ELEMENTAL DIVINATION – A DICE ORACLE

Elemental Divination – A Dice Oracle, Stephen Ball, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, MN, 2018, 240pp, $15.99.

Long before cards were invented, people tossed items such as bones or stones to foretell the future. Although I’d heard about readings using dice, I hadn’t tried it.

        In the introduction, author Stephen Ball explains that using dice is similar to using other tools: we examine the elements, Earth (patient defense, physical needs, natural balance), Air (intelligence, communication, mental capabilities), Fire (motivation, power, energy, sexual attraction), and Water (life, healing, dreams prophecy, compassion, empathy) and apply them to our current situation, what’s coming into our lives, and what changes we may want to make for benefit or to avoid negative outcomes. “This oracle takes these fundamental forces and reads the pattern created by their play together.” There are two additional elements: Sun (linked with Fire) “dismisses the darkness to show what was previously hidden and brings the truth into the light, and Moon (linked with Water) “governs dreams and reaches our deeper emotions … it frequently symbolizes the arrival of magic…”

        Ball explains, “Each reading takes the form of a new influence coming into an existing situation.” The dice toss tells whether the “new arrival” has greater or lesser influence.

        When casting the dice, you will get three numbers: 1) your current situation, 2) the new actor (element) coming in, and 3) the strength of the newcomer (how much influence it will have on your current situation). There are 72 possible outcomes in each toss. My first reaction to that was, “This is going to be so hard!” But it isn’t. Ball’s explanations are easy to understand. More than a few of my teachers said it was “cheating” to use a book when doing a reading. Not so with Elemental Divination. Each configuration has a name, and reading the interpretation helps to see the deeper, far-reaching aspects of that configuration. The analogies and mental images of the interpretations are pretty much the same as looking at a tarot or oracle card. For Lesser Moon over Fire (called Candle Magic), the image is three beeswax candles burning brightly in a clearing at night. They don’t shed much light, but they do offer “a small touch of magic and possibility.” That said, however, Ball explains, “the final conclusion that you come to [after a reading] can be entirely from your own feelings on each combination.” You’re not locked into using the interpretations listed in the book.

        Ball teaches how to ask questions “about all points of the future or past” and recommends doing three readings: 1) new influence coming between now and tomorrow; 2) more detail on the present situation (near future); 3) choices you can make going forward.

        The sample readings are incredibly helpful. Ball explains how to choose dice (metal, wood, patterned, etc.), rituals for consecrating your dice, and meditations for each element. He then covers the 72 configurations, and The Appendix is a quick reference to the configurations, listing the dice roll, elements, title, summary and page. For example, Greater Air over Fire is called Conflagration (think of wind blowing a forest fire) with the Summary “Explosive increase, massive energy for success” and a referral to page 82.

        This is an incredible oracle, and I encourage you to consider using it. It’s a wonderful new (to me, at least) tool that I will be combining with tarot and oracle decks for greater insight.

        Ball recommends (and I concur), it’s advisable to keep a journal to see how you change, and also to see if you’ve been ignoring good advice.

        One last thought – dice are not included with the book, and as I noted, chapter six explains how to choose your dice. I’m thinking of woodburning a set for my own use.

-          Karen Howard