A FEW CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
So okay, official sources say true omens are empirical in nature. Thing is, omens are often completely subjective. It all comes down to the observer, and what they judge to be an omen or not. And about the compilation of omens in the PDF above, what if that list is programming as much as it is a definitive list of omen meanings? Does it matter? You may get a personal omen, of meaning only to you, so frequently that as far as you’re concerned, you can add it to the established list of omen meanings. For that reason, you may want to keep a diary or notebook of omens, so that over time, you can look for any consistency in the omens you receive.
A discomfiting reality about those methods of divination I term ‘artomancy’ is their apparent randomness. I define artomancy as divination methods based on observation of things in one’s environment and drawing messages therefrom. If everything is happenstance for you, then divination methods like omen-taking aren’t helpful. But sometimes, an omen can be so powerful and unmistakable, we’re forced to take notice. It’s an image we can’t get out of our head.
Omen-taking can make us feel more connected to the world. We don’t always have to live in a cold impersonal world; oftentimes it’s sending us messages. Omens can be sent by those who love us and wish to convey a message. But if you’re ever stuck wondering whether something is an omen or not, you can’t go too-far-wrong by asking yourself the question my friend posed: is it an omen, or is it a pizza?
EXERCISES
- Try practicing an omen-taking divination method such as bird, animal or cloud divination, some divination method where you actually set aside a physical space and a time period in which to simply watch for omens. What result did you get?
- Think of a time when you witnessed something or experienced an event you saw at the time as a clear and unmistakable omen. What subsequently transpired that made you recall that omen?
- Given your experience with both ways of omen-taking, both the deliberate omen taking and the incidental omen-taking, compare and contrast the two. How were they alike? How were they different? Do you prefer one form of omen-taking over the other?
- What are the strengths of this form of divining? What are its weaknesses?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Diagram Group. The Little Giant Enecyclopedia of Fortune Telling. Pp. 146-172.
The Complete Book of Fortune Telling. New York: Gramercy Books, 1998. Pp. 436-451.
Moss, Robert. Sidewalk Oracles: Playing with Signs, Symbols and Synchronicity in Everyday Life. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2015.
I’m currently reading this one. This book can greatly expand your notion of what constitutes an omen, your knowledge of omen-craft, and help you see omens in your world more readily.