Ornithomancy is a form of divination, a practice of reading omens through birds — their movements, their actions, and their calls. It appears across a variety of cultures, from ancient Greece, where birds were understood as messengers offering guidance on decisions and uncertain futures, all the way to north-east England circa 2002, where my dad taught me to always salute a solo magpie to avoid the wrath of its bad luck. Similar systems, same impulse: to look outwards when you feel unsure, when something feels unknowable.
To perform a facsimile of this divination — to prepare yourself for the real thing, with it’s feathers and claws — think of a question before taking the collectable card out from its protector. Your question could be specific or abstract, mundane or fantastical, or all of the above.
ִֶ.𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ𓅯་༘࿐
Each printed slip includes a vintage cigarette card depicting a bird: an answer to your question.
The cards are random, some common and some rarer, from various sets, featuring a range of different birds. They cannot be pre-selected.
Outer cards are printed in burgundy risograph on 135gsm G F Smith stock, sold in reworked second hand plastic card sleeves.
ִֶ.𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ𓅯་༘࿐
