Astragalomancy ↔ Bone Oracle: Ancient Methods

BY NICOLE LAU

Humanity's First Oracle: Reading Bones

Before cards, before coins, before crystal balls—there were bones.

Ancient humans threw animal bones and read the patterns. They heated turtle shells and interpreted the cracks. This was humanity's first divination technology, dating back thousands of years.

Western astragalomancy (knucklebone divination) and Chinese oracle bones (龜卜/骨卜) are the same practice: using animal remains as interfaces to cosmic intelligence.

Why bones? Because bones are liminal—between life and death, physical and spiritual. They carry memory. They reveal patterns. They speak.

Western Astragalomancy: Knucklebone Divination

Astragalomancy (from Greek astragalos = knucklebone, ankle bone) is divination by throwing bones.

The Tool: Astragali

• Knucklebones (astragali): Small bones from sheep/goat ankles
• Naturally four-sided (unlike modern six-sided dice)
• Each side has different shape, different value
• Ancient equivalent of dice (predates carved dice)

How It Works:

1. Gather bones: Typically 3-5 knucklebones
2. Ask question: Hold question in mind
3. Throw bones: Toss onto flat surface
4. Read pattern: Which sides land up? How are they arranged spatially?
5. Interpret: Combination of values + spatial pattern = answer

The Four Sides:

• Side 1 (convex, narrow): Value 1 (rare, unlucky)
• Side 2 (concave, narrow): Value 3 (common)
• Side 3 (convex, broad): Value 4 (common)
• Side 4 (concave, broad): Value 6 (rare, lucky)

Interpretation Methods:

1. Numerical

• Add up values of all bones
• High total = favorable, low = unfavorable
• Specific totals have specific meanings

2. Spatial

• How bones land relative to each other
• Close together = unity, far apart = separation
• Pointing toward/away from querent = coming/going

3. Symbolic

• Bones represent different life areas (love, money, health)
• Which bone lands highest value = which area is favored

Historical Use:

• Ancient Greece, Rome (common gambling and divination tool)
• Found in archaeological sites worldwide
• Evolved into modern dice (carved cubic bones, then wood/ivory/plastic)

Chinese Oracle Bones: The Origin of Writing

Oracle Bones (甲骨文, Jiaguwen = "shell and bone script") are the oldest known Chinese writing, discovered on turtle shells and ox bones used for divination.

The Tools:

1. Turtle Shells (龜卜, Gui Bu)

• Plastron (bottom shell) of turtle
• Considered most sacred (turtle = longevity, connection to underworld)
• Expensive, reserved for royal/important divinations

2. Ox Shoulder Blades (骨卜, Gu Bu)

• Scapulae (shoulder bones) of cattle
• More common, used for everyday divination
• Large flat surface for crack patterns

How It Works:

1. Prepare bone/shell: Clean, polish, sometimes carve hollows on back
2. Ask question: Diviner (often royal court official) poses question to ancestors/spirits
3. Apply heat: Hot metal rod or burning stick applied to hollows
4. Cracks form: Heat causes shell/bone to crack in specific patterns
5. Read cracks: Shape, direction, length of cracks = answer
6. Inscribe: Question and answer carved onto bone (this became Chinese writing!)

Crack Patterns:

• Straight crack: Clear, direct answer
• Curved crack: Indirect, complex situation
• T-shaped crack: Auspicious (resembles character 卜 = divination)
• Multiple cracks: Multiple factors, layered meaning
• Direction: Upward = positive, downward = negative, sideways = neutral

Historical Significance:

• Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE): Peak of oracle bone use
• Royal divination: Kings consulted ancestors on war, harvest, rituals
• Origin of Chinese characters: Inscriptions on bones = earliest Chinese writing
• Archaeological treasure: 150,000+ oracle bones discovered, revealing ancient history

The Convergence: Bones as Sacred Interface

Aspect	Western Astragalomancy	Chinese Oracle Bones	Convergence
Material	Knucklebones (sheep/goat)	Turtle shells, ox bones	Animal remains
Method	Throw bones, read landing pattern	Heat bones, read crack pattern	Physical randomness creates pattern
Randomness	How bones tumble and land	How cracks form when heated	Unpredictable physical process
Interpretation	Numerical values + spatial arrangement	Crack shape, direction, length	Pattern reading
Sacredness	Bones = liminal (life/death boundary)	Bones = connection to ancestors/spirits	Spiritual significance
Age	Ancient (pre-classical Greece)	Ancient (Shang Dynasty, 3600+ years)	Humanity's oldest divination
Evolution	Became dice (gaming + divination)	Became writing (inscriptions preserved)	Cultural foundation

Key Insight: Both use animal bones as sacred interfaces between human questions and cosmic/ancestral answers. The randomness (how bones land, how cracks form) is the medium through which the oracle speaks.

Why Bones? The Liminal Power

Bones are uniquely powerful for divination:

1. Life-Death Boundary

• Bones are what remains after death
• They've crossed the threshold from living to non-living
• This makes them liminal—existing between worlds
• Perfect for communicating with spirit realm

2. Memory Carriers

• Bones record life (growth rings, stress marks, injuries)
• They carry genetic information (DNA in bone marrow)
• Symbolically: bones remember, bones know
• Divination accesses this stored knowledge

3. Structural Integrity

• Bones are durable (last thousands of years)
• They maintain form after death (unlike flesh)
• This permanence = connection to eternal truths

4. Natural Randomness

• Bone structure is irregular (not perfectly symmetrical)
• This creates unpredictable patterns when thrown or cracked
• Irregularity = perfect randomness generator

5. Ancestral Connection

• In many cultures, bones = ancestors
• Using bones = consulting those who came before
• Especially true in Chinese oracle bone practice (direct ancestor communication)

The Φ Connection: Natural Bone Proportions

Bones naturally exhibit Φ-proportions:

Skeletal Φ:

• Human finger bones: Fibonacci sequence (proximal, middle, distal lengths)
• Limb bone ratios: often approximate Φ (forearm to upper arm, etc.)
• Skull proportions: Φ-related in facial structure

Why This Matters:

• Bones are naturally Φ-encoded
• When you use bones for divination, you're using Φ-structured tools
• The randomness they generate is Φ-coherent
• This creates optimal signal from the information field

Crack Patterns:

• Heat-induced cracks often follow Fibonacci branching patterns
• Main crack → secondary cracks in Φ-proportioned angles
• Natural fracture mechanics create golden ratio geometries

Modern Bone Divination

Though ancient, bone divination persists:

African Traditions:

• Sangoma (South African traditional healers) throw bones
• Use animal bones, shells, stones, coins together
• Read spatial patterns for diagnosis and divination

Mongolian Traditions:

• Shagai: Sheep ankle bones used for games and divination
• Four sides represent horse, sheep, camel, goat
• Throw and read combinations

Modern Adaptations:

• Bone casting sets: Curated collections of bones, shells, charms
• Ethical sourcing: Use naturally shed antlers, found bones, or replicas
• Personal systems: Each practitioner develops unique interpretation

Practical Comparison: Same Question, Different Bones

Question: "Will my ancestor's blessing protect this endeavor?"

Astragalomancy (Western):

1. Throw 5 knucklebones
2. Result: Three land on value 6 (lucky), two on value 4
3. Total: 26 (very high, auspicious)
4. Spatial: Bones form circle (unity, protection)
5. Answer: Yes, strong ancestral protection present

Oracle Bone (Chinese):

1. Heat turtle shell plastron
2. Crack forms: Long straight crack upward, T-shaped branch
3. Direction: Upward (positive)
4. Shape: T-shape (卜, divination character = auspicious)
5. Answer: Yes, ancestors approve and protect

Convergence:

Both methods say YES with strong ancestral blessing. Knucklebones show high values + protective circle. Oracle bone shows auspicious crack pattern. Same message through different bone oracles.

Ethical Considerations

Using bones for divination raises questions:

Respect for Animals:

• Use bones from naturally deceased animals when possible
• If using butchered animal bones, honor the sacrifice
• Never harm animals specifically for divination

Cultural Sensitivity:

• Oracle bone divination is Chinese cultural heritage
• If not Chinese, approach with respect, study the tradition
• Don't appropriate without understanding

Modern Alternatives:

• Replicas: Resin or ceramic bone replicas work (it's the form, not the material)
• Shells: Cowrie shells, seashells (also liminal, life/death)
• Stones: Runes on stones (similar throwing method)

Next: Text as Oracle

We've explored the oldest divination (bones). Now we examine text-based divination: random wisdom from books.

Article 9: Bibliomancy ↔ Random Text Selection—how randomly chosen words contain perfect guidance.

Let's continue!