Dice Divination

One of the coolest things I own is an ancient Roman dice cube. It is cut from a piece of ivory. It has been certified by the curators of Christies Auctions out of London as a "BC Item". 200 years BC. I bought it over the telephone many years ago.

Why? I suppose it has to do with my fascination with Divination. One of the oldest forms of divination was rolling dice. It was also one of the most vague forms of Divination.

In it's most ancient form, four rolls of the dice were completed. Keep in mind I use the word "dice" anciently. Multiple rolls of a single cube was known as rolling dice.

I have always been amazed how tools that started out as a form of divination always seem to result in games of chance and gambling. I have in my life found that the most degenerate gamblers are also those who read Tarot, or divine with dice, or numbers, or even stars.

My research into "Divination With Dice" has led me to conclude that those who did such viewed life as being seperated into 6 different phases. They are:

1. Birth

2. Consistency

3. Growth

4. Maturation

5. Fulfillment

6. Renewal

Now to Divine with Dice requires a total of 4 rolls. The first roll would take you to a consideration of one of 6 aspects of life as described above. Life is full of the dualities, the ups the down, the light and the shadows. So the second roll of the dice would be the positive aspect of the situation again using the list above. The third roll would be the negative aspects of the situation. The final roll would be the "conduct required" roll again based upon the list above. Like all forms of divination things will be vague and left to astound the imagination.

So lets give this ancient dice rolling a try shall we? Lets look at the most trying situation facing us today. The oil spill in the Gulf. Our first roll would consider how it effects life. (I am now going to roll my overly expensive and ancient cube:

Rolling and tossing.....

1. Birth, this gushing is definately a new birth. It will lead to an entirely new way of viewing how life is to be lived in the Gulf Coast. Not every birth is joyful, but every birth leads us to a new way of thinking.

Now the positive sides of this Birth:

Rolling and Tossing.....

2. Consistency. This roll speaks of the positive. Survival is the most constent aspect of life. We also need to consider the consistency of screw ups. Humanities history is filled with them. The positive side of consistency can scream volumes about what we allow to be normal.

Now the negative or shadow side of this original roll of birth:

Rolling and Tossing.....

6. Renewal. Now this is somewhat frightening. The negative aspects of the Oil Spill in the Gulf is "renewal". Almost and so damn close to transition. "New and Improved" is substantially different than the weather tested "standard". Considering this is the shadfow side? "Renewal" will be painful.

Now our final roll, the "conduct required" roll:

Rolling and tossing.....

4. Maturation. Everytime we mature we lose the benifits and innocence of Childhood. I am mindful of the grandfather who enticed his child to jump from a height to be caught in loving arms. Then again to encourage a child to jump a second time to step away and allow the child to hit the floor. Explaining that when caught is how life should be, when hitting the floor is how life is. Maturity demands we think beyond innocence, we see things for what they are. When you are 14 nothing is like it was when you 9. Accept it.

So there is ancient dice divination. Vague, but definately thought worthy.