PART 1

~Lithomancy~

There are many forms of divination. Even within all of the various established methods, there are countless ways to go about each process. I always thought there was a “right” way for each and if I didn’t retain the information needed, I simply could not divine messages for myself. This is just not the truth I have come to understand. I am pretty sure I practice every form of divination the “wrong” way and yet, I still manage to receive and interpret messages from spirit. This right here is the reason for this post and the ones to follow on this topic. Sometimes we don’t realize things can be done a different way. Sometimes we don’t believe things can just be our way; that we can do what comes naturally and makes sense to us. Most of the time the easiest answer is the right one. I believe that we can do anything our way, very few exceptions will contest this.

What is divination?

Some interpret the word’s origin as meaning “to be inspired by the divine”. I find there is such beauty in this sentiment. Divination is the act of receiving and deciphering information from the “divine” by means that surpass the comprehension of our normal senses. Even if you do not work as a psychic or medium, this is a skill we can all cultivate on some level to better gain insight into our daily lives. The ability to understand the signs and symbols all around us can prove to be useful in times of turmoil just the same as it can in times of joy. There is no need to take special classes or gain certificates, although I have found these things can be amazing for the sense of community and understanding of different methods people use. These classes can also be a hinderance though as they can fill us with a false sense of empowerment. Whatever path you take, just try to remember that we do have the ability to communicate with spirit and interpret energy all on our own if only we have the will to try – and more importantly believe we can.

With all that said, I will talk briefly about one of my favorite forms of divination that I do wrong, and that is lithomancy! Closely related to cleromancy (the casting of lots), lithomancy is the act of tossing crystals and stones onto a prepared space and then finding the “signs” in where they fall. There are many ways to go about this. Some have a cloth or table that is divided into four sections with different significances in each, others might use a similar surface that has the astrological wheel on it, there are those who perform a blend of the two, and then even some who throw to a blank space. One of the oldest forms of lithomancy recorded was performed by the wearer of the Hoshen (Breastplate of Aaron). The pocket of the apron which held the Hoshen in place was said to hold two stones. Questions were answered depending on which stone was drawn from the pocket. This is another way lithomancy is performed. A few or many stones can be placed in a bag or similar vessel and then they are drawn one at a time to gain insight and guidance.

There is no wrong way.

More often than not, the stones have predetermined associations, almost like Tarot or Lenormand. If you like to read this way, there are lists online with lots of various correspondences. Some assign the astrological symbols, some the elements, some emotions, and some people make up their own associations. When I began searching for information on how to perform lithomancy, I found this difficult to understand. Why are there so many variations? Why is there not just an understood list that I can memorize? Because we are not one size fits all. Our connection to spirit will be different and as such, our correspondences for divination will also vary.

I read the energy. This is what makes sense to me. I have a dreadful memory; it is very selective. I can recall the finer details of my lunch from five years ago, and every aspect of trauma I have endured; however, I can’t for the life of me recall preset meanings of 12 stones. There is a good reason for this; but before I embraced my own power, this personal “flaw” had me very discouraged. I can feel spirit, I love the act of divination because the feeling of connection to us all that is gained through divination brings me a level of comfort that can’t be achieved any other way. I was a failure though because I can’t just remember correspondences. This is because I was trying to do things in a way that was not my own. My way is weird. My way makes no sense. My way is the only way I can gain insight that is even remotely helpful for anyone – including myself. My way may not be your way, but I hope hearing it will give you the strength to embrace your own way. No one can tell you that how you interact with spirit and energy is not the right way if it feels effective to you. Especially if it provides that level of connection, oneness, and comfort that my way brings to me.

What works for me.

My stones do not have preset meanings. Often, they mean totally opposite things from one reading to the next. This can be overwhelming sometimes. When it is confusing, I just sit and be still until clarity finds me. Have you ever seen a reading and as soon as the cards are drawn the psychic immediately spouts off some coherent message? Yeah, that is not how I read. I will usually start with pieces that seem like a riddle. One by one those pieces get strung together to tell a story. After much elaboration I find myself at the meaning of the reading. It is not fast, it not straight forward, but it usually highlights the thing I need to focus on.

I begin with a black bag. Why black? I feel black takes all energy, like a tiny black hole. The inside of my bag is lined with purple, and this is because purple is the color that bridges the gap to the frequencies we cannot perceive with our normal senses. There is depth to everything I do, and I find this brings me inspiration. It also helps me organize the energy I feel. You do you. You don’t need a bag at all, it could be a sock if that is what you have to work with.

Inside my bag is roughly 30 crystals. This is a lot; I think I might have started with 12 but over time I have added more. If it is a simple question, or if I want to add something to a card reading, I will pull one stone out. This is a great way to find the energy I need to connect to if I wish to align with the guidance from a reading. Think of it as being the personality trait I need to harness if I want to follow the guidance of the reading. Otherwise, depending on the moment, I will take either a handful of stones or the entire bag and dump them onto my altar. As I do this, I have an intention in mind. Be it insight for my sitter, or answers to a particular issue, the stones are “thrown” to the prepared space and then I stare at them and think “Oh shit that’s a lot of stones.” Yes, every single time I get that moment of “I have no idea what I am doing.” Every single last time. Part of me hopes that feeling never leaves because by the time I am done, I am filled with wonder and awe as spirit makes the message clear without fail. Readings offer personal proof of spirit. The only way to gain that experiencing is by trusting it is possible.

I sit and stare at the chaos of my random rock piles and try to feel the energy. Now, this is where I think I would have lost “new reader” me from years ago. “Feel the energy?” that is not helpful. Only, it is. We just do it instinctually, so this makes it difficult grasp sometimes. We are looking for something more than we already know. We can all feel energy. We know what it feels like to be excited. We know what it feels like to walk into a room where people are angry. We know what it feels like to be confused; we know what feelings feel like! This is feeling energy. If we bring ourselves to the blank slate centered energy just before throwing the stones, we should be able to feel the prevailing energy when the chaos settles. That is the confusion I feel at the start of every reading. The energy of the crystals intermingles, blends, and works with spirit to find a way to deliver insight. As that energy harmonizes, there is an emotion, energy, or starting place for the reading.

Some will say to always start in one place, others begin where they are drawn. I do a little bit of both. Along with my crystals is a little skull I crafted. This is my seeker. My seeker is the person who seeks information. Sometimes I begin close to it but more often than not, it is random. I find something in relation to the seeker and this is where I start. The key is, not to try to control it. I don’t want to force the reading because, like I mentioned, as of now I have no idea what I am looking at. I need spirit to make it clear so I will follow where spirit takes me.

For my own understanding, there are guidelines I try to follow. Anything touching the seeker token will be a direct influence or important part of the current situation. The further away stuff is either in the past, future, or even an unseen influencer. This all depends on where everything lies. Sometimes the head is pointing to the left, to me, this is the person focusing on the past and ignoring the future. Sometimes the head faces away from all of the stones, and this could mean the seeker is blind to all influencers or is avoiding the entire situation. It really depends on the reading.

How the crystals are grouped together also plays a role in how I interpret the reading. Let’s say there is a tiger’s eye, hematite, and citrine all together. I might determine that the person needs to harness their personal power and bring that strength to the physical world. By finding the common energy behind each crystal, we find the message they offer. Tiger’s eye is a stone of insight but also of great personal power, citrine connects one to the higher self, and hematite grounds everything in the present. By finding the “meanings” of each that correlate we can have an easier time finding a place to start. Once we begin, it is very easy to keep going. Starting is the tricky part.

I treat the reading like a journey, I start in one place and feel my way through the crystals. One leads to another until the connection of energy stops. Then I continue to another starting point if necessary. Often the message is not clear until I am done. I take notes as I go and write down the key bits from each portion of the energy journey. Once I have addressed all crystals and potential correspondences that arise, I then go back and read my notes. As I do this, I pay attention to messages from spirit. We all get them, the little voice in the back of our mind that suggests one thing or another, the random memory or scent, the unexplainable emotion; I allow those things to prevail and silence my own thoughts. I don’t try to force an understanding; I have to just roll with it until it makes sense.

If you believe you can – you will.

This sounds so annoying. We want answers and directions we can quantify. Spirit is not a thing of knowing though – spirit is an area for faith and trust. So, trust that by the time you are done, an understanding of the energy will be found.

Having a basic understanding of crystals is helpful for this form of divination. My belief here is that an understanding of crystals does not come from memorization. Like I said, memory recall is not my strong suit. Crystals have energy, this is where the understanding of them lies. How they shift your energy, what they make you feel, how they inspire you; this is their meaning. Their meanings change depending on who you are, and what part of your journey you are on. Yes, some things will always be true, like amethyst is for clarity; but why it is true is what we want to understand. How the crystals influence energy is where the knowledge of their messages can be found. Amethyst is for clarity because its frequency organizes all chaos so that the match to the frequency we desire can be found. We are all capable of finding these understandings. No one can tell you that how you feel about a crystal is not the right meaning. It is personal, just like our connection to spirit.

You won’t find what works for you unless you try!

If you want to give lithomancy a try, put three crystals into a bag or something of that nature and focus on an issue you are having. I find general guidance to be more of a challenge than an actual issue. Many prefer general readings because they are vague and somehow that offers them easier validation and confidence. I do not prefer them. I feel that they can be broadly useful but do not offer the same level of clarity that specific questions offer. There are too many options, so it makes it overwhelming to find the energy we are looking for. At any given moment, I have a minimum of five things that are significant and influencing my life. A general reading could apply to any of them or sometimes all of them. I like to keep things focused. Keep a question in your mind, reach into your “bag” and pull out one crystal. Hold it, be still with it, and then ask yourself what energy it holds. If let’s say I have a manifesting goal in mind and I have not had success just yet and I pull out a black tourmaline; I might divine that I need to assess and remove all of the things that are not helpful. I might need to make adjustments in my method and ensure that the only things that are contributing to my efforts are things that align with my goal. If the crystal that transmutes all energy to a neutral state is pulled, it likely means that my application of force is not in alignment with my goal. I need to reassess and start from a clean slate.

You can add anything you like to your divination. Even blend them together. Sometimes I like to add my cleromancy trinkets to the outside of my basket when I throw my crystals. I have a set of small items I throw that correlate roughly to the Lenormand system of divination – plus a few bonus trinkets I have picked up along the way. The idea is similar to what is described above. They are thrown with an intention and interpreted depending on where they lie. When I incorporate them into lithomancy, I place them around the outside of my basket that I throw my stones into. They create a border and are placed at random. When I read the crystals that I throw in the center of the border, I also can then associate the crystals with the trinket it is close or relative to. An example would be an aventurine might fall by my scythe token. The scythe is reaping, and aventurine is considered the luckiest of all crystals. It is a stone of good fortune and abundance. The two together could signify that I will be reaping abundance and good fortune. You can add anything you like because this is your connection to spirit. If you feel compelled to add something, there is a good chance spirit is making the suggestion.

We all have a connection to spirit.

We can all do this if we just trust that we can! Give it a try and let me know how it goes. Or if you already perform lithomancy the “right way”, please feel free to comment and let others know any helpful tips you might have figured out within your own practice. You never know what little bit of insight could change someone’s entire way of thinking for the better!