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Author Topic: Creating a divination system -- What to study?  (Read 4925 times)

Aster Breo

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Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« on: January 17, 2016, 05:30:46 pm »
I'm going to be working with a group to create our own oracle/divination system.

To prepare, I've collected a variety of systems (mostly cards) to study how they're constructed -- what areas of life are usually included, how the messages are phrased, the reading process, etc. (My collection is listed below.)

Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.

Similarly, if anyone has any advice about creating an oracle or divination system, I'd love to hear it!

Besides Lenormand cards, runes, ogham, I Ching, and pendulums (all of which I'm already familiar with), and tarot (which is FAR more complex than we're planning to do), I've also collected:

* the Brighid Oracle
* the Sibilla Vera deck (aka Every Day Oracle)
* the Gypsy Witch deck
* the Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling deck
* the Whitman deck
* the Biedermaier deck
* the Belline Oracle
* the Enchanted Map Oracle
* the Earth Magic Oracle
* the Celtic Book of the Dead deck
* the Celtic Wisdom Oracle
* the Hawaiian Mana deck
* the Psycards deck
* a couple other more obscure decks
And I'm planning to pick up a Kipper deck, as well.

Thank you!

~ Aster
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RecycledBenedict

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2016, 05:42:48 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?


I would suggest Petit Etteilla, Petit Oracles des Dames, and the Parlour Sibyl.

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2016, 06:41:21 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
I'm going to be working with a group to create our own oracle/divination system.

To prepare, I've collected a variety of systems (mostly cards) to study how they're constructed -- what areas of life are usually included, how the messages are phrased, the reading process, etc. (My collection is listed below.)

Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.

Similarly, if anyone has any advice about creating an oracle or divination system, I'd love to hear it!

Besides Lenormand cards, runes, ogham, I Ching, and pendulums (all of which I'm already familiar with), and tarot (which is FAR more complex than we're planning to do), I've also collected:

* the Brighid Oracle
* the Sibilla Vera deck (aka Every Day Oracle)
* the Gypsy Witch deck
* the Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling deck
* the Whitman deck
* the Biedermaier deck
* the Belline Oracle
* the Enchanted Map Oracle
* the Earth Magic Oracle
* the Celtic Book of the Dead deck
* the Celtic Wisdom Oracle
* the Hawaiian Mana deck
* the Psycards deck
* a couple other more obscure decks
And I'm planning to pick up a Kipper deck, as well.

Thank you!

~ Aster


The 40 trumps of Minchiate Francesi are also interesting:

unnumbered: Momus

  • Chaos
  • Amor
  • Venus
  • Bacchus
  • Prudence
  • Charity
  • Justice
  • Hope
  • Fortitude
  • Fortune
  • Old age
  • Adulthood
  • Adolescence
  • Childhood
  • Taste
  • Touch
  • Scent
  • Hearing
  • Eyesight
  • Fire
  • Earth
  • Water
  • Air
  • Capricorn
  • Sagittarius
  • Scorpio
  • Libra
  • Virgo
  • Leo
  • Cancer
  • Gemini
  • Taurus
  • Aries
  • Pisces
  • Aquarius
  • Stars
  • Sun
  • Moon
  • Fame


Hearts corresponds here to Europe
Diamonds corresponds here to Asia
Clubs corresponds here to the Americas
Spades corresponds here to Africa

RecycledBenedict

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2016, 07:00:26 pm »
Quote from: FraterBenedict;185334
The 40 trumps of Minchiate Francesi are also interesting:

Please insert The World between Moon and Fame. Some versions also add Mercury somewhere in the sequence.
« Last Edit: January 17, 2016, 07:00:52 pm by RecycledBenedict »

Jenett

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #4 on: January 17, 2016, 07:19:03 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332

Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.


I have some notes up about my quote deck online, including the quotes I use. It's at http://jenett.dreamwidth.org/874498.html .

I'm also still rather fond of The Faerie's Oracle deck (Brian Froud, etc.) which has some interesting structural features.

I'm also watching the design of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's oracle deck with some interest: http://www.shadowscapes.com/Dreamdance/cardsmain.php?suit= has more details.
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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2016, 10:47:37 am »
Quote from: Jenett;185336
I have some notes up about my quote deck online, including the quotes I use. It's at http://jenett.dreamwidth.org/874498.html .

I'm also still rather fond of The Faerie's Oracle deck (Brian Froud, etc.) which has some interesting structural features.

I'm also watching the design of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law's oracle deck with some interest: http://www.shadowscapes.com/Dreamdance/cardsmain.php?suit= has more details.

 
I was going to suggest the Faerie's Oracle as well.

I made a divination by symbols deck, and my working process for sorting out the symbols was along these lines:  I started with making a list of common symbols (like key, door, heart).  I tried to find symbols that had multiple meanings or interpretations.  As I was going to be drawing it also, I did weed out a few symbols I didn't think I could draw (but if you were going to use found art or not draw yourself, that wouldn't matter).  I also tried to think of symbols that would sort of address different areas of life (so there are ones I connect with people, animals, nature, the world around me, luck, money....)

Another thing you can do, as you are building your deck, is to keep doing trial readings to answer specific questions and see if you feel something is missing in the deck.

((On a slightly tangential note:  Jennet, do you mind if I share your quote deck link with my local friends?  I think it's sort of brilliant and they would appreciate it.))
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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2016, 01:31:19 pm »
Quote from: Kylara;185372

((On a slightly tangential note:  Jenett, do you mind if I share your quote deck link with my local friends?  I think it's sort of brilliant and they would appreciate it.))

 
Totally welcome to! (That's why the link's public.) Doing a slightly better writeup is on my list of eventually things to do, but it at least gives some idea.
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Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2016, 01:39:36 pm »
Quote from: Kylara;185372
I was going to suggest the Faerie's Oracle as well.

What is it about the Faeries' Oracle that makes it different from other oracles?
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Emma Eldritch

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2016, 04:09:26 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185381
What is it about the Faeries' Oracle that makes it different from other oracles?

 
The main difference I've noticed is that the cards in Froud's deck fall into categories. While not quite as rigid as suits, each card is classified as sidhe, singers, challengers, help line, or guardians and guides. Whether or not you choose to use this facet of the cards is entirely up to the reader - my sister has owned this deck since she was a teenager, and I don't think she's ever consciously used the categories in a reading aside from noting the 'singers' because visually they are quite different. I on the other hand probably would look to their categories, because I enjoy a bit of structure. (I read almost exclusively tarot.)

Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2016, 04:52:42 pm »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;185385
The main difference I've noticed is that the cards in Froud's deck fall into categories. While not quite as rigid as suits, each card is classified as sidhe, singers, challengers, help line, or guardians and guides.

Ah, I see.  Thank you.

That sounds like a few of the oracles I have in my collection, like the Celtic Wisdom Oracle and Erynn Laurie's "3 currents" system of ogham divination.

How do you feel that categories like this add to your readings?
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Jack

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2016, 08:05:03 pm »
Quote from: Kylara;185372
I made a divination by symbols deck, and my working process for sorting out the symbols was along these lines:  I started with making a list of common symbols (like key, door, heart).  I tried to find symbols that had multiple meanings or interpretations.  As I was going to be drawing it also, I did weed out a few symbols I didn't think I could draw (but if you were going to use found art or not draw yourself, that wouldn't matter).  I also tried to think of symbols that would sort of address different areas of life (so there are ones I connect with people, animals, nature, the world around me, luck, money....)

I have an oracle deck I developed using a similar process - I started by making a big list of relevant powers and archetypes in my practice, made cards, read with those, weeded some out and redefined others, rinse and repeat.

I'm using a similar process to develop a coin reading system based on one I saw only once, as I had a reading. Loosely, you practice intuiting and interpreting the images on the coins as answers. It's kind of similar to the Magpie Oracle idea, which I've seen discussed online.
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Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2016, 08:23:07 pm »
Quote from: Jack;185399
I have an oracle deck I developed using a similar process - I started by making a big list of relevant powers and archetypes in my practice, made cards, read with those, weeded some out and redefined others, rinse and repeat.

This is part of the process I'm planning, too. That's why I'm looking at other systems -- to get an idea of what archetypes, etc. are needed.

How long did it take you to work with and refine the system before you felt it was solid?
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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2016, 08:57:42 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185332
Can anyone suggest any other systems or resources that would be particularly useful to study for this project?  I'm especially interested in systems that take a different approach or have some other marked difference from how oracles are generally structured.

 
Maybe Morgan's Tarot (which isn't a tarot at all, but it was designed before 'oracle deck' became the common way to describe non-tarot cartomancy decks) is worth a look? I imagine the older self-published versions are hard to find, but according to Aeclectic, US Games did a publication of it in 2009.

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2016, 09:46:42 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;185389
Ah, I see.  Thank you.

That sounds like a few of the oracles I have in my collection, like the Celtic Wisdom Oracle and Erynn Laurie's "3 currents" system of ogham divination.

How do you feel that categories like this add to your readings?

 
I'm not hugely intuitive - unlike my mother and sister - and I find that categories give me another layer of meaning to consider while reading. So if I'm reading tarot I can think "okay, it's swords, swords mean X" and I keep that in mind while I consider the details of the individual card.

If that makes sense. I have a cold so my brain's a bit foggy. XD

Aster Breo

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Re: Creating a divination system -- What to study?
« Reply #14 on: January 18, 2016, 10:38:11 pm »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;185405
I'm not hugely intuitive - unlike my mother and sister - and I find that categories give me another layer of meaning to consider while reading. So if I'm reading tarot I can think "okay, it's swords, swords mean X" and I keep that in mind while I consider the details of the individual card.

If that makes sense. I have a cold so my brain's a bit foggy. XD

Yes. That's very helpful. Thanks!
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