So, many of you may be familiar with the game Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector [Google PlayiTunes]. After collecting all the cats and goodies, it may seem like there is nothing left to do. But! What about divination with this cute little app? River and I have been exploring this, and a reading could go as such:
1. Wait until your yard is clear, and the food bowls are empty.
2. Go into goodies, and auto-set your yard, which should put out random furniture.
3. Think about what you’d like to ask, and then put out the food of your choice.
4. Wait about 30 minutes (give or take). I know it’s hard, but be patient!
5. Go into the app, and see which cats are there, and which cats have gone. The cats that are there and what furniture they’re on can be interpreted as an answer to your question. The cats that may have left can signify the past of the situation.
6. You have your reading!
It’s a little rough, but it can absolutely be modified. Here is what River and I came up for meanings – keep in mind that you can certainly apply your own meanings!
Minor Cats
Snowball – Peace, tranquility, relaxed
Smokey – Changes, but successful, two (or more) choices
Spots – Pranks, silliness, lightheartedness
Shadow – Strange, new situation, different, off
Sunny – Trickery, reversed meanings, behind a veil
Fred – Romance, love
Pumpkin – Discovery of a small sort, disagreement, your star sign and things associated with it
Callie – Happiness, but at a cost, contentment, friendship
Tabitha – Growth after a lull, moving forward, the unexpected, gentleness
ASTROLOGY is divination using celestial bodies: the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
CARTOMANCY is fortune telling using cards such as the Tarot.
CLAIRAUDIENCE is “clear hearing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CLAIRVOYANCE is “clear seeing” of divinatory information. Parapsychologist generally regard as a form of extrasensory perception.
CRYSTALLOMANCY is divination through crystal gazing.
DOWSING or DIVINING RODS are methods of divination where a forked stick is used to locate water or precious minerals.
NUMEROLOGY is the numerical interpretation of numbers, dates, and the number value of letters.
OCULOMANCY is divination from a person’s eye.
PALMISTRYis the broad field of divination and interpretation of the lines and structure of the hand.
PRECOGNITION in an inner knowledge or sense of future events.
PSYCHOMETRY is the faculty of gaining impressions from a physical object and its history.
RADIESTHESIAis the general term for divination using a device such as a divining rod or pendulum. Other forms include “table tipping” which was practiced at the White House in the 19th century, the Ouija board, automatic writing (or superconscious writing), and scrying.
SCIOMANCY is divination using a spirit guide, a method generally employed by chanelers.
SCRYING is a general term for divination using a crystal, mirrors, bowls of water, ink, or flames to induce visions.
TASSEOGRAPHYis the reading of tea leaves that remain in a tea cup once the beverage has been drunk.
Uncommon Types of Divination
AEROMANCY divination from the air and sky, particularly concentrating on cloud shapes, comets, and other phenomena not normally visible in the heavens.
ALECTRYOMANCY is divination whereby a bird is allowed to pick corn grains from a circle of letters. A variation is to recite letters of the alphabet noting those at which a cock crows.
ALEUROMANCY is divination using “fortune cookies”; answers to questions are rolled into balls of dough and once baked are chosen at random.
ALOMANCYis divination by table salt.
ALPHITOMANCY uses special cakes that are digestible by persons with a clear conscience but are unpleasant to others.
ANTHROPOMANCY is the long-outlawed means of divination by human sacrifice.
APANTOMANCY is divination through chance meetings with animals (e.g., a black cat), birds, and other creatures. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.
ARITHMANCY or ARITHMOMANCY is an earlier form of NUMEROLOGY where divination is made through numbers and the number value of letters.
ASTRAGLOMANCY or ASTRAGYROMANCY is a form of divination by dice where the faces of the dice bear numbers and letters.
AUGURY is the general term for the art of divination and is chiefly applied to interpretations of signs and omens.
AUSTROMANCY is divination by the study of the winds.
AXIOMANCY is divination through the observation of how an ax or hatchet quivers or points when driven into post.
BELOMANCY is an ancient form of divination performed by tossing or balancing arrows.
BIBLIOMANCY involves divination by books.
BOTANOMANCYis divination from burning tree branches and leaves.
BUMPOLOGY strictly a modern term, a popular nickname for PHRENOLOGY
CAPNOMANCY is the study of smoke rising from a fire.
CATOPTROMANCY is an early form of crystal gazing that utilizes a mirror turned to the moon to catch moonbeams.
CAUSIMOMANCY is divination from behavior of objects placed in a fire.
CEPHALOMANCY refers to divination with the skull or head of a donkey or goat.
CERAUNOSCOPY seeks to draw omens from the study of thunder and lightning.
CEROSCOPY, CEROMANCY is a form of fortune telling in which melted was is poured into cold water.
CHIROMANCY is divination from the lines on people’s hands.
CHIROGNOMYis the study of the general hand formation.
CLEROMANCY is divination by “casting lots”, similar to dice but with objects such as pebbles or sea shells.
CLIDOMANCY or CLEIDOMANCY is divination using a dangling key. see RADIESTHESIA.
COSCINOMANCYis divination using a hanging sieve. see RADIESTHESIA.
CRITOMANCY is the study of barley cakes.
CROMNIOMANCY is divination using onion sprouts.
CYCLOMANCY is the practice of divination from a turning wheel.
DACTYLOMANCY is an early form of RADIESTHESIA using a dangling ring.
DAPHNOMANCYrequires one to listen to laurel branches crackling in an open fire.
DEMONOMANCY is divination with the aid of demons.
DENDROMANCYis divination with either oak or mistletoe.
GASTROMANCY is an ancient form of ventriloquism whereby the voice is lowered to a sepulchral tone and prophetic utterances are delivered in a trance state.
GELOSCOPY is the divination from the tone of someone’s laughter.
GENETHLIALOGY is divination by the influence of the stars at birth.
GEOMANCY is the study of figures on the ground and the influence of the Earth’s “currents”.
GRAPHOLOGY is the analysis of character through handwriting.
GYROMANCY is a divination procedure where a person walks in a circle marked with letters until they become dizzy and stumble at different points, thus spelling out a prophesy.
HALOLMANCY see ALOMANCY
HARUSPICATIONis fortune-telling by means of inspecting the entrails of animals, as practiced by priests in ancient Rome.
HIEROMANCY or HIERSCOPYis divination by observing object of ancient sacrifice.
HIPPOMANCYis a form of divination from the stamping and neighing of horses.
HOROSCOPYis the practice of casting of astrological horoscopes.
HYDROMANCYis divination by water including the color, ebb and flow, or ripples produced by pebbles dropped in a pool.
ICHTHYOMANCYis divination using fish.
LAMPADOMANCYis divination using lights or torches.
LECANOMANCYuses a basin of water for divination.
LIBANOMANCYis the study of incense and its smoke.
LITHOMANCYis divination using precious stones of various colors.
MARGARITOMANCYis the procedure of using bouncing pearls.
METAGNOMYis the divination using “visions” received in a trance state.
METEOROMANCY is divination from meteors.
METOPOSCOPYis the reading of character using the lines if the forehead.
MOLEOSOPHYis the study of moles and indicators of a person’s character and future indications.
MOLYBDOMANCY draws mystic inferences from the hissing of molten lead.
MYOMANCYis the study of the prophetic meaning of behavior of rats and mice.
OINOMANCY is divination using wine.
OMPHALOMANCYis counting the number of knots in the umbilical cord to predict how many more children the mother will have.
ONEIROMANCY is the interpretation of dreams and their prophetic nature.
ONOMANCYis the study of the meaning of names.
ONOMANTICS is the application of ONOMANCY applied to personal names, particularly in the sense of occult interpretation.
ONYCHOMANCY is the study of fingernails.
OOMANTIA and OOSCOPYis the method of divination by eggs.
OPHIOMANCYis divination from serpents.
ORNISCOPY and ORINITHOMANCYis the study of omens associated with birds, particularly birds in flight. seeAPANTOMANCY
OVOMANCYis another type of egg divination.
PEGOMANCYconcerns itself with spring water and bubbling fountains and the omens contained therein.
PHRENOLOGYis the long practiced study of head formations.
PHYLLORHODOMANCYis a means of divination whereby one slaps a rose petal against the hand and judges the favorability of the omen by the loudness of the sound.
PHYSIOGNOMYis the study of character analysis through physical features.
PSYCHOGRAPHYis a form of mysterious writing having a divinatory nature.
PYROMANCY and PYROSCOPYare forms of divination by fire or flame, often assisted by substances thrown onto the flames.
RHABDOMANCYis divination using a stick or wand. These methods were forerunners of the divining rod.
RHAPSODOMANCYis a means of divination using a book of poetry whereby the book is opened at random and a passage read.
SIDEROMANCYis the burning of straws with a hot iron, the resulting figures having divinatory properties.
SORTILEGEis the casting of lots and the assessment of omens indicated.
SPODOMANCYis divination using cinders or soot.
STICHOMANCYis another form of throwing open a book and selecting a random passage for the purpose of divination.
STOLISOMANCYdraws omens from the way people dress.
SYCOMANCYis performed by writing messages on tree leaves; the slower they dry, the more favorable the omen. A modern variation is to write on slips of paper (always including one blank) and rolling them up. They are then held in a strainer over a boiling pot; the first to unroll will be answered.
TEPHRAMANCYis divination by ashes obtained from the burning of tree bark.
TIROMANCYis a type of divination using cheese.
XYLOMANCYis divination from pieces of wood, either from their shape when collected or their appearance while burning.
Youtube is a wonderful resource with lots of helpful information on it! I’ve collated together all the Divination Lessons I could find. If any of these links break, or you find something that should be added to the list, please message me!
This is as much a resource for me as it is for you – I have only watched part of most of these so take them with a grain of salt!
Tarot
Learn the 78 Tarot Cards in Two Hours (Part 1, Part 2)
Speak softly to them and give them a bit of pampering. Give them a spa day. Cleanse them with smoke. Spend time with each rune individually and let it speak to you. Write down what you feel. Make some tea.. put on some ambient music. Cast the runes and see.
Oh you flatter me! But yes, I do have some helpful sources for you! Most of my knowledge of the runes comes from extensive reading on the subject, but there are many ways to learn:
Runic Divination App (just my favorite of many, take a look around your app store for more resources!)
Some personal side notes/tips:
Memorizing the meanings of the runes is not necessary. I have been doing rune castings for 4 years and I still use the booklet sometimes when meanings are unclear. It’s okay to need help.
You are free to make up your own associations and interpretations for the runes
Know that runes offer advice, they are not for fortune telling or peering into the future
The runes will not always tell you what you want to hear, they can be quite rude, in fact
Always remember that every rune has a merkstave
Historically speaking, the blank rune was not included (that is a modern addition) but use it if you wish. I do not out of personal preference.
It can be helpful to have some knowledge of Norse mythology before doing elder futhark castings
If you have trouble connecting spiritually to your runes, it can be helpful to sleep beside them so you can bond (yes, I am that weirdo who sleeps with her runes in her pillowcase)
Doing a daily pull for yourself can strengthen your readings
Coming up with fun little ways to memorize the runes helps immensely if you have trouble remembering things
This
is how I personally do readings when I’m being fancy. I’m not saying
your way is wrong.
INTRODUCE yourself.
“Hi, nice to meet you! Thank you for letting me read for you
today!”
DISCLAIM if
you need to do this in order to feel comfortable. “Just as a
reminder, this reading, as with all
readings, should be taken in context of your personal experiences and
with a grain of salt.”
RESTATE
their question, especially if you had to slightly alter the wording
to fit your method of divination. “I am reading for the question,
‘what will my love life be like next month?‘”
INTRODUCE
your reading. “Today I drew for you three cards…” “Today I
cast these fives stones…” etc.
NARRATE your
interpretations. “The Lovers card means you will have a healthy and
fruitful romantic life in the upcoming month!”
DESCRIBE
what about your tools helped draw you to this interpretation. This
adds an extra layer of depth to any reading. “I was especially
drawn to how the Lovers are holding hands, with a dove over them.”
“I noted the close proximity of the Fehu rune to the Isa rune,
which…”
SUPPORT your
reading with the holy trinity: Intuition, Appearance, and Book
Knowledge. Allow
your intuition to flow forth and unite your spread in to a coherent
narrative. Read
the spread as it lies before you. Research
extra textbook meanings to ensure nothing is missed.
SUMMARIZE your
entire spread in to a paragraph. Hit your main points, reiterate the
important messages, and give your querent a bite-sized takeaway of
the entire reading. I believe summarizing is important even for one
card, one rune, etc., spreads.
This would have been really helpful when I started reading for others. And it’s a good reminder even now.
So let’s say that you’ve found a diviner that you really like, and you want to get a reading from them, and you don’t know what to ask. Or, let’s say you do your own divination, and you want to ask your cards/runes/other divinatory tool something besides the general reading – some specific information that will help you, but you just can’t figure out how to ask.
Here is that list!
(P.S., This post was the idea of @resonance-of-libra. I’m just the one who made it.)
Is there anything I would benefit from knowing that I have not asked about?
How will tomorrow be for me?
Are any spiritual entities trying to contact me? Who? What are they trying to say?
Is there anything I’m forgetting?
What does my subconscious want to say to me that I’ve ignored?
What do I need to focus on in life right now?
What is my pet thinking about?
What should I draw/write about?
Has anyone done magic on me without my knowledge? Who? What kind?
Is anyone gossiping about me?
How do others view me?
How can I be more true to myself?
What do my ancestral spirits think of me?
How can I connect with my god/spirits/true self/nature?
What did that dream mean?
Do I have any surprises in store for me in my immediate future?
What do I need to know about love/career/education/friendships/situations with another?
How can I move forward in my career/love life/education?
What can I do to evolve as a spirit?
What is the strongest foundation I have to build on when it comes to my career/love life/future/education/health?
What am I not considering in this big decision of mine?
What do I need to cut out of my life right now?
What issues or things do I need to avoid right now?
What are the pros/cons of this?
How can I enjoy life more?
What are my good traits? What traits do I need to work on? How?
What are the good things in life that I’m ignoring?
What are examples of times I’ve done a good job?
What things should I be grateful for?
What can I look to in order to find meaning in my life?
What lies am I telling to myself? Others?
Why am I afraid of this thing? How do I conquer that fear?
What should I learn from my past?
What is the lesson before me in my life?
What celestial/natural/biological cycles are affecting me right now?
What resources do I have?
How can I make X easier on me?
What do I need to let go?
What part of my shadow self do I need to address? How do I address it?