We are excited to announce the upcoming publication of Divination, Oracles & Omens, edited by Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, which will be available from Bodleian Libraries Press on 5 December 2024 at £25.00. This engaging and richly illustrated book delves into humanity’s long-standing quest to explore life’s mysteries through diverse divination practices spanning cultures and centuries.
Divination, Oracles & Omens offers readers a deep dive into twenty-four distinct methods of divination, ranging from astrology, palm reading, Tarot, and Chinese Yijing to more obscure practices such as egg divination. Across time and geography, these methods have been humanity’s tools to grapple with uncertainty, diagnose problems, and predict the future. The book highlights that while questions like “Should I marry this person?” or “What will the weather be next week?” have been asked for centuries, they continue to reflect both personal concerns and broader societal anxieties.
The book also showcases historical records from the Bodleian Library, including inquiries made to English astrologers Richard Napier and Simon Forman in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. These documents reveal timeless human desires to seek clarity amid life’s uncertainties, whether about health, relationships, or world events.
Beautifully illustrated, Divination, Oracles & Omens presents an array of related objects used in divination practices, such as cards, dice, altars, candles, astrolabes, and astronomical tables. While some may perceive divination as lighthearted entertainment, this book invites readers to reflect on how uncanny accuracy in certain soothsayers’ readings can transform skepticism into engagement and deeper contemplation.
More than just a survey of divinatory techniques, this spellbinding work explores what it means to seek answers in an unpredictable world, revealing that our questions often speak volumes about our lives and the times we live in.
About the Editors:
- Michelle Aroney is a research fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford, specializing in the history of early modern science and religion.
- David Zeitlyn is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford and a Mambila Ŋgam dù diviner, bringing unique insights into the cultural significance of divination.
For further information or to speak with Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, please contact:
Emma O’Bryen, Publicity
Email: emma@obryen.co.uk
Phone: 07505 659641
Accompanying Exhibition
Coinciding with the book’s release, a new exhibition titled Oracles, Omens and Answers, curated by Michelle Aroney and David Zeitlyn, will run from 6 December 2024 to 27 April 2025 at the S.T. Lee Gallery, Weston Library, Bodleian Libraries, Oxford. Full press release can be found here.
