Casting Physical Lots for Electronic Readings

Full screen ritual link: https://editor.p5js.org/falsesugar/embed/THKrMr1-
p5.js sketch link: https://editor.p5js.org/falsesugar/sketches/THKrMr1-

For my second Meditation in Electronic Rituals class, we were tasked to create an “electronic oracle deck”. I decided to combine my favorite method of casting lots, “esiimsi”, with tarot readings.

Though esiimsi is a traditional method of casting lots from China, Thai Buddhism is heavily influenced by old Chinese religious traditions. This activity would be the main thing I look forward to every time I had to go to the temple. It consists of a cylindrical container with numbered sticks. Participant shakes the container at an angle with the purpose of getting just ONE stick to fall out. The number on that one stick determines your fortune, which typically comes in the form of a piece of paper, stored at a station nearby.

The reason why I like this form of cleromancy is because it has elements of clear physical input by the participant, uses force of nature (gravity), and creates suspense through the amount of time and the slight difficulty it takes to shake out a single stick. The shaking also adds a layer of sound to the experience, which is iconic to this practice. The loud and anticipating sound of shaken sticks can be heard throughout the day during religious holidays at Thai temples as people seek for their fortunes.

For my modern version of the esiimsi, I am opting for an electronic reading on a p5.js sketch to make the readings more accessible, interchangeable, and sustainable. The participant goes through the same process of shaking the physical container of sticks, and inputs their destined number into the sketch.

To generate the readings, I am pulling data from a json file that contains 78 tarot interpretations, one for every card.

For the physical esiimsi, spray painted balsa wood and an old aluminium coffee bean can.

Each stick is marked with a number from 1 - 78 (for the 78 tarot interpretations)