Using d20 dice for Divination (for actual witchcraft)
I personally believe that practicing witchcraft is an endless learning process and that no longer how long you’ve been practicing there’s always something new to learn. Whenever I become stagnant in my practice is when I start to lose touch with it. When a friend of mine, Dylan, told me he started using Magic the Gathering game cards as an oracle deck, I was inspired to also stretch outside my comfort level and work with something new… and something a little nerdy: divination using dice. Tabletop RPG dice.
I’ll be honest with you, I’m still fairly new to the world of tabletop RPGs, but one thing has always attracted me to it: THE DICE. I only have one set that has been woefully unused... until now. In this post (and video) I set out on an epic quest to incorporate a d20 into my magickal divination routine.
Forms of dice divination, such as cleromancy and astragalomancy, exist but are not covered nearly as much as runes, tarot or pendulums. On the internet there are also many variations of dice divination sets with magickal symbols. To simplify it, I stuck with a single d20. They are cheap, accessible, closet-witch friendly, and depending on what you’re into, you may even already have some around.
Cleansing and Consecrating
I highly recommend some form of energetic cleansing of your dice before you begin. If you want to dedicate your dice to your practice, you can consecrate them as well, but it’s also okay if those are dice you play with as long as you don’t carry the energy (especially negative energy) from your game into your divination. Choose your cleansing method of your choice.
Method 1: Roll for Intelligence
The first thing I looked into was using all of a standard RPG dice set for divination. Even thought I knew the best way would be to formulate my own method that made the most sense to me, I was interested in how dice have been used for witchcraft historically. I started off on my grand quest for knowledge, journeying from my personal bookshelf to the edges of the internet.
From these resources I found that casting dice has been traced back to multiple cultures, including Ancient Greece. I found photos of actual dice with Greek symbols that were likely used by ancient oracles. Being half Greek is a strong influence on my practice, so this resonated with me deeply.
I found some resources that say that the oracles of Greece that cast dice were likely have a system, perhaps even a guidebook. This booklet would reference each symbol, and have meanings for each roll casting. My first attempt was to try to define what each dice would represent and how I could map it out into a booklet of my own so I could roll all of the dice to get a reading…
And then I didn’t. Because that was a lot of work and my brain hit a wall I just could not move past. And that’s why I decided to work with only the d20 moving forward.
Method 2: Roll For Initiative (Part 1)
In tabletop RPG, “roll for initiative” is how you determine the order in which you will play (particularly in battles). This use inspired me to use the d20 as a companion with my tarot and oracle decks. Sometimes when I’m shuffling and I get these “jumper” cards that fall out of the deck. Not everyone reads jumpers, but I interpret them as messages that I need to receive (and not necessarily answers to my original question). Sometimes they fall onto the floor and I have no idea what order I am supposed to interpret them in. With this method we’re going to use the dice to clarify if there is an order to this story.
To do this, I rolled for each card and placed it in order. I decided to roll with 1 being first and last 20 (rather than highest roll first, as it often is in games). With more cards it may be easier to make a quick note of what number you rolled with each card. For duplicate numbers, you could re-roll or, what I did was simply assume the message should be considered with them together.
Could you place these cards in order based on intuition rather than rolling a dice? Sure, you could. But sometimes we all…hit a wall. Especially as our intuition is developing or if we have rough days or setbacks. So roll for it!
Roll for initiative part 2: call your guides
Another way I’ve been using an initiative roll: figuring out magickal (or mundane) priorities. Sometimes we don’t know what to focus on first. Money? Career? Love? Friendships? Honestly I could often use a little magickal boost in ALL of these areas. Where do I start? For this method, I’m going to ask my d20 to be a direct line to my guides. “Guides” in your personal practice could refer to deities, spirit guides, ancestors, the elements, nature, the universe, or even your own intuition. Whatever resonates to you.
Meditate or do something that helps you feel closest to what or whoever your guiding force is. State your intention and parameters out loud. In this case it would be something like:
“I call upon (insert here, be as specific as you’d like or just “my guides”) to aid me in defining my initiative. I will state my goal for each one, with the lowest, 1, coming first and highest, 20, last.”
Next I either use my notes app or an actual pen and paper and write out my goals. I just roll for each goal, and write down the roll number. Then simply order them by ascending or descending (whichever you chose to go with) numerical order.
Afterward I will reflect on it. Your intuition is a main focus be here, because you may roll and realize that you put your career goals last but that’s the one you now feel you don’t want to put in the backseat for later. Follow that instinct- your intuition or guides may have just needed to show you what you really want by letting your instincts react!
Method 3: Skill check
In tabletop games the most common role is usually just to see how well you pulled something off. In game, 1 means failing miserably. 20 being it was not only pulled it off but it was IMMACULATE, incredible, perfectly executed and with additional style flare. For this, the simplest roll, I want to ask the D20 to roll for effort. One, in this case, could mean it is going to be a struggle. Re-evaluate the plan or prepare to put in a LOT of work for it. 20 meaning you’ve GOT this, move forward with confidence.
I personally focus on interpreting this as how much effort I should put in off the bat. Closer to 1, I should really put in a lot of effort immediately or be prepared to work hard for it. 20 being much more relaxed. Of course there will be work to do, but I don’t need to dive in like I’m swimming against the current immediately. This can be rolled for spell work, divination clarification, or just… everyday stuff.
Keep in mind that there is always room for error or flexibility! In game there are plus and minus points for different character strengths and weaknesses. A nat 20, move forward with confidence but be prepared for anything. A nat 1, don’t be *too* discouraged by the results.
Again, part of rolling this way made me realize what answer I wanted vs. what answer I expect. Recognize your excitement or disappointment when you roll. Why do you feel that way? Where in your body do you feel it? This can also give you a lot of things to reflect on, to learn from about yourself, your true desires and your expectations, and maybe even some answers will come from this reflection more than the number on the dice itself.
Quest Complete
Thank you for joining me on my personal journey to d20 dice divination! There were definitely lessons learned along the way. I personally will continue to practice with these methods. Do you think you will try any of them out?
D20 Dice Divination