Reading the bones and shells
Written in the stars and skies
Trances, temples, and entrails
Elements and tools
What tool does an Ifá priest use to mark the patterns revealed by the palm nuts?
In what ancient Chinese historical period was oracle bone divination most widely documented?
renaissanceman Cast the little bones to discover how ancient cultures read the future.
renaissanceman Yoruba priests use palm nuts and a wooden board to consult the wisdom of the deity Orunmila.
How many primary poetic chapters, or Odù, exist in the West African Ifá divination system?
renaissanceman Oracle Bone Divination
Read the cracks, read the cracks / Telling the future on a turtle shell.
renaissanceman Traditional healers cast a mix of animal bones, shells, and coins to diagnose illnesses and predict futures.
What do traditional Sangoma healers in Southern Africa cast onto a mat to communicate with ancestors?
In West African Ifá divination, what is the title of the priest who performs the ritual?
Oracle bone writing: The cracks on Shang Dynasty oracle bones are the earliest known form of Chinese writing, meaning Chinese literacy literally began with fortune-telling!
What material did Shang Dynasty diviners heat to create cracks for predicting the future?
Which animal's shoulder blade is most commonly used in Mongolian scapulimancy?
The practice of divining the future by interpreting the cracks on a heated animal shoulder blade. During China's Shang Dynasty, diviners heated bovine shoulder blades alongside turtle plastrons to forecast future events.