At the Astragalomancy Workshop

(Blows horn.)

Sure beats “May I have your attention, please?”, doesn't it?

(Laughter.)

So, welcome to Paganistan. My name is Steven Posch, and this is the workshop on astragalomancy. Long ago, in the dawn of days, the Horned, God of Witches, gave us the bones, and taught us how to read them.

This is a sacred knowledge, and so we'll begin our sacred work today in a sacred way. But first, some demographics.

How many witches here today?

(Voice from crowd:)

By whose definition?

(Laughter.)

Well, by yours, of course!

(Show of hands.)

Well, to all of you, whatever your pagan tribe: welcome, and a thousand times welcome.

So, members of the tribe and guests of the tribe both, let us together take up our sacred work today. Could I have a volunteer? (Show of hands.) Yes, you, thanks.

Robert Cochrane, the Father of the modern Old Craft movement, once said: “There is no true religion without fire.” (Gestures toward lighted candle.) This Fire has burned continuously for nearly 40 years at the Temple of the Moon here in Minneapolis.

Now, it is said that, long ago in the Dawn of Days, the Horned our God dwelt in heaven, in the House of Thunder, but that he looked down one day upon us his children, and saw that we were cold and hungry and in darkness, and so he stole the Fire of the Gods from the Hearth of Thunder, and came down to Earth, and brought it to us here. For this, he was to pay a terrible price, but his act of audacious courage was the making of us, since when the Holy Fire has burned at the very heart of who we are and all we do.

(To volunteer.)

So I'd like to ask you today to take up the Holy Fire and carry it around the perimeter of the room in our people's ancient gesture of commemoration and of land-taking.

And so we begin.

(Blows horn.)

What the Bones Said: How to Cast and Read the Knucklebones

Long ago, in the dawn of days, the Horned gave us the bones and taught us how to read them.

Here's how.

Paganicon 2025

Friday, March 21 – Sunday, March 23