‘Simpleomancy’ is not a term which exists in any dictionary. It’s a term I invented to describe a category of ‘quick-and-dirty’ divination methods which are A.) simple B.)easy to master C.) can often be performed quickly, and D.) mostly use normal things in your environment. These last two features are particularly helpful if your living situation includes people whose personal or religious convictions lead them to frown on the whole subject of divination and those who practice it. It allows you to practice divination quickly and efficiently, right under their noses, without them being any-the-wiser.
Some simpleomantic divination methods use tools which can be borrowed, then returned to where you got them. Divination methods which employ dice, dominos, Scrabble(tm) letters, plumb bobs, books, and kitchen knives fall in this category. Other simpleomantic divination methods are disposable. Lexigrammancy and cootie-catch divination both use paper, which can be torn up and thrown away when you’re done with it.
Other simpleomancy methods can be disguised. Cookie/biscuit divination? You can invite the sceptics over for tea with that one, and observe which cookies/biscuits they choose. Most enlightening. Book divination? Tell them you think every good, personal, at-home library should include a dictionary, a good quotations book, a collection of poetry, and religious scripture. Candle-flame divination? Tell them you’ve taken up meditation. Yes-and-no stones divination? Tell them you read about them in the Bible. Small-objects divination? Buy a bunch of necklace pendants from the jewelry-supplies section at your local craft store, and tell them you enjoy switching out your jewelry. Next to it’s ease of use, simpleomancy’s other greatest feature is privacy. You can practice it with some degree of confidence that others won’t know what exactly you’re doing. One or two of them, you can even pass off as a party game.
Longer-term, simpleomancy can strengthen your intuitive muscle. It can lend support to hunches you have about people or situations. A strong intuitive talent can be an important mental ability in avoiding dangerous situations in life, as Gavin Becker argues with his book, The Gift of Fear. Also, a stronger intuitive ability lays the groundwork for mastering some other divination methods later on.
