I’m one of those people who feel nostalgic during the Autumn months. My heart yearns for the Italian side of my family who came to the US from Calabria’s beautiful Mediterranean shores. Like many immigrants, my relatives did what they could to blend into their new culture, and try as they might they never completely masked the one thing that gave them away as Italian–  their overly animated hand gestures.

Apart from cooking, poetry and the language of amore, Italians have turned hand gestures into an art form. You want to tell someone to bugger off? There’s a clear gesture for that, as well as letting someone know you’re frightened, hungry, pissed off and so much more. My favorite is the elegant hand glide that expresses appreciation for something that is made to perfection. Following is a video that offers some excellent examples of what my non-Italian friends call Italian sign language.

Today’s casting sheet borrows from the unspoken, yet clearly communicated language found in hand gestures. It features hands demonstrating 18 activities that relay a variety of messages. Interspersed between the hands you will find words and punctuation marks that bring you to the truth of the matter. Situated in the four corners are four card suits matched with their corresponding theme, and in the center is a single eye that acts as the focal point for your divination.  Here’s how it works:

(Click, Print & Divine)

Start with a question. The board is set up to answer yes/no questions and also makes clear what’s fact or fiction in your situation.  Once you have your question in mind, take your Magpie Oracle charms and cast them over your sheet, paying close attention to where they land. The charm(s) that land in the eye represent what’s at the core focus of your question. For example if your question is, Will I get a new job, and the Anchor charm from the Magpie Oracle lands in the position of the eye, it could indicate you are in fact bringing into focus (the Eye) a secure position (Anchor). If you’re using the Magpie Oracle II and let’s say, the Noose lands in your focal point then this could suggest something is ready to end before proceeding, or that you’re too hung up on the topic and need to put it to rest once and for all.

Keywords for the Magpie Oracle can be found here and the Magpie Oracle II’s Emblem Elucidator here.  Tips on casting are available in this free handbook.

You may reach a point in your casting when a charm doesn’t land in the position of the Eye.  In order to avoid this I like to preselect a charm before casting so I can have a focus right from the start.  You may also simply like to trust where the charms land.  No charm landing in the position of the Eye could also indicate that the core focus is building.  Use your intuition and go with your immediate hit.

Next, let your focus move out from the focal point of your casting sheet, taking note of where your charms land:

• Fact~Fiction~True~False  =  Charms landing in the fact, fiction, true, false positions indicate what is and isn’t factual about your question or theme.

• !~?~!~?  =  If a charm lands on a question mark it indicates the answer is not yet clear or ready to be revealed.  It might also be suggesting you ask again.  With these I like to pull a tarot or Lenormand card for added clarity.  The exclamation mark suggests you pay extra attention to what that charm symbolizes for you.

• Yes~No = You are also given Yes/No options with each stating a clear-cut answer in regards to your question.

• Heart~Club~Diamond~Spade =  Charms landing in one or all of the four corners demonstrate which area in your life is being activated by your question or situation. Consider it a non issue if a your charms don’t land in a corner. If you find a larger number of charms concentrated in one corner and not another then this is an area that is quite charged.

• Hand Gestures  =  The meaning of the hand gestures depend solely on your intuition. Your definitions will be far more accurate than anything anyone else can give. For example, the Thumbs Up symbol to the right of  your casting sheet can mean, yes, or it’s a go for some, while others might see it as a sign for hitching a ride. Like I always say, your definition will always be best so trust in your first hit. It’s usually right!

As always, grazie mille and may your future follow your highest wishes.