OMIKUJI
What is Omikuji (Fortune-Telling Lots)?
Omikuji is a traditional lot-based divination practiced at shrines and temples in Japan. A lot is drawn to receive a rank of fortune along with a poetic verse, and it is widely enjoyed as an answer to everyday questions about daily luck, love, work, and money.
Overview
- System
- Omen Reading (reads from a lot drawn by chance)
- Origin
- Japan
- What You Need
- A lot (a stick or slip of paper marked with a number or symbol)
- Best For
- Daily fortune, love, work, money
- Time Frame
- Today, near term
Origins & History
Omikuji is a traditional lot-based divination widely practiced at shrines and temples in Japan, and the common form is to draw a lot and receive a rank of fortune along with the number of a corresponding verse.
The origin of this lot-based divination is said to lie in "qiuqian," a practice performed at Chinese temples. The mechanism of qiuqian—shaking out a numbered stick to receive a verse—is believed to have been transmitted to Japan and to have developed into the form of omikuji commonly seen today.
How It Works
- 01Bring to mind the question you wish to ask (optional).
- 02Draw a lot.
- 03Check the resulting rank of fortune and the number of the verse.
- 04Read the words of the verse against your current situation or question.
What It Reveals
It is well suited to lightly engaging with everyday questions about daily luck, love, work, and money. As a simple system that answers with a rank of fortune and a short verse, it is not a divination that explains complicated circumstances in detail, but rather one used to gain everyday guidance in a light-hearted way.
Related Methods
References
- Wikipedia: Omikuji (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omikuji)