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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Linguistical divination?  Linguistical tarot?
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Date: Tue, 7 Jan 1997 23:51:35 GMT
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In article <5auhuu$1hh@nimble.mta.ca>,
Christian P Richard <cprchrd@mailserv.mta.ca> wrote:
>Has there ever been a form of linhguistical divination?
>
>One which uses letters as symbols on cards or dice? Many ancient alphabets 
>were sacred, and each letter had symbolic or mathematic value.
>
>Have there also ever been any modern divinations systems based on language? 
>For example a Tarot deck where every character of the International 
>Phonetic Alphabet has supposed symbolic meaning? etc?
>Certain sounds certainly have connotations that could be translated as 
>symbols with meaning...

	What about Ouija boards?  They're basically a modern descendent of
the Roman practive of writing letters in a circle on the ground, placing a
grain over each one, placing a cock in the centre of circle, and noting
the order in which he ate the grains.  (There's a technical name for this
method that escapes me utterly right now.)

	One of my high school teachers owned a set of plastic "runestones"
he used for divination.  They came in a small bag and the order in which
you drew them out was supposed to be significant.  Whether the ancient
runists ever used a similar method, I cannot say.

	And Gemmatria?  The letters have symbolic values beyond their
numerical equivalents, you know.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
