Getting Ready for Autumn Divination

Winter Witches, dream a little more, for it is almost your time to awaken!

Full Blog Post on Tree-Centred Practice Part 6

With the recent heat wave here in the Highlands of Scotland, in which I have reached boiling point, I definitely feel pushed to my limits of endurance of summer. It has been a long and very hot summer and while it has been beautiful and has offered many blessings, being a winter woman, I'm physically and energetically depleted and ready to be done with it. I feel called to revisit older blog posts that feel like cosy autumn vibes and sweep me off into cool air, chimney smoke and dark starry skies.

Below is a little excerpt from my Tree-Centred Practice series on Wild Divination. Some food for thought, some soul nourishment for us winter witches, something to dream a little on while we are in our sleeping season. These are forms of divination I use daily, all year-round and are as natural to me as my physical senses, although during my summer slumber, I don't venture out doors much, so my Apantomancy, Augury and Ornithomancy really wakes up when autumn speaks to my heart in her dulcet tones.

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Apantomancy

Augury and Ornithomancy

Apantomancy is a term used to describe a kind of divination that places an emphasis on omens from chance encounters with animals or items. Apantomancy with animals can have personal or universal meaning also, and refers to animals that present for us in a meaningful way. Like the 'black cat crossing your path' will represent good or bad luck. An animal or insect may present right at the moment when we are experiencing a challenging situation, need to make an important decision, or are deep in thought. We will interpret the presence of the animal or insect as a visitation, a message, or an influencing factor on what we should do. People may also recognise animals as a manifestation of deity or a personal spirit guide. Examples of apantomancy through contact with chance items could be 'walk under a ladder and you will get bad luck' and 'break a mirror and you will get seven years bad luck'. Knocking on wood may also be seen as apantomancy when the observer wishes to reverse an invoked 'thing' from happening. knocking on wood usually follows a realisation that one has tempted fate. Apantomancy also includes gaining knowledge through chance encounters of hand to item contact. For instance, the gaining insight from the holding of a piece of jewellery.

Ornithomancy can be viewed as within the umbrella of apantomancy and refers to the divining of the future through all aspects of bird observation. For instance the type of bird that appears, and how it presents itself, will be significant to the observer. The number of birds present or how they are grouped will have special meaning. Peculiarities in the flight pattern of birds, or which direction they are going, will also influence the observer in diving an interpretation. Augury is a similar form of divination, it can be understood as a form of ornithomancy that specifically focuses on observing the flight patterns of birds. Although nowadays the term augury is used to refer to a wider context of divination. Augury and ornithomancy are illustrated in this old nursery rhyme which identifies magpies as messengers of news or omens, (jackdaws, crows, rooks and other corvids can also be identified in connection with this rhyme). There are many versions;

An older version goes like;

One for sorrow,

Two for mirth

Three for a funeral,

Four for birth

Five for heaven

Six for hell

Seven for the devil, his own self

With a more recent retelling;

One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told.

Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss, Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss, Eleven for health, Twelve for wealth, Thirteen beware it's the devil himself.

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Yours in the psychic cave,

Mags Black.