#throwing the bones

[xo-kosmickisses-xo]

CASTING DIVINATION PART 1: Bones, Charms & Runes

Hello beautiful souls ✨

You hold a collection of objects in your hands. You ask a question. You cast them onto cloth. Where they land, how they fall, which ones touch—this is your answer.

This is casting divination: reading meaning in the patterns created when objects are thrown.

Unlike tarot (where cards have fixed meanings) or pendulums (which give yes/no), casting divination is raw, organic, and endlessly variable. Every throw is unique. The same question asked twice will give different configurations—because the energy shifts, the situation evolves, you change.

Today we're exploring three major casting systems:

Bone reading (osteomancy) - ancient, intuitive, deeply personal

Charm casting (cleromancy) - accessible, customizable, modern

Rune casting - structured, symbolic, rooted in Norse tradition

All three share core principles:

You cast objects

You read patterns, positions, relationships

Interpretation is intuitive + structural

The randomness isn't random

This is Part 1 of a two-part series on interpretive divination. Let's dive in.

THE CORE PRINCIPLE: PATTERN AS MESSAGE

All casting divination works on the same foundation:

1. OBJECTS = SYMBOLS Each item in your set represents something (concept, energy, person, theme).

2. POSITION = CONTEXT Where the object lands matters (near/far, center/edge, upright/fallen).

3. RELATIONSHIPS = MEANING Which objects touch, overlap, or point toward each other creates the reading's narrative.

4. INTUITION + STRUCTURE = INTERPRETATION You use both learned meanings and gut instinct to decode the pattern.

Whether you're throwing bones, charms, or runes, you're reading the language of organized chaos.

BONE READING (OSTEOMANCY)

WHAT IT IS:

Bone reading is one of the oldest forms of divination—practiced across Africa, Asia, Indigenous Americas, and ancient Europe.

You cast a collection of bones (and often other natural objects) and read their positions, orientations, and relationships.

TRADITIONAL PRACTICE:

African diaspora traditions (particularly Southern African sangomas): Sets include bones from different animals, shells, stones, seeds, coins—each with specific meaning passed down through lineage.

Readings are done in sacred space, often with ancestor invocation.

Asian traditions: Oracle bone divination (China) used heated bones that cracked—cracks were read as messages.

Indigenous practices: Vary widely by tribe/region. Some traditions are closed; approach with respect and research.

MODERN/ECLECTIC PRACTICE:

Many practitioners create personal bone sets using:

Chicken bones (small, accessible, ethical if you eat chicken)

Cleaned bones from meals (beef, pork, fish)

Animal bones found in nature (check local laws about collection)

Craft/replica bones (if you're uncomfortable with real ones)

Shells, stones, seeds as supplementary pieces

Important: If you're working within a specific tradition (like African diaspora practices), seek proper teaching and initiation. We're discussing eclectic/personal bone reading here.

BUILDING A BONE SET:

START SMALL (5-7 PIECES):

Basic set might include:

Vertebra = backbone, support, foundation, alignment

Rib = protection, breath, vitality

Small limb bone = action, movement, direction

Knuckle/joint = connection, flexibility, transition

Tooth = power, aggression, defense, communication

Shell = emotions, femininity, protection, water element

Stone = stability, grounding, permanence, earth element

You assign meanings based on:

The bone's function in the body

What animal it came from (if known)

What it represents to YOU intuitively

EXPAND OVER TIME:

As you practice, add:

More bones (build complexity)

Seeds/pods (growth, potential)

Coins (money, value, exchange)

Glass/crystals (clarity, energy, intention)

Found objects with personal significance

Traditional sets can have 60+ pieces. Start small.

HOW TO CAST BONES:

1. PREPARE YOUR SPACE

Casting cloth (light-colored so bones are visible, 2-3 feet square)

Mark center (optional—some use a circle drawn/sewn in the cloth)

Cleanse space and bones

2. HOLD YOUR QUESTION

Be specific. Hold bones in both hands. Close eyes. Focus on question until you feel ready.

3. CAST

Methods:

Overhead throw: Toss from above your head (traditional, dramatic)

Gentle toss: Release from chest height (more controlled)

Pour: Let bones flow from hands (gentle, less chaos)

Let them land where they land. Don't adjust.

4. OBSERVE BEFORE INTERPRETING

First impression: What jumps out immediately?

Note:

Which bones landed on the cloth (relevant to question)

Which fell off (not relevant, or "not yet")

Clustering (which bones are grouped)

Distance from center (close = immediate, far = distant future/indirect)

Orientation (pointing toward/away, upright/flat)

Touching (these energies are interacting)

5. READ THE PATTERN

Zones (if using marked cloth):

Traditional approach (many African traditions use compass directions):

North: Future, goals, what's ahead

South: Past, foundation, what's behind you

East: New beginnings, birth, rising energy

West: Endings, death, setting energy

Alternative approach:

Center: Present, you, main issue

Near center: Immediate concerns

Edge: Distant future, external influences

Off cloth: Not relevant or blocked

Relationships:

Bones touching = energies connected

Bones pointing at each other = communication, interaction

Bones crossed = conflict, intersection, choice

Bones parallel = harmony, alignment

Isolated bone = standing alone, independent factor

Example Reading:

You cast about a job decision.

Vertebra (foundation) lands center, upright.Small bone (action) lands near it, pointing toward north.Tooth (power/communication) lands in south (past), flat.Shell (emotion) lands far east (new beginning), but off the cloth slightly.

Interpretation: Your foundation/support system is central and solid. Action is needed and it points toward future growth. Past communications or power struggles are resolved (flat = settled). Emotions about new beginnings are present but not fully in play yet (barely off cloth = emerging).

Read: The foundation is there. Take action toward the future. Past conflicts are done. Emotional readiness is coming but not quite here yet.

DEVELOPING YOUR BONE-READING LANGUAGE:

Spend time with your bones:

Hold each piece

Meditate on its energy

Journal what it means to YOU

Cast repeatedly with simple questions

Track accuracy

Your intuitive meaning matters more than any book's definition.

Over time, you'll develop a relationship with your set. You'll know what a certain bone in a certain position means without thinking.

ETHICS & RESPECT:

If using real bones:

Thank the animal (even if it's chicken from the grocery store)

Treat bones with respect—they were once living beings

Cleanse regularly

Store properly (wrapped in cloth, not tossed in a drawer)

If working within closed traditions:

Don't appropriate without permission/training

Acknowledge sources

Don't claim lineage you don't have

CHARM CASTING (CLEROMANCY)

WHAT IT IS:

Charm casting is the modern, accessible cousin of bone reading.

Instead of bones, you use a collection of small objects (charms, trinkets, beads, stones, dice, buttons—anything meaningful) and cast them to read patterns.

This is the most customizable form of divination. Your set is entirely personal.

WHY CHARM CASTING APPEALS TO MODERN PRACTITIONERS:

No bones needed (good for vegetarians, people uncomfortable with animal parts)

Highly personal (choose items that resonate with YOU)

Accessible (raid your junk drawer, craft store, nature walks)

Evolving (add/remove charms as your life changes)

Instagrammable (let's be honest—pretty charms are more photogenic than bones)

BUILDING A CHARM SET:

CHOOSE 7-15 ITEMS (to start):

Categories to consider:

ELEMENTS:

Feather = air

Stone/crystal = earth

Shell = water

Red bead/charm = fire

Small mirror = spirit

LIFE AREAS:

Key = home, security, unlocking, access

Coin = money, value, exchange

Heart = love, relationships, emotion

Book/page = knowledge, learning, communication

Wheel/gear = career, movement, cycles

PEOPLE:

Crown = authority figure, boss, father

Ring = partnership, commitment, marriage

Baby shoe = children, new beginnings, innocence

Animal figurine = wild card, instinct, pet

ENERGIES:

Dice = chance, risk, gamble, luck

Arrow = direction, focus, goal

Anchor = stability, holding steady, being stuck

Wings = freedom, flight, escape, transcendence

WILDCARDS:

Your own symbols (a charm from your grandmother, a found object, something personally meaningful)

Where to source:

Craft stores (miniature charms in jewelry section)

Dollhouse miniatures

Game pieces (Monopoly tokens work great)

Nature (small stones, shells, seed pods, feathers)

Thrift stores (old jewelry, tchotchkes)

Online (Etsy, Amazon—search "miniature charms")

Make sure items are:

Small enough to cast easily (thumbnail to quarter-sized)

Distinct enough to identify when cast

Meaningful to you (even if the meaning is intuitive, not logical)

HOW TO CAST CHARMS:

Process is nearly identical to bone casting:

Prepare space (casting cloth, cleanse, center)

Hold question (focus while holding charms in hands/bag)

Cast (toss onto cloth)

Observe (what landed, where, how, relationships)

Interpret (use your assigned meanings + intuition)

Example Reading:

Question: "What do I need to know about this new relationship?"

Key (home/security) lands center, uprightHeart (love) lands close to key, touchingDice (chance) lands far north (future)Feather (air/communication) lands west (endings), pointing toward center

Interpretation: Security and love are at the center—this feels stable. There's an element of chance/risk in the future (not bad, just unpredictable). Communication about endings or from the past is relevant—maybe past relationship patterns need discussion.

Read: This relationship has potential for security and genuine love. There's risk ahead (all relationships have this). Address past communication patterns before they sabotage the present.

CHARM CASTING VS. BONE READING:

Similarities:

Same interpretive framework (position, relationship, pattern)

Both highly personal

Both intuitive + structural

Differences:

Charms are symbolic (a tiny key represents security—it's not made from something that was alive)

Bones carry ancestral/animal energy (some practitioners feel this deeply)

Charms are lighter/brighter (aesthetically and energetically)

Bones feel more primal/shamanic; charms feel more witchy/eclectic

Neither is "better." Choose what resonates.

RUNE CASTING

WHAT IT IS:

Runes are the letters of ancient Germanic alphabets (primarily the Elder Futhark—24 symbols).

Each rune is a letter, a sound, AND a symbolic concept.

Rune casting involves throwing marked stones/wood pieces and reading which runes land face-up, their positions, and relationships.

BRIEF HISTORY:

Origin: Scandinavia/Northern Europe, 150-800 CE

Original use: Writing system, not divination (though magical use is ancient)

Modern revival: 20th century (influenced by occultism, Norse revivalism, unfortunately also white supremacist appropriation)

Important: Runes belong to Norse/Germanic cultural heritage. Modern practice should be respectful, not appropriative or tied to racist ideologies.

THE ELDER FUTHARK (24 RUNES):

I'm not listing all 24 here (whole books exist on this), but examples:

Fehu (ᚠ): Wealth, cattle, abundance, mobile resources

Uruz (ᚢ): Aurochs (wild ox), strength, primal force, health

Thurisaz (ᚦ): Thorn, giant, protection, destructive force

Ansuz (ᚨ): God/Odin, communication, divine wisdom, breath

Raidho (ᚱ): Ride/journey, travel, movement, rhythm

Kenaz (ᚲ): Torch, knowledge, illumination, craft

Gebo (ᚷ): Gift, exchange, partnership, balance

Wunjo (ᚹ): Joy, harmony, fellowship, well-being

Each rune has layers:

Letter/sound: Linguistic meaning

Literal meaning: The word it represents (thorn, journey, gift)

Symbolic meaning: Esoteric concepts

Reversed meaning: Some systems read runes differently when upside-down

Study required: You can't effectively cast runes without learning their meanings. This isn't intuitive like bones/charms—it's a structured symbol system.

CREATING A RUNE SET:

MATERIALS:

Traditional:

Wood (especially ash, oak, yew—sacred to Norse tradition)

Carved and burned (or painted)

Modern:

Stones (smooth, flat pebbles—paint or carve runes)

Clay (sculpt, carve, fire)

Crystals (more expensive, energetically charged)

Pre-made sets (widely available online/metaphysical shops)

DIY option: Collect 24 similar-sized stones from a river/beach. Paint runes with permanent marker or acrylic paint. Seal with clear coat.

Consecration: Once made, consecrate your runes (with whatever tradition/ritual feels right—smoke cleansing, moonlight, blood, breath, dedication to Norse gods if you work with them).

HOW TO CAST RUNES:

UNLIKE BONES/CHARMS (where you cast everything), RUNE CASTING HAS OPTIONS:

METHOD 1: SINGLE RUNE DRAW

Simplest. Hold question, draw one rune from bag. That's your answer.

Quick daily guidance, yes/no questions (modified), straightforward answers.

METHOD 2: THREE-RUNE CAST

Draw three runes:

Rune 1: Past/Situation

Rune 2: Present/Challenge

Rune 3: Future/Outcome

Most common method. Good for narrative readings.

METHOD 3: FULL CAST (Multiple Runes Thrown)

Pour/cast multiple runes (5-9 or all 24) onto cloth.

Read only face-up runes (face-down = not relevant to this reading).

Interpret based on:

Which runes appear (themes)

Positions (similar to bone/charm reading—center vs. edge, near vs. far)

Clusters (runes touching = related concepts)

Patterns (do they form a shape?)

This is closest to bone/charm casting method.

METHOD 4: CASTING CLOTH WITH ZONES

Use a cloth divided into sections (past/present/future, or other meaningful divisions).

Cast runes. Where they land determines timing/context.

Example:

Question: "How do I move forward in my career?"

Cast 7 runes. Four land face-up:

Raidho (journey): Center, prominent

Kenaz (knowledge/torch): Near Raidho, touching

Ansuz (communication): North (future), upright

Thurisaz (thorn): South (past), reversed

Interpretation: Journey is central—you're in movement/transition. Knowledge/craft is directly connected to this journey. Future requires communication (maybe teaching, speaking, networking). Past had a destructive force or protection that's now reversed/completed.

Read: You're on a journey of skill-development. Your craft/knowledge is the vehicle. Future success involves communication/sharing what you know. Past obstacles have been overcome—don't let them hold you back.

LEARNING RUNES:

This takes time. You're learning a symbol language.

Steps:

Study one rune per day (24 days minimum)

Meditate on each rune's shape, sound, meaning

Draw the rune repeatedly (embody it through your hand)

Journal personal associations (what does "journey" mean to YOU?)

Practice single-rune daily draws (build familiarity)

Graduate to three-rune spreads

Eventually, full casting

Resources:

The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum (controversial but accessible)

Nordic Runes by Paul Rhys Mountfort (more scholarly)

Runelore by Edred Thorsson (deep dive, Odinic perspective)

Online communities for rune study and discussion.

CULTURAL RESPECT:

Runes come from Norse/Germanic culture.

Respect means:

Study the cultural context (don't just grab symbols divorced from meaning)

Acknowledge the source

Don't mix them carelessly with other closed/specific traditions

Be aware of white supremacist appropriation (Nazi use of runes) and actively distance yourself from that

If you work with Norse gods as part of rune practice, do so respectfully

You don't have to be Scandinavian to use runes, but you should respect where they come from.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR ALL CASTING METHODS

CREATING YOUR CASTING CLOTH:

SIZE: 2-3 feet square (large enough for patterns, small enough to manage)

MATERIAL: Cotton, silk, velvet (something bones/charms won't bounce off)

COLOR: Light (white, cream, light blue) so items are visible

MARKINGS (optional):

Circle in center

Compass directions marked

Zones drawn/sewn (past/present/future, elements, life areas)

Or leave blank (read intuitively)

CLEANSING YOUR SET:

Regular cleansing keeps energy clear:

Smoke (incense, sage, palo santo)

Moonlight (especially full moon)

Salt (briefly—don't leave bones/some metals in salt long-term)

Sound (bell, singing bowl)

Intention (hold each piece, breathe clean energy into it)

After heavy/difficult readings, cleanse immediately.

STORING YOUR SET:

Bag/pouch (drawstring, fabric)

Box (wooden, lined with cloth)

Keep together (bones/charms/runes should be a set, stored as one)

Respectful location (not tossed in a junk drawer)

PRACTICE EXERCISES:

EXERCISE 1: Daily Single-Item Draw

Each morning, draw/cast one piece. What guidance does it offer for the day?

Journal results. Track accuracy.

EXERCISE 2: Yes/No Simplification

Assign "yes" meanings to some items, "no" to others. Cast for yes/no questions.

Not ideal long-term, but helps beginners build confidence.

EXERCISE 3: Comparison Casting

Ask same question. Cast bones. Note answer.

Ask again. Cast charms (or runes). Note answer.

Do they align? Contradict? Complement?

This develops discernment about which method speaks clearest for which questions.

EXERCISE 4: Pattern Recognition

Cast without a question. Just observe the pattern.

What story does it tell? What do you see?

Trains your eye to read relationships and positions.

WHEN CASTING DIVINATION WORKS BEST

IDEAL FOR:

Complex questions with multiple factors (not just yes/no)

Seeing relationships between life areas (career + love + money + health simultaneously)

Timing questions (using zones for past/present/future)

Visual learners (you SEE the answer laid out spatially)

Kinesthetic practitioners (the act of casting is embodied, not passive)

LESS IDEAL FOR:

Highly specific information ("What day will X happen?")

People who need fixed answers (casting is interpretive, not absolute)

Beginners with no divination experience (might be overwhelmed by complexity)

THE BOTTOM LINE (PART 1)

Casting divination—bones, charms, runes—is reading the language of organized chaos.

You throw objects. They land in patterns. Those patterns contain meaning.

The skill isn't in the throwing. It's in the reading.

Choose your method:

Bones for primal, ancestral, deep work

Charms for personal, accessible, evolving practice

Runes for structured, ancient wisdom, strategic guidance

Or use all three. Different tools for different questions.

Start simple:

Small set (5-10 items)

Clear casting space

Begin with yes/no or simple questions

Build complexity over time

Trust your intuition as much as structure

The randomness isn't random. Your subconscious guides where things land. The universe speaks through pattern. Or both.

Next up: PART 2 - Reading methods (tea leaves, coffee grounds, wax)

These methods don't involve casting—they involve substances that form patterns you then interpret. Different mechanism, similar interpretive skills.

YOUR TURN

Do you practice any casting divination? Which method calls to you?

Have you built a bone, charm, or rune set? What's in it?

What's the most accurate casting reading you've received or given?

Let's discuss. Casting divination is deeply personal—your set, your meanings, your relationship with the practice.

Blessed be 🦴

The bones know. The charms speak. The runes reveal. You just have to learn their language—and trust that when you throw them, they land exactly where they're meant to.

[thegullwitch]

Does anyone have any tips on putting together a modern bone-throwing kit?

I have a few ideas and have been told to use items with meaning to you. But I don’t know much about it and have been having trouble finding good resources!

Thanks all! (I’ll also take resource recommendations!)

[indighost21]

$5 Tarot readings and bone throws!

Hey guys! I've decided to start doing tarot readings and bone throws starting at $5 on Fiverr! If you're interested, links are below! If you order a reading with me, it's greatly appreciated <3

Indighost_tarot: I will answer a yes or no question through osteomancy for $5 on fiverr.com

For only $5, Indighost_tarot will answer a yes or no question through osteomancy. | Osteomancy is a form of divination using bones, trinkets

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[delicatelydeceased]

Osteomancy🦴

Osteomancy is the use of bones and other natural objects for divination. The bones can be used in multiple ways depending on the preferences and culture of the reader. The bones can be cast onto a cloth and read through the positions in which they land, similar to casting runes. They can also be placed down and read like tarot.

© Delicately Deceased | Instagram • Shop

[barecontact]

Today I felt the sun kiss my skin. The wind whipped through my hair. The ground rubbed against my heels, thick with morning dew. I sang and breathed the crisp autumn air. I read a book about bone throwing, and…it makes sense. I don’t know why, but it does.

[witchofbonesandkeys]

Throwing Bones: How to Make and Read Your Own Osteomancy Set

Throwing bones is an ancient form of divination. Learn about throwing bones and how to make and read your own osteomancy set here.

I’ve started getting into osteomancy, and this is a really handy starter guide.

[babylon-crashing]

obi: shell divination

… from Catherine Yronwode's Throwing The Bones (2012)

Obi is a quick and easy form of West African fortune telling that was developed among the Yoruba people whose traditional homeland is now largely encompassed by the modem nation of Nigeria. A similar system from the Congo is called chamalongo or zinkola nkandi.

During the era of African abduction and forced slavery, many Yorubans were transported to the Caribbean. In Cuba, under Spanish rule, they preserved a great deal of their traditional religious practices and cultural beliefs, while ostensibly practicing the Catholic religion under the veneer of Santeria or “veneration of the saints,” more respectfully known as Lukumi. Both in the African homeland and in Cuba, the Yoruba pantheon of Lukumi consists of a supreme creator god and a number of orishas, powerful spirits who have been likened to forces of nature, to angelic spirits, or even to Catholic saints.

Theologically speaking, Obi is actually the name of an orisha, the most beautiful creation God ever made. He was perfect in every way and sparkling white in color, but he was arrogant, and because of this, God cursed him by giving him a rough and dark exterior, and so he became the Kola nut, which has a dark shell but is white inside. His fall from grace is replayed every time a Kola nut falls from a tree.

In the New World, where Kola nuts do not grow, it became the practice to substitute broken pieces of Coconut shell for Kola nuts, because a Coconut is also dark on the outside with a white interior. Obi is not often thought of as bone reading, but to many diviners, a mollusk's shell is its “bone” just as much as Kola nut's shell or a Coconut's shell or a Turtle's shell is, so as time passed, obi divination incorporated the use of four Cowrie shells with their tops cut off.

In recent years, especially among non-traditional diviners who think of obi as a reading system more than a Yoruban spiritual practice, any four flat items, including coins, Ox bone dominoes, or carved Yak bone amulets — in short, any four identical binary objects with the two sides differentially marked — have been used under the name of obi.

In traditional Yoruba divination, a prayer is spoken over the obi before use. Among other things it says, “May obi remove death, may obi remove sickness ... I honor the land, and the land speaks.” If you are a newcomer to obi who is coming from outside any Nigerian or Cuban system of belief, it is a good idea to take a moment to hold the items in your hand, pray over your “yes” or “no” question in your own way, and then gently toss the items onto your casting surface.

To understand your answer — that is, to learn how obi works — you first need to learn how the binary values are traditionally assigned to the items that are thrown or cast.

Cowrie shells are read as falling with the natural opening side or the cut side up or down; some obi readers refer to the “mouths” being up or down. Coconut shell pieces with adhering white edible flesh are read as falling with the “white” inside up or the “dark” outside up. Nontraditional flat items such as coins, marked bone disks, or tiles, are read as falling with the heads or tails side up; if you use four Ox bone and Ebony wood dominoes, for instance, the marked bone fronts are heads or “white” and the unmarked wooden backs are tails or “dark.”

The four pieces are cast in one throw. There are five possible outcomes. You will first need to memorize them by appearance:

• Alafia: 4 open Cowries; 4 white Coconuts; 4 heads.

• Etawa: 3 open and 1 closed Cowries; 3 white and 1 dark Coconut; 3 heads and 1 tails.

• Ejife: 2 open and 2 closed Cowries; 2 white and 2 dark Coconuts; 2 heads and 2 tails.

• Okana Sode: 1 open and 3 closed Cowries; 1 white and 3 dark Coconuts; 1 heads and 3 tails.

• Oyeku: 4 closed Cowries; 4 dark Coconuts; 4 tails.

You will next want to memorize the meanings attached to each of the five patterns, which are called the five “letters.”

• Alafia: Blessings! “yes” to whatever you asked about — and you may get even more than you requested, or what you want will come about sooner than you hoped it would. If two “white” sides of the Coconut shells touch, the reading is “Alafia with Ire,” a great blessing. A second toss may be used to confirm this answer.

• Etawa: “Maybe.” You will probably get what you asked for, but you will have to work hard for it or you will have to accept some delays before the results materialize. Make offerings to the spirits. This is an incomplete sign, so Etawa always requires that a second toss be made to clarify the reading, and the outcome of this second toss will greatly modify the divinatory results.

• Ejife: “Yes,” but because the dark and light sides are in equal balance, you are cautioned not to ask any further questions on this particular subject. If two “white” sides of the Coconut shells touch, this is called “Ire,” and it is considered to be a particular blessing.

• Okana Sode: A simple “No.” What you asked about is not going to come to pass or what you wished for will not happen. However, even though darkness is greater than light, you may ask another question so that you can be answered in greater detail.

• Oyeku: This is a very strong “No.” There are negative spiritual implications as well, and you may need to undertake some serious spiritual cleansing in order to clear away the dark conditions or dead spirits that surround you or this issue in your life. In addition, Oyeku may mean that the spirits of the Ancestors or of the dead have something to say. You may ask again, if you wish, in order to gain further insights into the question at hand.

Regarding the second toss required if the first throw is Etawa, Dr. E., a priest in the Lukumi tradition and a member of the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers, explains:

“Different people interpret a first toss of Etawa in different ways. One way to see it is that obi is still thinking about the question; another way to describe it is that the divination needs further clarification.

“After Etawa, if the second toss is Alafia, Etawa, or Ejife, then the answer is 'Yes,' in various permutations.

“Etawa followed by Alafia means 'Peace after obstacles.'

“Etawa twice in a row means 'Yes,' but it also carries the further idea of 'Don't ask what you already know.'

“Etawa followed by Ejife means, 'Absolutely; you will be able to conquer this.'

“If the second toss after Etawa is either Okana Sode or Oyeku, the answer is going to be some form of 'No.'

“If Okana Sode follows Etawa, the answer is simply, 'No.'

“If Oyeku follows Etawa, the answer is, 'No, and the dead are asking to speak.”

Dr. E. also adds the following advice, “Traditional diviners always keep a gourd or a bowl of water next to them while casting. When Okana Sode or Oyeku fall, they will moisten their fingers in this water and then use their fingers to moisten the backs of the face-down shells and place them face-up before picking them up to cast them again.”

In February, 2012, Lukianos, also an initiate in a Lukumi tradition and a member of the Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers, was a guest on the Lucky Mojo Hoodoo Rootwork Hour Radio Show. We discussed some of the ways in which obi can move a binary reading beyond simple “yes” or “no” outcomes:

I asked, “In the chat room someone wrote, 'Does Obi ever change the question when you're asking it?' and, Lukianos, you posted, 'Obi does indeed have a perspective of its own, but usually when it changes the subject, it means I'm asking the wrong question.'

“Explain what you mean by that. what does 'Obi changes the subject mean, and what is 'asking the wrong question?'

'Lukianos replied, “So, there are two general instances where Obi 'changes the subject.'

“The first instance is when you have Oyeku come up. This is four mouths down. There are several different reasons Oyeku can come up.

“One: 'That question is closed. We're not going any farther with that.'

“Two: 'The dead or some other spiritual entity wishes to speak.' In this case, Oyeku marks a break, something to sort of get your attention and allow you to ask, 'Who is it who wishes to speak now?'

“Three: 'The obi need to be refreshed.' Because we're working with a system that comes out of West Africa, the notion is of cool cleansing water, so the idea is, when something gets overly hot or overly worked up, then in order to regain clarity, you have to cool it down, which is why I keep my obi shells in a cool bowl of water between tosses.

“But more often than not, what I mean when I say that obi 'changes the subject' is that I've asked a series of questions that I think make sense, based on what I understand of the situation, but I'll get answers that don ft make sense in terms of how they're paired. So I'll look at that and I'll think to myself, (Okay, let's assume, given the questions I asked and the answers I got, that all of these things are correct. What would have to be the case in order for that to be true?' And that convinces me to change the model that I'm using in asking the questions.

“So 'asking the wrong question' means that what I'm assuming may not actually be the case. It may not actually represent the situation. And then it's up to me as a reader to rethink it, step back, and then ask questions to clarify and figure out what I'm not understanding about the situation.”

I responded, “Yeah, that is key. That's really important, because the inclination of the newcomer is to doubt the system of divination. But if you step back and say, 'How did I ask the question that allowed this to come up?'often you'll see it. And that's when YOU are really learning divination, when you trust the divination system;whatever system it is.”

Lukianos agreed, “Yes, it's not about reading the signs in the divination; it's about asking the right question in the first place. Honestly, learning how to ask the right question is far more difficult than learning how to read the oracle itself.”

Let's summarize what Lukianos and Dr. E. just taught us about obi:

• Etawa requires a second casting. The outcome of the second throw modifies the meaning of Etawa.

• Oyeku, in addition to, “No!” can also signify the dead. This letter may point to the Ancestors or other discarnate spirits. Take a moment to pause, then ask who it is who wishes to speak, employing the “yes” or “no” system of obi to ascertain the name.

• Obi may require cooling down between questions. Keeping your shells in a clear glass bowl of water will calm and refresh them, as will moistening the “dark” sides of the shells that have come up when Okana Sode or Oyeku fall.

• If the answers don't make sense, re-examine the question. This is especially important when you are asking a question on behalf of a client who may not have told you much about the situation. Try reframing the client's narrative in order to uncover a more relevant question.

It is a misleading truism among diviners unfamiliar with obi to say that, because it is a binary system, it will only answer “yes” or “no” questions. As you can now see, there is a lot more to the obi shells than “yes” or “no.” With finesse and further training, you will be able to use obi to get at the deeper picture of any situation. Keep in mind that as with Chinese oracle bone reading divinations, the key to expanding a simple system's power is to ask carefully framed variations on the question.

(pages 33-39)

[antlering]

First iteration of my cleromancy/bone-throwing set! I’ve been toying with the pieces for about a year but just...didn’t finish. I’m going to create a cloth to throw on - for now I’m using the grid on my calligraphy-practice cloth. ^^