How did West African geomancy use lots and selected verses during a divination session?

In West African geomancy, the practice is characterized by a sophisticated combination of elegant equipment and deep erudition. Unlike simpler forms of cleromancy that rely on the random arrangement of objects, this elaborate tradition utilizes lots specifically to select verses.1

During a séance, the diviner employs these lots to navigate a system of number lore, which dictates the selection of specific verses from a collection. The client is then expected to interpret these selected verses to find answers to their concerns. This process functions as a projective device, where the meaning is often only half-formed in the objective pattern cast, allowing the client to engage with the verses to derive personal insight.1

While this method shares a general functional equivalence with the Chinese I ching tradition, it is important to note that the nature of the lots, the underlying number lore, and the specific verses used in West African geomancy are entirely distinct from those found in the Chinese yarrow tradition.1