Where to Get a Bone Divination Set

I have decided to upload my book, a section or two at a time. When it has all been uploaded, I will add the introductory information, closing, notes and references, and make it available as an actual softcover book on Lulu.com for those who would like to have it in that format.

Where can I get a set of bones?

This shows some pieces from a set I made from items found on walks with my dog, and some items I had around the house. *

Since this is a book, and therefore hard to update, I am taking the safe route and just making a few suggestions rather than providing specific sources. There is not a lot of profit in making bone sets, and there is not a high demand, so new entrants into the market often make one or two batches and then get out of the business. Therefore, if you come across a set that you like, do not wait – buy it now. It may not be available in the future and the vendor may get of the business very quickly.

That said, some bone reading teachers sell sets – usually in conjunction with taking their classes. Some metaphysical stores have them from time to time as well. Etsy is a good source where you can usually find several sets at any given time, but again, it is a rapidly shifting landscape so if you see a set you like snatch it up quickly.

Do not reject a set out of hand because it has one or two pieces that you do not like. You can always pull those pieces out and not use them. My first set had an alligator claw in it. I found it ugly to look at (the fingers pointed every which way with some claws up and some down), and slightly gross to handle, so I took it out. I also know readers who love alligator paws and find them to be one of the most useful and clearly speaking pieces in their sets. It is your set and it should match your aesthetic, but there are many perfectly good sets for sale that may contain one or two pieces that won’t resonate for you. Just remember it is not a chess set so taking pieces out, replacing them, or eliminating them altogether will not harm the way the set works.

Alternately, you can make your own set. I have a set I call my “found set” that I accumulated from items I found on walks with my dog, augmented by a few small items from my junk drawer and four bones from a batch of hot wings I cooked. Instead of costing me money it contains as of this writing, $4.80 in found coins and $2.50 in Mexican Pesos!

You can save and clean the bones from a rotisserie chicken or a found animal carcass. This is another low-cost way to acquire a set, though it takes patience and effort. There are many sources on the internet that will tell you how to clean bones from a carcass for use. “Same animal” sets have been used in bone reading, but the issue you may have in using a same animal set is telling one bone from another. Most of the bones will be matching duplicates. You will have to find a way to tell same type bones from each other. Decorating them with paint or even nail polish will work, as will carving them or other forms of decoration. If you are willing to put in the time and the work, this is an inexpensive way to get a nice set.

Matchbox Bone Divination Set by Wheat and Chaff on Etsy **

Bone Divination Sets purchased from Etsy. ***

There are fur and hide shops that sell individual bones from many animals. There are also natural history shops that sell individual animal bones and skulls. The disadvantage of building your set this way is that it can get expensive buying individual bones one at a time. Although each bone may be inexpensive, often available for a dollar or two, the cost can rise quickly as the number of bones you need becomes apparent. A quick internet search will find shops of both types.

I have recently started seeing large bone sets with lots of pieces for sale. They are priced commensurate with the number and type of pieces. While it can be tempting to get a big set and feel you are ready to jump right in without having to spend time building your set, I advise you start with a smaller set and let it grow organically over time. If you get a large set, you now have many piece meanings to learn all at once before you can use it. No matter what size set you get, you will most likely find that some pieces just don’t work for you. You don’t like the way they look, you don’t feel an affinity for the piece, or the piece itself does not want to work for you. A larger set means the number of pieces like this will also most likely be larger. That is wasted money. We live in a “want it now” culture where we can order something this morning and have it in our hot little hands this afternoon. But divination is an art. You can buy a paint-by-numbers painting and get it done in a few hours, but it does not make you a fine artist. Artists spend hundreds of hours learning to draw on paper, learning to render on canvas, learning paint qualities, learning their brushes, learning to mix colors. Then they spend countless hours making bad paintings before they finally make a good one! Bone reading is the same way. You can buy the large bone set and memorize the given meanings. But you will probably be a better diviner if you put in the time and effort to build your set over time. Take your time. Let your set grow at its own pace. Practice working with it every day. If you already do divination work with another tool, you have a head start, just like some people who go from drawing to painting. But you still must practice with this tool. There is no rush. You have the rest of your life to master this art.

Running your cursor over the shop name will expose the link.

Sample Bone Reading Set I sell to students who take my classes or workshops. Pieces will vary due to availability.

* Spider Bone Bag by Doctor Beverley

** Wheat and Chaff purchased September 2020

***Sets from left to right

Occult Corner Store – purchased in 2017 (site still active, but no bone sets on the date of this post)

Conjure and Cauldron – purchased in April of this year

Chicken of the Woods – One animal set (porcupine) purchased in 2016 (does not look like the shop is active anymore)

If you go through my blog you will find many reviews for various sets I have collected. Alas, many of them are no longer available to purchase.