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hatters-workshop · 2 years

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So weird thing that I have kind of background believed for a long time with the alethiometer in His Dark Materials: I think that most people can't read it mostly because they think they can't, because they know it's difficult (or look at it and don't instantly understand) and that there are *rules*, and they get caught up in that. This is not me trying to be all "rip to them but I'm different" but I think there's also something in the way that Lyra is able to do it, but adults can't, that is aside from the whole deus ex machina.

The series as a whole puts a lot of emphasis on the difference between how children act, think and feel differently to adults. The difference between knowledge and intuition is heavily emphasised. We also know that the whole thing with Dust is that it isn't attracted to children because of this delineation.

There is also the fact that the alethiometers come from a time when symbols were heavily used and everyone would know and understand a lot of meanings for each symbol as second nature. This is contrasted with the scene in The Subtle Knife when Lyra is hooked up to the Cave and she gets the screen to talk to her in the symbols she's learned because that's how she frames the idea of "asking the alethiometer" which she is basically trying to replicate with it, but she tells Mary that she reckons she could get it to speak in words. Which she does, and she understands basically everything that is said to her, though the angels throw some metaphor in there too that isn't instantly obvious.

Now what if, as those symbols fell out of common use, people started making books of reading for those that came after. They knew that the use of symbols was starting to fall out of common parlance, so they listed down all the symbol meanings that they could think of, and when they read the alethiometer, it would stop on the symbol a certain number of times, and when it did it meant this meaning of that symbol, so they noted that down too.

And so it becomes a known thing that if you are going to read the alethiometer, it's *going to be hard work*. You are *going to have to learn all the meanings* and *exactly* what it means at all the different levels. The emphasis is on *knowledge* at all times, so if you are able to access an alethiometer in the first place, you are going to know that you *have to know all this* before you start.

Meanwhile, we have Lyra. She's a child, and on top of that, she as a person is a creature of instinct and stubbornness. But she is also a child that has been brought up in an academic background. Even just in passing, she has a lot of higher level knowledge of metaphor and symbolism than her peers. While she is told that she should need the books of reading, she is also in a dire situation, she has the device that has the answers, and nothing to lose by trying to work with it.

And she does. There are times when her symbol knowledge fails her, or she doesn't have the context to work it out (the chameleon, she doesn't recognise the animal and also doesn't know the myth that they don't eat or drink and just live off air; the symbols that added up to mean that it was telling her that the 'ghost' was a child with no daemon) but for the most part she is able to *intuit* the meaning by herself but also look at the way it is framed in the books. She translates the list of meanings into very conversational interactions.

I always took her loss of the ability to read it as one of the final indicators of her transition from intuitive child to a more logical adult, and how that changes her from a child who is willing to just have a go at something, to try and make it work because it's her only source of power, to an adult whose brain works in knowledge and facts and "the right way to do things".

Part of this is that I have a headcanon that if you were to put child Lyra next to someone who had studied the books, and asked them to get the answer to the same question, you would see different readings come out of them: they would get the same final answer, yes, but I don't think the way they would "read" it would be the same. I think the symbols would be in a different order, or they would have been different symbols chosen based on the person reading them.

I think part of you getting into the frame of mind described in the books is both you being receptive to information, but also engaging Dust/the angels in such a way that they can try and present you with the information in such a way that you will understand as best as they can. Say again with Mary: when the Angels use the metaphor of "play the serpent", I think they were playing in her wheelhouse. If she had been from a completely different culture or religious background, I think they would have found a different metaphor.

Think of it as playing a game of charades. If you know the person well, you will give them clues based on things they understand, in jokes or shared frames of reference, and you'll get to your answer faster. The symbols were put there by people who understood them all clearly at the time and thought everyone else would always understand them. But looking at a current comparison, is someone in two hundred years going to look at a text with 🍆 in it and instantly know the meaning we have ascribed to it?

Meanwhile the other person in this scenario, who had learned the meanings, would have spent their life learning the "correct" meanings. Memorising every meaning of each symbol *as it was written in a book* by a person who was writing down how they personally read the alethiometer. I think they would probably get a very different series of symbols.

#his dark materials #hdm #northern lights #golden compass #lyra belacqua #lyra silvertongue #alethiometer #meta #headcanon

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queer-tech-seer · 1 year

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Using the Alethiometer as a Tool of Divination

About the Alethiometer

The Alethiometer is a divinatory tool from Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. The word 'alethiometer' is a compound of Greek root aletheia- (truth) and suffix -meter (measure), literally meaning 'truth measure'. It resembles a compass or pocket-watch in appearance, with four needle-like hands anchored to the center and a golden casing -- giving rise to its alternative name, The Golden Compass. The Alethiometer has thirty six symbols painted around the rim of the dial, each with meanings on multiple different levels (referred to by Lyra in the book as a 'ladder' that one had to travel up and down) that are contextually and subjectively dependent.

To use it, an Alethiometrist uses the dials on the sides of the device to move three of the four hands to point at three symbols representing the question they wish to ask. The Alethiometrist must hold this question in their mind and enter a loose, almost meditative state, during which the fourth dial shifts from symbol to symbol to indicate the answer. The querant must not only note which symbols the needle stops at and the order it does so, but also how many times it may have stopped at the same symbol, which could (but not always!) indicate which 'rung' of the 'ladder' the meaning may be found at. The symbols must then be taken together as a whole to translate and interpret the full meaning. The Alethiometer moves quickly, and so the Alethiometrist must be quick-witted and pay close attention to what it is trying to say lest they miss parts of the answer.

The Alethiometer was invented in Lyra Silvertongue's world in the 17th century by Pavel Khunrath, an experimental theologian who had originally intended to use it for astrological purposes, but expanded his research once he realized the device could answer questions beyond those dealing with the zodiac. In much the same way people of our world use tools such as tarot cards and runes, the Alethiometer was used to 'learn the truth' via communication with Dust, the elementary particle responsible for the consciousness of sentient species across the multiverse. Only six of these devices were ever created, and each of them had a somewhat unique appearance beyond the common resemblance to a compass.

Using the Alethiometer

As with any divinatory tool, reading and interpreting an Alethiometer is a deeply personal process that requires no small amount of intuition. It is for this reason that learning the symbols must go beyond mere rote memorization. Each of the 36 symbols on the dial has a primary 'surface' denotation and multiple, more abstract subsidiary connotations. Similar to tarot cards, each symbol can also have a multitude of different meanings beyond those that are commonly held due to the Alethiometrist's personal beliefs, views, culture, and life experiences. No symbolic meaning is universal! The Alethiometer may add to the multiplicity of the symbols by revealing new meanings to the querant relevant to the question at hand.

Additionally, Alethiometrists should look in to academic topics such as the study of semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretations), lexical semantics (the study of word meanings and word relations), and pragmatics (the study of how context contributes to meaning), especially in linguistic, anthropological, and sociological contexts. By combining these epistemologies, an Alethiometrist will have a firm foundation upon which to expand their knowledge and understanding not only of the symbols and meanings of the device itself, but how they might fit together in a syncretic and holistic manner.

Using an Alethiometer is a co-constructive exercise between yourself and the device. When posing a question to the Alethiometer, one should be calm, relaxed, loose in both body and mind, and open to whatever answers will be revealed to you. Remember: It can only the truth, but, depending on the question and context, your device may omit certain details or present information in an alternative light, and so each answer should be carefully examined and alternative interpretations should be considered. Discernment and the ability to read between the lines is important when using an Alethiometer. The Alethiometer is also sensitive to the moods of its reader and may become reluctant to answer questions when you aren't in the right state of mind, especially when it knows you might not like the answer it has to offer.

As with any divination practice, you should always keep a detailed journal to record your observations and take notes upon any impressions you get from your Alethiometer during readings. With patience and practice, reading the Alethiometer will become quicker and easier as you become familiar with your device's individual personality and moods and learn how to intuit the answers to your questions.

Alethiometer Simulacra:

Unfortunately, we do not have access to Lyra's world and thus do not have access to any of the Alethiometers that exist there there. Unless you have thousands of dollars to spare to commission a custom Alethiometer from a jeweler or watchmaker, or are able to buy one of the Limited Edition replicas of the 2007 film version produced by the Noble Collection that occasionally appear for resale online, access to the physical Alethiometers of our world is similarly restricted.

Luckily, I have found a handful of working substitutes in the form of web-based apps, computer programs, phone apps, and other alternatives. Any of these Alethiometers are viable to use, though some might work better for you than others. In addition to links, I've included my own notes and thoughts on each below.

The Emojicompass/The Emoji Alethiometer (Web & ios App)

The Emojicompass has to be my favorite Alethiometer of the bunch, mainly due to its charming presentation (I mean, come on, it uses emojis) and the inclusion of three dials/needles for user input. When moving your dials by click-and-drag to each symbol, a brief blurb will pop up to remind you of its meaning(s). Each answer returns three symbols, and will list one of the three associated meanings included with the app (which may be a bane or a boon depending on your reading style). It can also be accessed through mobile internet browsers, meaning Android users can also make use of it through bookmarking it and accessing it through said mobile browser, or adding the webpage to their home screens.

This is the version I personally use the most. The use of emojis as substitutes for the symbols upon the dial further contributes to the technomagickal nature of this particular iteration, which I think is particularly fitting. Because it exists as an app on my phone, it travels everywhere with me like a real Alethiometer would, and I feel more 'bonded' to it than any of the other versions on this list.

The NeonAvis Alethiometer (Windows & MacOS & Linux)

Retrieved via Wayback Machine from a site last logged in 2008, the NeonAvis Alethiometer is possibly the oldest Alethiometer on the list. The hands are moved by clicking and dragging the dials, and the question is posed by clicking the center of the compass. Each answer returns a whopping six symbols, and lists one of the meanings included with the app. This particular version is my second favorite because it actually gives you the ability to edit the meanings of each symbol yourself (with each symbol having up to six meanings). You can increase and decrease the window size using +/-. This version also has an Italian translation.

Because this version had to be recovered with Wayback and it took a rather considerable effort to download it, I have decided to host a copy of it myself and others via Google Drive, which is linked above. Along with the three OS versions, I have also managed to retrieve an Italian translation of the app as well as the source code. The creator of this app, Wendell M Jr. (aka NeonAvis), has listed it as freeware and open source, so if anyone has the knowledge to tinker with it, you are open to do so.

Note: If you try to add more than six meanings to a symbol in the .txt file containing said meanings, the program will read it as corrupt and stop working properly. Resetting the meanings file to default returns it to proper operation.

The Artemis-Beta Alethiometer (Windows & Mac OS)

This version of the Alethiometer has a very simple presentation compared to others on this list but is no less effective. It too has three dials/needles for user input, but requires a scroll-wheel on a mouse to move the dials. Laptop users may run into the issues here; I managed to get it to work by pinching my fingers in the traditional 'zoom in' gesture. This version moves very quickly and requires you to pay close attention to the fourth needle. Each answer returns three symbols, but offers no meanings, leaving it up to the reader to discern and interpret the level of meaning for each symbol.

Because of this, I feel that this version is actually the closest simulation of a real Alethiometer.

Alethiometer: Magical Oracle/The Magical Oracle Alethiometer (Android App)

The Alethiometer: Magical Oracle app features a 3D rendered Golden Compass clearly based upon the BBC show's version. It is my least favorite of the apps because of two reasons: there is only one dial/needle for user input, severely limiting the questions you can ask, and the app itself never seems to remember any settings customization, meaning you have to reset it to your preferred specifications each time you open it. However, each answer returns five symbols, and will list one of the three associated meanings included in the app. It also includes a meanings glossary within the app menu that you can consult. I am unsure if there is an iOS version.

The Chartomancy Alethiometer (Gyromancy-based)

This iteration is a printable PDF adapted for gyromancy-based chartomancy, though I suppose it could just as easily be used as a pendulum board. It's pretty straightforward to use -- you spin a top and take note of where it comes to rest. What I like most about this one, however, is the helpful journal/interpretation template the author has included for recording your questions & answers, which also encourages you to think about alternative meanings to the answer you've been given. They also include an extensive personal glossary of interpretations of each symbol, which is an excellent example of an Alethiometrist discovering new meanings beyond the few we were provided with in His Dark Materials.

The 3d6 Alethiometer System (Dice-based)

I kind've adore this version mainly due to the clever usage of the dice in place of a watch-like object with hands and symbols. Two of the dice give you the number corresponding to a specific symbol, and the (optional) third gives you the meaning. While it isn't exactly a 'traditional' Alethiometer, it could work just as well, as you still have to hold your question in your mind while rolling the dice to divine your answer. The linked post also includes three or more levels of meanings for each symbol, with some meanings added or tweaked by the author. Major kudos to @hillbillyoracle for coming up with it!

The Alethiometer Oracle Cards by Eva Deverell (Printable Oracle Deck)

Finally, we come to the Alethiometer Oracle Cards. The author provides a link to download a printable deck of 36 cards based upon the symbols of the Alethiometer (it's advised you print these off on thicker paper like cardstock) as well as a custom deck box. The deck can then be consulted as a traditional oracle deck. The author also helpfully provides a few different ways to help memorize the symbols and their meanings. Nevertheless, despite my personal feelings, this iteration could still prove useful to some aspiring Alethiometrists.

Symbol Meanings:

Here are the 36 symbols of the Alethiometer and the meanings they are canonically associated with, according to the books and material provided by the author and publisher, and are unfortunately very Western and Christian-centric, mainly due to the subject nature of the books in question. Please remember that these are meant only to be starting points for you in your journey as an Alethiometrist. As I explained above, everyone's understanding of the meanings of each symbol is contextual and subjective, and no two Alethiometrists will interpret the symbols the same exact way.

Hourglass - Time, Death, change ... Sun - Day, Authority, truth ... Alpha and Omega - Finality, Process, inevitability ... Marionette - Obedience, Submission, grace ... Serpent - Evil, Guile, natural wisdom ... Cauldron (crucible) - Alchemy, Craft, achieved wisdom ... Anchor - Hope, Steadfastness, prevention ... Angel - Messages, hierarchy, disobedience… Helmet - War, Protection, narrow vision ... Beehive - Productive work, Sweetness, light ... Moon - Chastity, Mystery, the uncanny ... Madonna - Motherhood, The feminine, worship ... Apple - Sin, Knowledge, vanity ... Bird - The soul (the dæmon), Spring, marriage ... Bread - Nourishment, Christ, sacrifice ... Ant - Mechanical work, Diligence, tedium ... Bull - Earth, Power, honesty ... Candle - Fire, Faith, learning ... Cornucopia - Wealth, Autumn, hospitality ... Chameleon - Air, Greed, patience ... Thunderbolt - Inspiration, Fate, chance ... Dolphin - Water, Resurrection, succor ... Walled garden - Nature, Innocence, order ... Globe - Politics, Sovereignty, fame ... Sword - Justice, Fortitude, the Church ... Griffin - Treasure, Watchfulness, courage ... Horse - Europe, Journeys, fidelity ... Camel - Asia, Summer, perseverance ... Elephant - Africa, Charity, continence ... Crocodile (caiman) - America, Rapacity, enterprise ... Baby - The future, Malleability, helplessness ... Compass - Measurement, Mathematics, science ... Lute - Poetry, Rhetoric, philosophy ... Tree - Firmness, Shelter, fertility ... Wild man - Wild man, The masculine, lust ... Owl - Night, Winter, fear ...

References:

"Definitions of Symbols of the Alethiometer." Archived by Wayback Machine. 20 March 2015. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150320073134/http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/materials/definitions.php] Accessed 24 December 2022.

"History of the Alethiometer." Archived by Wayback Machine. 20 March 2015. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150320072443/http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/materials/history.php] Accessed 24 December 2022.

"How to Read the Alethiometer." Archived by Wayback Machine. 20 March 2015. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150320072448/http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/materials/materials.php]. Accessed 24 December 2022.

Pullman, Phillip. The Golden Compass. Alfred A. Knopf Books. 1995.

Pullman, Phillip. The Subtle Knife. Alfred A. Knopf Books. 1997.

Pullman, Phillip. The Amber Spyglass. Alfred A. Knopf Books. 2000.

#alethiometer #golden compass #hdm #divination #witchblr #his dark materials #pop culture magick #pop culture magic #tech magick #oracle #witchcraft

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leonardcohenofficial · 1 year

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(hope it isnt weird to drop in like this) there are also very few people in my life that I can talk to about jazz even though i am always down to...are there any musicians/eras in particular that you're interested/invested in?

literally always down to talk about jazz please drop in any time! obviously there is a lot of crossover between subgenres and many musicians moved between different ones throughout their careers but i think at heart i'm a soul jazz girl (which of course has crossover with hard bop on one end of the era and jazz funk on the other end); however i grew up on hard bop and early modal jazz so those artists are also big for me; i didn't like free jazz as a kid but over the years have really come to get into it; this also isn't even beginning to cover genres that are jazz influenced/adjacent like afrobeat (which is its own genre but also has so much crossover), acid jazz, no wave (to an extent), bossa nova.................

all this being said the artists that i listen to the most are: les mccann, eddie harris, quincy jones, nina simone (who didn't like being called a jazz musician anyways but. for the sake of this exercise. she's in here lol), sun ra, pharoah sanders, max roach, alice coltrane, ramsey lewis, doug carn, ahmad jamal, dorothy ashby, cécile mclorin salvant, jimmy smith, wayne shorter, gil scott-heron, george benson, young-holt unlimited, hilton ruiz, don cherry, lambert hendricks and ross.................

#this is the abridged version of the full spiel #also like i didn't list them but of course trane miles davis ella fitzgerald all those big names are frequently spun in my household too #alethiometer #also if you want more genre specific recs i'm happy to give those

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hillbillyoracle · 1 year

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3d6 Alethiometer

Inspired by @a-witch-named-crow, this is just a quick and dirty 3d6 table of Alethiometer symbols and meanings from the His Dark Materials series. Interpretations aren’t given so you’ll have to read them on your own. To use, roll 3d6. The first two numbers indicate the symbol, the third points to which level of meaning. If you prefer to intuit the level of meaning, roll 2d6 instead.

I used this source for levels of meanings with a few alterations.

Hope you enjoy!

1-1 Alpha and Omega

1-2 - Finality

3-4 - Process

5-6 - Inevitability

1-2 Anchor

Can also mean the Sea

1-2 - Hope

3-4 - Steadfastness

5-6 - Snag or Prevention

1-3 Angel

1-2 - Messages

3-4 - Hierarchy

5-6 - Disobedience

1-4 Ant

1 - Busy

2 - Activity, Purpose, Intention

3 - Diligence

4 - Mechanical Work

5 - Tedium

6 - Sustain

1-5 Apple

1-2 - Sin

3-4 - Knowledge

5-6 - Vanity

1-6 Baby

1 - The future

2 - Malleability

3 - Helplessness

4 - The querent

5 - Failure

6 - Difficulty

2-1 Beehive

1-2 - Productive/Hard Work

3-4 - Sweetness

5-6 - Light

2-2 Bird

1-2 - The Soul

3-4 - Spring

5-6 - Marriage

2-3 Bread

1-2 - Nourishment

3-4 - Christ or Savior

5-6 - Sacrifice

2-4 Bull

1-2 - Earth

3-4 - Power

5-6 - Intensity

2-5 Camel

1-2 - Asia

3-4 - Summer

5-6 - Perseverance

2-6 Candle

Can also mean understanding

1-2 - Fire

3-4 - Faith

5-6 - Learning

3-1 Cauldron

1-2 - Alchemy

3-4 - Craft

5-6 - Achieved Wisdom

3-2 Chameleon

1-2 - Air

3-4 - Greed

5-6 - Patience

3-3 Compass

1-2 - Measurement

3-4 - Mathematics

5-6 - Science

3-4 Cornucopia

1-2 - Wealth

3-4 - Autumn

5-6 - Hospitality

3-5 Crocodile

1-2 - Americas

3-4 - Rapacity

5-6 - Enterprise

3-6 Dolphin

1 - Water

2 - Resurrection

3 - Succor

4 - Sea, as home

5 - Playfulness

6 - Intelligence

4-1 Elephant

1-2 - Africa

3-4 - Charity

5-6 - Continence

4-2 Globe

1-2 - Politics

3-4 - Sovereignty

5-6 - Fame

4-3 Griffin

1-2 - Treasure

3-4 - Watchfulness

5-6 - Courage

4-4 Helmut

1-2 - War

3-4 - Protection

5-6 - Narrow Vision

4-5 Horse

Can also mean constancy

1-2 - Europe

3-4 - Journeys

5-6 - Fidelity

4-6 Hourglass

Can also mean a year

1-2 - Time

3-4 - Death

4-5 - Change

5-1 Lute

1-2 - Poetry

3-4 - Rhetoric

5-6 - Philosophy

5-2 Madonna

Can also mean love

1-2 - Motherhood

3-4 - The feminine

5-6 - Worship

5-3 Marionette

Can also be an affirmative, yes.

1-2 - Obedience

3-4 - Submission

5-6 - Grace

5-4 Moon

1-2 - Chastity

3-4 - Mystery

5-6 - The uncanny

5-5 Owl

1-2 - Night

3-4 - Winter

5-6 - Fear

5-6 Serpent

1 - Evil

2 - Guile

3 - Natural Wisdom

4 - Cunning

5 - Spy

6 - Self-deception

6-1 Sun

1 - Day

2 - Authority

3 - Truth

4 - Fame

5 - Health

6 - Divination

6-2 Sword

Can also be a negation, no.

1-2 - Justice

3-4 - Fortitude

5-6 - Church, Religious Organization

6-3 Thunderbolt

1 - Inspiration

2 - Fate

3 - Chance

4 - Anger

5 - Electricity

6 - Ego

6-4 Tree

1-2 - Firmness

3-4 - Shelter

5-6 - Fertility

6-5 Walled Garden

1-2 - Nature

3-4 - Innocence

5-6 - Order

6-6 Wild Man

1-2 - Wild man

3-4 - Masculinity

5-6 - Lust

#dice divination #divination #witchblr #his dark materials #dice #alethiometer

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