Date: August 28th, 2010
Sleep takes us to a strange and mysterious land. Throughout history, the imagery and twisted story lines of the dream scape have fascinated people.
In contemporary times, many mental health professionals believe, to some degree, that dreams offer keys to understanding the subconscious. Ever since Sigmund Freud published “The Interpretation of Dreams” in 1899, dream interpretation has been one of the gadgets in the toolbox of psychologists.
The prevailing belief in the ancient world was that dreams were messages from the netherworld. In 626 BC, the library of Assyrian king Assurbanipal contained clay tablets which told of the importance of dreams in the life of kings and commoners. The king compiled his dream book from sources that may have reached back as far as 5000 BC. The ancient world revered dream interpreters. The “Oneirocritica” by Artemidorus of Daldis was one of the first and most famous books on dream interpretation. Thousands of books followed.
Whether you want to unlock the secrets of your subconscious mind in the modern tradition, or follow the old ways and decipher messages from the spirit world, the lexicography is much the same. Dream symbolism has remained remarkably consistent down through the centuries. Dream interpretation is a subtle art. The meanings of the symbols are open to … interpretation. A cigar isn’t always a cigar, but sometimes it is.
Resources for dream interpretation
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
Oneirocritica by Artemidorus of Daldis
Online dream dictionary
Become a certified dream interpreter (caveat emptor)
Keep a dream journal
Guess Kate’s Background and win a prize
Posted by: Kate Jonez
Date: April 21st, 2010
Tasseography (tasseomancy or tassology) is the art of reading tea leaves. Fortune tellers have been earning their keep for generations with their esoteric knowledge of the meanings of the shapes in the bottom of the cup. Follow these steps and you too can see into the future.
Step one – Brew a cup of tea and have the sitter drink it.
Cover a spoonful of loose tea leaves with hot water.
Have the sitter hold the cup in the palm of his hand and think about his question until the tea has steeped.
Have the sitter drink the tea without swallowing the tea leaves.
Pass the empty cup to the reader.
Step 2 – The reader examines the leaves.
Swirl the dregs in the cup and turn it upside down on a saucer.
Wait three breaths and turn the cup upright again.
Leaves cling to the inside of the cup and form images for the reader to interpret.
The rim represents the present; the sides represent the near future and the bottom represents the distant future.
Begin at the handle and read clockwise. The closer the symbols are to the handle the sooner the events will come to pass.
Step 3 – Interpret the symbols
Observe the complete picture then concentrate on individual symbols.
Bad omens may outweigh good omens. One large distinct good omen may outweigh several small bad omens.
The small tea leaves form lines which should be interpreted as a journey. (A long line indicates a long journey, etc.)
The direction of the line determines the direction of the journey. The cup handle is south.
A wavy or broken line means delayed journeys and straight-line means quick journeys.
If the leaves form a number this might indicate the number of days or weeks for the journey. Or possibly how long until it begins.
Dots around a symbol indicate money.
If a leaf clings to the rim of the cup some an event is imminent.
Letters in the leaves often indicate the first letters of names.
For a list of tea leaf symbols and their meanings click here.
Posted by: Kate Jonez
Date: March 9th, 2010
“Whan pyes (magpies) chatter vpon a house it is a sygne (sign) of ryghte euyll(evil) tydynges (hmmm).” [1507]
Divination by counting a number of magpies or crows has been performed for centuries. Many variations of the rhyme are still around. Depending on culture and tradition, the meaning of the number of birds varies. The only exception to the rule is that one is always bad and two are always good.
One for sadness, two for mirth,
Three for marriage, four for birth,
Five to laugh, six to cry,
Seven for sickness, eight to die,
Nine for silver, ten for gold,
Eleven a secret that will never be told.
Posted by: Kate Jonez
Date: November 25th, 2009
A haruspex was a member of the Roman clergy who practiced divination by examining the entrails of sacrificed animals. In ” The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” Edward Gibbon described them as : “… the sacred but licentious crowd of priests (who) to slaughter the victim, and, thrusting his bloody hands into the bowels of the expiring animal, to draw forth the heart or liver, and to read, with the consummate skill of an haruspex, imaginary signs of future events.” Even if the 18th Century historian frowned on the reliability of the ancient practice, the Romans took it very seriously. No battles were mounted or marriages consummated without a thorough examination of bloody entrails. While this messy form of divination has fallen out of practice, reproductions of sheep livers can be examined for educational purposes only. Or you could read up on the practice here.
Posted by: Kate Jonez
