Book of African Divination
Book of African Divination
Book of African Divination
Destiny Books
Rochester, Vermont
I NTRO D UCTI ON
1
1. DIVINATION
8. SAMPLE READINGS
116
BIBLIOGRAPHY
135
INDEX
137
n Africa there is a strong relationship
between divination and spirituality. A supernatural cause is attributed to all
events in life, whether the life of the individual or of the society.
There are many methods of divination by which humankind has tried, over
millenia, to see into the future and to discover the will of the gods. Although
some few methods have become popular around the world-Tarot cards and
astrology, for example-most people are unaware of the wide diversity of
systems in existence and certainly have only a vague idea of the types found
in Africa.
African divinatory practices are .remarkably varied and have traditionally
embodied African spirituality in everyday life. We have tried to bring together
some of the previously widely scattered information on African divination. With
the continuing Western interest in all forms of fortune-telling, this constitutes
a rich, virtually untapped vein of material, and one that-even apart from its
interest to the occultist-should be preserved.
A great deal of the religio-magical practices found throughout the Ameri-
cas, among the descendants of the African slaves, remains very similar to the
African Yoruba system. In the New World, individual peoples’ beliefs and meth-
ods of divining suffered a blending as the Africans were mixed and then di-
vided, to the point where the legends and myths found extended life in the
Voodoo of Haiti, the Santeria of Cuba, and the Macumba, Candomb~, Umbanda,
and CLuimbanda of Brazil and other parts of South America. Different names,
different ceremonies, yet all similar, and all stemming from a merging of the
many African cultures with one another and with European and native Ameri-
can practices.
Raymond Buckland has written a great deal on divination in different parts
of the world, in particular on Romani (Gypsy) divination, and has developed
his own set of Gypsy fortune-telling cards. Kathleen Binger has specialized in
African divination, using many of the systems found in this book, and has car-
ried out research on these methods, including corresponding with diviners in
various parts of Africa. She has also developed her own set of cards based on
those used by the Kaka people of the Tikar tribe, which utilize marked plum
leaves together with a tarantuta4ikes~adheardoLthis method
but came into sudden contact with it quite by chance one day when visiting
the Milwaukee Museum with a friend. Admiring the various African exhibits,
she spotted a display of scattered leaves (cards) in one of the cases and was
delighted to find that it was from the spider divination of Cameroon. This
spired her to research the method and finally produce her own set of cards
(which can be used without a spider!). They are included with this book. When
first putting together this material to accompany the spider cards, Kathleen
met with Raymond, and the two decided to work together on the book.
Paul Gebauer, in his preface to the second edition of spider Divination In the
Cameroons, says: "In 1970, and again in 1972, I revisited the lands of the West-
ern Kakapeople. Among the old friends only one diviner of the thirties sur-
vived, Tata Bungong. He had his set of leaf cards with him... [butl the clientele
of old is no more. The present generation tries to solve its anxieties in new
and various ways-less picturesque than the old ways and foreign in their
origin."
Similarly, Kathleen has found from her African correspondents that most
Africans today seem more interested in a modern life-style and American ways
than in the old traditions. Yet, some hope is to be found in the United States.
As with other ethnic peoples, there is a slowly growing and developing inter-
est by African-Americans in researching their origins and discovering and pre-
serving those old ways that are about to be lost. We very much hope that
with this book we may help preserve some of those old ways before they
disappear.
We think that many of the African systems can be used-indeed could be
very useful-in today’s Western society. In this book we look at. these African
ways and detail a few of the systems so that they can be tried by anyone.
Gathering together your own sets of "bones," making tablets, making bowls,
using the cards, and using combinations of the methods here presented can be
very satisfying. Together we have tried to open up a fascinating new world of
fortune-telling-the world of African divination.
From the earliest times, human beings
have been curious about the future. Divination, the discovery of things hidden
in the past, the present, or the future by the interpretation of s’igns, symbols,
and portents, is a means of satisfying that curiosity. Some consider the ability
to divine to be a gift from the gods-from the divine-but in fact almost any-
one can be taught one or more divinatory practices.
Around the world and throughout the centuries, many forms of divination have
been used. The ancient Romans ~hat the gods controll~t~h~Zflight of
birds, thus indicating their wishes. A college of diviners, or augurs, was respon-
sible for interpretation. From three members, around 300 B.c.~., the college grew
to sixteen in the first century ~.c~. Unfortunately, the complexity of interpreta-
tion also grew by a far greater degree until it became unmanageable and the
college had to be abandoned. The Aztecs had a similar college of diviners, the
Calmecac, whose job was also to interpret the flight and the songs of birds.
Some native American peoples have made use of the "shaking tent" or tee-
pee to foretell the future. The shaman enters a tent he has erected and care-
fully doses the entrance behind him. He chants incantations and dances around
inside the tent, which is usually built around tall, strong poles that would nor-
mally take several strong men to bend. After a while, the entire structure starts
to vibrate. The poles are observed to shake and then to bend. As the shaman’s
energy builds, the tent shakes more and more, and the poles begin to bend over.
Violent noises come from inside the tent and also, seemingly, from the air above
it and from below the ground. The tent poles bend far beyond their breaking
point. Eventually the noises fade, and the shaman is heard questioning the spirit
he has evoked.
In Brazil, the piag~s of the Uap~s perform a ritual using a long tree stem,
about the height of a man, known as a paxiuba. Holes are bored into it at vari-
ous places along its length. By speaking into these holes the priests make the
leaves tremble; the sound is interpreted as a message from one of their prin-
cipal deities, Jurupari.
Lapp and Siberian shamans divine by beating on multicolored drums. They
place small brass rings on the surface of the drums and scry the future through
the vibration of those rings. A Romani Gypsy purl dai spins a knife, casts sticks,
or floats needles to discover answers to questions: In places in Polynesia, co-
conuts are cast; in parts of Africa, shells and knucklebones. Diviners in Burma
and Thailand pierce the ends of an egg and blow its contents onto the ground
to be interpreted. A Navajo divination technique utilizes pollen sprinkled on
the diviner’s hand. The ancient Egyptians cast bone or ivory dice-like objects
called astragals to read their future; the Greeks use dice, and the Chinese use
yarrow stalks..
Ancient Egyptian texts record the interpretation of dreams, for example,
those of Nut-Amen (ca. 670 B.C.E.) and Thothmes IV (1450 B.c.E.). However, most
Egyptian divining used astrology.
In non-Western societies, divination was ofien used as a means of enforc-
ing law. For example, when the Azande people of Africa searched for truth in
an accusation, they would feed poison to two chickens, one after the other.
They believed that if the charge was true, the first chicken would die, while if
the charge was false, the chicken would live. If the chicken did indeed die, the
second chicken was given the poison, but with the interpretation reversed: if
the charge was true the chicken would live; if false it would die. This would
give confirmation or denial of the charge.
All divination falls into two main types. One, which the Roman statesman Cicero
calls entechnos, is the type that can be taught and is perhaps the most com-
mon form. The shaman/seer/diviner/seeker either generates that which is to
be interpreted by such methods as throwing down obiects (sortilege), burning
them, laying them out (as in cartomancy), or moving them, or observes and
interprets existing phenomena, such as the actions of birds and animals.
The other type is what Cicero calls atechnos or adi~that which can-
not be taught. The shaman or other individual is apparently possessed, enter-
ing a state of ecstasy or trance in which he or she is able to divine the future.
often the diviner has no control over when possession will take place. Fre-
quently this state is looked upon as a form of madness.
There are many, many forms of divination. Sortilege-the drawing or cast-
ing of lots-was and remains one of the most common methods. Another is
interpretation of the flight of birds, the marks on the shell of a tortoise, or the
course taken by spiders. Cartomancy, the reading of playing cards, is another
very popular form of divination. With approximately 25O different Tarot card
decks available today, the reading of Tarot is more popular than ever before.
Divination is referred to in the Bible. loseph sees visions as a child (Genesis
37) and later refers to scrying: "this [cup] in which my lord drinketh, and
whereby indeed he divineth" (Genesis 44:5). The Urim and the Thummim were
devices used by the high priest in ascertaining the will of God (Exodus 28:30).
Some forms of divination are well known to Western civilization, such as
Tarot cards, the Chinese I Ching, crystal gazing, astrology, and palm reading.
Less well known are the unique methods employed by indigenous peoples who
have been rdativdy uninfluenced by modern Western cultures. In the vast con-
tinent of Africa are found many such peoples whose forms of divination, usu-
ally performed by the ~;hamans, have been used for generations with success.
In this book we would like to focus on some forms of divination that are
little known outside Africa, yet are as fascinating and as accurate as most of
the better-known varieties. These methods are found among the Zulu, Yoruba,
Venda, Tikar, Fon, and other peoples. African life has changed substantially
over the past fifty years or so, and is still changing at a fast rate. But much of
the traditional culture that produced these methods of divination still exists,
and these methods still reflect Africa’s disrupted heritage.
TUNISIA
CANARY
ISLANDS
WESTERN ALGERIA
SAHARA LIBYA EGYPT
MAURITANIA
ANGOLA
ZAMBIA
TOGO
Yoruba
COAST
GUINEA
Atlantic
Ocean LESOTHO
SOUTH Zulu
AFRICA
o 50o
Miles
The derivation of the name Africa is un-
certain. Some say it comes from Afer, the name of the son of Hercules. Others
say it is from aphar, a Hebrew word meaning "dust" (a reference to the sand-
storms that sweep across the north of the continent). The name may be de-
rived from the old Phoenician, feru¢ meaning an ear of corn, or ferec, meaning
a corn country. This is a likely possibiliW, since the Phoenicians were familiar
with those portions of Africa that produced crops of grain sufficieht to feed
the world they knew.
Europeans made their greatest inroads along the coast and into the interior
of Africa in the fifteenth century, when the Portuguese attacked the Moors
along the Atlantic seaboard. Having obtained a toehold, they then extended
their African acquisitions, which attracted the interest of England. In 1420 King
Henry I sent his youngest son to explore the region, which he did very thor-
oughly over the next twenW-three years.
Misconceptions about Africa have long persisted even within it, where one
area could-and still can-be totally ignorant of another. After sixW or more
years of colonial rule, many peoples are still wrestling with the question of
identity. Because of the often cavalier division of countries, borders being laid
down on maps with little regard for cultural or natural divisions, many ancient
kingdoms, and even villages and families, have been split up.
Africa is the second largest continent in the world; it possesses such a tre-
mendous variety of people, languages, cultures, and beliefs that no one area
can be typical of the whole continent. Yet Africa today has a population of
only 400 million, just two thirds that of Europe, and boasts more than 1000
ethnic groups, most of which have distinct languages, religions, social customs,
and life-styles. The geographical make-up of the continent, with its numerous
mountains, valleys, deserts, rivers, lakes, and forests, has long isolated many
groups from one another, though total isolation is now a thing of the past. Even
so, according to Jocelyn Murray (Cultural Atlas o[ A[rica), there is no notice-
able decrease today in the number of languages spoken nor in the number of
distinct ethnic societies.
Nigeria and Cameroon, neighbors on the west coast, each became indepen-
dent in 1960 and together have well over 450 different ethnic groups (Nigeria
with at least 250 and Cameroon with at least 2OO). In contrast, Zaire, the sec-
ond largest country in the continent, has approximately 150 different peoples,
and Sudan, the largest country, has approximately 100 peoples and languages.
The continent has been persistently disrupted over the past 5OO years with
colonization, slavery, and famine. The exploitation of its rich mineral resources
has added immeasurably to the disruption of its peoples, particularly in south-
ern Africa. Minerals account for roughly half of Africa’s exports.
The vast continent of Africa is rich in folklore, pagan religion, magic (the
true study of the occult, as distinguished from sleight-of-hand and party tricks),
and divination. ’~I’he great and ancient African kingdoms were cradles of cul-
tures ~ind civilizations that may have rivaled those of Hellas and Rome as well
as our own," Eileen Garrett, a writer, psychic medium, and founder of the
Parapsychology Foundation in New York, wrote in 1957. "Written records are
scarce," she said, "but oral traditions and racial memories suggest impressive
historic accomplishments. Yet, these are not mere monuments to a dead past.
In our time, Africa has taught the rest of the world much that is fundamental;
it has guarded ancient flames that illuminate the recesses of man’s soul."
Colonel Laurens van der Post, author of numerous books on Africa, said in
an address before a joint meeting of the C. G. lung Institute and the Psycho-
logical Club in Zurich in 1954, "It is not we who are filled with spirit and soul,
but rather the [African] people about us. They have so much of it that it over-
flows into the trees, rocks, rivers, lakes, birds, snakes and animals that sur-
one and all they are humble parts of life and at one with it,
knowing that, in order to get through their.., day, they are in constant need
of support from a power greater than themselves. They all have their own
ways of evoking this support-elaborate rituals, strict codes of behavior, col-
orful ceremonies evolved out of their experience of life-and their own social
ethics in terms of which they are initiated into life and ushered out from it....
Whatever happens to them, their lives are never lonely for lack of spirit nor
do they find life wanting in meaning."
In Africa even today, despite many sufferings, the connection between na-
ture and spirituality helps to define life for many people.
Working with fire and smoke to transform crude iron into tools and weapons,
the blacksmith was held in awe in many cultures. His work in iron and bronze
was so important that throughout the world the smith was regarded as a
magician, a holy man. In African cultures the smith was also the sculptor.
Iron itself was regarded as near-magical and frequently credited with su-
pernatural powers. The Aztecs called it "the gift of heaven" because it fell in
the form of meteors. The ancient Egyptians called it "the metal from the sky."
Amulets of meteoric iron were placed in the tomb of Tutankhamen. The Ro-
man historian Pliny claimed that a house would be protected from evil spirits
if iron coffin-nails were placed over the entranceway. Perhaps the most fa-
mous smith of all times was Wayland, the ancient Saxon smith.
In Anglo-Saxon Magic (1974), G. Storms states: "iron manifestly takes its
power from the fact that the material was better and scarcer than wood or
stone for making tools, and secondly from the mysterious way in which it was
originally found: in meteoric stones. It needed a specialist and a skilled laborer
to obtain the iron from the ore and to harden it. Indeed, we find many peoples
regard their blacksmiths as magicians."
The Yoruba say that Ogun, their god of iron, would descend from the sky
on a spider’s web to go hunting. He knew the land and the forests. He enabled
the Great God, Orisha Nla, to cut his way through the thickest forests, for Ogun’s
tools were made of iron whereas the Orisha Nla’s were only of bronze. Yoruba
mythology says that because Ogun cleared the way for the Great God, he was
rewarded with a crown when the people built the sacred city of ll~-lf~. (The
place where creation began was called lf~, meaning "wide," and later the word
11~, "house," was added to show that it was the house from which all earthly
dwellings have originated, ll~lf~ has since been the most sacred city of the
Voruba people.)
In many African legends it is the smith who is healer and doctor. He teaches
the people how to use fire, explains sexual behavior, performs circumcisions,
teaches animal husbandry, and plays a maior role in magic and divination.
On the Benue-Plateau of Nigeria, the Tiv use iron as an important part of a
ritual to communicate with a recently deceased relative. The Ogowe, who do
not use iron themselves, hold the bellows of neighboring tribes’ smiths in great
reverence. On the east coast of Africa, the Tschagga believe that if a smith’s
tools are pointed at a person-whether intentionally or unintentionally-that
person will become sick or even die. In fact, in many communities the smith is
not only respected but also feared. Often the area around a smithy is thought
to be dangerous ground. The Masai, the nomadic people of Kenya and Tanza-
nia, firmly believe that to walk on the ground surrounding a smith’s hut is to
¯ risk sickness, misfortune, and death. They even believe it unlucky to say the
word "smith," especially after sundown.
The Dogon have created impressive bronze statuary. Yet they live in a very
harsh area of West Africa, compared with the plain and coastal area of the
Yoruba. Dogon country is dry, hot, off the caravan routes, and with little of
the natural riches of Mother Earth. The people grow onions and millet and keep
a few goats and chickens. The towns are usually settled at some distance from
a well, where the women must go every day for water.
In most Dogon communities the blacksmith’s home and forge are given the
spe~:ial place designated for the head of the village. In some areas-as with the
Zulus-he is held in such awe that he and his property constitute a separate
"village." His trade consists of digging ore from Mother Earth, the same earth
that cradles and consumes the dead. He then, with the aid of fire urged by the
constant air, makes the iron that gives the form to knives, tools, statues, masks,
and other articles.
But even blacksmiths must follow some regulations. A smith may marry only
a woman from another blacksmith’s family. He ,cannot own other farmland,
not being permitted to work other land to plant and harvest crops. He lives
only to make tools for farmers, weapons for hunters and warriors, and figures
and masks for village priests. He and his family live from what these same
people bring to him as payment for his work. Farmers bring him grain or poul-
try; what few hunters remain bring him a portion of their kill; even the priest
will bring blessings as well as foodstuffs and other materials for the blacksmith’s
family needs.
As a blacksmith’s young son grows, in Yoruba society, he reaches an age
where he must join a society. For the Dogon it iscalled an Awa. It is during his
puberty rite that the young man is circumcised. Only men learn and speak the
secret
emony,language of the
must dance in men’s
a masksociety. Themade
that he has initiate, towards
himself. As the end of older
he grows the cer-
he
off
then takes more
droughts and bring fertility. He will also dance at the funerals of important men.
Some of the most beautiful pieces made by smiths are funeral pieces. In
Dogon belief every human has a life force called nyarna. When a person be-
comes old this force begins to weaken and the person senses the approach of
death. Then the blacksmith is called for, since the nyama needs a resting place
so that it will not roam the country and cause problems or harm villages and
crops. In a death ritual, the shaman causes the life force to enter the funeral
piece the blacksmith has made. This is then placed with other similar pieces,
all of which are kept by the village headman, who pacifies various .nyamas
with regular animal sacrifices.
There is no room here to detail all the African tribes and their multitude of
beliefs. The continent is a never-ending source of fascination, because of its
traditional religions and its many and varied forms of divination. Religious prac-
tices vary; older family members frequently follow traditional beliefs while
younger members adopt Muslim or Christian beliefs. Daily life is often inextri-
cably linked with religious belief and practice.
Let us now have a closer look at some of the more common forms of divi-
nation found among some African peoples.
Divination is common throughout Af-
rica-or was until recent times. Within the last forty year.s much that was usual
has become unusual, largely because of the dislocation of peoples (especially
in southern Africa), the widespread growth of urban slums, problems of eco-
nomic development, political instability, and population growth, which in most
areas is occuring at a rate of 2.7 percent per year. Yet divination is still prac-
ticed all over the continent, though not on the scale that it once was.
As used to be the case with the Wicca of western Europe, many African
¯ magicians, priests, and religious followers hold their sacred rites out in the open:
in the forests, on the outskirts of the villages, and occasionally within the vil-
lage boundaries. Rather than enclosed temples or churches, they use nature’s
architecture to perform their magical and divinatory rituals in direct commun-
ion with the gods.
Sortilege is the most popular form of divining. Casting shells, kola nuts, cow-
rie shells, eggs, bones, and other such objects is simple and popular. For ex-
ample, in The Northern Tribes Of Nigeria, C. K. Meek describes the Yoruba
casting sixteen strings of palm kernels, the Nupe using eight strings of berries,
the Yukun using six strings of calabash disks, and the Hola casting stones. M.
J. Herskovits, in Dahomey, tells of a somewhat complicated form of Ira divina-
tion "based on the interpretation, by reference to appropriate myths, of the
permutations and combinations obtained by the diviner whenhe manipulates
the sixteen palm-kernels he employs for his purpose." Many forms of sortilege
become very complicated in their interpretation; innumerable permutations of
the cast pieces are possible.
Palm wine is used for a form of divination in both the Ntim and Menemo
cultures. The wine is poured into a large shell, and millet se~s are scattered
on the surface. The diviner interprets by the patterns that the s~ds make, as
with the pattems made by tea leaves in the bottom of a cup.
Among the Azande, divination used to be be done in many different ways.
The most usual and most reliable utilized termites. Two different kinds of leafy
branches were stuck into a termite mound and left overnight. The following
morning the diviner interpreted according to whether or not the branches had
b~n~strap" pedb yAhe~ermit es~vl~chbrancheshadbeen~st ~!or ~ e
extent to which they had been eaten or rejected. Another favorite method was
for the diviner to squeeze palm-nut juice onto the "female" of two rubbing
boards (the boards were scored across). The "male" board was then placed
on top of the "female" and slid across it. If it slid smoothly, the answer was
positive; ff it moved jerkily, with frequent sticking, then the answer was negative.
In the southernmost sectors of what used to be British Cameroons, we can
see a tremendous varieW of divinatory practices. Paul Gebauer, who lived in
Cameroon for thirty years, noted some of them in Spider Divination in the
Cameroons: the Bimbia cast pebbles and shells, the Bota people observe the
flight of birds, the coastal fishermen practice string and kernel casting, the
Bakweri hunters examine the droppings of elephants, Bakweri augurs gaze into
heated palm oil, the Balong use the tortoise and land crab, the Bakossi shake
trinkets in a basket, the Mbo use a small gray turtle, the Widekum cast seed
pods, Bameta diviners throw four strings with four large seed pods tied to each
string‘ in Mogamaw skulls serve as baskets to hold pebbles and duiker bones,
the Banso split kola nuts and cast them, in Menemo they float grass seeds on
palm wine, the Fungom practice water gazing, and the Mambila use the hard
short fruits of the wild banana together with sixteen cowries.
In Cameroon most diviners have an assistant, or app~’et~tice, who will take
over the practice in due time. This assistant-usually, though not exclusively,
male-accompanies the diviner wherever he may go, eagerly watching all acts
of divination, and thus learning the meanings of all forms used. It may be two
or three years before the assistant is allowed to do any actual divining. Even-
tua~he~his~nast~fcclsth~eqs~eady~thea~ist ant~zi~men ded
for membership in one of the secret societies, such as the Kaka’s tobit. As
Gebauer says ~$pMer Die,nation In the Cameroons), "Within this circle of old men,
leaders of the group, the assistant gains knowledge pertaining to the law and
custom, history and religion. It is in this society of influential men that he may
experience, during one of their secret night sessions, possession by the spirits,
thus gaining the spiritual sanction for the office he aspires to."
Popular in West African divination method is the Yoruba system known as
lfa, utilizing seashells, which has been adopted and adapted by many in
Nigeria’s neighboring countries. Ira was actually a man-god who came to earth
to put the world right, say the Yoruba. His oracle was to be used in helping
humankind in sickness and in childbearing, and to give guidance in the occult.
Many African divination systems are based on a mythology showing how they
were first used by a god or man-god, or how a man was taught to use the
system by a god. The Fon of Benin tell of a man being taught to mark a board
and to throw palm nuts from hand to hand as a means of divining. This is called
Fa and is a variation of Ira.
in the Transvaal the Venda use four marked pieces of ivory. They also use
divining bowls, as do the Karanga of Zimbabwe. The Kaka diviner of Cameroon
will scatter millet seeds on the surface of palm wine and read them like
tealeaves. He will also augur by means of a dying chick and by the way in
which the wind blows carved wooden bird images suspended from a line. Many
and varied are the ways of divining found in Africa.
A Ntim diviner is selective in his choice of divination tools. These tools are
generally referred to as "bones," though in fact they may not be actual bones
but a combination of stones, shells, bones, nuts, and pieces of wood, for ex-
ample. The diviner carries a large pack with all his various accoutrements:
bundles of kernels, stones, bones, sticks, cowrie shells, and so on. Dried sansevi-
eria leaves, tied into knots and placed on the ground, serve as magical protec-
tion for the bag’s contents. The diviner uses a snail shell as a container for
casting small items such as seeds and pebbles. He also carries a calabash of
palm wine, used primarily for purification. The diviner takes a mouthful of the
wine and then sprays it from his mouth over the cards, shells, or stones as
well as over the client!
A diviner generally breathes his own spirit into the "bones" before using
them for a reading by holding them in his cupped hands, blowing softly on
them, and asking the spirits to guide them as they are used. (You can do the
same with any of your divination tools. Say something like this: "1 breath my
soul and the power of my Spirit Guide into these [shells/cards/bones/what-
ever]. May they be given life to guide me, and others, correctly.") From this
idea, which is found in many other cultures worldwide, comes the custom
among gamblers in the West of blowing on dice for luck before rolling them.
It can be seen from just this small sampling that although a wide variety of
divination methods is used, there are many similarities. Rather than attempt
the impossible and examine all methods used by all African peoples, we have
concentrated on a few select but characteristic methods, which we have
modified for Western use. For example, a simple yet effective form of the Venda
divining bowl (described in chapter 4) can be made from a wooden salad bowl
or platter, and chicken and rabbit bones can serve just as well as monkey,
leopard, and lion bones. The Venda tablets can be made from pieces of wood
or fashioned from clay. A Zulu-style set of "bones" can be assembled from
chickerrbonesTseashelts~:ff~car-ious types,q~utshells, and~tones~,he Yoruba
people have a complicated system of divining with shells, which we have sim-
plified using iust sixteen cowrie shells.
The spider cards described in chapter 7 are used by the Tikar (Kaka).
Kathleen Binger has pared down the number of cards from 290 to eighty, and
they are reproduced not on plum leaves but on card stock. The working deck
is included with this book so that you can fully explore this fascinating and
effective African system of divination.
By either collecting all of these methods or just concentrating on one, you
can use divination in a way that is both true to the African methods yet a
reflection of your own individuality.
The Venda inhabit Zimbabwe and the
Transvaal area of South Africa. They are mostly an agricultural people; cattle
are not as important to them as they are to the Masai, Watusi, or Zulu. Those:
Venda who live away from the larger towns, whose systems of divination we
will explore, have homes that are mostly round, and made of plastered mud
and grass. These are usually placed around a central area containing a sacred
tree.
Venda family life centers on home, family, and animals. The religion was
originally animistic, with different clans holding a chosen totem animal in such
deep reverence that it was never eaten. Unlike some other peoples, however,
the Venda do not restrict women from coming into contact with cattle, nor do
they have secret societies. They do, however, recognize a universal force in
natural phenomena such as the rain and the wind, and highly respect other
tribal deities and the ancestral spirits. Until colonization in the early nineteenth
century, the Venda tended to treat their chiefs as divine personages.
The Venda use divination in many forms to find propitious times for impor-
tant aspects of their lives, to help them make critical decisions, and to see what
the future holds. Whereas in Western cultures one might cast a horoscope or
read Tarot cards or tea leaves, the Venda turn to the divining bowl or to divi-
nation tablets.
The divining bowl has pictures around the rim and a carved wooden cowrie
shell in the center, which represents the spirit or connection to the mother,
like an umbilical cord. Bowls similar to this have been found in the Zimbabwe
Ruins-remains of buildings, including a citadel and temple, that date from
around 200 c~.
The Venda cast five small bones, such as knuckle bones, into the bowl.
Around the edges of the bowl are symbols representing such entities or quali-
ties as~e alt h;~veatth, work,~rel ’atwes,~or-friends.~2~ac~f-thebones represen~
something different and can be positive or negative. Interpretation is based on
the relationship of the cast bones to the central cowrie shell and their proxim-
ity and relationship to the edge symbols.
A version of the Venda bowl can be made quite easily by using a shallow
wooden salad bowl or platter. The symbols around the rim can be carved into
the wood; marked with a wood-burning tool, which may be easier; or painted.
For symbols, you can use any that you like, selecting enough different ones to
cover most of the events likely to arise in life. Use the same ones the Venda
use, if you feel you can relate to them. The symbol doesn’t have to be elabo-
rate as long as it is meaningful to you. Use two or three small symbols for
each one if that makes interpretation easier for you. Use twelve divisions if
you like, but if you can cover all your needs with fewer or more symbols, use
another number.
There is no need to mark radiating lines from the central point. As long as
you have a central point you can easily judge which division the bone has
fallen in. For the central point itself, attach an actual cowrie shell, a small
wooden block, or something similar by cutting a shallow depression and then
gluing it in.
For this form of divination you will need five "bones." If you have nothing
else to use for bones, then use five dice. Paint two of them one color, for posi-
HOME~ GOD HOME~
GROWTH
DANGER
CAUTION~
TRAP
SEA-WARNING
SEASONS
INJURY
DIVINATION
~LANTING
GROWTH
SACRIFICE
DANGER MOVEMENT
GODDESS
tive; two another color, for negative; and the last a third color, for the unde-
cided. Shake up the bones or dice in your cupped hands, and then cast them
into the bowl. When you throw your bones, the closer to the center the bone
falls, the cleser to the present time the event will be. Bones falling near the rim
suggest that the event in question will take place further in the future. Let’s
take an example, using a bowl marked with the Venda drawings. One positive
bone falls in the Happy/Seasons area, close to the center, and the other posi-
tive one falls in the Home/Growth section, at the rim. One negative bone lands
in the Home/Love section, about midway to the center, and the other lands in
the Danger/Home/Growth section, close to the rim. The undecided bone falls
in the Herds/Growth section, near the center.
The first bone could indicate good health for the present and near future.
The second bone shows good reputation and standing in the community,
though this will not be achieved for a while. The third shows an unhappy love
affair in the near- to not-too-distant future. The fourth speaks of bad news
being received from a sibling at some time in the future, and the last points to
uncertain finances for the next few weeks.
In this way it is possible to use a divining bowl much as the Venda would.
As in most African divination methods, the Venda have very complicated per-
mutations of interpretation, with the bones meaning different things depend-
ing on which way they land (much like dice), where they land in the bowl, and
their relative positions to one another. Once you become familiar with the
casting, you can certainly add your own refinements to this system.
Divination tablets are very popular among the Venda. They are used as a set
of four and have carved or painted decorations on one side only. They can be
cast, like dice, with the diviner reading the one, two, three, or four decorated
sides that land face upward. The tablets can be made of wood, clay, bone,
rock, or ivory; you can make a set from any of these materials. They should
be a size that feels comfortable for you to hold and throw-even popsicle sticks
can be used! In general, we suggest dimensions of 11/4 inches by 3/4 inch.
These examples of the four Venda tablets illustrate close parallels between
the elements and family relationships. When interpreting, remember the tradi-
tional African sense of kinship with all life, with the trees, rocks, rivers, and
animals. The family unit is important; the people are at one with their gods
and in tune with their ancestors.
This tablet represents the element of water, the rain, and semen. It is mascu-
line; without it, life will not spring forth. By itself it is oppression; it can also
represent richness. It is the power of life.
THE WOMAN, MOTHER, OLD WOMAN,
MARR| ED WOMAN
This tablet is of the earth, for the earth holds life within her, and only with the
fertilizing life-giving rain can she bring forth life. By itself this tablet represents
motherhood, nurturing and caring, and home life. It also suggests caution, for
as with the earth, without care and love there can be barrenness and death.
Caution is also suggested, because there is no worse fury than that of a mother
protecting her home and family.
This tablet represents the element of fire. It is rash and hot, like blood flowing
from the body or lava flowing from the earth. By itself it represents a boy or
son, or health and energy. It shows a need for further learning, a need for some
restraint and thought before acting (the Venda say that many youngsters are
like goat-kids; without experience, they impetuously attempt things that adults
know to be dangerous).
WOMAN, GIRL CHILD, SPIRITUALITY
This tablet represents the element of air. It fans the flame and moves the water
across the earth. By itself it represents artistic talents, luck, and innocence. This
girl can be the innocent child or one who is so naive and trusting that she falls
into the clutches of those who will do her harm. Does not the daughter bring
new blood into the family fold through her beauty?
MOTH ER TABLET
SONfYOUTH TABLET
On the face of it, four tablets might seem to lead to a very simple form of divi-
nation. Yet these four tablets can fall into a total of sixteen different patterns,
which makes them more interesting. When the four tablets are cast and just
one lands face up, the interpretation of the individual tablet is used. When more
than one tablet lands face up, each combination has a different interpretation.
BATH E ~, AN D MOTH E R
This combination of water and earth elements shows two mature forces joined.
They bring with them all of life’s experiences and give good counsel to all who
ask. You will either make a good decision, receive some sound advice, or give
sound advice. Much depends on the question asked of the tablets.
The combination of the elements of water and air shows the strong male en-
ergy matched with the young girl’s zest for life, bringing new life, new ideas,
love, and friendship. Something new may happen; what it is, of course, de-
pends on the question asked.
FATHER AND SON
With the elements of water and fire, the two male energies merge, creating
steam and generating extra strength for what lies ahead. There is a danger of
overdoing things and the possibility of an ensuing explosion. Hard work is ahead
if you are to succeed. In addition, however, you will have the strength you
need to accomplish what you desire. Again, the answer depends on the ques-
tion asked.
FATH ~: R, MOTH E R, AN D DAUG HTE R
With the three elements of water, earth, and air, quite a storm may be brew-
ing! The presence of the girl creates an imbalance; she stirs up the father, who
in turn chums up the mother. This combination represents a problem, an over-
powering force that weakens the male energy so that there is the danger of
illness, loss, or the ending of a relationship.
~:ATHI~R, MOTH~R, AND SON
The elements of water, earth, and fire are present. As the two male energies
merge, they create steam and generate possible danger. Here again, one of the
children gets in the way of family peace. Fire sears the earth and then water
falls, causing a flood. This could be a brutal cleansing; it could also be a fan-
tasy: perhaps an illusion, a dream, or a subconscious fear. The reading sug-
gests that further planning or investigation may be needed before proceeding
with any project. Something has been overlooked or neglected.
FATHER, MOTHER, 5OIq, A~qD DAUGHTER
The presence of all-four etements represents perfectharmony;love, andknowl-
edge. Everything is in the best possible condition. The time is right to do what
is planned. The answer is "Yes!" You cannot get a better answer from a read-
ing, no matter what the question.
With the elements of water, air, and fire, the fire that has been stirred up by
the air is now quenched by the fresh waters, creating steam that heats and
cleans the air. This pattern indicates energy in the higher mind. You should
now listen to the ancestors, to guidance by that inner voice, if you are to suc-
ceed. Depending on the question, you should trust the inner self more than
others at this time.
MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
A desert could not be drier than this combination of earth and air. Here is a
quiet, passive, and pleasant grouping. It waits for something to energize it-
ideas, momentum. This is a slow, devitalized time. In a reading, it indicates that
nothing negative is happening, nor is anything exciting taking place. Perhaps
the person who asks the question should take it easy for a while. Much de-
pends on the question that is asked.
AND SON
Earth and fire form an energizing combination. Since fire can fertilize and
freshen the earth, this pattern suggests opportunities for expansion. Remem-
ber, however, that fire can burn and scorch if it gets out of hand, so planning
and control are necessary. Travel or education may be forthcoming. A project
may require further investigation to be properly completed.
Using the elemental combinations as your guide, you can modify the Venda
tablets to suit yourself. Create your own designs to represent the four people,
ideas, and forces, and put them on whatever material you enjoy using.
The Zulu people live along the east
coast of South Africa. They are said to have migrated there from an area north
of Swaziland. They number about four million. Before colonization, the Zulu
religion was animistic and was focused on the ancestors. Their myths and leg-
the Creator drew the first Zulu out of a reed. The Zulus used to measure their
wealth by the number of cattle they owned. Today many, if not most, Zulus-
the young men especially-live in cities, and of necessity many men work in
the mines. The traditional Zulu life-style has been greatly disrupted by the South
African government’s policies and by enforced relocation.
But beyond the cities, Zulu villages do still exist, though the masculine ele-
ment consists of old men and young boys. The villages are made up of round
grass huts protected by a stockade of hedges and thorn bushes. It used to be
common for a Zulu man to have several wives, each having her own hut for
sleeping and another for doing her daily work. The main wife, the one held in
the most honor, would have her hut near the cattle corral. There were also
separate huts for the grown, unmarried children-one for males and another
for females. As is so common in Africa, the shape of the Zulu hut has a special
meaning: it represents the womb.
Burial takes place in a circular grave, again representing the womb. The
deceased is placed in a fetal position as if it is about to be born or reborn.
Women are regarded as being like the earth, since life enters (conception) and
leaves (birth) through both. According to tradition, only women cry for the
dead.
Marriage was traditionally negotiated between families. The young man’s
family might make an offer of eleven cattle-ten for the girl’s father and one
for the girl’s mother. The mother’s cow was not returnable should problems
arise in the marriage!
Zulu society is patrilineal, and a man can usually trace back his ancestry to
one common grandfather within the community. All the children belong to the
father and the father’s family. If a father dies, all his children look to his younger
brother (their paternal uncle) as their new father.
There are many taboos surrounding women. For example, a woman is con-
sidered polluted when menstruating, before giving birth, and immediately af-
ter giving birth. A woman who is a chief mourner may not be approached by
a man. Women may not travel at night. Female spirits and female ancestors
are thought to be mischievous and negative. Male spirits and male ancestors
are considered powerful and positive because they only punish when it is nec-
essary. Men are considered unclean when they kill, whether in self-defense, in
war, or in cold blood. Such a man must then live away from society.
Illness is seen in two ways. Diseases or colds are sometimes caused by
outside influences and can be treated with medicines. Other illnesses are caused
by the ancestors, sorcery, or the individual’s own mind.
Sharing is very important in all aspects of Zulu life. For example, every wife
cooks and then takes her meal to the chief wife’s hut. All then eat from one
bow1, passing it around from the man to the wives and then to the children. In
similar fashion, cattle and other property are shared. Many a chief has lent his
herds of cattle to those not as fortunate as he. The people care for the cattle,
using the milk, and keeping the calves, until they are able to care for them-
selves again.
The Zulu’s relationship with nature is all-important. They believe that all
forms of life send out energies that are absorbed by other life forms moving
into that environment. That life, in turns, sends out energies to be absorbed by
others, and so on. The energies passed along can strongly affect both humans
and animals. A Zulu traveling outside his usual territory may encounter for-
eigrreneq’gie~~sickncss~naLa~~ oct o r.
Zulu practitioners of divination, sorcery, and healing fall into different catego-
ries, some of which are as follows.
All practitioners begin as apprentices. There are many reasons for entering
this apprenticeship: family tradition, a special talent that becomes obvious, or,
as in the days of Shaka the great war chieL a way to avoid being drafted into
the army!
The sangoma, whose method we describe here, divines using a set of ob-
jects that have special meaning or energy. After an apprentice spends some
time with an established sangoma, she begins to develop her own style and
repertoire. She collects a bag of oracle bones, choosing them according to what
the animal or other material represents to her. Almost everything is collected
in twos: a large item to represent the male, a smaller one to represent the fe-
male. Here is a list of divinatory meanings and some of the items that repre-
sent them, as used by the Zulu and by some peoples of central Africa.
Choose bones that are not too large, so that they will be easier to handle. On
the cupped side of each bone place a small dot with felt-tipped pen or paint to
help indicate the negative side. This side resembles an open hand grabbing for
something, while the other side resembles the back of a fist and is the positive
side.
LARGER FOR MALE, SMALLER FOR FEMALE
These can be of any size and color as long as one side of each shell is smooth
and shiny and the other is rough and dull. The shiny side represents wealth,
good fortune, money, or gifts to come. The rough side represents losses or
problems. One shiny side up together with one rongh side up shows that change
is in process. It would therefore be wise not to make any financial or other
important decisions at this time.
CLOSED
OPEN
Time is read by the distance the two shells fall from one another. If they touch,
the time is the present, or up to a week from the present. Time can be mea-
sured roughly with a finger joint; The tip of the finger, approximately one inch
long, can equal one month, two joints can equal two months, and so on.
LARGER FOR MALE, SMALLER FOR FEMALE
In the list of Zulu oblects above, the crocodile represents death and losses.
Golden tiger eyes can be representative of crocodile eyes. These, then, can
represent all obstacles, illnesses, and accidents in a reading.
LARGER FOR A~ALE, S;~ALLER FOR FE~LE
MOUTH = NO
The back of the shell looks like an eye, which Africans say is looking at you.
If both of these are facing up, then the shells see good choices and luck. This
is also a "Yes" answer to a question. If the other side is up (the one with the
opening, referred to as "the mouth"), the answer is "No," all decisions are
poor ones, and problems will develop. It is said that the shells (eyes) are
asleep. If one eye is up and one mouth is up, any decisions should be put off
and the question asked again at a later date, because there are changes in
the process.
LARGER FOR MALE, SMALLER FOR FEMALE
In a reading, two of the spines (or cow teeth, which are now easier to obtain
than sea urchin spines) represent favorable people, or children, who will af-
fect the outcome of the question. The third spine or tooth, which is decorated
with beads or paint, is an enemy or someone working negatively. If you are
asking about a particular person, you can say that person’s name and then
use one of these spines or teeth to represent him or her.
LARGER FORMALE, SMALLER FOR FEMALE
The nut shells or pine cone scales have one smooth side and one rough side.
They represent achievement of your goals, response to the question, or even
the qual~ty of life in general. If these touch or separate the other bones, this
indicates guidance from the higher mind.
¯
The bones described here are all thrown together to obtain a multifaceted "life"
reading~ with the elements of finances, obstacles, friends, and so on delineated.
Normally the sangoma will cast the bones like dice, either onto the ground,
or a small mat or into a marked circle as shown~on page 53. You can use a
piece of felt, leather (suede is good), or cloth on which you have marked a
circle about twelve inches in diameter. When you cast the bones, any piece
that falls outside that circle is disregarded.
You can mark the directions, weather, and so on as shown on the outside
of the chart and use them in many ways; for example, the notations for the
weather can be used to indicate emotions as well as weather.
The circle is divided into four main areas, and the area certain bones fall
into is carefully observed. For example, if the larger chicken bone falls into the
northeast section of the circle, it indicates a male who is usually extremely
self-centered and materialistic, seeking personal satisfaction.
These descriptions and interpretations are guidelines only. In all readings,
listen to your own inner voice instead of trying to learn interpretation by rote.
Your intuition is by far the most reliable source of information. The meanings
of the bones will vary depending upon whom you are reading for, and will
change from person to person. Make your own set of bones. Use them. Inter-
pret them as you feel. Chapter 8 contains some sample readings that can give
you more of a feeling for interpreting the fall of the bones.
Houses 1, 5, 9: Called ubhuti (sons); these people are hot-
natured, with the traits of selume (youth).
They are adventur6us and passionate, with
much fire in the heart. Many tend to be like a
ngonyama (lion).
Houses 2, 6, I0: Called keadi (old woman); these people are
nurturing and possessive. They tend to have
their feet planted firmly on the earth and can
be stubborn as a bull. They can be healing as
well as hard-working.
Houses 3, 7, 11: Called lenewe (maiden); these people are
pleasure-seekers and love unusual, exotic
things. They are light of heart and tend to be
peace-makers and pioneers. They can be
those who indaba (talk).
Houses 4, 8, 12: Called lek, golo (old man); these people usually
live by secret or inner experiences and can
seem withdrawn or shy. They may have a
mantfla (power) but may also be ngozi
(accident-prone).
SOUTH
HoT
OPPORTUNITIES
SOUTHEAST SOUTHWEST
SOCIAL, SPmlTUAL, ¯ COOPERATIVE~ PSYCHIC~
FRIENDLY~ ECCENTRIC~ MYSTERIOLIS,
Q.HIET~ EMOTIONAL ADVENTUROUS~
STUDIOUS~ PARTNERSHIPS
EAST WEST
WINDY WET
PRIVATE OTHERS~ TALENTS
NORTHEAST NORTHWEST
SELF-CENTIB~D~ NONCONFORMING,
PERSONAL~ EGOTISTIC~ HOMEBODY~
MATERIALISTIC~ LOVER/ACTOR,
DRIVEN TO SUCCEED HEALTH-CONSCIOUS
NORTH
COLD
REBUILDING
harmonious communal existence, but in towns too the households are often
large .... Children are brought up by the whole ’extended family’ and not just by
the parents. They thus become familiar with the traditions and rules from a very
early age."
The religio-magical system represents division into light versus dark, or good
ver sus~eq4LB~eqvhimq~l~has~4he~&~k or~sha~ar~anthropomorph~c
deities, having a natural human form. The white orishas, or light deities, are
usually cool and have life-giving energies (for example, Oshun is the goddess
of rivers, marriage, and love). The dark orishas, on the other hand, are hot and
exhibit their powers in war or in activities where blood is drawn (Oggun is the
god of metal and war, for example). Some of the deities are Obatal\Aganyu
(father of the orishas), Yemana\Onile (mother of the orishas), the lustful and
passionate Chango, Eghe, Olodumare, and Orangon.
YORUBA DIVINATION BOARD
The prepared shells are shaken in the hands and cast into a circle drawn on
the ground, or on a piece of cloth or sheet of paper. As you shake the shells,
concentrate on the question being asked. From the shells that fall within the
circle, count the number of "mouths" that face upward~ The digits of this num-
ber are totaled, if necessary (e.g. 15 -- l + 5 -- 6), and the answer is obtained by
~e~erence to the following list~
There are several variations on the word ngam: ng~m means "divination," es-
pecially of the variety utilizing the West African earth spider; ng~m means
"spider"; and nkdt-ngdtm means "diviner." Besides the diviner, the spider is the
only other creature that may handle the cards. This system was very popular
in Africa until the Second World War (Murray, Cultural Atlas of Africa). Since
then, as with so many of the old ways, it has fallen into disuse, being practiced
only by the older generation. Variations of the name appear among the many
grassland peoples. The Limbuni use ng[~, the Bikon nggtmb, the Kwang ngdmb6.
Duala, a coastal Bantu language, uses ng~mbi with reference to oracles and
any means connected with them. Another coastal language, Bassa, uses ngg~mb
in the same way,
The ng~m cards, or at least their symbols, probably come from the original
homeland of the Tikar people, before their migration into western Cameroon
about 300 years ago. Throughout eastern Cameroon and parts of Nigeria, al-
though different tongues are spoken, practically everyone understands the
symbols on the cards. The cards themselves come in various shapes and sizes
but the symbols are always the same, with only very slight variations. Decks
of cards are, or were, handed down from generation to generation.
im, co~
~d wou n the northeast section of the
Ire trea~ Bamenda Province, in southwest Cameroon, live a large group of people called
~y are ~ by many different names but .all of Tikar origin. Many of them, the Kaka people
tier wh in particular, .practice Ng~m divination, the basis for the card system included
with this book. Ng~m utilizes the West African earth spider, a large, black,
hairy spider often referred to erroneously as a tarantula. In fact it is a
Heteroscodra crassipes, a relative of the trapdoor spider. The full-grown speci-
men measures between four and six inches and has a body about three inches
long. The bite of this spider is feared by many Africans who believe it to be
deadly, but though painful, it is rarely if ever fatal.
The Kaka believe that this spider possesses supernatural wisdom: that be-
cause it nests in the ground it must therefore be in contact with the gods and
ancestors who dwell below the surface. The spider is a popular design with
craftsmen of all types, from clothmakers to woodcarvers to silversmiths. Al-
most all village-groups have adopted a stylized spider design as their royal
emblem, and every headman owns at least one of the creatures for the pur-
pose of daily ascertaining the will. of the gods.
The morning starts with the bleating of goat kids and the crowing of roosters hail-
ing the rising sun. Inside the square and beehive-shaped huts of the village, the fires
are prodded into life and the first meal of the day is prepared. Children run in play,
and adults move about purposefully, commencing their chores.
At the sound o[ the headman’s gong, the people move towards the chief’s house
and gather in the [orecourt. A wizened old man, the nkt~-ng~m, or diviner, appears
and leads the way to a large calabash pot lying beside the path to the headman’s
The nkt~-ngfim may choose to operate the cards himself or use a spider to
do it. The spider method is usually reserved for occasions of great importance,
rather than for ordinary, everyday readings.
The original system utilized more than 200 plum leaves (Pachylobus edulis,
the African plum tree), with the symbols either cut, burned, or woven into each
card. The nkt)-ngfim places a piece of fur on the ground between himself and
the card container. The fur serves as a wrapper for the container but is also
used in the divination process. It is usually from the civet cat (mb~), which is
regarded as an animal of extraordinary knowledge, probably because of its
nocturnal wanderings and ability to see in the dark.
The diviner places the cards in the palm of his left hand, and he blows into
them several times. He then holds them between the thumb and index finger
of the left hand and rests that hand on the fur. With the fingers of the right
hand he gives the cards a flick that sends them flying and scatters them along
the outstretched fur. Any cards that fall across or beyond the hollow raffia
container are those which are read for the client. The cards are then gathered
up and the whole process is repeated. This will go on until the nkt~-ngfim is
satisfied that all has been revealed.
The main difficulty with the cards, from a modern Western point of view, is
that there are far too many of them. For example, the deck contains at least
twelve different cards dealing with death in various forms. There are also cards
for hunting leopards, antelope, farming chickens, goats, evil spells, and secret
societies. Obviously these would not be relevant in the United States. Kathleen
has therefore pared down the total number of cards by carefully reviewing
the symbols and combining some where duplication was found. The people
cards were kept, as well as one for death, various legal cards, and others. She
arrived at a much more manageable total of eighty cards, whose distinguish-
ing features are shown here. As in the original deck; each symbol is shown
twice, once on a positive card and once on a negative card, so that each idea
is represented by two cards. Positive cards are marked by two triangles at
the top of the leaf symbol; negative cards do not have triangles. The contrast-
in gqgictures ~a ~d a~r~ff~c ards~urche~!lustrate~e
elements in each situation. The leaf symbol is shown at the top of each card;
it is in the shape of the plum leaf cards of Cameroon and is slightly smaller
than actual leaf size.
KEY WORD: COMPLETE
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has 2 triangles. The picture shows a well-built house.
Meaning: Everything is fine, almost perfect. You can sit back and relax. Ev-
erything that can be done is being done. What you have done recently is lead-
ing to perfection.
Leaf Symbol:
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has two triangles and the symbol for one breast. The
picture is the head of a young girl.
Meaning: This represents a young girl or an unmarried woman. You may meet,
or your life may be affected by, such a young woman. Something good may
happen to you. You may be seen as innocent.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The~leaf is the same as in Card 3 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: This young or unmarried woman is naive or is teasing. You may
need to be careful around such a person. You may be seen as being careless
or naive yourself.
KEY WORD: CARING MOTH ER
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has two triangles and two breasts, representing a
mature woman like the one shown in the picture.
Meaning: This is a mature woman, most likely a married woman or an un-
married .one with children. She is a helpmate and is very caring, kind, and
nurturing.
Leaf Symbol:
Description:The leaf is the same as in Card 5 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: This woman could be divorced, widowed, or unhappily married. She
cares only for her own welfare and is generally nasty. She is friendly only when
it serves her own best interests. Someone like her could affect your life soon.
KEY WORD: WISE OLD WOMAN
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has four notches on each side and has the two triangles.
The picture is of an older woman.
Meaning: This could be an in-law, a grandmother, any elderly woman. In any
case she is kind, helpful, and very wise. She will soon help you, or has helped
you already. Perhaps you are seen as such a person.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 7 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: This elderly woman could be an in-law or a grandmother. She is not
a good person to have around. She tends to get underfoot and is always snoop-
ing. She may affect you soon or has already done so.
KEY WORD: HELPFUL BOY
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the two triangles and the design of either an arrow
feather or a hair. The picture shows a young male.
Meaning: This is a young boy or an unmarried youth. He is energetic, happy,
and always ready to help others. He thinks good thoughts and likes to plan
things before doing them.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 9 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: This boy, or unmarried youth, is uncouth, rash, and impulsive. This
person gets involved in problems that he himself causes, though he blames
others for them. He is very careless. He may affect your life soon, or has al-
ready done so. Be careful.
KEY WORD: ~TURE MAN
Lea.f Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the symbols of a cap and a person, plus the two
triangles. The card shows a mature man.
Meaning: This man is married, or has been so, and has a family. He is always
working to help his family and friends. He is good and caring. Perhaps you are
seen as such a person, or you will be affected by him soon.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 11 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: This man is extremely unhappy. He could be unhappily married or
widowed. He does everything to benefit only himself, and could be cruel and
vindictive. He could affect you soon, or already has. Use caution.
KEY WORD: WISE OLD MAN
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has notches on both sides plus the two triangles. The
picture is of a noble-looking elderly man.
Meaning: This is an older man: a grandfather or in-law, who is very wise from
experience. He is helpful and tries not to be a bother. He is a counselor, helping
those who seek his advice. He will come into your life soon, or already has.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 13 but without the two triangles. The
picture is of a mean-looking man.
Meaning: This older man can cause frustration and anger. He could be a family
member or a friend who is nosy and greedy. He pries into others’ lives and wants
to be taken care of. Soon he will affect your life, if he has not already done so.
KEY WORD: AUTHORITATIVE
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the two triangles and three symbols, arranged from
top to bottom:chiefs eyes, chief’s robe, and chiefs stool. The picture shows a
ruler holding feathers in his hands.
Meaning: This person is in authority: perhaps a supervisor, boss, or family
member. He is wise, careful, approachable, and not domineering.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 15 but without two triangles. The
ruler in the picture holds a whip.
Meaning: This person uses his power for the wrong reasons. He is cruel and
very crude. He drives those under him in order to realize his own ambitions.
Do not ask for a raise at this time. Your boss could be in a bad mood today.
KEY WORD: PERSON IN CHARGE
Leaf Symbol:
.a
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for a person sitting on a stool, plus
the two triangles. The picture shows a high official.
Meaning: Here is a superior, a boss, or the head of an organization or group. Now
is the time to take ideas to your boss. You may have to meet with an authority
figure. Someone close to you may want to take charge, in order to help you out.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 17 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: Here is a domineering person who chooses to be restrictive, over-
bearing, rude, or iustplain nasty! Perhaps someone wants to run your life for
you. Be careful and do not let yourself get out of control.
KEY WORD: GOOD GOSSIP
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for tongue and ear, plus the two tri-
angles. The picture shows a secret being whispered to another.
Meaning: There is a chance that you have avoided being talked about, or your
reputation is very good at this time. If you hear gossip, do not repeat it. You
may avoid a quarrel.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 19 but without the two triangles.
Meaning: There is a chance that you are being talked about. You may also
hear some gossip that may hurt you and/or someone else. You should be
careful in your actions for a while.
KEY WORD: SOCIAL DOINGS
Leaf Symbol:
a
Description: The leaf shows three mouths and the two triangles. The picture
is of a pleasant group of friends.
Meaning: There may be a family get-together, a social function, or a gathering
of good friends doing things together. There is plenty of food and much hap-
piness.
Leaf Symbol;
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 21 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows two friends ignoring a third person.
Meaning: Something is lacking in your life, perhaps food, friends, or family. If there
is going to be a social function, there may be problems, You should be kind.
KEY WORD: GOOD NEWS
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the two triangles on it and symbols that represent
people communicating. The picture shows a woman who has received good
news.
Meaning: Some kind of news is coming your way, through writing~ by tele-
phone, or from friends. Something good may also be coming. Now is a good
time to follow your instincts.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 23 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a woman who has received sad news.
Meaning: You may soon hear about a problem. You should think carefully
about what you write and say, as you could be misunderstood or misquoted.
KEY WORD: CONTENTMENT
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the two triangles and symbols representing the arms
bent over the head in rest. The picture shows a woman holding a full basket.
Meaning: Your situation seems better than ever. You can be happy with what
you have and what you have done. Peace of mind and pleasant events are on
the way.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 25 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a woman holding an empty basket.
Meaning: Living conditions may be poor at the moment. You could be unhappy,
or setting yourself up for problems. You must avoid greed and avoid being
envious of what others have worked for.
KEY WORD: TIME OF PLENTY
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the symbol of the finger and the hoe, as well as the
two triangles. The card shows four containers in good condition.
Meaning: Gifts could be on the way. Everything seems to be plentiful. You
will have no problems getting what you need in life.
Leaf Symbol: Q
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 27 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the containers broken.
Meaning: You may be feeling depressed. Could it be that you have not pre-
pared for the future? Have you, or has someone close to you, been lazy? Are
you prepared for a disappointment?
KEY WORD: ACHI EVEMENT
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf has the two triangles and the symbol of an arm, as if it
were placed across the abdomen in happiness, or as if to pat another’s back.
The picture shows a well-tended plant.
Meaning: You can be pleased with yourself. Things are falling into place be-
cause of the hard work you have done. You could receive a prize or a gift.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 29 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a plant that has been neglected.
Meaning: There could be scandal. Have you failed to work hard enough at
your lob or school? You could be subject to sadness because of an obligation
you did not fulfil, or because of others’ actions.
KEY WORD: FAIR TREATMENT
Description: The leaf shows the symbols for people and a hand, plus the two
triangles. The picture shows two men on the way to market with burdens that
are balanced.
Meaning: There is balance in work and play. By maintaining this good bal-
ance, you will gain in wealth and friends. You must be fair and kind.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 31 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows two men going to market, one with an overly heavy burden.
Meaning: You must not push others to do what you cannot do yourself. You
may feel that others are pushing you. You could be under fire from others,
now or in the near future. Proceed carefully.
KEY WORD: WOMEN’S FUN
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbols for breasts, a group of women, and
the two triangles. The picture shows a group of women playing.
Meaning: There may soon be a women’s event or a social function. Someone
will be helping you and others. A group of women may help you.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 33 but without two triangles. The
picture shows two women killing a chicken.
Meaning: This is a time of impracticality. There is treachery among women
friends. Be careful at any event involving a group of women.
KEY WORD: MEN’S MEETINGS
Description: The leaf shows two triangles and the symbols for men. The pic-
ture shows a group of men gathered.
Meaning: Anything to do with men and groups of men is favorable now. There
is much good in these groups. Now is an auspicious time to join a society.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 35 but without two triangles. The
picture’ shows men fighting.
Meaning: Events may get out of control. O._uarrels and harm may come from
groups of men. Do not join any men’s organizations at this time.
KEY WORD: GOOD MARRIAG E
Leaf Symbol:
Description.- The leaf shows the symbol for two people sleeping correctly,
plus the two triangles. The picture shows two people ioined at the hands by
a ring.
Meaning: Marriage and love are favored now.Your spouse or lover is true to
you. An engagement may take place. All is good and happy.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 37 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the ring, symbolizing the couple’s union, broken.
Meaning: There is a problem with love; perhaps a lover or Spouse is being
unfaithful, iealous, or untrue. O.uestion your reasons for love now.
KEY WORD: PARTN E RSH I P
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for two people turned back-to-back,
plus the two triangles. The picture shows two hands clasped, joined by a ring.
Meaning: Others have good intentions. An affair or a partnership could de-
velop soon. Now is a good time to get others to work together.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 39 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows hands breaking the ring.
Meaning: An engagement or friendship may be broken soon. Things may go
wrong because of emotions and tensions. Use caution and proceed slowly.
KEY WORD: FORTUNATE TRIP
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for footprints, as well as the two tri-
angles. The picture shows a man walking.
Meaning: You may soon go on a trip. Friends will be coming to see you, or
you will visit them. Now is the time to plan a trip.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 41 but without the triangles. The
picture shows an iniured man walking.
Meaning: There are problems with travel, caused by a friend or by a stranger.
Plans may be set back or even canceled. Take your time to plan now and travel
later.
KEY WORD: OVERCONCERN
Description: The leaf symbol shows tears and the two triangles. The picture
shows a man overreacting to a mouse.
Meaning: Things are not as bad as you may think. You are building that pro-
verbial mountain out of a molehill, but you have managed to avoid prob-
lems.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 43 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a man walking into the path of a leopard.
Meaning: Take the time now to avoid problems later. You need to think and
to be careful. Try to find an outlet for your energy and worry in exercise and
relaxation.
KEY WORD: GOOD PARTI ES
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for a stool and has the two triangles.
The picture shows a young woman dancing to sekere music.
Meaning: This is a good time to have friends get together for fun and frolic. You
should be with people you like. You may be invited to be with others now.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as Card 45 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a woman unable to cross the river to meet her friend.
Meaning: Something could get in the way of plans for fun and games. If you
are invited out, perhaps it would be wise to cancel and stay home.
KEY WORD: PRACTICAL
Leaf Symbok
Description: The leaf has the two triangles, plus four circles that represent
the main fireplace in the home. The picture shows a well-made fireplace.
Meaning: The home environment is fine in all respects. You can keep it that
way by being practical
Leaf Symbok
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 47 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a messy fireplace.
Meaning: You should take the time to make repairs now. Something may have
been left undone that needs to be taken care of. Plan now to avoid probIems
later.
KEY WORD: PLEASANT DREAMS
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the three boards that represent the bed, plus the
two triangles. The picture shows a person having a pleasant dream.
Meaning: You will have good and happy dreams.Your love life is good; you
can keep it that way by thoughtfulness and by planning ahead.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 49 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a person having a nightmare.
Meaning: There may be a problem with either marriage or romance. You may
have illusions about an affair of the heart. It would be best to think matters
over before entering any type of partnership.
KEY WORD: ORGAN|ZATION
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbol for the roof and the door of a house,
plus the two triangles. The picture shows a well-made house.
Meaning: Home life will seem better now. Everything will be well if you re-
main organized and disciplined.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 51 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a house in disrepair..
Meaning: In connection with your chores around the home and for the family,
something has been lost, forgotten, or purposefully not finished. If you want
your life to get better, now is the time to pick up the pieces and get busy.
KEY WORD: UNUSUAL GOOD LUCK
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol represents a chief’s gong, used to call others to
meetings. The picture shows a man happy to receive a package.
Meaning: Something "out of the blue" is coming your way. Friends and/or
family may have some good news for you soon. Happiness is on the agenda;
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as Card 53 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the man unhappy with his package.
Meaning: You may hear some news that is unwelcome, but how you react to
it is important. You must not let it bother you. Pay attention to it and learn to
avoid other problems.
KEY WORD: ESCAPE FROM DECEIT
Leaf Symbol:
Description: .The leaf symbol shows a trap set for a person, as well as the
two triangles. The picture shows a man avoiding an obvious trap.
Meaning: You are fortunate: someone laid a trap for you and you avoided it.
The person planned to get you into difficulty, but you are smarter than they.
gave you credit for. Keep up the good work.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 55 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a young man being led into a trap.
Meaning: Someone is very untrustworthy right now. Be on the lookout for
problems. A co-worker or someone you consider a friend may be deceitful.
KEY WORD: ESCAPE FROM DECEITFUL WOMAN
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the man-trap symbol, two breasts, and the two
triangles. The picture shows two children running away from a nasty woman.
Meaning: A woman has lost control of you. You are safe. Somewhere there is
a woman who is not good for you.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 57 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a nasty woman setting a trap for some children.
Meaning: You have been caught by some form of deception. Be cautious around
women for a while. A woman is setting a trap for you; be on your guard.
KEY WORD: CAREFULNESS
Leaf Symbol:
Description." The leaf shows the symbol for an animal trap, plus the two tri-
angles. The picture shows a woman carefully crossing a stream.
Meaning: There is always a way to avoid problems. You may have already
done so, but it pays to be ever cautious. Problems are all around you, but you
can avoid them.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 59 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a woman falling from a slippery rock into a stream.
Meaning: You have not paid attention to what is going on around you. You may
fall into a situation you would rather be free from, or problems may be ahead of
you. Think, and you may at least reduce the number of potential problems.
KEY WORD: GOOD MEETING
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol shows the two triangles and also logs, which
are used as seats and are also pushed into the fire to keep it burning. The pic-
ture shows a man and a woman being introduced.
Meaning: A meeting or conference may go well now; you and your ideas will
be favored. Now is the best time to meet with anyone in authority.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 61 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the man trying to talk to the woman.
Meaning: A meeting or conference will be unbalanced for you right now. Ini-
tially there may be only one person against you, but that person could sway
all the others. Be very careful, or postpone the meeting.
KEY WORD: GOOD HEALTH
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol is of a spear wound and has the indented sides
of illness, as well as the two triangles. The picture shows a man running in the
sun, full of vigor.
Meaning: Your all-around health is good or is improving. You should feel good
about yourself. There is no need to worry about anything.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 63 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a man with an injured foot.
Meaning: This may be a good time to see your doctor. If a problem shows up,
do not overdo. You must guard your health well. Exertion or stress may cause
health problems.
KEY WORD: GOOD CHOICES
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol shows a cross and the two triangles. The pic-
ture shows a man at a crossroad.
Meaning: You took your time with decisions you have made and used fore-
thought. You have made some good choices. Now, help comes from friends
and from unexpected sources.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 65 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the man approaching the end of the road.
Meaning: You may need to think again before making any commitments. Cau-
tion is needed, since there is a hidden problem with whatever you have in mind.
KEY WORD: ENJOYING LIFE
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol is that of the sun, and has the two triangles. The
picture shows a man enioying a drink in the shade of a tree.
Meaning: This is a good time for you to enjoy your life. All around you now
there is health in love and in life. Your problems will soon fade away. Have
fun!
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 67 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a drought.
Meaning: Things will soon "dry up" for you. You will need to take stock, plan
for your future, and not rely on appearances. Think, plan, and discipline your-
self now before your life gets worse.
KEY WORD: GOOD TRANSFORMATION
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol is of a coffin and has an indented edge symbol-
izing a kneeling person, as well as the two triangles. The picture is.of an Afri-
can carving representing a dead person’s spirit that has gone on to bliss.
Meaning: Changes made now are for the better. If you have lost friends, or
things, it is for the best, as they had outlived their usefulness.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 69 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows the carving pierced by a spear.
Meaning: You must make changes carefully now. You could cause more prob-
lems than you solve if you do not take the time to think and plan; the Higher
Influences may even take matters into their own hands now.
KEY WORD: LOYALTY
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf shows the symbols for an open hand and oaths, plus the
two triangles. The picture shows two hands shaking in agreement.
Meaning: You may be asked to make pledges, take an oath, or demonstrate
loyalty. If you must go to court, events will go well for you if you are truthful.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 71 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows one hand offered in friendship and loyalty but another hand
pulled away.
Meaning: Now is not the time to make a promise. Someone or something is
not right. Caution is needed in writing or other forms of communication. If you
are scheduled to go to court now, try to get a postponement. Something is
wrong and you would not win.
KEY WORD: PROTECTED
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbols show fences and groves of trees that protect
houses, as well as the two triangles. The picture shows a house protected from
weather and people.
Meaning: You are safe. Either you or someone else has taken the time to safe-
guard you and your belongings. Legal matters are successful.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in -~rd 73 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a home that is open to the unexpected.
Meaning: Look around-somehow you have neglected to take the proper pre-
cautions for keeping both you and your home safe. Be careful around the home
and in your car. Think carefully before doing anything. "
KEY WORD: FAIRNESS
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbol shows a group of people in council, plus the two
triangles. The picture shows balanced scales.
Meaning: Your life is balanced. You will have no problems with others. Even
if legal problems develop, you will come out of them smelling like a rose. Oth-
ers are loyal to you.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 75 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows unbalanced scales.
Meaning: You must use common sense now, since the elements of your life
are not as favorable as they could be. Legal matters could get out of control.
Friends are not truthful. Others are trying to Use you.
KEY WORD: GOOD FUTURE
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbols show the four corners, the yearly seasons, and
the two triangles. The picture shows a man moving through calm waters.
Meaning: Now is the time to adapt to changes and to new situations. Events
will flow well as long as they are planned ahead of time. Past actions may not
affect you well. Look to the future. Plan ahead and live well.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 77 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows a man moving through stormy waters.
Meaning: Try to keep calm. Events will be a little "crazy" for a while but will
improve, especially if you take time now to think or plan.before acting. Changes
are approaching; they will be easier for you if you are willing to adapt.
KEY WORD: KEPT SECRETS
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf symbols represent lips, words, or thoughts, and also in-
clude the two triangles. The picture shows a person not sharing gossip.
Meaning: You will be told a secret which you must keep to yourself. You may
hear gossip or a rumor, but you must not spread iL Be quiet.
Leaf Symbol:
Description: The leaf is the same as in Card 79 but without the two triangles.
The picture shows three people enioying gossip.
Meaning: Lies and gossip can now get out of hand. Something is not right.
Keep what you know to yourself, or you may get caught up in nasty intrigues.
Some information about you is now out in the open.
Remember when reading these cards that any card with two triangles at the
top of the leaf symbol is a positive card. Any card without these triangles is a
negative card. The pictures also show whether a situation is positive or nega-
tive.
Don’t forget that the meanings of the cards will change according to the
question(s) asked. In other words, go by your Own feelings about the cards-
for that particular client or for yourself-rather than trying to read or remem-
ber any standardized interpretations. Keep your questions as simple and direct
as possible.
If you have a favorite Tarot card spread, you can use it with these cards. If
you are unfamiliar with Tarot you can simply proceed as follows:
1. Concentrate on your question, phrasing it as carefully and concisely
as possible.
2. While you are concentrating, thoroughly shuffle the cards.
3. Cut the deck at any point and look at the b~ttom card of the section
you have lifted. This is your answer.
If you would like a more detailed answer take the top card, from where the
cut was made, and lay that down as representing the past. The next card should
be laid alongside to represent the present, and the next card as the future.
A popular Tarot spread is that known as the Celtic Cross. This will give a
much more detailed examination of the forces at work around your question.
This spread works well with the Tikar cards.
1. Concentrate on your question, phrasing it as carefully and concisely
as possible.
2. While you are concentrating, thoroughly shuffle the cards.
3. Cut the cards and lay down the first ten cards as fol~ows:
Card l: The present energies and forces at work around the client.
Card 2: The negative obstacles or forces working against the client.
Card 3: The client’s presefit subconscious needs and desires.
Card ,~: Past events affecting the present situation.
Card 5: The client’s ambitions and goals.
Card 6: Prospects for the near future (days, weeks, or months up to
twelve months, from the present).
Card 7: The client’s strengths and weaknesses; any negative influences.
Card 8: Close friends and allies, and their views.
Card 9: Hopes, fears, and lessons to be learned.
Card lo: Final outcome;
Kathleen uses the cards not only by themselves but also together with other
African divination methods (see chapter 8 for examples of questions answered
by several different methods). Experiment with the cards and see what works
best for you.
As has been mentioned, the nkt~-ng~m "breathes" on the cards each time
before using them. This is to put some of himself, his life force into them. You
may also want to do this, and also to sleep with the cards under your pillow
for at least three nights when you first get them so that they absorb some of
your energy. We recommend both these practices.
When shuffling the cards, decide whether or not you will allow others (e.g.,
the client) to handle them. Will you ask the client to shuffle, or will you do the
shuffling? It doesn’t matter which, as long as you are consistent.
Let us look at a few sample card spreads, some of which Kathleen laid out
when she first assembled these cards, together with the readings just as she
made them.
2 3 4 5
~--RECENT PAST INFm~NCF.S~ Now--T~ PP.ES~ +- IMrv~DIATE FUTUP.E~
8 7
BENEFIT ~STACLES
Cards 1, 2, and 9 refer to events of the recent and distant past surrounding these
cards. A person of some influence, an older man, has had input into the cards-
perhaps the author of the book on spider divination that Kathy found in the
Milwaukee Museum. A problem needed to be dealt with, which could have
been the price ’of the book or Kathy’s need for better writing skills to do this
present book.
Card 6 refers to the idea and influence around the question. A person close to
Kathy seems to have a negative influence, particularly on her writing this book
and working on the cards: her husband?
Card 3 refers to myself,, Kathy, at the moment of asking the question. The situation
looks better. I feel that ! have avoided most of the problems of the past and am
enthusiastic about the project, while knowing that I must proceed carefully.
Card 7 refers to any obstacles set. Perhaps I am not considering the amount of
hard work and the realities of my chosen project. This can be corrected by
planning and by taking my time.
Card 8 refers to ~vhat trill benefit me. The card shows a woman who is down
on herself; perhaps alone or ill,.but must also be a woman who can help me.
It happens that I am in touch with just such a woman! She is a psychic and
astrologer, who has recently had cards and a book published and is already
being very helpful to me.
Cards 4 and 5 refer to the immediate future. It looks as though I have a chance
to have my dreams fulfilled. However, I must deal with a man who will not be
easy to work with. He may disagree with me about how I should proceed-it
sounds like my husband again!
Card 10 re[ers to the distant [uture and possible results. Here a good idea is
shown, or a young person who is fine, intelligent, and very energetic.
From this reading ! determined that my work would be successful if I took my
t~e with preparation. I must take care In dealing with others who have other
opinions about my work, and perhaps not feel hurt when they point out my fail-
ings. All in all, 1 feel good about the reading and will proceed with greater care.
Card I refers to Kathy at the time of the reading. Everything is all right. My women
friends are all glad for me and will help me with my project.
Card 2 refers to any males involved. There has been a good separation from, or
break-up with, a male recently. This will help me.
Card 3 refers to other women. It shows that the women I am. dealing with will
soon send good news my way.
Card 4 refers to only the best that could happen. The situation contains some
difficulties, both for me and for my proposed partner. These problems will have
to be taken care of before our business can proceed.
Card 5 refers to the worst that could happen. The amount of work needed may
be more than we anticipated. We should investigate shipping and other costs.
Card 6 refers to creative potential. Something is wrong. There is sadness or ill-
ness at the moment. Perhaps we are not packaging the product properly.
Cards 7 and 8 refer to emotions and mental atmosphere. Happiness and a good
11
PAST
T~cms
1
Yo~ Now
CREATIVE
~ POTEWrlAL
situation are suff~ested. (However, I wonder how good it can be if travel is
shown, since I am not keen on traveling?)
Card 9 refers to hidden influences involving the. question. According to what I see
here, either she has avoided some sort of problem, or 1 have. (Boy, am I glad of
that!)
Card 10 sho~vs the outcome or result. There could be a parting of the ways: a
separation or even loss of a friendship for one or both of us. We will have to
be careful.
Card 11 shotvs past tendencies. Secrets were lost.
Card 12 refers to present tendencies. An older woman-perhaps her mother-is
creating problems.
Card 13 refers to the future. This is not a favorable card; it shows someone being
overly bossy, rude, domineering, and just plain nasty. I had better try to be
very understanding and pleasant!
cards 1, ,~, 7 refer to the morning hours. Two of the cards are positive, showing
that it will be all right to work then. The cards also show that the day will
start off in a confusing manner. Next, I will receive some good news, and then
perhaps react to an event involving men.
Cards 3, 6, and 9 re[er to the afternoon hours. All three cards are positive.
Cards 2, 5, 8 re[er to the evening hours. Only one card is positive. This confirms
that I should not work the evening hours. Some sort of problem would arise,
and perhaps because of being tired, I would make mistakes.
As a result of this reading, Kathy told the organizers that she would work
during the morning and early afternoon hours quite happily, but not work in
the evening. The expo turned out to be extremely slow-paced, and after only
four hours Kathy went home. Late that afternoon, she was contacted by an-
other potential client who in turn led her to many other contacts, some of them
men, whom she might well have missed had she worked during the evening.
From these brief examples it can be seen how the cards are read and that
they can be used for virtually any situation. The next chapter shows other
sample readings, using the cards together with other methods of African divi-
nation.
ere is a group of actual readings,
using different African divination systems for each question, to demonstrate
how the systems can be used. The questions cover five main areas of life:
Health, Love, Home Life, Career, and Protection.
Kathleen used the bones and tablets tc~ether on the first question and the
bones, tablets, and cards on the second, in both cases throwing the bones and
tablets onto the marked circle used in Zulu divination (see p. 53). For the other
questions she used sea shells, tablets, and cards, individually, putting all the
readings together to give an overall answer. In nearly all cases the answers
were remarkably similar; all supplemented one another, and gave a sense of
security. Finally Kathy did two card spreads with the African spider divina-
tion cards in traditional Tarot layouts.
Question: What can you tell me about my mother-in-law’s illness and her
possible stay in the hospital?
Tablets and Bones (p.i17): First we look at the cowries’ "eyes" and "mouths."
In this reading they lie with one eye up and one mouth up. This shows that at
the time of the reading changes are taking place, so it would be wise not to
make major decisions at this time.
Next we notice the bone that represents the mother-in-law (the short fe-
male bone). It is on top of the male bone (which probably represents either
her doctor or her son), showing that she can be overbearing and has a mind of
her own. The bone is in the negative mode: it fell with the dot uppermost. One
of the money shells lies on top of her bone; the other rests on the line of the
second house (keadi). This indicates that expenses will not be as high as ex--
pected.
The piece representing the enemy or problem person lies on the line be-
tween the sixth (keadi) and seventh (lenewe) houses, touching one of the prob-
lem stones. This shows that she may consider, or have problems with, a
younger doctor who deals with her illness. The time pieces lie about three
inches apart, showing that within two to three months she may either have to
return to the hospital or will no longer need medical treatment.
Another look at her bone shows that it also touches the other problem stone,
which in turn touches a time piece that lies on top of a friend/child piece in
the twelfth house (iekgolo) of withdrawal. In this case she could be her own
worst enemy! With the tip of her bone piece over the fourth house (iek, golo),
she could cause much stress in her home environment.
The Youth tablet lies face up while the others are all blank. This indicates
impulsiveness, fevers, or too much energy expended by her. She will recover
.this time, but if she is not careful she could bring about a different health prob-
lem or even wither away at home.
(~estion: How will the woman affect her son as a result of the operation she
has undergone?
Bones, Tablets, and Cards (p. 119): The bones and the tablets are cast onto the
circle. Then four cards are laid out counterclockwise - lower left, lower right,
upper right, upper left. The cards are read first.
Card 69:. This is for the best. She should prepare now for making beneficial
changes in her life. Higher forces have taken control and made some changes
for her, hoping to open her up to new possibilities.
Card 56: Either a friend or a family member cannot be trusted at the moment.
Also, her own emotions are unstable.
Card 25: There will soon be peace of mind and pleasant events, which will
make her happy.
Card 28: She will feel depressed when she reviews her ambitions in life. Poor
living conditions have contributed to her distress and probably will continue.
The bones are read next. The male bone, representing her son, rests on top of
her bone. He will try to control her, and her ego will fight back, causing con-
frontations. The money tablets are one up and the other down, so the finan-
cial situation will fluctuate. The cowrie shell eyes are the same: one up and
one down, showing changes.
The tablets are Mother and Youth, with two blank, showing expansion of
any previous difficulties. There will be growth for the son if he can handle
matters calmly. The time elements show that in five to seven months things
will come to a head.
There is a larger friend/child piece lying in the seventh house (lenewe), indi-
cating that the son may not consider his wife as important as his mother, at
this time and in this situation. Overall, the mother-in-law may create problems
in the family, by wanting her son to be with her and carry out her demands.
Question: How is my marriage going to be affected by the in-laws’ health prob-
lems? (Close relatives on both sides of the family are very ill.)
Sea Shells: Seven shells eyes up.
Yes, it will be affected but not in the way you might expect. The relationship
has not been on an even keel anyway; however, you will soon find that you
do need each other. Do not panic; hang in there and all will be resolved.
Tablets: Mother, Young Girl, two blank.
Matters are on hold right now. You need to try to sit back and relax, or at
least ease off from the problem for a while.
Cards: 39 (partnership), 14 (Nosy Old Man), 80 (Lost Secrets). ¯
It will not be affected to a great extent, but the partners may see each other
in a very different light. Where faith and trust were until recently, feelings seem
suddenly old, unforgiving, and changeable. Ahead will be communication of
feelings that had been held back by both, but it is worth considering whether
it is really wise to be entirely truthful!
Overall Answer:. There is no doubt that your marriage will be affected by the
in-laws’ health problem, but not to any great extent, so don’t get too worried.
Time is the answer here: be patient and you will find that the situation, which
has never been good, will improve. Don’t volunteer information, but be open
to receive.
O..uestion: Will mother-in-law be a problem once she comes home from the
hospital?
Sea Shells: Five shells eyes up.
Yes, she will, but only as much as you allow. Try to be diplomatic. Always
think before acting; try not to be impulsive in reacting to her.
Tablets: Youth, Father, t~vo blank.
She must learn not to overdo anything. Work and strength will be needed for
her success. She must listen to the doctors and to others who care for her if
she is to be happy.
Cards: 50 (Nightmares), 6 (Selfish Mother), 54 (Questionable Luck).
No, but she can be her own worst enemy. A negative letter or other type of
communication may arrive and cause a problem for her. The situation may
create an emotional problem for her, or she may create one herself.
Overall Answer. She could well be a problem if you allow her to be. Be patient
with her and don’t let her do anything that would jeopardize her health.
(~estion: Will we ever relocate from this area, or from this house?
Sea Shells: Ten shells eyes up.
Possibly, but a break with the past must first be made. Now is the time to
move-but within yourself. There is no turning back from what has transpired.
You must now take charge of your own life.
Tablets: Youth, Mother, two blank.
Expanding is possible, but much work and planning are needed first. Opportu-
nities will present themselves to you when the time is right. Start preparing
for them now.
Cards: 31 (Fair Treatment), 51 (Organization), 21 (Social Doings).
The answer is yes. You have had much success in your home life. Now you
can be content where you are, knowing that the future holds happiness in the
form of social functions, family get-togethers, and general family fun.
Overall Answer:. Yes, you will move, though not necessarily immediately. Plan
for the event so as to be ready when the time is right.
CLuestion: Are the special dolls that I make for sale worth the effort?
Sea Shells: Eight shells eyes up.
Not now, but they will be.
Tablets: Father, Mother, Youth, one blank.
There could soon be illness, loss, or an end to something, so put off this proiect
till later on. Plan a new one.
Cards: 40 (Disagreements), 15 (Authoritative), 49 (Pleasant Dreams).
It has not been timely to make the dolls for some while now, but the prospect
will improve. Someone in an important position, or business, will see them and
take a liking to them. You will then move forward to new ideas and ways of
constructing them.
Overall Answer:. Although the dolls are not worth the effort at the moment,
this will change and you will get your reward. Keep thinking of new ideas, for
them and for other projects.
Question: Is this woman going to survive her health problem?
Sea Shells: Five shells eyes up.
Yes, but with some sort of continuing problem(s). It will be up to her to think
before acting with regard to her diet and excessive use of her vital energy.
Tablets: All blank.
The answer is mostly negative. She still has much to do with influencing mat-
ters.
Cards: 31 (Fair Treatment), 70 (Uncontrolled Transformation), 37 (Good Marriage).
Yes. Her past diagnoses were made by competent people who took charge of
the situation properly. She is now accepting the change in her life pattern. If
she tries to change her role to a more positive one, she can retain a happy
family and social life.
Overall Answer:. Yes, she is going to survive, though she needs to think posi-
tively and act carefully if she is to pull through altogether.
Q.uestion: Is this health problem that has been successfully dealt with going to
lead to other health problems?
Sea Shells: Eight shells eyes up.
Not now, but it will later. All must learn to communicate, listen, and plan. There
is much work to be done. Full effort must be put into her life now-into her
physical and mental state-or there will be failure.
,)
Tablets: Youth, Young Girl, two blank.
There is energy to rush into action. This may lead to new problems, which
could be avoided by watching her health carefully now.
Cards: 61 (Good Meeting), 4 (Culpable Girl), ,t8 (Impractical).
Not really; it all depends on her. The health problem was dealt with properly
and correctly. Soon a provocative and unsettling mental delusion may creep
up on her and upset her. She can prevent such an upset by adhering to al-
ready established health plans. There may be problems with her bone struc-
ture.
Overall Answer:. There is no reason why it should lead to other health prob-
lems if she follows directions and adheres to the life-style that has been laid
down for her.
C~estion: Should I inform the authorities about the problem children? (Kathy’s
neighborhood had recently been disrupted by the arrival of a family with four
boys, who were destructive and prowled around at night.)
Sea Shells: Eight shells eves up.
Not now but later; take more notes and wait.
Tablets: Mother, Young Girl, two blank.
Put a hold on it for a while. The timing is not yet right. Back off and look at the
problem from a different point of view.
Cards: 52 (Disorganization), 28 (Depressed Time), 55 (Escape from DeceiO.
Not yet. This is an unsettled home with peculiar situations in it. Things are not
quite right; something is lacking. Help is on the way, so wait: things will work
out.
Overall Answer:. No, not yet. Wait for a while, but keep notes as you wait.
Try to get the whole picture.
O..uestlon: A family (different from that in the above question) is causing Kathy
problems-are these people going to become a worse problem?
Sea Shells: Eight shells eyes up.
Not yet. Keep an eye on things for later developments.
Tablets: Father, Young Girl, two blank.
Change and new beginnings are in process. Wait for a while. Be careful.
Cards: 8 (Nosy Old Woman), 54 (Questionable Luck), 59 (Think Now).
Not yet. Wait. At the moment an elderly woman is being unhelpful. A mes-
sage or news may arrive that will not be good for them. A trap laid for them
may create the situation you are looking for. Be patient.
Overall Answer:. They are not likely to become a worse problem. Be patient
and things will work out to your advantage.
O~estlon: Will Mary find the love and contentment she seeks?
The cards are shuffled and cut, and the top ten are laid out in the Celtic cross
method described on page 107.
Card l: Present energies. There is an older man, possibly a father figure or an-
other older person, who is probably married. This person cares for her very
much at the moment and wishes to help her. He may be influencing and af-
fecting her, through communications or transportation.
Card 2: Obstacles. Her feelings need to be re-evaluated and her desires brought
down to earth. If she allows her fantasies and feelings to run her life she may
never be truly happy. Quarrels and debates seem to be hard for her to handle.
Card 3: Present subconscious needs or desires. Her drive for personal freedom
and her ambitions may have been influenced by someone elderly in her past.
She wants someone to take total care of her and to relieve her of personal
problems. She should examine what she has done to get herself into her present
position so that she can help herself. No one else can help her at this time.
Card 4: What she brings [rora her past. Problems and feelings of hurt and anger.
There could be an older woman, perhaps a mother or grandmother, who pushed
her and was overly critical of her when she was a child. She must let go of
those feelings and of any resentment if she is to be happy.
Card 5: Ambitions or goals affected in the weeks or months ahead. Problems may
develop soon when she discovers hidden secrets-something she would be
better off not knowing-that may affect her philosophies and may even involve
legal action. She must not take any oaths or pledge any loyalties at this time. ¯
Card 6: Prospects for the near [utare. She must guard herself because an enemy
may make her look bad by her actions and ambitions. Diplomacy is the key-
word for the moment. Be careful
Card 7: Her strengths, weaknesses, and views; any negative influences. She wants
to escape her problems through all forms of communication (movies, televi-
5 10
4 6 9
7
sion, radio, books), or by traveling to far places. She has confidence that friends
will help her.
Card 8: Her environment and how others see her. Others view her as knowledge-
able, though overly stubborn in philosophies and traditions. She will soon re-
ceive some good news or be invited to a social function, which will be good
for her. She will meet with men and others who will make her happy.
Card 9:. Lessons to be learned [or the [uture. Many changes are needed, and time
(a couple of seasons) must pass. Through this time she will have an opportu-
nity to size up her situation and correct her self-created problems before she
finds love and contentment.
Card !0: Results. She will meet a man who is talkative and suave; he may even
be a con man. He may not be beneficial for her, but she will learn to deal with
her feelings and needs through this man. Reality and balance are necessary
for her. His offerings will be showy but may be false. Only she can help her-
self in dealing with this person and with others of his type.
t:~estlon: Will my friend’s illness stabilize or become worse? The same Celtic
cross layout is used.
Card 1: Present energies. Her condition has changed (this has prompted the
question). She hides her unhappiness, because there is still a question on the
seriousness of her condition that her doctors must address.
Card 2: Obstacles. Her own ego, or personal strength, seems to get in the way
of the doctors. She may question their opinions and suggestions too much. Her
emotions rule her illness. She can avoid problems by watching, and guarding
10
4 6
7
against, her emotional ups and downs. It is sometimes doubtful whether she
listens to advice.
C,~d 3: Present su~onscious needs or desires. She tends to be careless, rash, and
nonconforming with regard to her doctors’ instructions for her well-being. She
thinks she knows better.
Card 4: What ~e brings from her past. Her religious thoughts, philosophies, and
education are possible protectors, but only if she can bend sufficiently to get
past her ego.
Card 5: Ambitions or goals affected in the weeks or months ahead. She will be happy
and contented for at least a few months. She will busy herself in keeping up
with family and domestic matters. ’
Card 6: prospects [or the near future. There will be social events, and reaffirma-
tion of friendships with those she has ignored for a while. It can be a good
time for all, including her, but she must beware of overdoing.
Card 7: Her strengths, weaknesses, and views; any negative influences. She knows
that she tends to overdo and then become tired and depressed. Her drive for
freedom and excitement needs to be controlled.
Card 8: Her environment and hoar others see her. Others see her as emotional
and ambitious. They feel she should try to tone down her arrogance and relin-
quish her higher goals if she wants to be well, and truly happy and content.
Card 9:. Lessons to be learned for the future. Unusual and upsetting events cause
her frustrations and bring on quarrels with those she holds dear. Alienation of
close friends and family can happen if she is not careful.
Card lO: Results. If she does not learn to balance out her life and to pace her-
self, she may find that her illness is worsening. She can best prevent this by
heeding orders (such as "No smoking"), getting adequate rest, and generally
slowing down. Mental attitude plays a large part in her recovery.
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Africa, 2, 9 Ng~m divination, 62. See also Tikar
spirituality in, 1, I1 spider divination
types of divination, 1, 15-19
Animism, 15, 17 Shell divination. See Yoruba shell "
divination
Blacksmiths, 19-22 Sortilege, 6, 23
and funeral pieces, 22 Spiders and religion, 17, 61. See also
restrictions o~, 21-22 Tikar spider divination
social roles, 14 Spirituality and animism, 15
Bones, divination. See Venda divining
bowl; Zulu divination bones Tablets, divination. See Venda divina-
Bowl, divining. See Venda divining tion tablets
bowl Tarot, 6, 106
Tikar (Kaka) people, II
Cards, spider. See Tikar spider forms of spirituality, 61
divination traditional beliefs, 17
Tikar spider divination, 25-26, 61-64
Divination, 4-5, 6, 23. See also Tikar and Tarot, 106-107
spider divination; Venda divina- card descriptions, 66-105
tion tablets; Venda divining card interpretations, 106-115
bowl; Yoruba shell divination; sample card spreads, 108-115, I18-120,
Zulu divination bones 121, 121-122, 122-123, 123-124, 124,
combining methods of, 26-27, I08, 12’~-125, 125-126, 126, 127, 127-128,
116 128-129, 129, 129-132, 132-134
Diviner using the cards, 64-65, 106-I08, 108
breathing spirit into tools, 26, 108 Westernization of, 27
Ira divination. See Yoruba shell Venda divination, 25, 27, 28
divination Venda divination tablets, 32
descriptions of tablets, 32-35
Kaka. See Tikar (Kaka) people interpretation of, 35-38
personalizing, 38 sample readings using, 121, 121-122,
sample readings o~, 116-118, 118-120, 122-123, 123-124, 124, 124-125,
121, 121-122, 122-123, 123-124, 124, 125-126, 126, 127, 127-128, 128-129,
124-125, 125-126, 126, 127, 127-128, 129
128-129, 129 Westernization of, 27
Venda divining bowl, 28-31
interpretation of, 31 Zulu culture, 18-19, 21, 39-41, 41-42
making, 29-32 Zulu divination bones, 42
interpretation of, 44-50, 51
Yoruba culture, 20, 22, 5~-55 making, 27, 43, 53
Yoruba religio-magical system, 1, 15, person-types, 52
16-19 sample reading, 116-118, .118-120
Yoruba shell divination, 25, 56-58, .
58-6O