My Divination Tools -- Part 2

In a previous post, I listed the divination tools I owned as of mid-2016. I've acquired a few more since then. Here they are.

"GYPSY WITCH" FORTUNE-TELLING CARDS
I purchased these mainly because they were reasonably priced and I was curious. (Even though I try not to use the word "gypsy" myself anymore as it can cause offence.) They're a full set of playing cards that can also be used as Lenormand cards. The instruction booklet is small but provides a simple, easy to understand explanation of the Petit tableau and Grand tableau layouts. I think they will serve as a good everyday deck so I can save my Viking Lenormand deck for special occasions.

PROFESSOR PAM WISHBOW'S URBAN DIVINATION ORACLE
You've seen at least one reading from me using this deck before. I love the graphics, the gold printing and the unusual square shape. The oracle consists of 32 cards with an urban city-scape theme. As the blurb explains, most people nowadays live in an urban environment and rarely actually encounter the things featured on most oracle cards. Pam decided to create a deck for us urban dwellers, with things we see every day, like The Bin, The Crow and The Unopened Candy. I've used this desk several times, and I tend to reach for it when I'm dealing with something practical or a bit grubby, like a business opportunity or a soured friendship.

PROFESSOR PAM WISHBOW'S BEETLE BONE CASTING MAT
This bandana-sized casting mat is printed in gold ink, in the Wishbow signature style. It came with three randomly chosen treasures -- a key, a crystal and some kind of fingerbone (probably resin). The idea is for the caster to add their own tiny treasures, as many as desired. I haven't tried it yet, but as far as I understand, you assign meanings to the "bones" and where they fall on the mat determines their meaning. It looks like a lot of fun and I can't wait to try it.

SACRED WORLD ORACLE by KRIS WALDHERR
This is a relatively new oracle that I only bought a few weeks ago, and I've only used it once so far. I was attracted to the concept behind it -- each of the 44 cards represents an animal, but they are also divided up into the four elements. The artwork on them is absolutely exquisite, with a golden frame surrounding an image of each animal in a landscape inspired by relevant legends from around the world. I'm not accustomed to working with animal energies, but I'm definitely open to it. I love working with these cards.

SPIRIT CATS ORACLE CARDS by NICOLE PIAR
I've only had this deck a couple of days and haven't used it yet. I came across it completely by chance and knew I had to have it straight away. For a start: cats! Nicole's artwork is breathtaking, in a whimsical and slightly retro style. These photos really don't do them justice. The deck consists of 48 cards, with a cat on the front, and an inspirational message on the back.

Nicole is offering a free course working with oracle cards, which I have signed up for. It starts next month.

HARRY POTTER FANTASTIC BEASTS CARDS
It's actually a set of colouring cards (complete with pencils), but I'm wondering if it can be used for divination. I could use my copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as the guidebook. My only issue is that the cards aren't labelled, so I'd have to brush up on my beast-identification skills. But how fun would it be?

My Hogwarts House

[This post was originally posted at
I'm A Table in November 2016.]

Yesterday, [late 2016] I finally created an account at Pottermore and found out my official Hogwarts House! I don't know why it took me so long to get around to it. I first started reading the books after the third one came out, so that makes it 1999. At the time, I was instantly drawn to Ravenclaw -- it fit my personality perfectly.

When the online quizzes and tests appeared, I did a couple and the result was always Ravenclaw, too. I was a dyed-in-the-wool Ravenclaw! Or was I? When chatting with Husband and some friends earlier this year, they said I struck them as being more of a Hufflepuff. Were the tests wrong, or perhaps I've changed?

About a month ago, I came across a sorting system based on personality psychology. It's quite complicated, and there's no quiz -- you have to read through the desciptions and decide which one fits you best. The site is here and I would recommend it as an interesting exercise if you're interested in psychology. The system is two-tiered. Your Primary sort is based on your value system: why you do the things you do. Your Secondary sort is your methods: how you achieve the things you want to do. It also explains the concepts of Modelling and Performing.

Choosing my House for the Secondary sort was easy: it was Ravenclaw far and away above the others. I had a very hard time choosing a House for the Primary sort, however. In the end, I tentatively chose Hufflepuff first, with Ravenclaw a close second.

While this exercise and learning more about the psychology-based sorting system was very interesting, it left me even more confused than before. Can you be a RavenclawxHufflepuff? That's why I decided to join Pottermore, do the sorting quiz there and get the 'official' truth. Which is: I'm a proud Hufflepuff!

It wasn't much of a surprise actually, when I think back on the last 15 years. I've changed in many ways. Learning and knowledge are still very important to me, but so is community and supporting others. (The rise of the internet is probably partly the reason for that.) In the last 3 years especially, since buying our house, gardening and plants have become a new and passionate hobby for me. That, more than anything else, is probably the reason my friends now think of me as a Hufflepuff!

I am very happy to be a Hufflepuff, as I think it suits my personality the way it is now. And who knows, perhaps I would have been the student to build bridges between the Houses and show that Hufflepuffs aren't "duffers" after all! There's only one drawback to being a Hufflepuff. The House colours -- yellow and black -- are the same as a football team here in Melbourne. None of the other House's colours suffer from that problem. I suppose that if I ever want to deck myself out in Hufflepuff regalia, I will have to make sure the crest with the badger is clearly visible. I don't mind though, because the badger is the most adorable and foresty of all the animals!

I actually think that if I lived in the Harry Potter universe, I would have been a Ravenclaw. If I'd been admitted to Hogwarts at the age of 11, where would the Sorting Hat have put me? I was such a strong Ravenclaw back then. If the hat had given me a choice between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, I would certainly have chosen Ravenclaw. Now, I would choose Hufflepuff. And J. K. Rowling agrees.


TL;DR I'm a Hufflepuff!