People have performed divination with sticks for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There are Icelandic accounts of casting costing lots with sticks during the time of Erik the Red. Likewise, the Chinese have and ancient tradition. In divination with sticks, runes may or may not be carved upon them. Some schools of thought hold that doing so, however, increases the potency of the forces at work. Another form of divination with sticks is the well known divining rod.

The divining rod, or dowsing rod, is a form of divination with sticks, usually forked, and is commonly used to find underground water sources, although it could be applied in many other ways. This forked branch is usually cut from a hazel tree, and carefully cured by the person who intends to use it. Frequent and sustained contact with the person who will use this device is absolutely required for it to work properly. There psychic energies must be aligned so that the wood is able to sense the presence of water of whatever is being sought with it.

Another way of divination with sticks, it the Chinese Chien Tung, or Chinese Oracle. This is usually a collection of bamboo twigs, or sticks, and have numbers carved into them. By shaking the container until a stick pops free, the reader acquires a single stick which can be interpreted by a reader into its relevance to the question. Some versions contain sixty bamboo sticks, while others contain seventy-eight. Most Chien Tung sets are beautifully artistic, and each set is accompanied by a chart or booklet of prophetic fortunes to match the numbered sticks. Experienced readers quickly align themselves with the powers unleashed in Chien Tung, and are thereby better able to interpret the reading.

In cases of divination with sticks where runes are carved onto the items, each rune is consulted on a chart, and the reading is provided to the querent. Great care must be taken with runes. Psychic energies have been infused into these marks, and they are sensitive to outside interference when being used. Make your casting in a quiet environment where you and the querent are able to concentrate without interruption.