The Forgotten Codes of the Bones: African Bone Reading and the Collective Wisdom It Holds

In the stillness of the earth and the scatter of sacred bones lies an ancient wisdom, far older than written language—a practice rooted in various African cultures known as African bone reading. Often underappreciated or misunderstood in the modern world, this powerful divination practice serves as a portal into ancestral guidance, nature spirits, and cosmic memory, offering insights that transcend the individual.

This sacred tradition of ancestral wisdom is not only a tool for personal growth but also a profound way to connect to the collective consciousness. In this post, we explore African bone reading, its origins, practices, and the deep spiritual connection it fosters.

What Is African Bone Reading?

Bone reading, also known in different regions as casting bones or throwing the bones, is a spiritual practice where a collection of objects—including bones, shells, coins, stones, and sacred tokens—is cast onto a designated surface. Each item in the set has symbolic meaning, and their positions in the throw reveal messages, patterns, and truths that extend beyond logic or the conscious mind.

This is far from a game or parlor trick. African bone reading represents a sacred divination practice, passed down through generations. Each practitioner carefully curates their unique set of bones over time. These objects are consecrated through prayer and deep relational work, transforming into living conduits of ancestral wisdom and spiritual guidance.

A Gateway to Collective Ancestral Wisdom

Unlike contemporary intuitive practices that often focus on personal insight, African bone reading accesses the collective ancestral wisdom. The practitioner serves not as the source of the message but as the vessel through which the wisdom flows. The messages revealed come from relationships with ancestors, spirits, the land, and lineage, creating a direct connection to spiritual knowledge far beyond individual concerns.

This unique approach often places it at odds with a world captivated by rationality, data, and linear narratives. While modern systems demand proof, African bone reading operates within symbolic, nonverbal, and fluid languages that prioritize spiritual truths. And yet, despite its perceived mysticism, those who engage with bone readings frequently experience emotional clarity, transformational insights, and spiritual awakening.

How Practitioners Are Trained

Becoming a bone reader is a deeply sacred calling. It cannot be adequately taught through a manual or a weekend seminar. Instead, it often requires years of intimate mentorship from elders, spiritual guides, or within specific lineages. The process involves much more than understanding the symbolism of the bones. Practitioners also develop relationships with their ancestors, discern the energetic presence of spirits, and cultivate what is often referred to as symbolic sight.

The training also requires spiritual discipline. Practitioners are guided to confront their personal shadow and ego, ensuring they become a clear channel for the wisdom of the collective. This is why some cultures incorporate practices like dreamwork, signs, and spirit-guided visions into the process of creating a sacred set of bones, with each new piece evolving alongside the reader’s personal and spiritual growth.

What Makes African Bone Reading Unique?

While other popular divination systems such as tarot reading or astrology connect through personal archetypes or cosmic blueprints, African bone reading stands apart in its focus on ancestral wisdom and spiritual relationships. It often sheds light on issues beyond surface-level concerns, such as intergenerational trauma, ancestral imprints, and soul-level healing.

For example:

• It may reveal energy blockages rooted in an unresolved ancestral curse.
• It can illuminate areas where the soul has fragmented and guide the path to integration.
• It often points to offerings, rituals, or actions required to restore balance in one’s personal or spiritual life.

Unlike Western predictive readings, bone reading is not about foretelling the future. It is more of a revelatory process, addressing the "why" behind current circumstances and reconnecting individuals to the greater web of life.

A Wisdom Worth Reclaiming

At its heart, African bone reading is an act of remembering. It invites us back to the unfiltered wisdom of ancestral guidance, in a time when the digital age is overflowing with information but starving for genuine truth. These bones are more than just tools; they are witnesses of history, carriers of memory, and keys to an ancient, embodied intelligence that the modern world has largely forgotten.

Today, as more people reconnect with indigenous practices and seek holistic approaches to healing, African bone reading is being reclaimed as a powerful spiritual technology. It serves as both an individual and collective bridge—not as superstition, but as a sacred practice of connection, healing, and truth.

The Sacred Art of African Bone Reading | Munay

African bone reading is a traditional divination practice found in various African spiritual systems, where a practitioner (“diviner” or “bone thrower”) uses a set of sacred objects — often bones, shells, stones, coins, beads, or carved figures — to receive messages from the spiritual realm. Each Sangoma has a personal set of bones and objects, each imbued with meaning based on how it falls, the way it points, and its relationship to the other items. My set includes bones from initiation ceremonies in Swaziland — now officially called Eswatini —, along with shells and curios that aid in divination. Bone reading in Eswatini, like in neighboring South Africa, Zimbabwe, and other parts of Southern Africa, is considered a serious and sacred practice, not just fortune-telling. It’s deeply tied to ancestral communication and understanding karmic patterns. The tradition is passed down through training, initiation, and often dreams or visions that “call” someone to become a diviner. Through this practice, the Ancestors speak to me about a client’s challenges and offer guidance. Bone divination not only reveals hidden truths but also illuminates options and insights for moving forward. Unlike surface-level readings, bone reading taps into the root of situations: spiritual contracts, karmic ties, energetic imbalances, and soul purposes. You aren’t just receiving answers — you are being aligned with the deeper wisdom that already lives within you. This ancient art is for those who are ready to move beyond guessing and into profound knowing. It is a ceremony, a mirror, and an initiation into your next level of growth.

MunayGogo Gretchen Crilly McKay

Why African Bone Reading Matters Now

We live in a time when humanity yearns for deeper meaning. Divination practices like African bone reading offer a blueprint for reconnecting with ancient wisdom while addressing the challenges of a disconnected modern world. Whether through personal insight or collective healing, the bones hold the possibility of transforming not just lives, but the consciousness of communities and even generations.

Through this sacred knowledge, practitioners and seekers alike can rediscover their place in the intricate web of life, bringing forth a new kind of wisdom that is not only beneficial but essential for spiritual growth and global healing.

Closing Thoughts

African bone reading is more than a mystical practice; it’s a living dialogue with the unseen forces that shape our world. It reconnects us to a rich wellspring of ancestral wisdom, guiding us toward healing and deeper connection. Whether you are new to this tradition or drawn to its call, this sacred art offers profound insights and truths that no modern practice can replicate.

If you are seeking to reconnect with ancestral memory and grow in alignment with the collective, explore this ancient art. The bones, steadfast in their quiet wisdom, are waiting to guide you.