#bone casting

Unend S2 E08: Thought Exercise

X: Like iron shavings falling into alignment in a magnetic field, the pieces come to rest on the ground in a strangely perfect linear formation. 

S: The bird skull earring. 

X: A pebbly petrified black egg. 

M: A quartz point. 

S: A coin, a button, 

X: a speckled bean, a snail shell, 

M: a tiny cocktail fork, and every single other item from the pouch – 

S: all tidily lined up in a row like beads on a string, all pointing the same way as Cleo’s lights. 

Photo 1: On the dark city street a line of varied small colourful objects, straight as an arrow, recedes into the near distance. The line of objects begins with a shiny silver bird skull earring, followed by several other objects: a black lava stone egg, a clear quartz point, a brassy coin with a square hole, a green button with 2 holes, a brown and white speckled bean, a light aqua sea snail shell, a vintage cocktail fork with ivory and gold filigree handle, a bent silver bottle cap, a small birch clothespin, a spiralled twist of contorted copper wire, a weathered peach pit, a small knot of red bandana, and many other objects continuing in a line.

Photo 2: A table in Lark’s cabin. Her divination bag has been laid out flat to form a casting mat. The stones, bones, baubles and crystals, pieces of trash, rocks and eggs are laid out in a colourful spiral on her table. In the background, the wall is hung with a southwestern blanket and there are oddments along the edge of the table including 2 candle-lit lanterns, some incense, assorted desert rocks, a spindly desert plant, and an articulated wooden snake.

Photo 3: A closer view of the items from Lark’s bundle.

The items and meanings are derived from Midst or Unend episodes and Lark’s journal, or invented.

Lately I been trying to improve my Rune/Charm/Bone casting by using some kind of cloth with quadrants but the ones I saw online were just… not my thing, they are usually too simple and is like they always need a little something. So, since I’m a “make your own shit but make it cheap” kind of witch, I made a template that’s a bit more complex. And of course, I share with everyone, in case someone find it useful.

Disclaimer: Complex. I will explain EVERYTHING, so this will not be a small post. Yet I will not explain super basic things like “what represent the moon”. That’s your job!

So, here is the idea:

Is made in a A4 very thick rough paper, which allow the runes and charms (I use both at the same time) to slide to their designated parties and don’t bounce back like can happen with cloths. This template is made in a way that you can interpret the different questions in different ways without need an entire new design.

Sections:

The Pentacle is affected by 3 circles. The inner one is the inner self, the desires, the very much core of the person/problem (I will say “topic” from now on), the main issue, the very most important thing. The one that pass between the tips of the pentacle are the closely related things that affect directly the topic. The outside circle is the context, these external things that maybe affect indirectly. Out of it, whatever that barely affect the topic, the societal and cultural aspect sort to speak, the rumors.

The page is divided by 4 pointed vertically and horizontally lines in the middle, making the Left and Right, the Up and Down sides. The Left is affected by the Moon and all what implies, specially as the “not evident stuffs affecting the topic”, as the Right is affected by the Sun and its characteristics as the “at plain sight issues”. That’s why the two suns and moons on the corners.

The Up and Down sides are to represent what’s “closer” to the person who made the question or cast the Runes (It depend on what you prefer). The down part is usually closer to me because I’m seeing that page as how this looks. It also can be used to yes/no questions, being the “special item” tossed and answering depending if is up or down the line, or if is closer to you.

The four sides of the paper represent the 4 Elements and their corresponding Cardinal Point, separated by these sword-like lines between the moon/sun and the pentacle. My Elements are related to geological cardinal points by my particular location, so let’s say that North is Fire in my case, so, they look like this (yours should and can look different by the layout of your elements/cardinal points):

So anything that falls into each one of these quadrants, will be affected by the correspondent element. So a Rune on Water, will be more linked to emotions; and an economic charm on Earth will be a great sign of good cash! The center can be affected by these or it can represent the spirit aspect, as you prefer. Each quadrant will be touching 2 other quadrants. So in my case, Fire can be touching Earth and Water, so anything that stand right in the line between them, is a conjunction of both.

Now, as you can see, each element is also separated on 3. Past, Present and Future to each Element. A charm or item that represent a Block, for example, in Past Water, can hint about emotional issues that still affect the topic now, like traumas. And an item that represent luck on Future Air, can represent an exam with a good grade.

These conjunctions can be interpreted as 4 “time mix”. In this case, you have 4 Past/Future (Which Element will affect which other should change accordingly the position of your elements). This “time mix” are exactly the line that separate each element, and can indicate effects or direct consequences. For example, in a self-cast I made, a stone (that represent blocks) and a shell (water symbol of hidden things and slow progress) fall together like a pair on the Past Water – Future Fire. This is easy to read: The consequences of your mental health and past emotions will affect directly your future passion and actions (Plot twist, I have chronic depression and my future plans are non-existing).

Disclaimer: This last text and image was fixed because I made a mistake yesterday, was 1:40 am, brain can't brain XD

For the rest, you can add or take whatever you need. Like, you can choose if the elements also affect inside the circles of the pentacle itself, or not.

If you want, you can also use the template as a tarot spread, using the Past/Present/Future Elements, the Up/Down, the Right/Left and the Pentacle like answers of a question.

Decorate it as much as you want! Mine is ultra simple or my ADHD head will get distracted with the drawings. I can suggest you make it on a perfectly squared paper/cloth, but if you make it in a A4 paper like me, if you use a ruler and pick the exact center, then the 4 quadrants will be quite the same (they look different because they are elongated in different ways, but the content is pretty much the same).

What's that, you love dice and divination, but don't know how to combine your loves? What a mood, however there is a way to do it!

The Goblin's Oracle Dice launches May 1st. With two different 22-dice sets of oracle dice, each with their own guidebook and 2-sided reading cloth, these oracle dice will give you a new way to do your divination, inspired by bone and charm casting, with a tarot twist.

Dice symbols by @worm-dark, 3d models by @0ddoblivion, Oracle Dice by Seven Dane Asmund.

I'm giving away a free bones n' charms reading, my most personal divination method.

If you wish to claim the reading, please dm me with your question.

Note that I might not find your question suitable, in which case I will provide you with options.

Claim only if needed.

🕯𝔐𝔬𝔯𝔰 𝔙𝔦𝔫𝔠𝔦𝔱 𝔒𝔪𝔫𝔦𝔞🕯

Symbols/Meanings/ Correspondances Check List

This weekend I've been developing my charm casting set and thought this may be useful to some witches interested in this form of divination. This can be a guide, a completed set, or, at the very least, a good start for your very own set. These symbols/ meanings/ correspondences allow for a fairly precise reading in my experience. Above you can see my own set and a "printable" sheet to follow or use when assigning trinkets/charms/bones/shells/etc. to meanings.

significators:

self

other

link or relationship to self

keys:

truth

secret/hidden/lie (mine has two sides to differentiate presence/absence)

accept

reject (mine has two sides to differentiate if there is a need to reject anything)

problem/challenge

answer/solution

focus

fear/block/restriction/delay

unexpected/surprise

magic/spiritual work/occult/astrology/spirit guides

locators:

time

future/unknown

past/known

ending

beginning

your desired outcome

their desired outcome

life themes:

home/family

education/learning

career

wealth/money

love

internet

spectrums:

no/bad/negative

yes/good/positive

feminine energy

masculine energy

heart/emotions/intuition

head/thoughts/logic

two sides:

material / immaterial solution or answer

changeable or internal / unchangeable or external

mental / physical health

3rd party or manipulated outcome (yes/no)