Do you think anyone can predict the future? Whether you believe it or not, do you understand the various methods used by divination practitioners, the art of predicting the future? I’ve been studying divination for some time, and while I admit to a fair share of skepticism about the practice, I also find it quite fascinating to read about its methods and the people who believe in them. In this manual, I will lay out the main methods fortune tellers use to predict the future, broken down by geographic region.

Asia

Asian divination began in China in the earliest known dynasty, Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, dating from before 2600 BCE. C. Over time, the methods employed by the Chinese have spread to the rest of Asia under different names, but similar approaches. No matter which Asian country it is practiced in, however, the divination method can be traced back to China.

Here are the four main methods used to predict the future in Asia:

1. face reading. In this method, the storyteller analyzes the three primary regions of the face, the upper representing youth, the middle representing middle age, and the lower representing old age. By analyzing the lines, shape, blemishes, and other aspects of the face, the doctor can predict the fate of the recipient for that age of his or her life. For example, someone may be told that he will have bad luck when he is middle-aged but he will have good luck when he is older, because of what he sees in the different regions of the face.
2. hand reading. Palm lines are analyzed to predict love, personality, and other traits. It is similar to Western palmistry that you may have seen in the movies or practiced for fun as a child.
3. kau-cim. In this technique, a bamboo cylinder is filled with incense sticks that have some inscription on them. The diviner shakes the rod until an incense stick falls out, which is then analyzed to reveal the future. This is a short term prediction as it is only valid for the calendar year.
4. Zi wei do shu. In this method a master of the Chinese calendar is sought out to give one the path of destiny or destiny. It is made using a Chinese astrology, and it can also be used not only to predict the future but also to justify why things happened in the past.

Africa

Africa is a large continent and divination methods vary. However, a common approach is to mold or cast bones. This is practiced throughout Africa with a number of different objects used to represent bones: small animal bones, pieces of wood, small rocks, or shells may be used. A common approach is to gather in a circle as the pitcher throws and then read the bones.

These are the two main methods used to throw the bones:

1. single count. In this method, each bone is marked with a number. After the bones are molded, a mathematical formula is used based on whether or not the bones touch each other, their directional position, and what the number was. The punctuation is then used to tell the future.
2. symbolic. In this method, each bone is chosen to represent something, for example, a rabbit’s foot bone to represent a journey, a shell to represent the ocean, etc. The position of each symbolic bone is then used to determine the applicant’s fate.

Europe and America

The practice of fortune telling is not respected or understood in the Western world, at least to the extent that it is elsewhere. Despite that, however, there are a number of accepted believers and practices.

These are the four main methods used to predict the future in Europe and the Americas:

1. astrology. The attempt to answer a question by constructing a horoscope for the exact time and place the question was asked.
2. tasseography. The interpretation of patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds or wine sediments.
3. tarot reading. Using tarot cards to predict the future.
4. Palmistry. Palm reading, similar to the Asian method.

Fortune tellers are respected and revered in the East and reviled in the West. But no matter where you live and what your beliefs are, it’s interesting to learn about them. I hope you have found this how-to manual and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to walk your own path in life.