Divination 1
quite auspicious to see a bird to one’s left. There seem to have been certain birdswhich received special consideration. For instance, according to Cicero, the coruos or parra could be considered auspicious even when they were viewed from the right. However, hearing the call of the coruos from the left could be considered extremely inauspicious (Gulick, 240-1). The Roman method of augury was based on a South-facing seer which makes East (to the left) the generally auspicious direction.
By way of contrast, Greek augury seems to have been conducted while the Seer positioned to face North. Thus, birds from the left were considered unlucky, or generally inauspicious. In the Greek system, East, as in the Roman system, is the auspicious direction (Gulick, 242). Michael Flower suggests that augury in ancient Greece was not always practiced solely as a prop-involved divinatory style but that it was also sometimes combined with an ecstatic trance state involving some amount of divine inspiration (Flower, 86). Hesiod claims a man is happy who can divine by birds. It seems that over time augury and extispicy became entwined and carnivorous birds began to be heavily incorporated into sacrificial divination (Halliday, 249).
Cicero, in his De Divinatione, mentions, briefly, Druidic use of augury. Elizabeth Lawrence, in her study of the wren in Celtic folklore, makes much of Druidic belief associated with fortune-telling and birds. She quotes from a medieval verse communicating specific messages related to the direction from which the wren calls; from east = pilgrims, from the south-east = “vain glorious fools,” and from the west = strangers. In "Germania " Tacitus, when speaking of the Gauls, makes mention of divination by means of augury. With all of these references, I found little by way of specific information about the methods of Celtic augury. It seems obvious that it was employed in some way, but all discussion of methodology seems derivative.
2 .Within the context of a single paleo-pagan Indo-European culture, discuss three different forms of divination or seership, and give an example of each.
(minimum 100 words each)
Ancient Greek seers engaged in a number of forms of seership, including;
Augury: This involved a study of the flights, cries and movements of birds. In Melanpodia Hesiod relates the tale of Melampus, a legend among Greek seers. After having his ears licked by serpents Melampus discovers he can understand the language of birds. Herodotus however states that Melampus teaches himself the skill. In Homer’s Iliad Calchas is ranked as the “best of bird interpreters.” If the flights and sounds of birds were considered favorable, this was considered auspicious. Typically, this form of divination, like many in use in ancient Greece, provides little or no advice as to what action should be taken or what decision made. Rather it provides insight into whether an already made decision or action is good or advisable.
Extispicy: Examining the organs of animals offered in sacrifice. This practice probably came to Greece sometime after the 8th century BCE from the Near East. However, as Aeschylus tells the story, all forms of divination originated with Prometheus. Interestingly Homer makes no mention of the study of entrails in either of his epic poems. It is unclear if this is because the practice was not yet in common use during his time, or if the author simply found other divinatory methods more dramatic or particularly suited to his tale. The most common form of extispicy is known as hepatoscopy, the study of the liver (from the Greek words “hēpar” meaning “liver,” and “skop-” which means, “to examine”).
Empyromancy: An interpretation of the burning of sacrificial entrails, or of burned offerings in general. This is the specific type of divination historically performed at Zeus’ altar on Olympia, established, according to legend, by Iamus and where one member from his family in each generation would be employed from then forward as Seer. The Seer at Olympia examined the cracks in the hides of burned sacrificial animals to inform their prophecies (Flower, 40).
A description of pyromancy from the 18th century states that the fire easily kindled and consuming the sacrifice quickly and completely was a good omen
while a slow-to-start fire and a haphazard immolation of the sacrifice indicated a bad omen.
3. Discuss both the role of seers within at least one Indo-European culture and the relationship of seers to other members of the society, including in that
discussion how seers or visionaries would have supported themselves or how they would have been supported by their people. (minimum
two paragraphs)
According to Michael Flower in The Seer in Ancient Greece, the Greek word for seer was “mantis” derived from an I-E root meaning “one who is in a special mental state,” in other words, one who is speaking from an altered state of awareness. There are other Greek terms used to refer to seers, but “mantis” is by far the most common. The Seer was considered a person who honed and practiced the art or skill of divination and it was considered one of many available jobs within a community. However, one did not simply study to become a Seer. It was considered to be a skill initially granted by a god. The Seer was a kind of public worker, travelling from region to region supporting himself with his skills. Plato himself, in an attempt to link seers with hoodwinkers, describes how seers sometimes went door-to-door plying their trade. he relates also how seers were sometimes hired to settle disputes vie religious or magical means, for a sum.
We also know that it was not uncommon for seers to be included in military expeditions and maneuvers. Seers figure quite importantly in the Peloponnesian war as we know from the accounts of Plutarch and of Thucydides. Xenophon, author of Anabasis, traveled with a seer, though it is unclear whether that was a common occurrence among the well-to-do or was a personal affectation.
The livelihood of the Seer, not unlike that of the bard, could be based on a charismatic itinerant type of trade or by securing full-time patronage either from a wealthy citizen or the military. Outside of a few historians who are determined to present Seers in the worst possible light (Plato and Thucydides come instantly to mind), the majority of historians seem to accept seers as legitimate and often divinely-inspired craftsmen, due a certain respect.
4. Identifyand describe one method of divination to which you find yourself attracted, and discuss its relationship to paleo-pagan divination. (minimum
300 words)
Henry Cornelius Agrippa writes in his work “On Geomancy” that, “Geomancy is an Art of Divination, wherby the judgement may be rendered by lot, or destiny, to every question of everything whatsoever…” Sounds pretty useful, yes? Geomancy is a bit of a catch-all term that may be used to describe a vast number of systems; African or Greek divinations, feng shui, I Ching, landscape interpretations, dowsing, and work with ley lines. However, what interests me is the ancient Greek system which utilizes a set of figures composed of four lines consisting of one or two marks. There are multiple methods recorded for interpreting geomantic figures. During the Renaissance associations were drawn between the figures and astrological bodies and a new spread which
combined the houses of astrology with the classical geomantic figures became widely used. I lean more toward using a single figure for quick divinations or, on occasion, devising a shield chart for full divinatory experience.
For a description of a shield chart, please refer to question #5.
It appears that geomancy has its roots in ancient Arab culture, though it clearly spread across the ancient world and later figures heavily into western magical
traditions. Greer makes the connection between geomancy and paleo-paganism as being evident in the assumption within geomantic practice that the earth and its spirits are living entities (Greer, 22). Agrippa says that, ”Authors of this Science have demonstrated to be two-fold;...they first used certaine holy
incantations and deprecations, with other rites and observations, provoking and alluring spirits of this nature hereunto. Another power there is that doth
direct and rule this Lot of Fortune, which is the very soule it selfe of the Projector.” This combination of the will of the querant with rituals and invocations to the spirits strikes me as supporting Greer’s claim that the practice certainly has roots in the misty past of paleo-paganism.
5. Briefly describe the symbology of your chosen method of divination, and include a method of application for that system. (minimum100 words overall description plus at least one sentence or line per symbol)
A shield chart begins by throwing four Mother figures (Matres) which are placed in the first four spaces at the top of the chart, moving from right to left.
The next four spaces across the top of the chart are for the Daughters (Filiae). The first Daughter consists of the first lines of each of the Mothers, the second Daughter consists of the second lines of the Mothers, et cetera. The second line of the chart is made up of four Nieces (Nepotes) each one derived by adding the two figures above her: odd sums become single marks, even sums become twinned marks. The two pairs of Nepotes produce the Coadjutrices (Testes) and by adding the lines of the testes is produced the Index of the whole chart which is the answer to whatever the question was. By observing which figures are in which places in the chart, further information may be gleaned. John Michael Greer identifies three “triplicities” to aid in reading a shield chart. The Triplicities are formed by two Matres or Filiae along with the resultant Niece.
Agrippa offers an interpretation of each figure in each of the various positions on the chart. I will offer instead, a general interpretation for each figure that
can be applied to any chart position or for an individual cast.
The geomantic figures:
Via:
Roadway. Indicates flux, change, or movement from one state to another. For questions of travel an auspicious sign, inauspicious in most other instances.
Populus:
People. Opposite of Via, indicates stability or inertia, containing all potential. Reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Albus:
White. Indicates wisdom, intellectual pursuits, quietude. Can refer to a withdrawal from the world. Good when connected with new pursuits.
Rubeus:
Red. Opposite of Albus’ detachment. Indicates strong passions and emotions, also fire or danger. Generally an inauspicious figure.
Conjunctio:
Joining. Indicates commerce, thievery, and communication as well as the intersection of opposing forces resulting in unexpected change. Auspicious
when in reference to relationships, otherwise, it reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Carcer:
Prison. Opposite of Conjunctio. Indicates delay, imprisonment, binding. Auspicious when in reference to foundations or when solidity is desirable, but otherwise inauspicious.
Amissio:
Loss. Indicates squandered resources or goals out of reach. Generally inauspicious, unless the removal of something is desirable.
Acquisitio:
Gain. Indicates material gain and benefit as well as found wealth (pirate treasure? the lottery?) Very, very auspicious.
Puella:
Girl. Indicates harmony, happiness, and feminine sexuality. Auspicious.
Puer:
Boy. Indicates boldness, impulsiveness, male sexual energy, also conflict or arguments. Can be auspicious in reference to conflicts or relationships, but otherwise inauspicious.
Tristitia:
Sorrow. Indicates sadness, depression, illness. Inauspicious except in reference to foundations or Earth-based queries.
Laetitia:
Joy. Indicates positive emotions, laughter, joy and the emotional aspects of material wealth and good health. Auspicious.
Fortuna Major:
Greater Fortune. Indicates renown, glory, and fame. Also inner strength. Can be seen as the effortless happy ending. Most auspicious figure especially in matters of conflict or new ventures.
Fortuna Minor:
Lesser Fortune. Indicates success with a lot of help, or the lucky break. Very unstable though auspicious in matters of things changing or moving, or for quick resolutions.
Caput Draconis:
Dragon’s Head. Indicates new opportunity and as-yet-unseen potential. Auspicious in matter of change, otherwise reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Cauda Draconis:
Dragon’s Tail. Indicates closure, endings, loss, or the end of a situation due to failure. Associated with radical change. Considered inauspicious when surround by auspicious figures, and auspicious in the presence of inauspicious figures,
6. Describe the results of three divinations performed by you. These divinations may be text assisted. (minimum 100 words each)
Grove Ritual Omen, Lughnassadh
Question: What blessings or wisdom do the Kindreds offer in return for our gifts?
Omen: Teiwaz.
Interpretation: ruled by Tyr this rune indicates the upholding and honoring of contracts. As this seemed vague in the context of the Return Flow I asked for a
second rune to be drawn as clarification. The result was Hagalaz; Hail, the destructive forces of nature. I interpreted this to mean that we each needed to spend some time in contemplation and discover if the path we each were on was the correct one for us. Our Grove has been complacent, phoning it in, and this can no longer continue. Sincere piety is rewarded, while going through the motions earns the contempt of the Kindreds.
Private reading to clarify Lughnassadh grove Omen. No real question, I asked the Kindreds to illuminate the grove omen further. Result: Cauda Draconis.
I interpreted this to be an affirmation of the reading I had performed in ritual--that our Grove is in on a cusp. The group response to recent change has been insufficient, and now the group is teetering on the brink of dissolution. What is required is a completely new direction and not all of our current members are going to continue on this path. After 14 years, my attempt to force regime change on the group is not going so well, but perhaps what looks like falling off a cliff is just what is necessary to achieve flight.
Maudlin Personal Relationship Divination
Question: is the end of a particular relationship good?
Using a full Shield Chart, the end result was Puella which indicates good news in the relationship arena. Wanting even further clarification, not being one to
simply accept good news, I added the Index (Puella) to the first Mother (Puer)--symbolism anyone?--which results in what is called the Reconciler, for
which I got Conjunctio, commonly accepted as “yes” in yes/no questions and indicating the intersection of divergent energies resulting in unexpected
change. If I had been asking about the beginning of a relationship I would be over the moon. That these overwhelmingly positive messages are in reference
to the end of a relationship is...heartening, but odd.
Thankfully in geomantic spreads there are all kinds of ways to read it! Even reading the Triplicities all the figures indicate this is the right change and a good
thing.
So, Good Riddance!
7. Discuss your view of the purpose of divination. (minimum 100 words)
I waffle in my views on divination. On one hand I think it quite likely that all divination does is present random patterns onto which our minds, or possibly
our subconscious, impose meaning and patterns. When I was very new in ADF I was asked to pull the omen in my ProtoGrove ritual. We used Ogham and I
had been studying the system so I provided the tree named to our Grove organizer who provided an interpretation. After ritual, I was reviewing the few I
had pulled and discovered I had given the GO at least one wrong name. His interpretation was based on my dyslexia. When I told him, he said it was
still a valid reading because the Kindreds had prompted me to say the few that I had said so it was an authentic reading. This always struck me as, well,
shifty. I sometimes mistrust divination as superficially imposing meaning on what is really random meaninglessness and its only purpose is to make us feel
better about the random nature of reality.
On the other hand, I do feel the desire for divination at times. At the 2014 Wellspring I received an astonishingly on point reading from a budding Seer.
I had not asked any question out loud yet each aspect of her divination tools related in no uncertain terms to my unvoiced question. So, something
was certainly going on there. I often believe that the Kindreds do offer us messages if we ask, and sometimes when we don’t. I think it may be possible that the Otherworlds speak to us in symbols and that the purpose of divination can help us translate their will and wisdom.
8. Discuss the relative importance and effect of divination within your personal spiritual practice. (minimum 100 words)
Much of my personal ritual work is purely devotional consisting of making gifts to the Kindreds. While I do incorporate a Return Flow style of sharing a
drink, I rarely take an omen before hand to determine if my gifts have been accepted. The nature of these rituals tends toward relationship building more than tit-for-tat gifting. Therefore there is little importance placed on divination in my personal devotional practice.
However, there are times when I will seek an omen. Occasionally before a Grove ritual I will take an omen to divine the nature or outcome of what we are about
to do. I sometimes get the feeling that a heads up would be beneficial--typically these turn out to be the rituals in which we get a difficult omen or there are serious upheavals during the ritual itself. I have recently begun taking an omen before long trips, just to check that the tomten and landvaettir are comfortable with my leaving and happy with the gifts I have left for them.
9. Discuss your view and understanding of the function of the Seer. (minimum 100 words)
In the Ancient world Seers served to help interpret the will of the gods, and as interpreters between the spirit world and the mundane world. Seers were
consulted before battle, before marriage, before business deals. Seers acted as philosophers and healers as well as in a religious capacity.
It would seem that in some respects there was an element of the charlatan or the performer to their role as well. Flower does not shy away from the fact
that often Seers would say what it was that the powerful wanted to hear. Some historians, like Thucydides, only mention seers when their prediction
were proven to be egregiously inaccurate. However, there is no denying that the will of the people could be swayed by the prognostications of a
respected Seer. Seers could motivate armies, or demoralize them.
10. Discuss the importance and value of divination as it relates to ADF. (minimum 100 words)
ADF ritual has a distinct ebb and flow. The taking of the omen is the pivot point of the ritual, it is the time when the flow of energy switches. Until this
point, gifts have been given and words have been spoken to the Kindreds. When we take the omen, we invite the Kindreds to speak to us. Divinatory tools are the means by which we invite the Kindreds to communicate with the celebrants. After the offerings are made, an omen is taken to determine if our gifts have been accepted and/or to gain an understanding of what wisdom of blessing the Kindreds may offer us in return.
References:
Agrippa, Henry Cornelius. On Geomancy. 1655. Reprint ed. Magnus Mystic Ebooks, 2011. eBook.
Bailey, N. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary The Four-and-twentieth Edition, Carefully Enlarged and Corrected by Edward Harwood, D.D.
1782. Reprint ed. London: Gale ECCO, 2010. Print.
Flower, Michael. The Seer in Ancient Greece. Berkeley and Los Angeles: U of California, 2008. Print.
Greer, John Michael. The Art and Practice of Geomancy. San Francisco: Red Wheel/Weiser, 2009. Print.
Gulick, Charles B. "Omens and Augury in Plautus." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology Vol. 7 (1896): 235-47. Print.
Halliday, G. R. Greek Divination: A Study of Its Methods and Principles. 1913. Reprint ed. Ithaca: Cornell U Library, 2009. Print.
Lawrence, Elizabeth Atwood. Hunting the Wren: Transformation of Bird to Symbol : A Study in Human-animal Relationships / Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence.
Knoxville: U of Tennessee, 1997. Print.
Name and briefly describe one method of divination or seership technique common to three paleo-pagan Indo-European cultures. (minimum
100 words each)
quite auspicious to see a bird to one’s left. There seem to have been certain birdswhich received special consideration. For instance, according to Cicero, the coruos or parra could be considered auspicious even when they were viewed from the right. However, hearing the call of the coruos from the left could be considered extremely inauspicious (Gulick, 240-1). The Roman method of augury was based on a South-facing seer which makes East (to the left) the generally auspicious direction.
By way of contrast, Greek augury seems to have been conducted while the Seer positioned to face North. Thus, birds from the left were considered unlucky, or generally inauspicious. In the Greek system, East, as in the Roman system, is the auspicious direction (Gulick, 242). Michael Flower suggests that augury in ancient Greece was not always practiced solely as a prop-involved divinatory style but that it was also sometimes combined with an ecstatic trance state involving some amount of divine inspiration (Flower, 86). Hesiod claims a man is happy who can divine by birds. It seems that over time augury and extispicy became entwined and carnivorous birds began to be heavily incorporated into sacrificial divination (Halliday, 249).
Cicero, in his De Divinatione, mentions, briefly, Druidic use of augury. Elizabeth Lawrence, in her study of the wren in Celtic folklore, makes much of Druidic belief associated with fortune-telling and birds. She quotes from a medieval verse communicating specific messages related to the direction from which the wren calls; from east = pilgrims, from the south-east = “vain glorious fools,” and from the west = strangers. In "Germania " Tacitus, when speaking of the Gauls, makes mention of divination by means of augury. With all of these references, I found little by way of specific information about the methods of Celtic augury. It seems obvious that it was employed in some way, but all discussion of methodology seems derivative.
2 .Within the context of a single paleo-pagan Indo-European culture, discuss three different forms of divination or seership, and give an example of each.
(minimum 100 words each)
Ancient Greek seers engaged in a number of forms of seership, including;
Augury: This involved a study of the flights, cries and movements of birds. In Melanpodia Hesiod relates the tale of Melampus, a legend among Greek seers. After having his ears licked by serpents Melampus discovers he can understand the language of birds. Herodotus however states that Melampus teaches himself the skill. In Homer’s Iliad Calchas is ranked as the “best of bird interpreters.” If the flights and sounds of birds were considered favorable, this was considered auspicious. Typically, this form of divination, like many in use in ancient Greece, provides little or no advice as to what action should be taken or what decision made. Rather it provides insight into whether an already made decision or action is good or advisable.
Extispicy: Examining the organs of animals offered in sacrifice. This practice probably came to Greece sometime after the 8th century BCE from the Near East. However, as Aeschylus tells the story, all forms of divination originated with Prometheus. Interestingly Homer makes no mention of the study of entrails in either of his epic poems. It is unclear if this is because the practice was not yet in common use during his time, or if the author simply found other divinatory methods more dramatic or particularly suited to his tale. The most common form of extispicy is known as hepatoscopy, the study of the liver (from the Greek words “hēpar” meaning “liver,” and “skop-” which means, “to examine”).
Empyromancy: An interpretation of the burning of sacrificial entrails, or of burned offerings in general. This is the specific type of divination historically performed at Zeus’ altar on Olympia, established, according to legend, by Iamus and where one member from his family in each generation would be employed from then forward as Seer. The Seer at Olympia examined the cracks in the hides of burned sacrificial animals to inform their prophecies (Flower, 40).
A description of pyromancy from the 18th century states that the fire easily kindled and consuming the sacrifice quickly and completely was a good omen
while a slow-to-start fire and a haphazard immolation of the sacrifice indicated a bad omen.
3. Discuss both the role of seers within at least one Indo-European culture and the relationship of seers to other members of the society, including in that
discussion how seers or visionaries would have supported themselves or how they would have been supported by their people. (minimum
two paragraphs)
According to Michael Flower in The Seer in Ancient Greece, the Greek word for seer was “mantis” derived from an I-E root meaning “one who is in a special mental state,” in other words, one who is speaking from an altered state of awareness. There are other Greek terms used to refer to seers, but “mantis” is by far the most common. The Seer was considered a person who honed and practiced the art or skill of divination and it was considered one of many available jobs within a community. However, one did not simply study to become a Seer. It was considered to be a skill initially granted by a god. The Seer was a kind of public worker, travelling from region to region supporting himself with his skills. Plato himself, in an attempt to link seers with hoodwinkers, describes how seers sometimes went door-to-door plying their trade. he relates also how seers were sometimes hired to settle disputes vie religious or magical means, for a sum.
We also know that it was not uncommon for seers to be included in military expeditions and maneuvers. Seers figure quite importantly in the Peloponnesian war as we know from the accounts of Plutarch and of Thucydides. Xenophon, author of Anabasis, traveled with a seer, though it is unclear whether that was a common occurrence among the well-to-do or was a personal affectation.
The livelihood of the Seer, not unlike that of the bard, could be based on a charismatic itinerant type of trade or by securing full-time patronage either from a wealthy citizen or the military. Outside of a few historians who are determined to present Seers in the worst possible light (Plato and Thucydides come instantly to mind), the majority of historians seem to accept seers as legitimate and often divinely-inspired craftsmen, due a certain respect.
4. Identifyand describe one method of divination to which you find yourself attracted, and discuss its relationship to paleo-pagan divination. (minimum
300 words)
Henry Cornelius Agrippa writes in his work “On Geomancy” that, “Geomancy is an Art of Divination, wherby the judgement may be rendered by lot, or destiny, to every question of everything whatsoever…” Sounds pretty useful, yes? Geomancy is a bit of a catch-all term that may be used to describe a vast number of systems; African or Greek divinations, feng shui, I Ching, landscape interpretations, dowsing, and work with ley lines. However, what interests me is the ancient Greek system which utilizes a set of figures composed of four lines consisting of one or two marks. There are multiple methods recorded for interpreting geomantic figures. During the Renaissance associations were drawn between the figures and astrological bodies and a new spread which
combined the houses of astrology with the classical geomantic figures became widely used. I lean more toward using a single figure for quick divinations or, on occasion, devising a shield chart for full divinatory experience.
For a description of a shield chart, please refer to question #5.
It appears that geomancy has its roots in ancient Arab culture, though it clearly spread across the ancient world and later figures heavily into western magical
traditions. Greer makes the connection between geomancy and paleo-paganism as being evident in the assumption within geomantic practice that the earth and its spirits are living entities (Greer, 22). Agrippa says that, ”Authors of this Science have demonstrated to be two-fold;...they first used certaine holy
incantations and deprecations, with other rites and observations, provoking and alluring spirits of this nature hereunto. Another power there is that doth
direct and rule this Lot of Fortune, which is the very soule it selfe of the Projector.” This combination of the will of the querant with rituals and invocations to the spirits strikes me as supporting Greer’s claim that the practice certainly has roots in the misty past of paleo-paganism.
5. Briefly describe the symbology of your chosen method of divination, and include a method of application for that system. (minimum100 words overall description plus at least one sentence or line per symbol)
A shield chart begins by throwing four Mother figures (Matres) which are placed in the first four spaces at the top of the chart, moving from right to left.
The next four spaces across the top of the chart are for the Daughters (Filiae). The first Daughter consists of the first lines of each of the Mothers, the second Daughter consists of the second lines of the Mothers, et cetera. The second line of the chart is made up of four Nieces (Nepotes) each one derived by adding the two figures above her: odd sums become single marks, even sums become twinned marks. The two pairs of Nepotes produce the Coadjutrices (Testes) and by adding the lines of the testes is produced the Index of the whole chart which is the answer to whatever the question was. By observing which figures are in which places in the chart, further information may be gleaned. John Michael Greer identifies three “triplicities” to aid in reading a shield chart. The Triplicities are formed by two Matres or Filiae along with the resultant Niece.
Agrippa offers an interpretation of each figure in each of the various positions on the chart. I will offer instead, a general interpretation for each figure that
can be applied to any chart position or for an individual cast.
The geomantic figures:
Via:
Roadway. Indicates flux, change, or movement from one state to another. For questions of travel an auspicious sign, inauspicious in most other instances.
Populus:
People. Opposite of Via, indicates stability or inertia, containing all potential. Reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Albus:
White. Indicates wisdom, intellectual pursuits, quietude. Can refer to a withdrawal from the world. Good when connected with new pursuits.
Rubeus:
Red. Opposite of Albus’ detachment. Indicates strong passions and emotions, also fire or danger. Generally an inauspicious figure.
Conjunctio:
Joining. Indicates commerce, thievery, and communication as well as the intersection of opposing forces resulting in unexpected change. Auspicious
when in reference to relationships, otherwise, it reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Carcer:
Prison. Opposite of Conjunctio. Indicates delay, imprisonment, binding. Auspicious when in reference to foundations or when solidity is desirable, but otherwise inauspicious.
Amissio:
Loss. Indicates squandered resources or goals out of reach. Generally inauspicious, unless the removal of something is desirable.
Acquisitio:
Gain. Indicates material gain and benefit as well as found wealth (pirate treasure? the lottery?) Very, very auspicious.
Puella:
Girl. Indicates harmony, happiness, and feminine sexuality. Auspicious.
Puer:
Boy. Indicates boldness, impulsiveness, male sexual energy, also conflict or arguments. Can be auspicious in reference to conflicts or relationships, but otherwise inauspicious.
Tristitia:
Sorrow. Indicates sadness, depression, illness. Inauspicious except in reference to foundations or Earth-based queries.
Laetitia:
Joy. Indicates positive emotions, laughter, joy and the emotional aspects of material wealth and good health. Auspicious.
Fortuna Major:
Greater Fortune. Indicates renown, glory, and fame. Also inner strength. Can be seen as the effortless happy ending. Most auspicious figure especially in matters of conflict or new ventures.
Fortuna Minor:
Lesser Fortune. Indicates success with a lot of help, or the lucky break. Very unstable though auspicious in matters of things changing or moving, or for quick resolutions.
Caput Draconis:
Dragon’s Head. Indicates new opportunity and as-yet-unseen potential. Auspicious in matter of change, otherwise reflects the nature of surrounding figures.
Cauda Draconis:
Dragon’s Tail. Indicates closure, endings, loss, or the end of a situation due to failure. Associated with radical change. Considered inauspicious when surround by auspicious figures, and auspicious in the presence of inauspicious figures,
6. Describe the results of three divinations performed by you. These divinations may be text assisted. (minimum 100 words each)
Grove Ritual Omen, Lughnassadh
Question: What blessings or wisdom do the Kindreds offer in return for our gifts?
Omen: Teiwaz.
Interpretation: ruled by Tyr this rune indicates the upholding and honoring of contracts. As this seemed vague in the context of the Return Flow I asked for a
second rune to be drawn as clarification. The result was Hagalaz; Hail, the destructive forces of nature. I interpreted this to mean that we each needed to spend some time in contemplation and discover if the path we each were on was the correct one for us. Our Grove has been complacent, phoning it in, and this can no longer continue. Sincere piety is rewarded, while going through the motions earns the contempt of the Kindreds.
Private reading to clarify Lughnassadh grove Omen. No real question, I asked the Kindreds to illuminate the grove omen further. Result: Cauda Draconis.
I interpreted this to be an affirmation of the reading I had performed in ritual--that our Grove is in on a cusp. The group response to recent change has been insufficient, and now the group is teetering on the brink of dissolution. What is required is a completely new direction and not all of our current members are going to continue on this path. After 14 years, my attempt to force regime change on the group is not going so well, but perhaps what looks like falling off a cliff is just what is necessary to achieve flight.
Maudlin Personal Relationship Divination
Question: is the end of a particular relationship good?
Using a full Shield Chart, the end result was Puella which indicates good news in the relationship arena. Wanting even further clarification, not being one to
simply accept good news, I added the Index (Puella) to the first Mother (Puer)--symbolism anyone?--which results in what is called the Reconciler, for
which I got Conjunctio, commonly accepted as “yes” in yes/no questions and indicating the intersection of divergent energies resulting in unexpected
change. If I had been asking about the beginning of a relationship I would be over the moon. That these overwhelmingly positive messages are in reference
to the end of a relationship is...heartening, but odd.
Thankfully in geomantic spreads there are all kinds of ways to read it! Even reading the Triplicities all the figures indicate this is the right change and a good
thing.
So, Good Riddance!
7. Discuss your view of the purpose of divination. (minimum 100 words)
I waffle in my views on divination. On one hand I think it quite likely that all divination does is present random patterns onto which our minds, or possibly
our subconscious, impose meaning and patterns. When I was very new in ADF I was asked to pull the omen in my ProtoGrove ritual. We used Ogham and I
had been studying the system so I provided the tree named to our Grove organizer who provided an interpretation. After ritual, I was reviewing the few I
had pulled and discovered I had given the GO at least one wrong name. His interpretation was based on my dyslexia. When I told him, he said it was
still a valid reading because the Kindreds had prompted me to say the few that I had said so it was an authentic reading. This always struck me as, well,
shifty. I sometimes mistrust divination as superficially imposing meaning on what is really random meaninglessness and its only purpose is to make us feel
better about the random nature of reality.
On the other hand, I do feel the desire for divination at times. At the 2014 Wellspring I received an astonishingly on point reading from a budding Seer.
I had not asked any question out loud yet each aspect of her divination tools related in no uncertain terms to my unvoiced question. So, something
was certainly going on there. I often believe that the Kindreds do offer us messages if we ask, and sometimes when we don’t. I think it may be possible that the Otherworlds speak to us in symbols and that the purpose of divination can help us translate their will and wisdom.
8. Discuss the relative importance and effect of divination within your personal spiritual practice. (minimum 100 words)
Much of my personal ritual work is purely devotional consisting of making gifts to the Kindreds. While I do incorporate a Return Flow style of sharing a
drink, I rarely take an omen before hand to determine if my gifts have been accepted. The nature of these rituals tends toward relationship building more than tit-for-tat gifting. Therefore there is little importance placed on divination in my personal devotional practice.
However, there are times when I will seek an omen. Occasionally before a Grove ritual I will take an omen to divine the nature or outcome of what we are about
to do. I sometimes get the feeling that a heads up would be beneficial--typically these turn out to be the rituals in which we get a difficult omen or there are serious upheavals during the ritual itself. I have recently begun taking an omen before long trips, just to check that the tomten and landvaettir are comfortable with my leaving and happy with the gifts I have left for them.
9. Discuss your view and understanding of the function of the Seer. (minimum 100 words)
In the Ancient world Seers served to help interpret the will of the gods, and as interpreters between the spirit world and the mundane world. Seers were
consulted before battle, before marriage, before business deals. Seers acted as philosophers and healers as well as in a religious capacity.
It would seem that in some respects there was an element of the charlatan or the performer to their role as well. Flower does not shy away from the fact
that often Seers would say what it was that the powerful wanted to hear. Some historians, like Thucydides, only mention seers when their prediction
were proven to be egregiously inaccurate. However, there is no denying that the will of the people could be swayed by the prognostications of a
respected Seer. Seers could motivate armies, or demoralize them.
10. Discuss the importance and value of divination as it relates to ADF. (minimum 100 words)
ADF ritual has a distinct ebb and flow. The taking of the omen is the pivot point of the ritual, it is the time when the flow of energy switches. Until this
point, gifts have been given and words have been spoken to the Kindreds. When we take the omen, we invite the Kindreds to speak to us. Divinatory tools are the means by which we invite the Kindreds to communicate with the celebrants. After the offerings are made, an omen is taken to determine if our gifts have been accepted and/or to gain an understanding of what wisdom of blessing the Kindreds may offer us in return.
References:
Agrippa, Henry Cornelius. On Geomancy. 1655. Reprint ed. Magnus Mystic Ebooks, 2011. eBook.
Bailey, N. An Universal Etymological English Dictionary The Four-and-twentieth Edition, Carefully Enlarged and Corrected by Edward Harwood, D.D.
1782. Reprint ed. London: Gale ECCO, 2010. Print.
Flower, Michael. The Seer in Ancient Greece. Berkeley and Los Angeles: U of California, 2008. Print.
Greer, John Michael. The Art and Practice of Geomancy. San Francisco: Red Wheel/Weiser, 2009. Print.
Gulick, Charles B. "Omens and Augury in Plautus." Harvard Studies in Classical Philology Vol. 7 (1896): 235-47. Print.
Halliday, G. R. Greek Divination: A Study of Its Methods and Principles. 1913. Reprint ed. Ithaca: Cornell U Library, 2009. Print.
Lawrence, Elizabeth Atwood. Hunting the Wren: Transformation of Bird to Symbol : A Study in Human-animal Relationships / Elizabeth Atwood Lawrence.
Knoxville: U of Tennessee, 1997. Print.