Cleromancy

Cleromancy is "casting lots" - in today's language it means divining the results of casting any objects on a cloth (or similar) (runes, dice, bones...) or picking up random objects of any kind, like picking up stones from a bag.

Originally, this practice involved the use of small objects (pebbles, crystals, bones, sticks). Over time, this divination evolved to using pebbles and dice, which is what most diviners use today.

To learn Cleromancy, you’ll need 13 light colored pebbles and 13 dark colored pebbles of roughly the same size. Ask any yes or no question, place the stones or pebbles in a bag or bowl, and shake them well. While you shake the bag, ask your question 2 more times.

Now, close your eyes and grab a handful of stones. Place them on a flat surface and count the number of light stones and the number of the dark. If there are more light pebbles the answer is in your favor. If there are more blacks, the answer is no.

If you picked up the same amount of both, there is no answer, and you’ll have to try back later.The 12

- Most Common Types of Divination

In Roman times, they used wooden chips that were inscribed and then put in a jar with water in - and then one was fished up. They used to write different things according to the question on these chips, like names of the candidates or answers, like I Ching. I Ching is actually one way of doing this.

Muslims used to use the Quran for this, as Bibliomancy.

The Germanics

 

"To divination and casting of lots, they pay attention beyond any other people. Their method of casting lots is a simple one: they cut a branch from a fruit-bearing tree and divide it into small pieces which they mark with certain distinctive signs and scatter at random onto a white cloth. Then, the priest of the community if the lots are consulted publicly, or the father of the family if it is done privately, after invoking the gods and with eyes raised to heaven, picks up three pieces, one at a time, and interprets them according to the signs previously marked upon them."
So... basically rune casting?

 

Astragalomancy or divination with sheep knucklebones is one form of cleromancy. Now-a-days we use dice, and we don't call them knucklebones either :-D

One of the most common forms of Dice Divination used today is accomplished by using three dice.

The diviner will either draw out a circle, roughly eight inches or so, on a piece of paper or on the ground. Some diviners have a simple mat which they use for this that will have the circle pre-drawn. The question is posed and the dice are cast.

To determine the meaning of the reading the diviner will first examine if any dice have fallen outside of the circle.

1 dice outside - Difficulties lie ahead
2 dice outside- Arguments and Quarrels are likely
3 dice outside- A sign of luck and success (no reading needed)

The dice that land within the circle are totaled up and their sum indicates the message.

0,1,2 - No answer available. Ask another day
3 - a change in circumstances will happen soon
4 -  Unpleasantness, arguments, misunderstanding
5 - Unexpected surprise or information, your plans and wishes will be fulfilled
6 - Loss of some kind, most likely financial, possibly material, or a relationship
7-  Potential hardships, gossip, finances, etc. They will eventually be resolved
8- You should not act to hastily, lack of discretion may lead to misfortune
9- A possible union in love or in business , success in romance and/or gambling
10- New beginnings, possibly a birth, or a new job/promotion
11- Potential loss of a person, death, short term illness; or the return of a person who was estranged from you
12- Important communication will arrive soon, seek counsel if it is a legal matter, potential for a large sum of money
13- Continuation on your current path will lead to misery and difficulty
14- A friend or relative will offer their assistance, possibly an new romance arrives
15- Proceed with caution, avoid starting new projects for the next week, do not be drawn into gossip
16- A short trip will provide relief, entertainment, and potentially profit
17- Change of perspective, adjustment to plans may be needed, be receptive to the council of others, even those whom you don’t know
18- Luck, Success, Blessings, Attainment and Fulfillment

Some additional items to note

*If two dice fall one on top of the other while throwing the dice it means that you will receive a gift. Re-throw the dice for your reading.

*If you are throwing the dice on a tabletop and a one falls on the floor, you may lose a friend

*It is said that the dice shouldn’t be thrown on a Monday or Wednesday, nor should they be thrown more than three times for the same person in one day.

Spirits of the Arcane

Serena Powers Dice divination (about the same thing, but she has a dice divination widget there you can try out)

How to Do Dice Divination

Improved Coin Toss

The easiest is to throw the dice as you would toss a coin, for a yes-or-no answer. If an uneven number lands on top, this counts as "heads." An even number of pips on top counts as "tails."

Why not just flip a coin?

It's harder to be sure it's getting shaken properly, for one thing. For another, it can be challenging to flip and catch.

Using a die is much easier.


Using a Field with Dice

Another common way to cast the dice onto a field. Nowadays this is often a piece of paper, with a circle drawn on it.

You can do anything you want with this field to suit your needs, but the standard is to divide it into twelve pie-sections, like a clock. Number each of the sections.

Shaking two or three dice, toss them onto the field.

If one die lands outside the field, don't count it. If both go outside, then shake again. (If both land outside the field twice in a row, it is considered a sign to stop.)

Count up the number of pips in each field, and use the list below to determine what the outcome is.

Here is one version of a list of answers for each field the dice can fall in:

    1. Yes
    2. No
    3. A pleasant surprise will unfold, if you listen and watch carefully.
    4. Luck will fall upon you, when you least expect it.
    5. You wish may come true.
    6. Your answer will be revealed.
    7. Naturally you will win.
    8. You know the truth.
    9. Maybe in a twist of fate.
    10. Success will be yours.
    11. Fate is on your side.
    12. You will enjoy tranquility.

Dice Divination

#1: Yes Or No

This is the easiest one to do. For this method, you'll only need one die. Ask a question out loud while holding the die in your hand.Then roll it like you would do in a game of cards. Even numbers are yes (2,4,6), and odd numbers are no (1,3,5).

#2: Past, Present, and Future

For this next method, you'll need three dice. First, take the dice and say "I want to see (insert name)'s future, I want to see (insert name)'s future. Provide me (insert name)'s future, provide me (insert name)'s future." Or if you write spells/chants, you can make your own, but that's the one I use. Then roll them in a way that they fall in a line. The first one is past, the second is present, and the third is future. Even numbers are positive (2,4,6), and odd numbers are negative (1,3,5).

#3: Future Outcome

This method will predict something that might happen in the near future. For this one you'll also need three dice. Take the dice in your hands, and roll it. Then take the numbers and add them so the result is nine or under. If it's more than nine, add the two numbers of your result. Example: 6+6+5=17=1+7=8. Then find out what the meaning of the number is with the following list:

1- Sorrow
2- Joy
3- A Gift
4- New Love
5- Silver Is Coming Your Way
6- Gold Is Coming Your Way
7- Someone Will Tell You A Secret
8- Three Good Things Will Happen To You
9- Your True Love Is, Indeed, True

Dice Divination

Cast 1 dice:

1 Means NO... or not good...or negative.
2 Means indecision, having two options and not knowing which one to choose.
3 Means YES or that it is good.
4 Means financial stability.
5 Means status quo.  Not much change.
6 Means GREAT -- go for it.

Another, more complicated, way to use dice requires three dice and a way to mark a 12- inch circle. Mark your circle, think of your question and roll the die.  Any die that goes out of the circle doesn't count. If all the dice roll out of the circle forget it for today and try again tomorrow.

The numbers added mean:
1.  Loneliness or loss.
2.  Love or a crush.
3.  A great surprise is on it's way.
4.  A bad surprise is on it's way.
5.  You will meet someone who impresses you in some way.
6.  You will loose something important to you.
7.  There will be some kind of problem involving you.
8.  What goes around comes around.  Something you did in   your past will come back to bite you.
9.  A wedding in the future.
10. A promotion of some sort.
11.  The death of someone you know or a partnership.  Could be the death of a situation or attitude.
12.  Important news in the form of a letter, e-mail, telegram.
13.  Something will cause you to shed tears.
14.  A new admirer.
15.   Be careful, caution required.
16.  A happy undertaking.
17. A rewarding undertaking will be coming to you soon.
18.  Something Great is going to happen.

Another technique:

Place three dice into a small box or dish. Close your eyes. Make a wish. Then toss the dice onto a china plate. If any of the dice should fall off the plate, they do not count. 

 Add up the number of dots and interpret as follows:
  Three:    Imminent good luck and a wish fulfilled.
  Four:      A slight setback will cause disappointment.
  Five:       A stranger brings much new happiness.
  Six:        A new blessing comes well disguised.
  Seven:    You become the victim of gossip.
  Eight:     Confusion causes unwise decisions don't act in haste.
  Nine:      Success in love and reconciliation.
  Ten:        Success in career and finance is imminent.
  Eleven:    Short-term illness causes you anxiety.
  Twelve:   Seek advice regarding legal documents.
  Thirteen: Self-pity causes delays and hassles.
  Fourteen: A new social circle brings excitement.
  Fifteen:   Follow your intuition about false friends.
  Sixteen:   A short journey brings profit and pleasure.
  Seventeen: A stranger from overseas brings successful propositions.
  Eighteen:   Happiness, financial success and a rise in status.

 Divining with Dice

Dice should not be thrown on a Monday (ruled by the Moon and therefore vague and illusory) or Wednesday (ruled by Mercury, therefore tricky).  Neither should they be thrown when the weather is stormy.  The best time for this type of divination is two hours after sunset on a calm evening. Take three dice, in a cup that is large enough to shake them (or use the palm of your hand).  Draw a chalk circle and throw the dice in complete silence.  Any dice that fall outside the circle are not to be read, and if all the dice go outside then the effort has to be abandoned because conditions aren’t favourable.

If one dice landed on top of another in a reading for a woman, that was a hint to her that her lover was deceitful.  For a man, the message was to take care in his enterprises.  Dice falling on the floor warned of quarrels and more than one dice showing the same number meant important news from abroad.

In years gone by there was more of a belief in ‘fate’ while today we feel we have more choices and that by being conscious of ourselves we can alter our destiny.  For instance, dice on top of each other might now be taken as a need to deal with fears in a relationship and/or to avoid unnecessary risk-taking, while dice on the floor could be a message to stay calm and talk things through.   In today’s world numerological interpretations are used more frequently. These give the idea that there are possible courses of action, but in olden times the meanings were more rigid and the outcome pre-ordained, making dice-throwing a serious business! The numbers on the top of each dice have to be added together, to get the number to be interpreted.

INTERPRETING THE THROW

Meanings of the dice throw are fairly consistent throughout traditional systems.  They are:
1)    A new arrival, a baby or an unexpected windfall of money.
2)    A road with two forks, but taking the longest route is best.
3)    A nice surprise – wish is granted.
4)    Disappointment on the way.
5)    A stranger is due to arrive, bringing happiness.
6)    Something may be lost in the way of material goods, but there will be a spiritual benefit.
7)    Spite and gossip are about and should be ignored.
8)    An unwise course of action will bring disapproval and criticism.
9)    Joy in love, maybe a wedding in the offing.
10)    Happiness within the family - this may lead to a fortunate meeting bring a new business opportunity.
11)    Illness or unhappiness in someone close will soon be sorted out.
12)    A message needs a quick decision – get advice.
13)    Sadness and tears.
14)    A new admirer is drawing close.
15)    Be careful of being drawn into trouble and scheming by other people.
16)    A pleasant and advantageous journey but be careful of delays.
17)    Voyages overseas or dealings with people from foreign parts will be profitable.
18)    A fantastic benefit or promotion will soon arrive.

Dice divination with Platonic Solid dice
Platonic solids paper models - make your own dice 

another platonic solid dice divination

Divination with dice

Divination by dice

Roll the dice and count the dots.
(now, they say that you should use a cup, rotate the cup clockwise in your left hand three times - you know, like teacup or coffee cup.)

1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 = "yes"
1-2, 1-5, 2-4 = "yes, if you work hard on it"
1-3, 1-4, 4-6 = "yes, if you get help from others"
1-6, 2-3, 3-6 = "no"
2-5, 3-4, 4-5 = "50-50 chance"
2-6, 3-5 = "yes, if you have money"

Divination by Russian Lotto

You will need a bag of Russian lotto barrels. They are these barrel shaped wooden cylinders with numbers on them. You pick up three barrels in random, and add the numbers, until you have only one digit.
That is, let's say that you pick up those 3, 45 and 37 in the picture.
3 + 45 + 37 = 85
8 + 5 = 13
1 + 3 = 4

Odd numbers are "no", even numbers "yes".

Semolina divination

This is sort of a variation of Urim and Thummim.
You need some items of two colors, like beads or beans or peas or stones or buttons - anything like that, about the same size and form, (I prefer Go stones, pictured above) and semolina. (Or sand, flour, rice, anything like that.)
You need a bowl or jar, something that is big enough so that you can put your beads in and pour the semolina over so that the beads are totally covered.
Decide which of your colors mean "yes" and which means "no".
Stir the contents (with your left hand, clockwise) while you focus on your question.
Pick a bead. The color gives you the answer.

(This could be adapted with the magpie oracle - put random small items in a box with packing peanuts, perhaps even packaged, so that they feel the same in the hand, and don't fall all into the bottom of the box, and pick up objects...)

Lithomancy

Lithomancy is using stones to divine the future. There are several ways to do this.

1) gazing into a crystal ball. Now, this, to me, is scrying, not lithomancy, and the crystal ball could be any reflecting, smooth surface, from a mirror and still water to ink and snowglobes. The material is irrelevant. But some people say flawless quartz crystal adds its own magical qualities to the scrying process and therefore it works better.

2) you toss the stones and read the patterns and positions of the stones. This is akin to runecasting and bonecasting. If you could replace the stones with anything else, like "stones" made of polymer clay or bottle caps or something, then it's not lithomancy but cleromancy.

3) "LITHOMANCY: This divination using precious stones, one form of which involves candlelight. Scatter gemstones of different colors around a candle. Darken the room, light the candle, close your eyes, and clear your mind of thoughts. When you open your eyes, notice which color of stone first reflects the light back to you."
-- Complete Book of Predictions, 1983

4) you place stones in a bag and pick one or several in random. You can use a black and white stone as "yes" or "no" answer. You can use crystals and gems and interpret them as runes, according to their magical qualities.  (Start writing a list of the stones and their magical qualities and symbolism.)

There is a reason to believe the Jewish Urim and Thummim is a form of lithomancy.

Here's some articles and pages about lithomancy

Serena's excellent divination page

Gary L. Wimmer has written a book about the subject and judging by its page, it looks excellent. (There is information on the page, not just ad for the book, so go there.)

Occultopedia's page on lithomancy

Good Witches's Homestead - page on lithomancy

Here's how Jolearra created her lithomancy kit and how she uses it.

Carol Holaday about lithomancy

Learn Religions's page about stone divination

An article about stone and rock divination at Llewellyn 

 

Some old divination methods :-)

1) By pearls

You put pearl oysters to boil and whisper names of the suspects over the pot. The oysters will open when you whisper the name of the guilty one. If there's a pearl in the shell, the guilt is obvious.

You could adapt this method. Take as many mussels, cockles, clams as there are alternative answers to your question. Mark them properly and start cooking them. The one that opens first is the answer to your question. Remember to put in one unmarked for "no answer" "none of the other alternatives is correct" or "no".

2) By digestion

In the medieval times, it was believed that bad digestion and crumbling stomach was a sign of that you were guilty of something. They had a divination method of feeding special bread to suspects and the one who got indigestion was the guilty one. Now, it was easy to tamper with, just give tainted bread to the one you want to be guilty. You could even poison the person, and everyone would assume it was God's Hand dealing with the criminal.

3) By poo

Yeah. People were looking at a person's poo and determining the future by that. Now, there are things one can determine by looking at a person's poo; about their health and diet, and that, of course, influences how your day is going to be. If you have been eating badly; not enough fibers and so, your day is probably going to be harder than if you are eating well and healthy. Likewise any health problems are bound to make your days harder.
But, scatomancy is a thing, and there are still today people who do that.

On the other hand, there are people who read your ass, too.

4) by rats and mice

Myomancy

"Myomancy, for those of you who don't know, is the art of telling the future by observing the behavior of rodents. This is not entirely silly, since field mice do behave differently in anticipation of abundant or lean harvests, and voles of all sorts have a confirmed skill for the early sensing of earthquakes. There are many classical Greek and Roman allusions to myomancy. At least one ancient general declined to do battle on a day when he found that his shoelaces had been nibbled by mice."
- J. Michael Steele

5) By chicken

The romans had "sacred chicken", used in augury.

"As consul in 249 Publius Claudius Pulcher was given command of the Roman fleet during the First Punic War. He lost the Battle of Drepana against the Carthaginians after ignoring a bad omen.  When the sacred chickens refused to eat, Claudius drowned them into the sea, saying: "Since they do not wish to eat, let them drink!"

Here's a bit information about Alectromancy

You can observe the behavior of ANY animal and predict future by that... Here's Paul the Octopus, who predicted football results :-D