Reading Bones

Misinformation and Mudslinging

Update November 6, 2014: Since I wrote this article, many more bone readers seem to have come out of the woodwork.  Some are coming from older traditions such as Dagara cowrie, stick, and mixed curio divination, and some are using my innovation, Sheloya’s Hoodoo Bones, while others have made or discovered their own ways.

Of course, some were quick to start calling everybody frauds, without actually looking into each reader to see if their methods were sound.  Even though I was one of the main writers responsible for reviving this style of divination on the internet, I think this is very bad form.

You see, even though I helped to bring it to the attention of more diviners and rootworkers, I certainly didn’t invent osteomancy, nor do I or have I ever claimed that my way is the only way there is.  African and diaspora spirituality covers a very wide range, and we live in many different climates and environments, and come in many different mixtures.  So there is no one way that is the only way for everyone.

I can’t tell you who is real and who isn’t specifically, because I don’t spend a lot of time looking for others to berate or belittle.  I can tell you though, that it doesn’t matter how they came into the knowledge, as long as they have it.  I don’t care if they got it from reading my articles, someone else’s, a book, a video, or a friend or mentor.  It is truly irrelevant, so long as it’s spiritually and metaphysically sound.

My only real worries when it comes to this is whether or not the diviner knows their method well, is a good spiritual counselor overall, and most importantly, if they respect the Spirits/forces of Nature they are working with.  A lesser, but still important concern, is with the trending aspect.

The bones require someone who is very aligned with Nature, and this is whether we’re talking about literal bones or tiles/runes.  One has to be able to visualize in more than two dimensions, consider multiple possible time streams, and differing perspectives, all at once.  It requires a certain level of maturity, experience, and consciousness that one is helping people to get through real life issues.  One can neither afford modernist over-idealism, nor postmodernist cynicism.

I suppose this may be one reason why some traditional adherents and conjurers may panic when looking around and seeing a proliferation of bone readers.  Moreso than the tarot or other more straightforward methods using the Odu Ifa, Bible verses, etc. one has to be more than a reader.  One must be a seer.

Seeing what has become of the Nordic Runes, I share some of their concerns.  I will stop short of calling someone who is sincere and has the technique a fraud, but I will express concern with any traditional or culture/ethnicity heavy method being taken too far away from its origins.  In order to truly understand the Nordic Runes, it definitely does help to have some Nordic ancestry, as well as Nordic traditions passed to one through heritage.

Crossover and overlapping is fine, but stripping of the culture from the method is not fine at all.  This has happened in far too many cases, where people apply whatever meaning they like to a rune, despite its actual meaning, and don’t understand that they’re also magickal, not just symbols.

So it is my hope that as bone reading becomes more popular, those who stay with it take the time to speak to the elders and traditional practitioners of established, living faiths with unbroken or less broken lines.  One may be good enough at reading to give a reading, but one needs to be good enough at life to give a good reading.

If you have benefited from these lessons or this system, please send a donation to show that you appreciate the knowledge. It will help your readings to be more accurate, and ensure that I can keep this information free and free of ads. I also help to promote people who donate on my sites. You can even have your own blog on this site for $25 per month. See our blog hosting page for details.

Blessings and Ashé!

Pages ( 4 of 4 ): « Previous123 4

K. Sis. Nicole T.N. Lasher

Webmatron of Orisha.me.

7 Comments:

  1. Pingback: Orisha Online Altar − Sheloya’s Hoodoo Bones System

  2. very intresting i am looking in to learning how to read bones but am not sure where to start any advice would be appreciated

    • This is one of those methods that isn’t isolated from the belief systems they come from. You would learn it from someone who reads bones but isn’t just a reader. They’ll be a shaman, priest, or scholar too. So you’d learn it in the course of learning their flavor of mysticism. Basically, if you find someone who reads the bones, you can learn if you become their student or apprentice. The reason why is because much like the Diloggun, if you don’t have the context of the spirituality, you won’t understand what you’re looking at.

  3. I’ll be jiggered (wide grin)! I was just beginning to think that I “knew it all”, and now I encounter a divination system that I knew literally NOTHING about! I’m deep into Ifa divination myself, and on account of every (good and honest) divinatio system doing kind of the same thing Ik’m sure that I will find lots of similarites… or possibly not really similarities in the process, but certainly in the purpose. I’m glad I dropped in!

    Be, stay, live and drop in well!

    Jaap Verduijn.

  4. Hello,
    I just received my new set of Hoodoo Bones, and they are just “wonderful”! . I’m New to reading bones, and i’m so excited. I know once i learn this form of divination system of Bones, I will be good at it. Ase ! I was just wondering If Sheloya has a Video either on this website Or On Youtube Or Classes via “a Live Skype” showing Step by step Class instructions learning the Hoodoo Vudum Bones Divination system ? if not now , well you in the foreseeable future please ? I prefer this system over the tarot cards because the tarot cards has too many various meanings. This is a more straight forward direct system. Thank you Sheyola for broadening my Psych Horizons. Ase Ase Ase ! (:D)

  5. Pingback: » Hoodoo Bones (Voodoo Runes or African Runes) Sheloya Mystical

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Links and Additional Information

  • Respectful African Spirituality Tshirts, Mugs, and More!