Elemental Dice Oracle
Heavily inspired by Stephen Ball's Elemental Divination: A Dice Oracle, I've developed my own system of a quick and versatile dice oracle. All you need is a set of 3 six-sided dice.
The d6 numbers are associated with 6 elements as per Elemental Divination. In brief, they are:
1 - Air 2 - Fire 3 - Water 4 - Earth 5 - Sun 6 - Moon
If you enjoy this divination method, Elemental Divination is excellent supplementary reading, but you do not need to read the book as I will detail my method in full.
Note: Unlike Stephen's method, I read all three dice and infer the answer based on elemental interactions, and the elemental nature of my question. This means a "Greater X over Y" and "Lesser X over Y" oracle can exist in the same reading.
A great read on a similar concept using tarot can be found eloquently written by @windvexer in this post 😊
The elemental nature of the question:
Depending on your approach to the subject of divination, you can associate yourself and your efforts with one of these elements should they appear in the reading, or treat the question's element as a secret 4th dice.
Air: matters of the mind, learning, logic, memory, intellect, communication, travel, work relationships (acquaintances, colleagues, customers/clients), persuasion and public speaking, matters where rapid action and quick thinking is needed.
Fire: matters of desire, motivation, passion, sexuality, willpower, inspiration, and health (in terms of innate constitution and vitality), situations where might and zealousness is needed.
Water: matters of subjectivity, emotion, connection, personal/intimate relationships (partner(s), family, close friends), overseas travel, opinions and perception, dreaming, intuition, charisma.
Earth: matters of objectivity, physical health and circumstances, money and savings, long-term projects, practical skills, practical relationships (business partners, teachers, neighbours).
Sun: activity, growth, visibility, reputation, self-expression, expansion, public life - outcome is inclined to be positive and have an observable change.
Moon: passivity, stillness, self-reflection, retreating inwards, invisibility, private life - outcome is inclined to be negative or have no outward effect.
Method
Very simply, throw 3 dice and read the interactions between them, whether the interactions are auspicious, or inclined towards a certain behaviour.
The most positive outcome is a balance of elements that interact well with each other. For instance, Water, Earth and Sun is a very auspicious omen as these elements are optimal for growth and life.
Alternatively, if you have a strong desire for a certain outcome, then the appearance of an element associated with your goals may indicate how things will play out.
3 of any element strongly indicates an outcome that is based on the nature of that element. This can be positive or negative, but is usually undesirable. This is because there is nothing to balance out the activity of that element, so its activities can spin out of control.
Sometimes an element in Excess is a great omen and exactly what you want, other times it shows something is in overdrive. It all depends on the circumstances and the question asked.
Elements on a 1:1 basis are Moderate and have unique interactions with each other.
When 2 dice are the same element, this element is Greater.
When 3 dice are the same element, this element is in Excess.
An element that is Greater can match or overcome another element it is weak to, or completely diminish a weaker element.
It is up to you how you interpret elements that are Moderate, Greater or in Excess, as they can represent different omens depending on your situation.
Elemental attributes & relationships
This is a general overview of each element and how they can be interpreted in an oracle.
Air
Air is active, fast-moving, multi-directional and erratic.
Moderate Air (that is, Air in balance) allows movement and progression, it brings novel ideas and fresh experiences, it facilitates communication and understanding, enables learning and critical thinking.
Excess Air is pure thought and fantasy, plans not grounded in reality, communication that lacks empathy, empty promises and unconfirmed speculation.
Air feeds Fire, but can also drive it out of control. Hence, Air is weak to Fire, benefits Fire, but Greater Air can influence Fire.
Air balances Water, as aerated water supports life. In symbolic terms it is a balance between heart and mind. Greater Air can stir up Water, as thoughts stir up emotions, symbolising persuasive speech shaping perspectives. Whereas Greater Water indicates the strength of emotion overpowering logic and reason.
Air is weak to Earth and moves around Earth, as Earth directs Air the way a fan or musical instrument does. Air and Earth are a positive combination in the creation of music, song and speech. Greater Air can move Earth, as a tornado does, but the effects are disastrous and short-lived.
Fire
Fire is active, expansive, transformative and destructive, and is greatly influenced by the other elements.
Moderate Fire (that is, Fire in balance) brings the spark of creativity and inspiration, invigorates the will, and grants the energy and vitality to overcome challenges.
Excess Fire is inflammation, unmitigated destruction, conflict, anger without reason, passion unrequited, and burnout.
Fire depends on a balance of Air and Earth to thrive; without these, it is short-lived and diminishes over time. Just as one's motivations can be limited by external factors and one's ability to plan and strategise.
Fire feeds on Air, symbolising passion and zeal that is balanced by a clear mind. But Greater Fire becomes violent and unreasonable, lacking the rationality of Air. Contrarily, Greater Air can manipulate Fire, it can spur Fire in a different direction, but cannot mitigate Fire's destructive nature. Greater Air can also extinguish Fire, as wind blows out a candle, but this depends on the strength of Fire.
Fire feeds on Earth, indicating a goal that is achievable, but Greater Fire is unsustainable and depletes Earth's resources. Contrarily, Greater Earth smothers and extinguishes Fire.
Fire is weak to Water, but Greater Fire can influence Water, as heat turns water into steam, as passion and charisma stirs the heart's emotions.
Water
Water is passive, slow-moving, fluid, soft and mutable.
Moderate Water (that is, Water in balance) inspires connection, empathy, shared identity, culture and experiences. It cools, enables, cradles and nourishes. It softens the rough, and brings relief and growth.
Excess Water is a treacherous ocean of emotions and subjectivity, opinions and perspectives unchecked by reason, obsession and infatuation, a lack of boundaries, unhappy outcomes, and improbable goals.
Water and Air are a harmonious pair, as heart and mind are in balance. However, Greater Air can stir up Water into a storm, as persuasion and propaganda shapes one's perspective.
Water diminishes Fire and keeps it in check, but Greater Fire transforms and diminishes Water, for good or ill. Either way, they are always in conflict.
Water and Earth create life. Water nourishes Earth, and follows the paths laid out by Earth. Greater Earth restricts Water and keeps it contained. Contrarily, Greater Water erodes Earth, and turns Earth to mud, creating stagnation and difficulty.
Earth
Earth is passive, inactive, stable, unmoving and persistent.
Moderate Earth (that is, Earth in balance) indicates favourable circumstances, available resources, and long-lasting results. It defines boundaries, lends form and structure, and creates strong foundations upon which other things can be built.
Excess Earth becomes rigidity, authoritarianism, stubbornness, unnecessary sternness, and leads to stagnation, repeated errors, and fruitless results.
Earth and Air are a harmonious pair, embodying plans that are feasible and bear fruit in the real world. Greater Air can mean overthinking, or that one's ideas are hit-or-miss, with only moderate chances of success. Greater Earth indicates physical constraints, but success is still possible using clever strategy.
Earth and Water are very auspicious together, enabling growth and life. Greater Earth symbolises ground water, i.e. some effort is needed before the benefits of Water can be obtained. For instance, rules and boundaries need to be established before people can work together. Contrarily, Greater Water symbolises muddy earth which slows progress and creates stagnation.
Sun & Moon
The 4 elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth do not affect the Sun and Moon. Rather, the 4 elements are impacted by the light of Sun or Moon.
Sun brings out the more positive, active, or extroverted qualities of the 4 elements.
Moon brings out the more negative, passive, or introverted qualities of each element. Moon can indicate a blind spot or unknown influence.
When appearing in a reading together, Sun and Moon can indicate a balance of their respective domains.
However, Moon is weak to Sun, and Greater Sun thoroughly defeats the influence of Moon.
Alternatively, Greater Moon can overcome Sun (an eclipse) and indicates inner qualities overcoming outer circumstances – this can be positive, as in the case of personal resilience overcoming external challenges. Or, it can be negative in terms of self-sabotage.
Excess Sun is where personal joy and self-expression turns into self-gratification and arrogance.
Excess Moon indicates unknown influence, delusion and deceit.
3 element oracles
We've covered 2:1 oracles and 3:0 where one element is Greater or in Excess. Here are some examples of interpretation where all three dice differ in the elements shown. As always, remember that every oracle can have multiple interpretations depending on how the question is phrased.
Water, Earth, Sun: As mentioned before, this is an excellent omen of fortune and growth. Success will come easily.
Water, Earth, Moon: Gestation. Growth is possible, but halted. Patience is advised. Wait until conditions ripen, it is a matter of time.
Air, Earth, Fire: Take action and pursue your goals ardently, you have all the resources you need for success.
Water, Earth, Fire: Success is possible, but be wary of possible conflict and difficulty.
Water, Air, Fire: Strong likelihood of conflict and disagreement. Create distance, or be prepared to be diplomatic and compromise.
Fire, Sun, Moon: (If your position is Fire) You are going up against a stronger and more skilled opponent (the Sun) and have very low chances of success. Retreating is advised.
Fire, Sun, Air: (If your position is Fire) Your opponent (the Sun) is stronger, but you can obtain some success if you re-think your plans and method of interaction. Alternatively, a good omen of learning opportunities where mind and will are aligned.
Fire, Sun, Earth: (If your position is Fire) Your opponent (the Sun) is strong, but conditions are favourable and you can hold out for now. However, plan for your current strategy to fail in the near future. Alternatively: an oracle of community and fun.
Sun, Moon, Earth: Neutral oracle, everything is as it seems. Patience is key, wait for the situation to unfold over time.
Air, Earth, Sun: Your plans are likely to bear fruit, so long as you stay focused and maintain your efforts.
Air, Earth, Moon: Your efforts and plans will have little effect, as the situation is not ripe for change. Turn inwards and work on yourself.
Air, Water, Moon: Expect a period of stillness and possible difficulty. Your perspective needs to adapt to the situation. More understanding and open-mindedness is needed.
Conclusion
I hope I have demonstrated just how versatile this oracle can be, and there are even more possibilities than what is written in this post. It has become my favourite method of divination, as the dice can be thrown and read quickly, while offering a precise and in-depth answer.
Please feel welcome to message me about the Elemental Dice Oracle for further discussion! Thanks for reading! 🌿
