Divination with smoke

Use

Once worlds have been created, it is necessary to explore them. This archaic exercise in divination can help to clear up doubts or dark areas that persist in a particular world.

Protocol

Start by listing the outstanding questions and draw one at random. Then burn some sage and sweet mallow. Observe the texture and the movements of the smoke closely, and try to interpret its shape to advance your answers.

According to the ancient rules of smoke-reading, a thin, straight plume of smoke is thought to indicate a good omen. Large plumes of smoke on the other hand, indicate a bad omen. Smoke touching the ground is thought to be a sign that immediate action must be taken to avoid catastrophe.

Use these ancient interpretations as an inspiration for your own intuitions. Tell yourself you can read the signs that the smoke is hiding.

Variant

Build a sweat lodge with your team of futurists and create the smoke by throwing water on the burning stones laid out on a carpet of sage and sweet mallow branches and twigs. You can use the jar of questions to hold the water and use the lodge to meditate on the worlds or futures you started imagining.

Credits

Capnomancy (also known as libanomancy) is an ancient method of divination using smoke.

Anna Cz. wrote this short article. She checked Wikipedia to learn about the ancient rules of smoke-reading.