What Is Lithomancy?
The art of Lithomancy is one which many people are aware of, although they may not know the name of it. The most often used definition of Lithomancy is the art of divination by 'reading stones'. It involves the caster, or the diviner, throwing stones and then divining the future based on which stones fall where in relation to each other, and the patterns in which they fall. It is a simple yet extremely insightful method that relies on nothing but some easily accessible tools and your intuition. This is the beauty of lithomancy; you don't need to spend a ridiculous amount of money on buying exactly the right kit (although if buying a pre-made kit is more up your street then absolutely go for it), or to take a specific course to qualify as a 'master' at the expense of your bank account. It is easily accessible, and easy to get to grips with, but don't let this simplicity fool you; it is extremely effective.
Whilst Lithomancy commonly uses stones and crystals, you can use anything that has symbolic meaning to you (providing it is a suitable size); coins, charms, bone, etc. The great thing about Lithomancy is that you can really tailor it to your own personal symbology.
How Do I Perform Lithomancy?
Once you have your kit, it really is quite simple; hold the stones (or whatever your kit consists of; I will just keep referring to them as 'stones' from now on), and focus on your question. When you feel ready, open your hands and drop (if you plan to throw them, do it gently), and then see how they fall. Interpreting them is usually harder, as you look at where they fall in relation to one another, and use this to build your reading. I'll discuss interpretation in a bit more detail further down.
The art of Lithomancy is one which many people are aware of, although they may not know the name of it. The most often used definition of Lithomancy is the art of divination by 'reading stones'. It involves the caster, or the diviner, throwing stones and then divining the future based on which stones fall where in relation to each other, and the patterns in which they fall. It is a simple yet extremely insightful method that relies on nothing but some easily accessible tools and your intuition. This is the beauty of lithomancy; you don't need to spend a ridiculous amount of money on buying exactly the right kit (although if buying a pre-made kit is more up your street then absolutely go for it), or to take a specific course to qualify as a 'master' at the expense of your bank account. It is easily accessible, and easy to get to grips with, but don't let this simplicity fool you; it is extremely effective.
Whilst Lithomancy commonly uses stones and crystals, you can use anything that has symbolic meaning to you (providing it is a suitable size); coins, charms, bone, etc. The great thing about Lithomancy is that you can really tailor it to your own personal symbology.
How Do I Perform Lithomancy?
Once you have your kit, it really is quite simple; hold the stones (or whatever your kit consists of; I will just keep referring to them as 'stones' from now on), and focus on your question. When you feel ready, open your hands and drop (if you plan to throw them, do it gently), and then see how they fall. Interpreting them is usually harder, as you look at where they fall in relation to one another, and use this to build your reading. I'll discuss interpretation in a bit more detail further down.
Building Your Kit:
You can buy pre-made kits online, but making your own is a lot of fun! I would recommend you start of with a 'general' set first, designed for all types of readings. Once you grow in experience, you may wish to create different sets for different purposes; for example, I have a lithomancy set made up of sea shells and pebbles from the beach which I use specifically in matters relating to the emotional self.
Most kits have between 8 and 13 pieces, and whilst you can have as many or as few as you would like, this number makes for a good set to get started with. You can always add more or remove any you find aren't working for you as you go.
Next, you need to pick the items that you want to represent various themes and elements in your set. Here is a list of what I put in my first ever set several years ago, which I still use today, for everyday readings and also when doing readings for others:
Lodestone - My 'Personal' stone
Onyx Crystal - Protection; be careful, wary
Tigers Eye Crystal - Fortune, opportunity; be brave, be bold
Green Aventurine Crystal - Health, fostering positive relationships and ties
Moonstone Crystal - Feminine, self-love; focus on what is best/important to you
Blue Lace Agate Crystal - Communication, creative expression
Amethyst Crystal - Trust your intuition, look at the bigger picture, there is something you're missing
Sea Glass - Unexpected message of joy, travel
5p Coin - Money, abundance, prosperity, career
Shell - Emotional freedom, dealing with loss, letting go
Pebble - Selflessness, give more of yourself, priorities, foundations
Pebble with Arrow Drawn On - Masculine influence, energy, vitality - could also represent 'someone else'
Once you have chosen your items, you may wish to cleanse them. To do this, you can pass them through incense smoke, sprinkle them with holy water, etc.; more information on cleansing objects here: https://www.thecottagemystic.com/cleansing-negative-energies.html
Once you have cleansed them, you will need to 'infuse' each object with whatever it is you want it to represent. This can be done by holding the stone and meditating on the intent; focus on connecting with the stone and pouring the intent into it. Make sure you listen to the stone; there have been some where I have decided I wanted a particular stone to have a particular meaning, but when meditating with it, a whole new meaning came to mind which just felt more 'right' for the stone. If this happens, listen to your intuition rather than trying to force a different meaning on the stone.
Your Personal Stone:
You will see that I have listed a 'personal' stone. This isn't a mandatory requirement, but I personally find it easier to use a personal stone. The personal stone represents you (or the person you are reading for), and you read the other stones in relation to that. The stones which fall closest to your personal stone will be the most prominent messages in your reading.
If you don't want to use a personal stone, then you would read the stones which fall closest to you as the most important ones.
You can buy pre-made kits online, but making your own is a lot of fun! I would recommend you start of with a 'general' set first, designed for all types of readings. Once you grow in experience, you may wish to create different sets for different purposes; for example, I have a lithomancy set made up of sea shells and pebbles from the beach which I use specifically in matters relating to the emotional self.
Most kits have between 8 and 13 pieces, and whilst you can have as many or as few as you would like, this number makes for a good set to get started with. You can always add more or remove any you find aren't working for you as you go.
Next, you need to pick the items that you want to represent various themes and elements in your set. Here is a list of what I put in my first ever set several years ago, which I still use today, for everyday readings and also when doing readings for others:
Lodestone - My 'Personal' stone
Onyx Crystal - Protection; be careful, wary
Tigers Eye Crystal - Fortune, opportunity; be brave, be bold
Green Aventurine Crystal - Health, fostering positive relationships and ties
Moonstone Crystal - Feminine, self-love; focus on what is best/important to you
Blue Lace Agate Crystal - Communication, creative expression
Amethyst Crystal - Trust your intuition, look at the bigger picture, there is something you're missing
Sea Glass - Unexpected message of joy, travel
5p Coin - Money, abundance, prosperity, career
Shell - Emotional freedom, dealing with loss, letting go
Pebble - Selflessness, give more of yourself, priorities, foundations
Pebble with Arrow Drawn On - Masculine influence, energy, vitality - could also represent 'someone else'
Once you have chosen your items, you may wish to cleanse them. To do this, you can pass them through incense smoke, sprinkle them with holy water, etc.; more information on cleansing objects here: https://www.thecottagemystic.com/cleansing-negative-energies.html
Once you have cleansed them, you will need to 'infuse' each object with whatever it is you want it to represent. This can be done by holding the stone and meditating on the intent; focus on connecting with the stone and pouring the intent into it. Make sure you listen to the stone; there have been some where I have decided I wanted a particular stone to have a particular meaning, but when meditating with it, a whole new meaning came to mind which just felt more 'right' for the stone. If this happens, listen to your intuition rather than trying to force a different meaning on the stone.
Your Personal Stone:
You will see that I have listed a 'personal' stone. This isn't a mandatory requirement, but I personally find it easier to use a personal stone. The personal stone represents you (or the person you are reading for), and you read the other stones in relation to that. The stones which fall closest to your personal stone will be the most prominent messages in your reading.
If you don't want to use a personal stone, then you would read the stones which fall closest to you as the most important ones.
Performing Your Reading:
You will need to cast your stones onto a surface, and then interpret how they fall. I recommend using a hard surface with a mat or similar on to protect your stones.
The casting is very simple; it is the interpretation which is the most difficult part. To cast, take your stones in your hands, and think upon the question you wish to find the answer to. Roll the stones in your hand, shake them up a bit, and when you feel ready, release them onto the surface before you.
Leave the stones where they lie, and read them. Remember, if you are using a personal stone, then the stones which fall closest to it are the most prominent ones, the ones to be read as a priority. If you aren't using a personal stone, then it will be the stones that fall closest to you.
Take a look at how they fall in relation to each other; stones lying grouped together can be read as one outcome for example. I have found that trying to read it as a 'story' makes it a bit easier.
It is very difficult to tell you exactly how to read them, as every reading is different, and you will need to use your intuition. For example, one of the sets I have made is out of seashells and pebbles collected from the beach, and I use it purely for readings around my emotional state. If I ask it a question such as 'how is my relationship with X', usually only one stone is relevant. However, if I ask it something along the lines of 'how will I handle this career change', then almost all of the stones will feel relevant to the reading. Similarly, stones which land far from your personal stone/yourself could be disregarded, but I have had readings where even the stones on the farthest reaches of the reading have been relevant. Below is a reading I performed recently, to give you an idea.
You will need to cast your stones onto a surface, and then interpret how they fall. I recommend using a hard surface with a mat or similar on to protect your stones.
The casting is very simple; it is the interpretation which is the most difficult part. To cast, take your stones in your hands, and think upon the question you wish to find the answer to. Roll the stones in your hand, shake them up a bit, and when you feel ready, release them onto the surface before you.
Leave the stones where they lie, and read them. Remember, if you are using a personal stone, then the stones which fall closest to it are the most prominent ones, the ones to be read as a priority. If you aren't using a personal stone, then it will be the stones that fall closest to you.
Take a look at how they fall in relation to each other; stones lying grouped together can be read as one outcome for example. I have found that trying to read it as a 'story' makes it a bit easier.
It is very difficult to tell you exactly how to read them, as every reading is different, and you will need to use your intuition. For example, one of the sets I have made is out of seashells and pebbles collected from the beach, and I use it purely for readings around my emotional state. If I ask it a question such as 'how is my relationship with X', usually only one stone is relevant. However, if I ask it something along the lines of 'how will I handle this career change', then almost all of the stones will feel relevant to the reading. Similarly, stones which land far from your personal stone/yourself could be disregarded, but I have had readings where even the stones on the farthest reaches of the reading have been relevant. Below is a reading I performed recently, to give you an idea.
Question: "How will I handle these new changes I am about to go through at work?"
Personal Stone: My personal stone is the dark blue glass pebble in the centre of the picture, so we will be reading all other stones in relation to this.
When focusing on interpreting this 'spread' I got a strong impression that everything above the personal stone was 'external', and everything below it was 'internal', or in relation to my subconscious.
Above the personal stone, you can see a green pebble. This green pebble represents emotional balance and the need to create it. Above this is the cockle, which represents joy and new opportunities. This tells me that I need to make sure I keep an emotional balance throughout this process of change, especially in front of my colleagues. This will enable me to appreciate and make the most of the new opportunities that will arise, and this attitude will also help create these new opportunities.
To the left of the personal stone, you can see a piece of sea glass. The sea glass represents the Goddess I work with most currently, and dedicated this set to, Cliodhna. This represents that she will be by my side throughout this change, supporting me.
Directly below the personal stone, you can see a mussel shell. This represents self-discovery, and taking a look at my own feelings and biases, to understand them and deal with them. This tells me that if/when things are getting overwhelming or there are things I don't agree with and get angry about (change isn't always easy), then I will need to first reflect on why I feel that way - is it something I genuinelly don't think will work, or am I just being resistant to change?
Below the mussel shell and to the left is a limpet shell. This represents clinging on to old ways that don't server you any more, and the need to work out whether you should still pursue them or find a new way. This seems to indicate that once I have done this retrospection, I will need to be ready to leave old ways of working and habits behind that no longer server in this new role I will be taking up.
Below this is a red pebble; the red pebble represents a warning that someone (maybe even yourself) is out to get you or sabataging you. In this context, I take this as what will happen if I don't release those old ways of working; if I try to cling on to them when they are just no longer compatible with my job, then I will effectively be working against myself in my efforts to adapt to this new job.
Below the mussel shell and to the right is a clam shell. The clam represents love, harmony, the need to make peace and move on, and create nurturing relationships. Considering its position next to the limpet, I take this to mean that alongside getting rid of that which doesn't serve me any more, I need to find acceptance and start to build new relationships with people which will serve me in this new job.
Below the clam shell is a black pebble. The black pebble also serves as a warning; this time, that you are risking burn out, and the need to rest and recuperate. Similar to the way it was read with the red pebble, I take this to be a warning as to what will happen if I ignore the advice of the limpet shell; if I don't build up those relationships, if I try to go at it alone, I will find it extremely overwhelming and risk burning out.
Personal Stone: My personal stone is the dark blue glass pebble in the centre of the picture, so we will be reading all other stones in relation to this.
When focusing on interpreting this 'spread' I got a strong impression that everything above the personal stone was 'external', and everything below it was 'internal', or in relation to my subconscious.
Above the personal stone, you can see a green pebble. This green pebble represents emotional balance and the need to create it. Above this is the cockle, which represents joy and new opportunities. This tells me that I need to make sure I keep an emotional balance throughout this process of change, especially in front of my colleagues. This will enable me to appreciate and make the most of the new opportunities that will arise, and this attitude will also help create these new opportunities.
To the left of the personal stone, you can see a piece of sea glass. The sea glass represents the Goddess I work with most currently, and dedicated this set to, Cliodhna. This represents that she will be by my side throughout this change, supporting me.
Directly below the personal stone, you can see a mussel shell. This represents self-discovery, and taking a look at my own feelings and biases, to understand them and deal with them. This tells me that if/when things are getting overwhelming or there are things I don't agree with and get angry about (change isn't always easy), then I will need to first reflect on why I feel that way - is it something I genuinelly don't think will work, or am I just being resistant to change?
Below the mussel shell and to the left is a limpet shell. This represents clinging on to old ways that don't server you any more, and the need to work out whether you should still pursue them or find a new way. This seems to indicate that once I have done this retrospection, I will need to be ready to leave old ways of working and habits behind that no longer server in this new role I will be taking up.
Below this is a red pebble; the red pebble represents a warning that someone (maybe even yourself) is out to get you or sabataging you. In this context, I take this as what will happen if I don't release those old ways of working; if I try to cling on to them when they are just no longer compatible with my job, then I will effectively be working against myself in my efforts to adapt to this new job.
Below the mussel shell and to the right is a clam shell. The clam represents love, harmony, the need to make peace and move on, and create nurturing relationships. Considering its position next to the limpet, I take this to mean that alongside getting rid of that which doesn't serve me any more, I need to find acceptance and start to build new relationships with people which will serve me in this new job.
Below the clam shell is a black pebble. The black pebble also serves as a warning; this time, that you are risking burn out, and the need to rest and recuperate. Similar to the way it was read with the red pebble, I take this to be a warning as to what will happen if I ignore the advice of the limpet shell; if I don't build up those relationships, if I try to go at it alone, I will find it extremely overwhelming and risk burning out.
