Throwing the Bones

Two March 24ths ago, after a little ritual designed in accordance with the Greek tradition and calendar and dedicated to Dionysus, I got a divination reading done by Terrence at what might have still been called the Sacred Well, but is now called the Raven's Wing (because, us witches and pagan types).

March 24, 2018

Most readings these days seem to be done by Tarot in our parts, but he used a set of bones. I'm no stranger to divining by throwing random objects; even as a teenager, I devised my own system of divining using a handful of plastic moon-shaped gems, and was very proud of myself, not to mention memorizing the Nordic Futhark runes back then as well. But this set of bones bore symbols I'd never seen before.

The idea of replicating Terrence's set for myself immediately sprang to mind. Alas, not all the runes were visible in my photo, which I took in order to revisit the reading as well as catalogue the runes. I recall he spoke of possible travel and also an interesting relationship or blending of male and female in my life.

Reading the bones is probably one of the oldest forms of divination, older than Tarot, but in some cases much more vague as well. Unless, I'm assuming, one is very tuned in to both their craft and their particular set.

Also, a set may not be all one type of bone, as Terrence's was, and in fact may not consist solely of bones at all. My Internet searches turned up sets made of various bones, shells, keys, or even all the above, mixed with other objects, all chosen according to what "spoke" to the practitioner.

Definitely I noticed a stressing of deep spiritual connection in throwing according to more than one diviner. Each piece in a set has a distinct voice; some "speak" a lot (Corvid bones, especially! noted one writer), and some very rarely. Some pieces want to be added to a set; some ask to leave, or simply sneak out. It's the sort of relationship I can envision growing best with daily practice, just as a muscle grows.

In throwing, you simply have to develop a sense about the different meanings and their relationship to each other; appealing to ancestors and the spirits of the bones themselves can assist a reading along with your intuition. Taking notes in journal may help sharpen your perceptions too.

I'm not one of those witches with rotting roadkill stashed around my house in pots. I'd like to be, but circumstances like repeated moving, live-in landlords, and dealing with other people's, well, bullshit, have given me reason to add as little of my own bullshit as possible to the housing stew. It means I have to seek my bones out from stores and traders, and then only when I feel it important enough.

This past holiday season, I picked up a handful of tiny coyote digit bones from a trader at a gift fair, thinking they would be great for a very small, portable set. Later, a bit of research (Feb 10 of this year) led me to the precise set of runes on Terrence's set: the so-called "Witches' Runes". So, he either made his own set using these, or simply bought a prefab set, like the one below, which is quite doable. I, of course, prefer to make my own.

Here are the Witches' Runes, along with various descriptions of their meanings, be they used for inscription magick or for divination:

At the time (a couple months ago), all I had was a thin red Sharpie. Red is fine for runes, and even preferred in Nordic tradition, symbolizing both life force and magical power. What I didn't know was how much the permanent red pen would bleed into my little bones, making the already difficult-to-read glyphs material for eyestrain at best!

I'm hoping this thin black Sharpie works a bit better. Worst comes to, I can always scrap the symbols totally, paint over and redo them. Plus, my set isn't finished. I like to mix things up, personalize them, taking it beyond a single borrowed set of runes --- possibly by putting in runes from a second set, or making up some of my own. I'm planning to see what Paxton Gate has to offer in bones, then add another dimension to this set and see how things play out.

Portability is definitely key here. I love the idea of being able to whip out this tiny set and throw down on any old coffee table, the convenience of it, compared to the burden of weight presented by carrying around a large stone rune set or five-pound crystal sphere! After blessing at this Full Moon and maybe a few more additions, this set will be ready for use.