There was a time, not all that long ago when animals were viewed as sacred. Each holding it’s own divine vibrational essence, unlike many current views where animals are looked at and treated as commodities. At one time, animals were killed with care and reverence. The family or tribe hunting would never take more than they needed and would often conduct specific rites to honor the spirit of the departed creature. Once the necessary rituals were conducted and respects were paid, the meat was used for food. It was thought blasphemous to waste the remaining parts of the animal and so the rest was used in a variety of ways. In some cultures is was believed that the spirit of the animal might return to your home with a deadly curse or with severe misfortune if its remains were mistreated or wasted.
The reverence for our animal brothers and sisters encouraged people to use the entire animal for daily life and in sacred rites, not just the bits and pieces as we do today. The skin, hair, teeth, bones, and so on all had a purpose. Bones became a primary component in most divination and Magickal practices. This incorporation of animal parts into sacred rituals makes perfect sense, even to this day. All life is sacred, making the food we consume sacred. Treating animals with respect is a given when you are walking a Magickal and spiritual path.
Divination
I am sure you have seen some horrible and misleading renditions of bone divination in movies. Typically portrayed is a dingy blind hag tossing bones into a bowl or onto a cloth as she murmurs an evil curse. While these representations are dramatic misrepresentations of the truth, they are loosely based on actual ancient practices.
Different bones have a different meaning, much like ruins or tarot cards. How the bones fall will determine the message that is read by the skilled Diviner. Many cultures from South African to Mongolian, European, and South American, all have their own styles and rituals for reading bones. Some use the knuckle bones of sheep while others prefer a mix for rib, spine, and leg bones. In some cultures, a combination of various animal bones is preferred, giving the Diviner a variety of sizes and shaped to read.
While in the movies we see the Diviner receiving a large amount of information determining the outcomes of a critical situation, in reality the Diviner will often only answers yes or no questions. Others will break up the divination into as many as 4-parts with simple answers received. While there is no single form of bone divination, many traditions have been mingled to create new styles of reading. A great example is South African, European and Native American traditions as displayed in some new world traditions like Hoodoo and Southern Conjure.
Bones as Tools
Longer or larger bones of pigs, turkeys, and beef make great tools. You could effectively create a Magick wand for directing and focusing your energy from larger longer bones. Bone can be smoothed, carved and burned to represent your own personal path with symbols that are specific and meaningful to you. You can create your own divination set from pieces of bone, or carve bone to create altarpieces.
You can use large bones to grind herbs and spices for your Magickal recipes much like a Pestle. You will want to make sure the bone is strong enough, large enough and that it has been properly cleaned for this kind of task. I have found that the ribs bones of pig and beef work very well. You will want to make sure they are uncut bone, keeping the bone as close to it original state as possible.
Discussing this reminds me of stories I have heard and read about how some practitioners of Magick will acquire the bones of a powerful Witch after his or her death for this purpose. It is thought that the bone of a powerful individual will help infuse spells, potions, and other Magickal workings with the remnant power of the deceased. It is for this reason that many powerful Witches would instruct their apprentices and family members to keep their graves secret or choose to become cremated. The purpose is to prevent the defilement of their resting place. I don’t recommend raiding graves to acquire powerful bones, it is not only spiritual dangerous, but it is also highly disrespectful to disturb the dead. The idea has significance as we use animal bones to infuse our Magickal recipes with the animals specific Magickal essence.
In addition to using bones as a pestle type tool, you can also use larger bones for stirring soups and other Magickal recipes. Animals are usually considered a symbol of abundance and prosperity when used in Magick. The bones of animals will help infuse your spells with this Magickal essence. It only makes sense to use bones in the conjuring of spells related to prosperity, abundance, financial gain, and so on.
If you were able to know the animal personally by raising it on your own or through a sponsorship, you will also have the chance to know and understand its unique personality. This will also help you determine what magickal essence the animal will provide to your Magickal Recipes. Since raising our own beef, poultry, and pork is an issue for most of us living in urban locations, the sponsorship of an animal is an ideal way to ensure your animal is treated humanely and respectfully. To learn more about how to sponsor an animal read:
Magickal Recipes
Stock Tip The Magick KitchenIn recent years, the Marrow of beef and ox has made a comeback in high-end restaurants. It would almost appear that the wisdom of our ancestors is slowly making its presence known in common and high society.
In Magickal recipes, the use of bone is essential to making stocks. Stocks have many uses and should not be confused with broth. While bones can also be used in the making of broth, stocks are a bit different. While broths are usually made from the meaty parts of the animal, stocks are made of the bones resulting a richer flavor as the gelatin and marrow are released. In either method, you can add a variety of vegetables to the cooking process to deepen and enhance the flavor.
While other forms of non-edible Magick allow the use of found bones, I cannot recommend using found bones inedible recipes. You will only want to use bones you have purchased fresh or processed yourself.
Source
http://themagickkitchen.com/bone-magick-for-the-kitchen-witch/
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