanings. You will most likely add new pieces to the set and you may remove some of the original pieces as well.

Making a book of meanings can help you learn the meanings of your set early on, and in the long term, it will provide documentation for your great-great grandchildren, should your set survive you and be passed down as a family heirloom. Although I say that tongue in cheek, many family practices are lost forever when the keeper of that knowledge passes on. Having a book of meanings will prevent that from happening to your tradition and style of bone reading. Over time as you add pieces and meanings, it will also give you a benchmark to see how far you have come as a diviner. It does not take long to create, and you may even find the creation process enjoyable. Let’s begin.

You will need a blank book. I personally like 4″ X 6″ spiral bound sketch books. They are small enough to be easily stored with your bone set, and they lie down flat making writing easier. They are unlined, but if you are more comfortable with a lined book, by all means get one. The sketchbooks cost a few dollars. A dollar store composition book will also work. And there are books that are in-between these two in size – 5.5″ X 8″ is a popular size for journals. Get whatever size you like.

I usually leave the first 2 pages blank. I always have some idea in my head that I will do a cover page at some point in the future, though it never gets done. In the 4″ X 6″ books I allocate one page, front and back to each piece. If you are using a larger book you may want to put two pieces on each page. Unless you love to write, it is unlikely that you will need more than a page to cover the meanings of your bones. While there is much that can be said about any bone or piece if you want to include references to the animal or symbol, its characteristics, myths, stories etc., I try to keep my books simple and I limit myself to basic meanings, perhaps fleshed out over time as my understanding of the piece broadens.

I like to draw a simple line drawing of the piece. I am no great draftsman, but I can usually manage to get a basic outline drawn if I take my time. This book is for me so the art does not have to be great or even very good. It just has to be recognizable as the piece you are drawing. If you feel that you can’t manage a simple outline, you can always take a photo of your set, print it, cut out the various pieces, and glue them to your pages. I find drawing the bone makes me look at it more closely than I would if I were to take a photograph. Close examination may provide some additional insight into the piece.

Next I write down the suggested meaning if I have one available. I put a line under it and if I have a different meaning, or if I have additional information I write it down under the line. If I don’t have a different meaning at that time the suggested meaning is fine. Since I am taking a class right now and thus learning the teacher’s system, knowing the suggested meaning and understanding how the teacher views a particular bone will make things easier for me in class. It makes sense to learn the rules before you break them. I find that the process of drawing the bone, and writing out the meaning helps me to remember it. I don’t have a great memory and this method helps to reinforce the meaning in my mind in a way that just reading or hearing it does not.

Once I have drawn and written the meaning for each piece I am done. I now have a reference book that I can refer to should I forget the meaning of a particular piece. I also have a place to record any additional insights that I may get about a piece. It is small enough to carry with me should I want to review the meanings while I sitting in a waiting room somewhere.

If you are artistic, you can decorate your book cover, hang bones or other decorations from the spiral, paint the drawings with watercolors etc. I tend to start these books with great plans to fancy them up, but they usually end up plain. Plain or fancy I find them quite useful, especially, if you like to learn different systems. By having a book for each different set that you own, you can quickly refresh your memory should you decide to use one of the other sets.

You could also do the book digitally using word processing or publishing software. However, I find that holding the bone in my hands, examining it, drawing it, and writing its meaning seems to make a stronger impression in my memory than looking at it, then setting it aside to type about it. Of course you should do whatever works best for you. This book could also be used to record your readings, or to just record important readings like year readings, or readings that you feel are significant for whatever reason.

Happy Bone Reading!

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