Throwing the bones

SORTILEGE, CASTING LOTS, THROWING BONES, READING RUNES

 

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Cleromancy is a form of divination by reading & interpreting the arrangement, shapes formed, & placement of randomly fallen or tossed objects. Believed to reveal the will of God. 
Different objects can be used such as: runes, bones, shells, stones, dice, dominoes, etc. Often times the items used are all different, and are tossed together. They are inscribed with markings, numbers, or colors - or left in their natural state. Usually carried in a sacred manner, in a cloth, bowl, or basket, sense they are believed to be a direct line of communication with Spirit. When read they are tossed onto an animal hide, a special mat, or into a circle drawn on the ground. 

Bone divination is an ancient practice, done around the world and varies depending on the culture and sometimes even the individual. According to Catherine Yronwode, a well known author & practitioner in the world of HooDoo, there are three main practices of bone divination: 

• Heated & cracked bone reading; a form of Pyromancy. Usually done by heating the shell of a turtle, ox scapulae, or turtle plastrons in fire and then interpreting the cracks that form. This began and was primarily practiced in ancient China, in the late Shang Dynasty. (article about a pair of three thousand year old Chinese oracle bones)
• Mathematical systems of bone reading; Geomancy. An example of this is Hakata, a very interesting form of divination found in Africa, where one would interpret hand-made tablets by the markings inscribed there on. (article about Hakata)
• Spirit-led interpretive bone reading; Cleromancy. This is a Shamanic from of divination. It is used, and varies greatly, among many different cultures and beliefs. A wide array of animal bones are used in Shamanic bone reading. The bones carry different meanings and energies according to what animal they belonged to, and what type of bone it is (tooth, claw, hand bone, etc.) 

www.peabody.harvard.edu

www.surnateum.org

Many diviners believe that one's set of bones should be special and unique to the individual. You simply cannot go out and buy a bone divination set. Bones can be gathered, bought, obtained from different sources, but the completion of the set and power lay with the the individual's personal contributions. 
Practicioners of HooDoo, a type of folk magic with African roots, will use a wide array of bones along with artifacts or game pieces to represent a specific person. The Sangomas, an African people who greatly influence the HooDoo tradition, believe that it is their ancestors speaking through the bones; so to aid in communication, will carry a porcelain doll head containing dirt from the grave site of the ancestral spirit they work with. 

Divination in the Bible

William Blake

Divination, specifically "Casting Lots", is referred to multiple times throughout the Hebrew Bible.
"And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat." Leviticus 16:8 [God, speaking to Moses]

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Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts, and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the Lord our God.  Joshua 18:6

Sortilege divination sets do not only consist of occult items like bones.. they can be sea shells, rocks, coins, buttons. Really, almost anything can be used to create a personalized divination set - so it isn't hard to create your own. Gather or create items that hold meaning and speak to you. Give each piece a meaning, or let the piece tell you what it stands for. 

Anja Mulder

RettGrayson

Sue.H

SparrowSalvage