Fortune Telling For Children

Moved by the rapid loss of species, extinction prospects, an affinity with nature, I made this oracle that draws its messages and counsel from the animal kingdom. It somehow felt more universal, less judgmental than other models. First responses from the test team were very positive. People found it inspiring, thought provoking. All well and good until it got into the hands of a six year old. He was baffled by ‘the game’. “How do you win?” he demanded to know. I wrestled with an answer for him, in the end decided on something resembling the truth.

“It’s not a game, it’s a device for advice. The way it works is that there’s a number of possible animals that can turn up when you throw the dice, but when you do throw down, there’ll be just two. Two of twenty-four. Why those two? Nobody can say. And nobody can predict. File it under synchronicity. Mysteries of the universe. The hand of a random phantom turning up something just for you.” “But how does it work?” he insisted. If he couldn’t get the manual, he at least wanted the point. “I really can’t say why this works as it does, but it does work, and a big part of how it does is up to you.”

“Let’s say you want some help with a problem, for example, some goon on the playground is making you uncomfortable. You take the dice, ask the animals of the earth to give you a tip, or two… Let’s say what you get is the owl and the spider. You then ask yourself, ‘What are they saying here? What might I do if I were one of the these creatures? What powers do they have that I might borrow?’ A big part of how this works is using your imagination.”

“Well, the owl is able to be very still, blend in, and watch carefully. He can also turn his head all the way around to see the scene from all sides.”  “That’s very good.” “And the spider, she can drop in and out by way of a line she spins.” “Excellent analysis.” “And this helps me…how?”  “Maybe it means you’re not so stuck in the web. Or you can see danger in advance and fly away if things get tense.” “Next time you have an issue, think…  Can I observe this problem from an angle high above, can I be wiser, look with eyes that see in the dark and catch every little movement?”

“And this all comes down to chance?” “Well, yes and no. The pieces and parts are fixed. What comes into play in the magic of the moment- when you ask your question and then toss the cubes- is your connection to what is, with a dash of something we will never know. Brought by the mystery of chance. So make the most of what you get, trust your intuition. And don’t worry about what’s impossible to understand, no matter how smart you may be.”