Fortune Telling
Contents
The Oracle
Techniques
There are several ways of casting the oracle. Although the techniques differ, a general principle of casual generation underlies them all and any fortuitous ways of obtaining the figures is equally valid. Two techniques are most widely used.
The Casting of the Coin
This system is the most widespread, for it does not need any equipment and it just uses a silver coin (although any coin will do). The two principles - moving and still - are assigned to the sides of the coin that is then cast on a board or a circle. The lines are drawn from top to bottom, and the coin recast if it falls outside the board, for the casting was not done in line with the cosmos. With four castings a figure is obtained.
The Drawing of the sticks
A bundle of sticks is held in one hand, or in a container. The bottom half of half of the sticks is painted evenly, while the other half of the sticks is painted in broken sections. Four sticks are drawn in order and a figure obtained.
Other Techniques
Any mean of obtaining the figures is equally valid is the principle of casual generation is respected. A deck of cards can be used, or the flight of birds observed. It is said that the trails of four snails on a board used to be adopted for the generation of the figures. The snails would be left on the board in the evening, and fresh grass left on two opposing sides of the board: the trails left would be observed at dawn.
The Figures
The Well
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The Well, or the Abyss, receptive primal power. The well represents the inscrutable depths of water, absolute malleability and adaptability, and the primordial creative energy. The well stands for the earth in opposition to the sky, receiving its life giving rain, and woman in opposition to man. Life yielding passivity, the Well represent endurance and perseverance, bringing to existence and transformation what around like the yeast for the bread.
The Well in the oracle can mean that bringing about change is not advisable, but one needs to stay steady and let things develop. Like the well receives whatever is thrown into its depths, so one needs to be open to advice and receptive to what surrounds him. It also represent duration in time and and patience.
Like, in the forest, the hunter immobile listens to the sounds around him, and knows that movement will scare away its prey, so one needs to wait and be receptive, for it is not time for action.
The animal of this figure is the turtle, its body part the belly.
The Word
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The Passage
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Thunder
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Reflection
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The Swamp
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Youth
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The Tower
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The Road
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The Cave
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The Spouse
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The Knot
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The Cage
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The Firmament
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The Beaker
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Exile
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