Fortune-telling on a saucer is an ancient folk ritual. Any small plate, like the one that is presented in the museum collection, was used for it. People have always wanted to know their future, tell fortunes for their betrothed or success in business — that’s why many rites and rituals have survived to this day. As a rule, divination was carried out during the Yuletide period, which began on Christmas Eve — December 24, under the Julian calendar, and continued until Epiphany — January 6, under the Julian calendar.
The saucer acted as one of the main objects during divination. Usually, a small flat plate without a pattern was used. These objects served as a magical intermediary between a person and the other world. One of the most famous ways of divination with a saucer was lot drawing: people put rings, earrings, buttons into a plate, and then covered them with a handkerchief and sang short songs, in which the fate of the one whose object the presenter would pull out, was indicated.
Often the saucer was used together with candles, and one would look at patterns the wax left on the water. Such divination on wax is considered one of the most ancient. For the ceremony, water was poured into a deep plate, and an engagement ring was placed on the bottom. The wax was heated, and one would say again and again: ‘Burn, burn, candle, melt, melt, wax, tell me the name of my betrothed.’ Then one would pour out the melted wax into the water in the center of the ring and carefully examine the shape of the frozen wax figure.
In addition to the saucer, the fortune-telling kit presented in the museum collection also has candlesticks, a mirror, and a ring. With the help of these objects, one could see the image of the future betrothed. Late into the small hours, after washing in the baths, the girl lit candles and sat down in front of the mirror. She needed to put a cup or saucer with water in front of her. Scraps of paper with men’s names were put around the circle of the cup or saucer. A thread was tied to the ring. Holding the thread by one end, the girl lowered the ring into the water and slowly moved it over the names, waiting for the pendulum to start swinging or spinning.
Modern girls also sometimes resort to divination, but it is rarely perceived as something mystical.
The saucer acted as one of the main objects during divination. Usually, a small flat plate without a pattern was used. These objects served as a magical intermediary between a person and the other world. One of the most famous ways of divination with a saucer was lot drawing: people put rings, earrings, buttons into a plate, and then covered them with a handkerchief and sang short songs, in which the fate of the one whose object the presenter would pull out, was indicated.
Often the saucer was used together with candles, and one would look at patterns the wax left on the water. Such divination on wax is considered one of the most ancient. For the ceremony, water was poured into a deep plate, and an engagement ring was placed on the bottom. The wax was heated, and one would say again and again: ‘Burn, burn, candle, melt, melt, wax, tell me the name of my betrothed.’ Then one would pour out the melted wax into the water in the center of the ring and carefully examine the shape of the frozen wax figure.
In addition to the saucer, the fortune-telling kit presented in the museum collection also has candlesticks, a mirror, and a ring. With the help of these objects, one could see the image of the future betrothed. Late into the small hours, after washing in the baths, the girl lit candles and sat down in front of the mirror. She needed to put a cup or saucer with water in front of her. Scraps of paper with men’s names were put around the circle of the cup or saucer. A thread was tied to the ring. Holding the thread by one end, the girl lowered the ring into the water and slowly moved it over the names, waiting for the pendulum to start swinging or spinning.
Modern girls also sometimes resort to divination, but it is rarely perceived as something mystical.
