#stichomancy

Sapphomanteia (or ‘Sapphomancy’) is a divination system performed by casting dice to identify one of sixty-four possible number combinations, each referencing a fragment of Sappho’s lyrical poetry. This line of poetry can then be interpreted to answer the posed question, or as a guide to think over.

I have carefully selected sixty-four fragments from various translations of Sappho’s work – Diane Rayor, Anne Carson, Aaron Poochigan, and Mary Barnard. The end of each fragment is marked with its relevant reference number as per E. W. Voigt’s numbering system.

To perform Sapphomanteia:

Roll 3 four-sided dice (or roll one dice three times) and use the three digits rolled to reference the corresponding fragment in bold below.

(Online dice rollers here or here).

As with many forms of divination, you could say a prayer to Sappho or another god for guidance in your reading before you start.

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111 - Yes, we did many things, then - all beautiful (24a)

112 - Golden-crowned Aphrodite, may I draw this lot (33)

113 - I hunger and I struggle (36)

114 - In the dripping of my pain may winds and anguish take him who condemns (37)

121 - You scorch us (38)

122 - To you I sacrifice on the altar a white goat and I will leave for you (40)

123 - My lovely friends, how could I change towards you who are so beautiful? (41)

124 - Their hearts grow cold and their wings fell slack (42)

131 - As long as you want (45)

132 - On a soft cushion I will lay my body down (46)

133 - Without warning as a whirlwind swoops on an oak, Love shakes my heart (47)

134 - You came and I was crazy for you, and you cooled my mind that burned with longing (48)

141 - The gorgeous man presents a gorgeous view; the good man will in time be gorgeous, too (50)

142 - I don't know what to do - I am of two minds (51)

143 - I don't expect to touch heaven (52)

144 - Having come from heaven wrapped in a purple cloak (54)

211 - Dead you will lie and never memory of you will there be (55 partial)

212 - I think no woman of such skill will ever again see the light of day (56)

213 - What country girl seduces your wits wearing a country dress not knowing how to pull the cloth to her ankles? (57)

214 - Yet I love the finer things … this and passion for the light of life have granted me brilliance and beauty (58)

221 - Because the blessed Graces grant gifts to the garlanded and snub the worshipper with no flowers on her head (81)

222 - I will love you ... as long as breath is in me … will care (88a)

223 - Clothed her well in delicate linen (100)

224 - The evening star is the most beautiful of all stars (104b)

231 - The sweet apple reddens on a high branch, high upon highest, missed by the applepickers: No, they didn't miss, so much as couldn't touch (105a)

232 - Like a hyacinth in the mountains, trampled by shepherds until only a purple stain remains on the ground (105b)

233 - Superior as a singer from Lesbos to those of other lands (106)

234 - We shall give, says father (109)

241 - I can best compare you to a slender sapling (115)

242 - Come, divine lyre, speak to me and sing! (118)

243 - I have no spiteful temper but am calm in mind (120)

244 - A delicate young girl plucking flowers (122)

311 - I myself once wove garlands (125)

312 - May you sleep on the breast of a tender companion (126)

313 - Come close, you precious Graces and Muses with beautiful tresses (128)

314 - But you have forgotten me (129a)

321 - Once again Love, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet and inescapable, crawling thing, seizes me (130)

322 - I conversed with you in a dream Kyprogeneia (134)

323 - Messenger of spring, nightingale with enticing song (136)

324 - I want to tell you something but good taste restrains me (137)

331 - Stand before me as a friend and flaunt the charm in your eyes (138)

332 - Ambrosia mixed in a bowl that Hermes, flask in hand, poured for the gods (141)

333 - Golden chickpeas grew on the shores (143)

334 - Don't move piles of pebbles (145)

341 - Neither the honey nor the bee for me (146)

342 - Someone will remember us, I say, even in another time (147)

343 - Wealth without virtue makes a dangerous neighbour, while their blend holds the pinnacle of happiness (148)

344 - When nightlong celebration closes their eyes (149)

411 - For it is not right in a house of the Muses that there be lament, this would not become us (150)

412 - As the full moon rose, women stood round the altar (154)

413 - Far sweeter in song than a lyre, more golden than gold (156)

414 - When anger spreads in the breast, guard against an idly barking tongue (158)

421 - Now I will sing this beautifully to delight my companions (160)

422 - With what eyes? (162)

423 - The Moon and Pleiades have set - half the night is gone. Time passes. I sleep alone (164b)

424 - Gaia, richly crowned, adorns herself in many hues (168c)

431 - I would lead (169)

432 - A vine that grows up trees (173)

433 - Easy passage (181)

434 - I might go (182)

441 – Danger (184)

442 – Honeyvoiced (185)

443 – Mythweaver (188)

444 – Manyskilled (190)

~

The usual story, lost my job, made so little there’s no unemployment. Got bills to pay.

I’m an artist, I specialize in printmaking and photography specifically alternative processes like Cyanotype or Sun Prints.

Bookmarks - $5, makeup/pencil bags - $8, canvas bags - $15 (these are limited). Also open for commissions.

Cyanotype can be used to print photos. Would be great as a unique gift for someone or for yourself.

Message me if you’re interested

I also do divination

Rune Reading,Tarot, Pendulum (yes/no questions), Bibliomancy (using books to divine with)

For those see:

https://arachnesweb.square.site/

If you see something you’d like let me know

The event will be hosted in the ARCHIVES discord server, and all the money will be going directly to COVID-19 relief effort in India.

The diviners each have their own unique focus and styles, we hope to make it a fun event and do some good, so please consider checking it out! Some readers will also be offering free readings so everyone could have fun 💕

See @archives-discord for more information

im bored, i should be drawing, but im not. So let’s teach one of my favorite ways of divination, stichomancy! (the fun part of it is that is really discrete so you don’t have to spread a huge shit of tarot cards, you’re welcome secret witches xd)

What is stichomancy? What is the difference from Bibliomancy?

Stichomancy is one of the oldest ways of divination  (at least 3000 years old), is basically grabbing a book and opening it, the first verse/line/whatever that you read is what answers your question. 

Actually, they are REALLY similar, but mainly bibliomancy is done with sacred books, stichomancy is with any book you want. The thing is that if you look, they are synonyms of each other too. 

Advantages

It is a really easy, inexpensive, and effective way of divination. If you wanna ask something and like don’t know how to read tarot, or can’t because of x reason... well just open a book!

Disadvantages

The answer it may not be as clear as others. Like if you ask a yer/no question to the pendulum it will be easy, but in this type of divination you have to actually think to figure out the answer. 

How to do it 

This couldn’t be easier, first protect yourself with a circle or smth because protection is the most important thing ever ;-; thengrab a book... i’ll grab wait 1984 by George Owell. Ask a question, mine will be “should i study for math more” because as we know.. i suck at math, and now we open the book, 

“The whole literature of past will have been destroyed.” pag 53 

Now we figure it out, im not figuring out mine rn because i gotta study and is not that easy for me, and bam you have your reading.... you’re welcome. Actually i assume that is a “damn study or you will fail” but whateveeeer. 

Tips

Reading the future with books... mm i think it’s kinda better moer to ask for advice. First it will be way easier to know what the message they are trying to give means, and second, it would make more sense. Tho if you wanna try asking for the future, it’s okay, your craft!

Also choose a book you connect with, don’t choose the book you most hate because ;-; like damn your relationship with it is not so good...

You may ask the same question 100 times until you feel THAT’S the answer, don’t go all dramatic because you don’t understand, just try again!

Practice makes the master, just as tarot or other ways of divination, keep practicing!

———

If you haven’t heard yet, the cultsquad is doing a divination drive to help our friend Sloth save his house! So if you want to help, and/or you would like some divination from me, here’s how it works.

1. Donate to Sloth at paypal.me/slothbottom (I’m requesting an absolute minimum of $3.50 USD, less than most lattes. Of course, if you can spare more I do encourage it!)

2. Screenshot the payment confirmation/receipt and send it to me here. My DMs will be open for this purpose.

3. Choose your poison:

-Stichomancy, AKA bibliomancy but with non-Bible books [10 available]

-1 to 2 card pull from the Alcatraz Rulebook playing card deck (yes, that means you will receive your reading in the form of an Alcatraz prison rule!) [10 available]

-Oracle Cards—choose the Earthbound Oracle or the Adorabyssal Oracle [3 available for each deck]

-Runes: Elder Futhark [3 available]

PLEASE NOTE, I will be capping each type of reading as shown! When a category is no longer available, I will edit this post to reflect that.

Good evening everyone, I haven’t been very active lately because of work and I feel like doing something nice together

Sooo I’m opening free stichomancy readings, just for fun 🖤 Feel free to send me an ask with a question (it’s ok if you don’t have any and just want a message)

I’ll mainly be using my edition of the Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe (Goths come get yalls juice)

I also have my Italian edition of Dante’s Inferno at hand, so if you speak Italian you can choose to be roasted by the Sommo Poeta himself