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Methods of divination – Wikipedia

brightestandbest:

This is actually the best page on wikipedia. People have apparently used literally EVERYTHING for divination. Highlights include:

  • cephaleonomancy/cephalonomancy/ˌsɛfəliˈɒnoʊmænsi/: by boiling a donkey’s head (Greek kephalaion, head [with meaning influenced by Greek onos, donkey] + manteia, prophecy)
  • scarpomancy: by old shoes (Italian scarpa, shoe + Greek manteia, prophecy)
  • scatomancy: by excrement (Greek skōr [skat-], excrement + manteia, prophecy)
  • rumpology (also natimancy): by buttocks (English rump + Greek -logiā, study)
  • spatilomancy: by animal excrement (Greek spatilē, excrement + manteia, prophecy)
  • styramancy: by observing patterns produced by chewing gum, gum wax, or products produced by the L. styraciflua tree
  • uromancy/urimancy: by urine (Greek ouron, urine + manteia, prophecy)

and

  • tyromancy/tiromancy /ˈtaɪəroʊmænsi/: by cheese (Greek tūros, cheese + manteia, prophecy)

Professor von Hintern, the eminent rumpologist, was a serious student of the occult. He had no interest whatsoever in mundane physical matters, and not a crass, salacious bone in his body. He examined every posterior that came before him with a cool, steady hand and an unflinchingly clinical eye. The joy he felt gazing upon a pair of nude buttocks was born only from his yearning for divine knowledge, not from any prurience. He reacted with wounded dignity whenever anybody implied otherwise.

Methods of divination – Wikipedia

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Fool’s Journey: Reading the Bottom Card of a Deck

Some call it the ‘shadow card’, others call it the ‘base’ or ‘foundation card’. For some, it’s a way to begin a tarot reading, setting the tone or establishing the focus of the reading. For others, the card on the bottom of the deck provides a ’secret message’, an additional and invaluable piece of advice, often something that is hidden. Bridget at Biddy Tarot explains that “the bottom card alludes to the hidden aspects that are influencing the situation at hand and gives deep insight into the subconscious mind of the client.” Another idea is to use the bottom card to round off the reading with a final word.

I read it differently. When a friend and I were first learning tarot, we’d lay out the Celtic Cross spread, then peek at the card on the bottom of the remaining deck, saying “it’s not about this…”. I forget whether this was a practice my friend made up, something from a book, or picked up elsewhere, but it’s stuck, and lately, I’ve been bringing it into my daily draw.

I’m finding that this ‘not about’ approach really helps me to dig deeper into those daily cards. It’s so tempting — especially as an experienced reader — to merely glance at the card, briefly summarising it with a known reading, a few keywords. But the card on the bottom of the deck nudges me to think more carefully and often challenges my preconceptions.

I am very into using the bottom card of the deck as the “it’s not about this” card.

Fool’s Journey: Reading the Bottom Card of a Deck