Osteomancy

So there was roasted garlic chicken for dinner yesterday.

I kept the bones and boiled ‘em up for stock. Then it seemed like a really good idea to keep certain of the bones, clean them off thoroughly and dry them out. They’re in a little box on the radiator at the moment. Next I’m gonna rub them veeeery gently with some very fine grade steel wool.

Then I’m gonna read with them. I have these ideas for a system…. I thought if I drew a mental circle on the ground I can read how/where they fall within that. Does that make sense to you guys?

I’m going to tell my sister I had to sacrifice the chicken ritually at the full moon – you reckon she’ll believe me?

I do need the bones to stop smelling chickeny though. The dogs are getting a little anxious and I don't want Poppy stealing them - chicken bones are so desperately dangerous for dogs. How do you stop bones smelling? I didn't want to boil them for so long they disintegrated. Will they stop if I just leave them on the windowsill in my little Spirit room?

I've kept turkey wishbones when my mother was crocheting them as a craft years ago. We washed them & set them out to air. They eventually lost their smell.
I would imagine that sunlight & fresh air would speed it up. If you just had to get them aired out faster maybe a gallon ziplock back with tons of baking soda in it would help. But I would still hang it near the sun to speed things up.

Good luck with this new trip!

Barbara

PS...I would tell my sister the same thing! The look on her face would be priceless! I told her recently that I was studying the runes because of daddys bloodline. She never said a word! I love being ornery to her!

They probably are smelling because they haven't dried out fully yet. I tend to leave chicken and turkey wishbones on my kitchen windowsill and its amazing how much they dry out but it does take a while, they also go a lot harder when they've dried out properly.

Bleach them - a little bleach in water in a pan, boil up, let them stand for a while, then rinse and set them out to dry.

Thank you - I'll do the bleachy thing, and then set them to stand on the windowsill awhile. Meantime I can work out the system in my head

That is awesome! I recommend the bleach too.

Drawing a circle is an excellent way to read with them!

You can also draw other patterns, and label them as different things.

Sometimes the best system is one that happens organically. I read with bones the first time at a party (using what was on the dinner plates, because I didn't have any other tools with me) and it's amazing what comes out of your head at the spur of the moment!

Good luck...and let us know what you come with it!

Right, my bleached bones have been on a sun-soaked windowsill for a week, resting on a bed of bicarb. I've made them a little goatskin pouch to call home, and tomorrow I'll have a go at fine tuning my system ....

After that, I'll be back to take (very simple) requests but I think the bones and I need a little private time together first

I'm not sure you could totally eradicate the scent of chicken bones so a dog wouldn't recognize it even with bleach or anything else.

Oh I wouldn't trust Poppy (my sneak thief dog) within sniffing distance of them! I did hope to get them so she'd be relatively safe with them but now I just don't want them to smell too obviously chickeny when I work with them. I think I might let them live in their bicarb-box on the windowsill when I'm not using them - eventually they should get so they don't smell too much. I have some bone jewellery and that doesn't smell at all ...

Wendywu said:

Then I’m gonna read with them. I have these ideas for a system…. I thought if I drew a mental circle on the ground I can read how/where they fall within that. Does that make sense to you guys?

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very much so, and how cool!

I’m going to tell my sister I had to sacrifice the chicken ritually at the full moon – you reckon she’ll believe me?

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ROFLMAO! OH MY!!! I've GOT to use this at Thanksgiving dinner this year! I can just see my brother & sister in laws expression now! (they already think i'm nuts with my psychic stuff, )

I do need the bones to stop smelling chickeny though.

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agree with Milfoil on this one.

when i was a teen, the local skating rink always had a special on the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. bring in the wishbone from the turkey-all decorated somehow, and they'd let you in free. they would also chose the best dressed, (er...decorated) wishbones and put them 'on stage' to be voted upon by the patrons. the top 3 would win cash prizes.

we always won. every year. mom would soak it overnight in bleach water, just as Milfoil said. one year, we decorated it as a bow-legged cowboy. we walked away w/first prize, (i think it was $100.00 then).

very intereting post, wendywu! and funny! *still laughing*