DICE DIVINATION

What is Dice Divination (Astragalomancy)?

Dice divination (astragalomancy) is a practice from ancient Greece and Rome in which several dice, modeled on the astragalus (ankle bone) of sheep and other animals, are thrown, and the resulting combination is matched against oracular verses to be read. It has been used for either-or decisions and near-term outlooks.

Overview

System

Omen Reading (reads chance outcomes of the dice)

Origin

Ancient Greece / Rome

What You Need

Several dice modeled on the astragalus (ankle bone)

Best For

Either-or decisions, near-term outlooks, life direction

Time Frame

Days ahead to about 90 days

Origins & History

Dice divination (astragalomancy) is one of the oldest forms of omen divination on record, with evidence of lot-casting practices in ancient Greece and Rome using the astragalus (ankle bone) of sheep and other animals.

The tradition holds that several dice modeled on the astragalus were thrown, and the resulting combination was matched against a set of prepared oracular verses to arrive at an answer. Today, ordinary dice stand in for the bones, and the same idea is used as a familiar tool for either-or decisions and near-term outlooks.

How It Works

1. 01Decide on a single question you want to ask.
2. 02Throw several dice standing in for the astragali.
3. 03Check the resulting combination.
4. 04Read the oracular verse corresponding to that combination.

What It Reveals

This is well suited to questions wanting a short, clear answer, such as an either-or decision or a near-term outlook. Because it relies on a simple mechanism of reading the combination of dice thrown, it is not designed to unpack an intricate background or a long-term destiny, and it is more often used as a first nudge when one wants a bit of encouragement.

Related Methods

I Ching (Zhou Yi)Pendulum (Dowsing)Oracle Cards

References

• Wikipedia: Astragalomancy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragalomancy)