We are overwhelmed by the diversity of your energetic responses. Thank you all and by all means keep murmuring these resources. We'll let you know how the class evolves...we have a much better picture and are working on acquiring a couple more guests. Wish We could teleport you fellers.

Thanks for the sweet inspiration you're giving us!

--coup

We have another week to prepare. We have a bus driver and chiromancer, a Jungian I Chingist and a Turkish coffee grounds reader offering workshops, so far! The Jungian I Chingist surprised us out of the blue when we were xeroxing diagrams of the Great Mother!

How many oracular systems are there, do you imagine? We're limiting our scope somewhat by focusing on ways folks, then and now, obtain information about their future (from the unconscious as well as from the already personal and collective conscious, so to speak.)

We certainly all want hints, clues and re-affirmations about our destinies from time to time.

--The Amanuensis

I've been playing around with a new version of cleromancy.

I have asked Zultan.

Although... I hesitate to do it...because Zultan and his little skull pal in the crystal ball usually chastise me with dire predictions of doom.

My brother in law visits my Zultan machine every time he visits as if expecting information for later use at the horse track or future lottery numbers.

Zultan likes him.

Genitology (Paperback)
by Seymore Klitz (Author)

Product Details

* Paperback: 126 pages
* Publisher: Loompanics Unlimited (July 1989)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1559500182
* ISBN-13: 978-1559500180

A fortune-telling system based on reading the genitals...still available used.

http://www.amazon.com/Genitology-Seymore-Klitz/dp/1559500182

Genitology certainly brings a new twist to the term... cold readings.
Can be performed closeup, parlor and on stage.

Surely anything may serve as an oracle, provided the receiver can interpret the message.

This has been a very informative thread.

I am particularly fond of Jung and IChing though mine eyes have been opened to intersting fields of research here.

Wish I had something to add here, but seems the spectrum has been covered beyond my knowledge at this point.

Would love to read of more oracles!

DT3

Baba,

I don't have an I CHING PDF but I do have a "PF CHANG's" in the area. I'd send you some orange chicken but hear the loa don't prefer citrus in their meats.

While on the subject of divination -

Bone and/or tablet divination (San/Zulu)

Birth Order readings

"Rayid" (wonderful)

There is something Ravi Pazhur clued me to which has tons of merit in bizarre magic and mentalism. It's not mine to tip but he IS a member here . . .

Something I've been playing with recently is ladybug divination -

The reader or sitter holds a ladybug cupped in their hands and whispers their questions and concerns to the insect. Opening up their hands the bug's movements are noted and interpreted, i.e. whether it moves or stays put, in what direction, how fast, if it flies away or falls to the floor, etc.

The spots on their back may also be used to gain further insight, a very 'nature based' numerology, how large/mature they are, their pigment and more.

Great thread!

-Jerome

Hmmm...Marked Lady Bugs.

Going back a few messages: Face Reading for fortunetelling future and destiny was very big in China as you already stated; have a few books collected from trips when I was an Asian Studies Major that were taken quite seriously in China; too large a mouth hurt one's fortune..etc. etc. Also -- I have a copy of a centuries old daily Mandarin morning ritual of places to touch and check on the face for the state of daily health and fortune. If some of the places hurt, could mean coming heart attack , sluggish digestion, etc. Other places indicated strength of attributes for a good day, power for favorable business deals... Fascinating.

Ladybird reading...fascinating

Our chant for those little ones has always been:

November lady bug
Give us some more
Of your Indian summer
Flor de Sol

--The Mechanic

Interesting excursion into the unknown coupcoupdaddy. I second Tony I's recomendation of Max's book. Interesting that he refers to these systems as "sortilege" a term I had been previously unexposed to. You might be able to get it on amazon. I'm surprised no one has mentioned palmistry yet. Does that count?

If so-

I recomend Judith Hipskind's "Palmistry the Whole View" it's interesting because she starts with identifying the various kinds of hands, fingers, and nails before actually getting into the lines and mounts. I have found in a small way that these observations about hand types are true. -you can probably get that on amazon too- or I would be more than happy to ship you my half annotated copy for use in your exploration. Even if you find Hipskinds book booring I guaratee that you will find my annotaions amusing. (At least I did when I just looked through the book)

Everyone (unless very unfortunate) has hands. And even if you don't want to get involved with the lines and mounts. It would be interesting to observe and consider different hand, finger, and nail types and what that may reveal about someone's personality.

Curiously, what particiular divinitory system do you all thik is likely to be most relevant for those in the U.S. at the current time? In other words what one would people be most likely to buy into or believe in. I know it sounds strange but I would be more likely to buy into say, palmistry or cartomancy- than I would the or reading the intestines of certain animals- but that's just me

It will be interesting to read about your findings- coupcoupdaddy.

Fortune is smiling upon you!

I am surprised no one has discussed runes - papelsteinsand nordic tradition Oracles....

The use of papelstein (people stones) adds dimension.

Maven book amazoned. Guests consulted and scheduled. First class tomorrow afternoon.

We are learning so much from your generous posts. Thank you.

--Lucia

Ha Ha I love the term "amazoned". Looking forward to hearing about your findings!

Amazoned and whoa!manifested it has and what a treasurehouse you and Tony recommended! Mr. Maven's treasurehouse of information, etymologies, knowledge and wisdom is POIFECT for us!!!!!!

The first workshop went splendidly and the reader drew from her transgenerational background and intuition to provide an astounding demonstration of tesseography through "fal", the Turkish coffee grounds oracular system. Ritualization began with preparing the coffee and having two participants enjoy it as we discussed social customs and cultural transitions from tea leaves to coffee grounds. The two sitters were instructed how to invert the cup on the saucer and place on table with the use of a coin or ring to cool the inverted cup on saucer. Then the reading began and wove images into a life situation unique to the sitter. I sat directly across from the sitter and observed very little give-away from her as her story was being told. A second component was reading the saucer for associations between heart and environment, and finally an observation of the speed of a single coffee drop traveling down the saucer's back gave a temporal framework to the entire reading.

The reader was magnificent. She prefers NO information, NO questions, NO body language as she weaves in order to weave well, she told us. When class members attempted to read the second participant's cup on our own, we experienced how difficult it was and how practiced you needed to be compared to how easy and effortless the reader made it seem. We would also point out the important role that children have played as required readers throughout the early history of divination.

The last half of the afternoon we followed Doug's advice and introduced cartomancy as an on-going class focus.

Merrily, merrily we will begin our Valentine workshop with the Jungian I Chingist. Marbles and coins and yarrow, oh my!

--The Amanuensis

Coupcoupdaddy

All I can say is, FANTASTIC!

With the utmost respect and envy...

Tony

Yay! I counted.