Okay, so, the other day I tried out something called cowrie divination. Yeah, I know, it sounds a bit out there, but I was curious. Basically, it’s this old way of trying to get a glimpse into the future or get answers to your questions using these little shells.
First, I had to get my hands on some cowrie shells. I found a bunch online and got a set of them. Now, these aren’t just any shells, they’re special because they’re used in certain religious rituals, particularly in the Yoruba religion, and they have this symbolic meaning tied to feminine energy and connecting with the spiritual world.
So, I got 25 shells, 24 smaller ones and one bigger one, the big one was called the Laxmi cowrie, and they’re supposed to be pretty powerful for divination, healing, and even deflecting negative vibes. To prepare them for divination, I had to hollow out the curved side of each shell, you know, so they could lie flat when tossed. If the shell lands with its natural opening up, they say it’s “open,” and if the hollowed-out side is up, it’s “closed.”
Once I had my shells ready, I started with a simple question in mind. I held the shells in my hands, focused on my question, and then tossed them onto a mat. The way they landed was supposed to give me some insight.
- “Open” shells (mouth-up) generally mean a positive or “yes” answer.
- “Closed” shells (hollowed side up) usually indicate a negative or “no” response.
The method I used was the Ẹẹ́r�nd�nl�g�n, which is a Yoruba thing. It’s all about the number 16, which is super important in their mythology. In my simple try, I just looked at whether more shells were open or closed to get a general vibe, “yes”, “no”, or “maybe”.
Honestly, the whole process was pretty interesting. It felt like a mix of a game and a meditation session. I asked about something I was hoping for, and most of the shells landed open, which was cool. It kind of gave me a boost of hope, you know?
I did a bit of reading afterward, I found out that these shells have been used for ages, not just for telling the future but also as symbols of fertility and good luck. They’re even used as amulets for protection and prosperity in some cultures today.
In the end, it was a fun experiment. I’m not sure if I completely buy into it as a way to predict the future, but it was definitely a cool way to reflect on my question and get a different perspective. Plus, it’s a fascinating tradition with a lot of history behind it. So, yeah, that’s my little adventure with cowrie divination.
