These days, crystals, tarot cards, and ouija boards are the divination tools that people have come to expect when it comes to seeing what the future may hold. The market for these trinkets is booming across all age groups. But in the past, these weren’t available for people to use, so in order to predict their futures, they turned to common household items.
Believe it or not, some of the most valuable mystical objects can be found around the kitchen. From apples to tea leaves, there are countless food products that were transformed into divinatory tools. These fortune-telling methods have been practiced for centuries. Here are some foods that were staples of the magical arts and how to use them to predict the future.
Eggs
The use of eggs to predict the future is called oomancy or ovomancy. Oomancy dates all the way back to ancient Greece. The most well-known method of oomancy is linked to the Salem Witch Trials. During the hysteria of that time period, ministers would warn against using a “Venus glass.”
When people wanted to know about unborn children or unfound spouses, they would simply fill a glass with warm water and drop an egg white in. As the egg white solidifies, the shapes that it forms will provide a picture of your spouse’s identity. If the egg white looks like a horse, your spouse might be a farmer. If it resembles a boat, your spouse could be a fisherman.
Cabbages
To kick off the festivities, people used to steal cabbage the night before Halloween. It was all part of the Halloween prank. This practice stems from the Scottish tradition of “kaling,” which involves heading to a field of kale at midnight, putting on blindfolds, and yanking up the first bunch of leaves you come across. Afterward, you would closely inspect the stalk for clues about your future romantic partner.
If you were a woman who pulled a stalk that was tall, straight, and strong, that indicates that your husband would probably have the same qualities. A kale stalk with withered leaves and a lot of dirt attached to the roots implied that you would marry a wealthy, frail old man.
Nuts
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Another fortune-telling practice involves the use of nuts. People would take two chestnuts and roast them in the fire next to each other. If they failed to roll away, that was a sign of a happy, long-lasting marriage. There was also the option of throwing a hazelnut into the fire. The hazelnut represented your lover, and if it burst into flames, that was a bad omen.
Tea Leaves
During the 1920s and ’30s, tasseography was a popular method of divination. Predictions were based on the reading of tea leaves, so fortune-tellers were required to be able to interpret the shapes of the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. In New York City, fortune-tellers were prohibited from accepting payment for their services. The police force even carried out sting operations to catch them in the act.
To practice tasseography, make a cup of loose-leaf tea without any additives. After drinking the majority of the tea, swirl the dregs around three times in a clockwise motion and then pour them onto the saucer.
Apples
Today, bobbing for apples is a fun, albeit slightly humiliating, fall tradition often practiced at parties. However, in nineteenth-century England, it was more than just a party game. Bobbing for apples was a way to find out who your future spouse might be. The names of all the party guests would be written down on the apples. Then, you were required to dive in open-mouthed and snag an apple. Whichever apple you managed to clamp your teeth on represented the person you would marry one day.
Additionally, the fruit’s peel can tell you who your future spouse will be, so if bobbing for apples doesn’t sound appealing, this method will work just as well. Remove an apple peel in one piece and toss the peel over your shoulder. Whatever letter forms in the peel is the first initial of your true love’s name.
Onions
Cromniomancy is the official name for the practice of onion divination. Women having trouble deciding between suitors would carve their names on individual onions. The bulb that produces the first sprout will determine who among the suitors is the best choice for a husband. So, if you have found yourself in a love triangle this Halloween, try placing a pair of onions in a cool, dry place after carving them and see which one sprouts first.
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