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Divination Conjure Style: Reading Cards, Throwing Bones, and Other Forms of Household Fortune-Telling
A delightful in-depth guide to the divination practices of conjure from the beloved author of Old Style Conjure and other books
In Divination Conjure Style Starr Casas shares the secrets of conjure-style divination that she learned at home and that, until very recently, were family secrets that were only transmitted orally. Traditional conjure is the domain of the poor and disenfranchised, living in regions that were (and remain) unfriendly to esotericism and the occult. Thus, conjure divination relies on inexpensive tools that are not exclusively magical: playing cards, rather than tarot cards, or scrying with blue water instead of a crystal ball.
The primary focus of Divination Conjure Style is playing-card divination, but other methods covered include bibliomancy, pyromancy, pendulums, and throwing the bones. Starr discusses the history of these methods and also offers practical information so that the reader can master these techniques for themselves. Josef Bailey, a young New Orleans artist, has created illustrations of conjure-style playing cards to Starr’s specifications.
In Divination Conjure Style Starr Casas shares the secrets of conjure-style divination that she learned at home and that, until very recently, were family secrets that were only transmitted orally. Traditional conjure is the domain of the poor and disenfranchised, living in regions that were (and remain) unfriendly to esotericism and the occult. Thus, conjure divination relies on inexpensive tools that are not exclusively magical: playing cards, rather than tarot cards, or scrying with blue water instead of a crystal ball.
The primary focus of Divination Conjure Style is playing-card divination, but other methods covered include bibliomancy, pyromancy, pendulums, and throwing the bones. Starr discusses the history of these methods and also offers practical information so that the reader can master these techniques for themselves. Josef Bailey, a young New Orleans artist, has created illustrations of conjure-style playing cards to Starr’s specifications.
256 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2019
37 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 24, 2019
There's a good deal of useful information contained within the book, as well as some misleading information too. In the book the author claims that casting lots in the Bible is equivalent to throwing bones; this is false, it's equivalent to drawing straws. She goes on to allude that divination is okay for Christians using some pretty flawed quotes from the Bible as well. The Bible, in both the old and new testaments, is quite clear that it is indeed not okay for Christians to practice divination, even though it's ripe with it throughout its pages. A lot of the recipes found in the book I didn't quite care for as they are pricey by today's standards. Olive oil is called for quite a few times, and it's simply not cheap. The divination instructions themselves were good, but I wasn't a big fan of the misinformation in the book.
May 4, 2020
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet's website on 05/04/2020.
Today we’re talking about “Divination Conjure Style: Reading Cards, Throwing Bones, and Other Forms of Household Fortune-Telling” by Starr Casas. Or as I’ve come to think of it, “a love letter to a deck of playing cards”. Seriously, do you own a deck of playing cards? Then you should already own this book.
It is no secret to anyone that a regular, ordinary deck of playing cards can be used for divination, but not until reading “Divination Conjure Style” did I realize there were so many ways to accomplish it. Casas discusses conjure as the everyman’s tradition of divination, and what does every family have rattling around in a drawer in the house? A deck of cards. The book includes a detailed, card by card, look at playing cards featuring beautiful illustrations from Josef Bailey. Weiser Books would be wise to considering doing a companion deck featuring Bailey’s work. I cannot emphasize enough how this book opened my eyes to the versatility of a deck cards.
Besides playing cards, Casas discusses throwing bones, reading candles, bibliomancy, divination with eggs, and more. All of this is thoroughly explained in a plain-spoken way that reflects the oral tradition in which Casas learned these skills.
“Divination Conjure Style” by Starr Casas is a fascinating look at divination for anyone interested in the topic or looking to branch out in their practice.
Today we’re talking about “Divination Conjure Style: Reading Cards, Throwing Bones, and Other Forms of Household Fortune-Telling” by Starr Casas. Or as I’ve come to think of it, “a love letter to a deck of playing cards”. Seriously, do you own a deck of playing cards? Then you should already own this book.
It is no secret to anyone that a regular, ordinary deck of playing cards can be used for divination, but not until reading “Divination Conjure Style” did I realize there were so many ways to accomplish it. Casas discusses conjure as the everyman’s tradition of divination, and what does every family have rattling around in a drawer in the house? A deck of cards. The book includes a detailed, card by card, look at playing cards featuring beautiful illustrations from Josef Bailey. Weiser Books would be wise to considering doing a companion deck featuring Bailey’s work. I cannot emphasize enough how this book opened my eyes to the versatility of a deck cards.
Besides playing cards, Casas discusses throwing bones, reading candles, bibliomancy, divination with eggs, and more. All of this is thoroughly explained in a plain-spoken way that reflects the oral tradition in which Casas learned these skills.
“Divination Conjure Style” by Starr Casas is a fascinating look at divination for anyone interested in the topic or looking to branch out in their practice.
March 31, 2021
Something different from the divination genre; I enjoyed the read.
One caveat: Starr Casas is Catholic and firm on the use of the Bible and God in conjure.
One caveat: Starr Casas is Catholic and firm on the use of the Bible and God in conjure.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews