A Little About Osteomancy!
Osteomancy has two distinct definitions in the world of Divination though can be generally understood as simply any form of “Bone Divination”. The first definition of Osteomancy comes from an old Chinese method of divination where a scapula had a hot poker pressed into the thin brittle materials of the bone until it cracked. Other methods include placing a bone into a fire until it cracks from heat damage. Either way, fire and heat are applied to a bone until it cracks and those cracks are then interpreted.
The other method is a sortilege divination. This places it within the same wheelhouse of astragalomancy. Astragalus were sheep or goat ankle bones and are the ye-olde dice of the era and were used in games as well as divinatory practices. Astragalomancy, in modern contexts of divination, usually simply means dice divination and does not refer to any degree of bone divination. You will see most individuals who practise Astragalomancy using things such as DnD Dice Sets or normal six sided die. Numerology plays a role in the interpretations of modern astragalomancy.
The method I, and most people that perform Osteomancy use, is sortilege. Sortilege is best described as simple: “Casting Lots”.
“Lots” comes from an old form of divination where a querent would empty their pockets entirely. The contents of their pockets and what they were carrying is called “Lots”. Those items were then thrown down onto the ground and then interpreted by a Seer, Oracle, or other Diviner to read for them. Casting lots (Sortilege) can use a variety of other tools and objects from seashells, to “Magpie Collection”/”Goblin Assortment”/”Crow Lots” (a random variety of knickknacks and other unusual oddities like charms, rings, rocks, pennies, scraps of cloth or other things people may consider “junk”).
In Osteomancy, the focus is on body parts, oddities, and bones as the core substance that makes up the set. This includes teeth, petrified or dried animal parts, bones, sinew, claws, nails, hair, or other parts taken up by the practitioner. In Osteomancy, each bone behaves as its own unique and personal individual self. This means that each set of Osteomancy bones will be unique per practitioner. Sets of Osteomancy are never stagnant. They will change and grow or diminish over time. This means that pieces may no longer wish to be part of a set or you may pick up and add pieces to the set you work with. Pieces come and pieces go. A good Osteomancer should be aware of the dynamics between all of the bones and trinkets that they have in their possession and be able to work with the spirits attached to them as well as their personalities. Not all pieces may wish to read together or be in the same lots with others. Knowing who gets along with who is exceptionally helpful in curating readings through this method of divination.
Knowing how the bones read is one thing. Being able to form a bond and communicate with them is an entirely different path altogether. The expressions of each bone may change depending on what animal it had originated from or what part of the animal that it came from. Toe bones are often associated with the “Path” someone is walking or should be on. Ankle bones are often associated with how you are moving and what you are doing in order to get from point A to point B in life. Skulls are your thoughts and dreams and how you articulate and communicate with the world around you. Paws and Claws may be how you grasp or engage and interface with your world and yourself. The list is endless. Understanding the symbolism of the biological parts of the body as well as the symbolism of the creatures that the body parts came from is an intrinsic part of Osteomancy.
A coyote or bear claw may have a very very different meaning than a Crayfish claw or a crab claw. A Chicken's Foot reads very very differently than a Rabbit’s Foot. Their behaviours and tones will vary greatly. Getting to know how these nuances interact and engage with one another is a key and important part of the readings themselves.
Osteomancy, like all sortilege or “Casting Lots” divination, is an interpretive divination. While you are able to provide a general meaning behind certain parts that are playing a role in the reading, the most important node of reading Osteomancy is the intuition of the Diviner. It is an interpretive artform of Divination and requires a good keen intuition. How one Diviner may choose to read Bones will be different from another Diviner. There may also be a variety of different techniques and methods for such readings. I, myself, have several different techniques for my Osteomancy readings. However, when I read for other people I boil it down to using my Compass Mat and apply the Cardinal Directions in how I topographically associate with those forces and energies in the reading. Everything that is happening within the circle determines the activity and the engagements of the Querent’s life. Knowing this I can determine what engages with what and in what aspects and avenues the bones are honing in on. Things that fall outside of the circle of the Compass are important factors but play external roles or are disconnected in some way from the Querent.
This is just a little bit of extra information for you! I hope you enjoyed it.
The Necromancer, Erebus
