Readers’ Questions: Cowry Divination, Anger Management & Mole Pregnancy
Greetings dear readers!
Happy and blessed Samhain to you all! This month, our readers ask:
Dear Witch Hazel,
I was wondering if you could give me any information on divining with cowrie shells. I tried some books and the internet, but the closest thing I could get were vague references to an African tribe, nothing on how to do it. Thanks, Erica
Cowry divination has its roots in the Yoruba culture and is utilized by practitioners of Macumba and
Santeria. You may not be able to find anything too specific simply be due to the fact
that many practices and rituals are heavily guarded from non-initiates.
This system of divining consists of an oracle board and 16 dime-sized cowries. The serrated openings on the front are the “mouths”. The backs of the shells need to be filed down so that you can flip them on the board, just as you would flip a coin.
The oracle board is a wooden tray with a specific design carved, glued or painted on it. You could also paint the design on cardboard, inside a pizza tray. The design of the board is divided into quarters; the left top represents positive male energy, the left bottom is positive female energy. The right top is negative female energy and the right bottom quarter represents negative male energy.
The book Urban Voodoo gives a detailed description of the oracle board and suggested use (again, intended for a non-initiate audience). You could also check out Erzulies for their reading services.
Dear Witch Hazel,
I’ve never been a violent person, but often, I lose my temper and say hurtful things, especially to my boyfriend. Does
Wicca have anything to teach me as to how to avoid this?
Thank you!
Amanda
This doesn’t sound like an issue specific to Wicca or something that a little spell will help make go away.
If you feel your temper is flaring up and out of control, you need to train yourself to keep your cool. This will take a little work, but in the long run, will help you stay cool-headed so you don’t say things you will later regret.
When you start to feel angry, think before speaking. If neccessary, walk away before you explode. Explain that “this is not a good time to talk about it” and give yourself a time-out to breathe and collect yourself. When you are calm, discuss what upset you.
You may want to find a suitable physical outlet to release your anger. This could be a punching bag that you can use or maybe an exercise class or workout that will help you release energy.
You could try meditation. Simply sit or lay down in a quiet place every now and then, preferably daily, and breathe deeply,
concentrating on your breath and let all of your thoughts slip away. Do this for about 15 to 30 minutes. If stressful
thoughts start to pop back into your head, simply bring your focus back to your breath. You could also try drinking a relaxing tea such as chamomile or
burn some soothing incense, such as lavender or lotus.
If you feel these methods don’t help over time, you may want to seek out therapy and sort out your issues. Good luck.
Hello, my name is Kim. I am 34 years old and have remarried. My new husband is two years older than me, and although I already have a daughter and a son from my first marriage, we would love to have a child together. We have conceived once, but miscarried. I had what the doctor called a “mole pregnancy” and if it was a certain type the I would have to wait a year to try again. In my case it was the other type. It’s been over a year and although we are trying, still no baby on the way. What would you suggest if a child is meant to be in our future?
Ah, what you are talking about is a molar pregnancy, the result of a genetic error during fertilization that causes the growth of abnormal tissue and not an embryo within the uterus. The two types are complete and partial. A complete mole pregnancy is when sperm fertilizes an empty egg (containing only placenta) and there is no baby, yet the patient feels the effects of HCG, the pregnancy hormone, and feels as though she is pregnant. A partial mole pregnancy is when two sperm fertilize one egg; this abnormality causes the fetus to have too many chromosomes and the baby almost always dies in the uterus.
Women at age 40 have a greater risk of having a mole pregnancy, and your chances of a reoccurance are greater than someone who hasn’t had a prior problem. There are indeed certain factors in your life, diet, etc., that could affect conception, but I recommend talking to your doctor and see if the odds are in your favor to have another child. Your miscarriage may just be a part of the inherent rate of pregnancies that happen to miscarry and not related to your molar pregnancy, although you may also want to check and see if the miscarriage had any molar elements.
Thank you taking the time to write in. Do drop a line with your questions. |
