THROWING WITH FIVE DICE
I found a fortune telling source, The Home Book of Fortune Telling by Peggy Vickers, which gives the divinatory meanings for the thirty possible predictions resultant from a five-dice throw. But Vickers specifies this is only to be consulted on a monthly basis and not for any period of time shorter than that. Looking over the meanings she assigned to the thirty numbers, it seemed to me that some of the answers, particularly the higher two-digit numbers, were based on the Chaldeans’ understandings of those numbers’ significance. But the Chaldeans were the acknowledged experts on such things, so I think you can trust these interpretations.
AN OBSERVATION OR TWO
You may have noticed that there are no four-dice-format throws. Thus far, I’ve never come across any four-dice divination systems. Perhaps some enterprising individual in the field of divination can attempt it someday. But the number of dice used in the various dice-divination systems is curious from a numerological standpoint:
One-initiatory, the individual, leadership, following one’s own path
Two-binary, receptive, passive, relational, directional
Three-active, creative, sociable
Five-change, transformation, freedom-loving
One-die divination systems are tailored to the individual, their own life. Two-dice throws are fundamentally binary in their answers; either positive or negative, yes or no, stay or go. Three-dice throws are active; what’s coming in the near-future, as the individual interacts with the larger world? Five-dice throws seem to answer the question: what transformational event or energy is coming into play in the coming month? Four, as a number, stands for order, structure, foundation, systems, institutions, security, rules, regulations, laws, labor, work, and limitations. It seems logical to me a four-dice-based divining system would base the possible answers (twenty-four of them) on four’s numerological significance.
CONCLUDING REMINDERS
As always, all these interpretations of the various-number dice throws assume you’re casting the dice in a set-circle, anywhere from 6 inches/15 cm to 12 inches/30.5 cm. I’ve found casting the dice on a felt surface, glued to a foam-board base, with a line of puffy-glue marking the circle cuts down on that pesky problem of dice bouncing or skidding outside a circle. In the unlikely event one die lands on top of another, tradition states it means a gift is coming.
I’ve seen rules of thumb such as one die landing outside the circle means difficulties or an upset are coming, two dice landing outside the circle means an argument or disagreement is coming, three dice landing outside the circle means either a bit of luck or a wish to come true, and any dice landing on the floor means a significant stroke of bad luck soon, most likely a falling-out with a friend. I haven’t had any experience which supports these rules of thumb, but your experience may be different. You might still want to keep them in mind.
So download these answer keys and start experimenting with the dice. You may find only one of them work for you, or in a strange way, all of them do.
EXERCISES
- Try one-die divination and note the answers your receive for all three categories. Return to your notes a week or two later. Did any of the predictions come true, and if so, was it only true with one of the two sources in the answer key? Or were both sources correct?
- Try two-dice divination (it helps if you’re asking a yes-or-no question) and note the answer you receive. Return to your notes a week or two later. In retrospect, was the throw you received accurate for your situation?
- Try three-dice divination (short-term answers) and note the answer you receive. Return to your notes in a week or two. Did the prediction come true?
- Try three-dice divination and this time, use Felix Fontaine’s answer key. If you want to try asking about someone (or a bunch of someones) other than yourself for this one, feel free. Note the answers you receive. Given what you know of these peoples’ lives, was the throw and Fontaine’s interpretation accurate?
- Compare and contrast the two approaches to three-dice divination. Do they complement each other or clash? Was one more helpful or accurate than the other?
- Try five-dice divination and note the answer you receive. Try the three-dice monthly throw by Francis King and note the answer you receive. Return to your notes for both throws in a month’s time. Was either throw accurate to any degree, regarding how the prior month transpired? Was one accurate and the other not? Did they contradict each other, or augment each other?
