covenrochester

I have a set of reading bones (not pictured) made for me from a West African sangoma. These things are no joke. As soon as I opened the embroidered pouch, you could feel the power coming off of them. I immediately contacted him and thanked him for his work. Can you imagine? A powerful African healer focusing on YOU, in particular, as he crafted each bone, painted it, wrapped it? I mean, the outcome was incredible.

There is a bone for the Seeker included in the set, but I always use a quartz point to represent the Seeker. So, I went out today and purchased one, and then picked up a few extras, if I ever have to teach others bone reading in the future. Well . . . it cannot be taught. But it can be pointed out and learned.

Usually a West African set of divining bones will include an item representing a war horn. But he must have been out of them. So, while I was picking up quartz points, I picked up three cone-like but truncated rough rubies. I thought they looked like (with some imagination) short blowing horns. And then a piece of red tiger eye is next down below the rubies.

But then I saw some mixed-color tiger's eye that looked like elongated African horns. I believe I will use one of those. I don't think the war horn necessarily means war. It could. But it could also mean "get ready," or "call to action." In my own set of bones, I use a deer's heel bone to represent that . . . because deer are always ready to spring off at a moment's notice.

The West African bone set contains 13 pieces. I usually read with 23. I imagine it would be important to keep good notes to learn combinations for just 13 pieces.

This is a very creative bone-reading board, done in an African (Nigerian? Yoruba?) style. I have never seen or heard of a Sangoma reading with a marked board, but I suppose it could have its uses. If one were not asking a specific question, I would simply ignore all of the markings and follow the bones. If there were a specific question, the various board markings could be useful.

We have one member of the Coven who has taken to bone-reading, and I have begun teaching her how to do it.

The Coven met this past weekend to celebrate Beltane. As part of our feast, we had Leek and Chicken Pie, Roasted Vegetables, and traditional Scottish oat bannocks, with butter, honey, and jam.

We worked with two new spirits as a matter of experimentation.

We also had time to "Read the Bones" for one of the Witches. Here's a former entry with greater detail about reading bones.

https://covenrochester.dreamwidth.org/45810.html

Today, two days later, one of the predictions from the bone reading has come true.

A Bone Casting with a Full Set. Answering a real question.

A Closer View of the same reading.

This set of Reading Bones contains 23 items.

1, QUARTZ CRYSTAL, to represent the Seeker.

2-8, BONES: a straight bone, a curved bone, a broken bone, a good tooth, a bad tooth, a talus, a claw

9-10, TWO DICE. The numbers 1-6 have different meanings.

11, AN ACORN: Beginning, progress, growth.

12, A SKULL: Ending, stagnation, delay. This could be a skull carved out of a stone.

13, A KEY: To show a solution to a problem, but could also indicate an open or closed door.

14-23: SIGNIFICATORS

14: For LOVE, DESIRE, SENSUALITY: I use a SHELL.

15: For HOME OR FAMILY: I use a ROSE QUARTZ chunk.

16: For WORK OR EFFORT: I use a chunk of dark green BLOODSTONE.

17: For HEALTH: I use an oval piece of LIGHT GREEN AGATE (not pictured . . . it was way off in the north east).

18: For a WISH/GOAL: I use a striped WISHING STONE.

19: For MONEY: I use an OLD COIN.

20: For SPIRIT or RELIGION: I use an 1-0 domino carved from a bone. Sometimes this falls upward (the Divine Eye looking at you!) and sometimes face down.

21: For TRAVEL, JOURNEY, MOVEMENT: I use a circlet of DEER ANTLER.

22: A BUTTON: face up meaning open, yes, honest, revealed, speaking. face down, meaning closed, no, deception, secret, silent.

23: A STONE HEART: to represent another person who might be involved in the question.

The only thing I did not have when I put this set together was a CLAW. I used a COYOTE TOOTH as a temporary substitute. But, today I ordered a 1.5 inch BEAR CLAW from MOSCOW HIDE AND FUR (MOSCOW, IDAHO). They are lovely and efficient people.

There is a trick to reading bones, and someone will teach it to you by word of mouth.

It is a very easy method for answering specific questions. The above reading is for such a question. The Seeker asked: "Should I seek the help of my friend XYZ?" The spirits answered (for it is through the bones that the spirits speak, as all shamans and sangomas have always agreed): XYZ is your most direct and fastest solution, but there is another woman, further off, whose assistance you should seek first. That other woman is older, and of inestimable worth to your cause. You will have to travel to meet her. Do you know who she is?" And the Seeker did.

More difficult are general questions. When a Seeker comes and has no particular question in mind. You must be able to throw the bones and tell future events. They can be general, but your statements must be events, capable of being right or wrong. "You daughter will be pregnant in six months", "you will get a speeding ticket next month," "your boss at work is leaving for another job soon," etc. are all events. "You are entering a period of financial difficulty" is not an event. Moreover, it is too general if you cannot tell the Seeker what will occasion the financial difficulty (medical costs, loss of job, car failure, and so on). You may see only the generalities in the cast of the bones, but the spirits will supply the details. If you cannot hear the spirits, then your teacher has not helped you sufficiently to rend the veil from that part of your mind.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

A Witch should have a reliable means of divination at her disposal. Each person has different strengths, though. Not everyone will take to astrology, or card reading, or the pendulum. When a new initiate, it is important to consider and explore the various options available. Reading the Bones, sometimes called Osteomancy, is a less common option. Coven Rochester will eventually hold a Workday on the subject. I was fortunate enough to learn a Zulu method and a Cameroonian method from an old Sangoma from central Africa. The photo above is not from either of those methods, but I will interpret it as a general bone reading example, and as an example of what can be told with a small set of bones.

The Seeker is going to come into a large amount of money soon.
His relationship is and will continue to be strong, although he must be flexible in practical matters associated with that relationship. Plans often get formed or cancelled at the last minute, and that will continue.
He is working on a project that has had a false start. It is moving now, but there will be strong delays and interference as it moves forward. Nonetheless, the project will eventually be brought to completion successfully in accordance with the Seeker's wishes, and to his great satisfaction.

There are several books that have been published on reading the bones. But, as always, it is better to learn from a teacher. There is a trick to reading bones, and you either have to learn it from a teacher, or struggle through long practice until the trick dawns on you.

*** Blessed be to those who serve the Great Mother and the Horned Father.

* Copyright to Coven Rochester

Entries tagged with bones

Some Divining Pieces

Bone Reading Board

Beltane Flowers

Reading Bones

Reading the Bones

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