Bibliomancy

Have you ever been reading a book and feel yourself whisked away to a completely different place or time? Have you ever read a book and a few chapters in have the answer to a problem that has been plaguing you for weeks? Well then you might be a Bibliomancer. I have never met anyone in the pagan community that has said “I don’t like books and I will never read them” in fact it is quite the opposite. If you are like me then you have stacks of books all over the house, you have 50+ books in your Amazon cart, and a list you want to borrow from a friend.

Ever since I was a child I had a hard time “focusing” when I was reading books. I was constantly in trouble for being a slow reader and a daydreamer. At one point my parents got me glasses for my 20/20 vision just so I could focus. Needless to say it never worked. As I grew older, I came up with tricks to train myself to focus; eating while reading, constantly moving or fidgeting etc. You see my problem was not the fact that I couldn’t focus, the problem was that by the time I reached paragraph three I was in a completely different world.

Recently my mentor and I have decided to read the “White Goddess” for a project we are working on. If you have read it or even seen it you know it is a hard, long book and the language isn’t the easiest to read. I highly respect Robert Graves for his monumental work, but we have spent more time on the phone talking about how hard the book is that actually reading it. My mentor recently called me and said “I have figured it out!” and she began to unravel her method of reading the book. As she spoke I was astounded, I had been doing this since I was a child. Why didn’t I think of this? What an amazing concept! Read the book through divination, gain the knowledge of the book and the hidden meanings in both the book and the subconscious!

How does biblomancy work?  One simple way is to let spirit guide you to a book.   For example, if the subject is about love then grab a romance novel, or a spell book on love. Ask your question and close your eyes, allow your fingers to open the book, to any place in the book, front back middle etc. Slowly flip through the pages and ask your question over and over again. When you feel your hand snag on a page, or when you feel that “yes this is the page” then stop, open your eyes and begin to read. Is the page positive? This would be a yes. Is the page negative? This would be no. Do the words on the page form the answer for you?

This is not the only way to biblomance. As you progress and become more comfortable, take it to the next level by inducing a trance through reading.  If you are a regular trance practitioner then this should be a wonderful addition to your trance work. If you are new, no worries! Sit in a comfortable position, back straight, and legs crossed if you wish.  Push the shoulders down, extend the neck up and head forward this will help to ease you into a trance state. As you begin to read, you allow the words to take you somewhere.  Do not worry about the content but just say the words one after another, allow yourself to be free, and remember that you are not reading for the content. If you reach the bottom of the page without any luck then go back to the top and read the same page. If you try this several times with no luck, then try a different page or book. Remember that the words must trigger the mind shift, so let it be a book that you really resonate with. If you want to work with the Fae, then don’t read a science fiction novel. If you are trying to connect with Isis, don’t read a book on herbalism, but find a book that is about Isis. As you begin to shift into the other world allow yourself to go. This can be the hardest part, letting the imagination run free; the imagination is the bridge to the other side. Without this bridge, you cannot cross the veil. Be sure to keep a notebook handy and write down your experiences. You may find that other body positions are better such as reading on a couch or lying down. If you happen to slip into a dream state let yourself drift off.

Though many people have not heard of or practiced bibliomancy, it is actually a popular practice, and is featured in many films, and books. Alice in wonderland is a prime example.  In the first paragraph of Lewis Carroll’s work “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, more commonly known as” Alice in Wonderland”, she is sitting on the bank, (a tween place) and was peeking at the book her sister was reading. Just a few lines later is when the rabbit appears, and down the rabbit hole she goes. Alice in Wonderland is more than just an example of biblomancy, but it is also a shamanic underworld journey. As your bibliomancy skills increase with practice, take it to the next level and begin to journey. I hope that you have many wonderful meditations, and that the words on the pages part the veil for you.