A Session of Cowry Shell Divination
One of the main ways to use cowry shells (there are others, of course) is as follows:
The person doing the divining (usually a Shaman) hands a group of 22 cowry shells to the consultant, who must then choose 4.
Those 4 shells represent the past and future, and the masculine and feminine aspects of the world we live in, and of the consultant.
The Shaman then mixes the 4 shells while invoking spirits capable of responding to the questions being asked, in the area being investigated.
The consultant concentrates on the question or request, then says it out loud, and finally blows on the cowry shells before throwing them.
The way the shells fall is thought to be in synch with telluric forces, showing how the consultant relates to the Universe.
The Shaman then interprets the shells. If no clear response is obvious, the consultant may be asked to throw the shells again.
The Shaman then puts the 4 shells back with the others, and explains their meaning to the consultant.
Here are a couple of sample predictions that can be made using cowry shells:
• If 1 shell falls on top of another, with the
opening facing upward, there will be some good news in the near future.
• If 1 shell is flat, and another lands on top of it
and remains in a vertical position, a conflict is imminent.
Predictions based on cowry shells may concern any area of life, including health, money, Love, work, marriage, birth, travel, etc.