Bibliomancy for Grounding During Times of Grief

Post Election Tips

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It is Monday, and it is a new week. We still have a few more weeks to go before the power change. Let’s make the most of them.

I have had so many thoughts since the election. So many. I am worried about our elderly whom not a single person is talking. Yes, many of them voted dumb, but what are we going to do about the potential hundreds of thousands of them on the street? White people don’t have an established culture of taking care of our elderly. What are we going to do???

I have been counting my lucky stars at how hetero-presenting my relationships are. I don’t have to worry about losing marriage rights, etc. I may end up watching my aunts lose their marriage for a second time. They’ve been together since 1991. I am now even more worried about my friends in their red states, most of whom are queer. I see you. I love you. I’m here.

I am thinking about my non white friends and how much more dangerous their lives just got, as if they weren’t in enough danger as it is. I am sick with anxiety over the safety of kids and adults alike.

I have been thinking about the population of student that I serve: disabled. I have been thinking about my friends, most of whom are… yep! Disabled. One way that many housebound, disabled people receive joy and enjoy hobbies is through books.

My friend T and I were talking last week about access to books disappearing, especially inclusive and critical thought texts. The idea of book preservation came up, and as I tend to do, I started just diving head first. Once I was done impulse buying some books, a thought came to me: Books like A is for Activist and other ABC books like this can be a wonderful tool for bibliomancy.

What is bibliomancy? It is a form of divination that uses books. I don’t do it often, but when I have, I close my eyes running my finger(s) across the pages of a closed book, and when it feels right, I let me finger(s) fall on one page and open the book to that and read from it.

What I love about these board books for bibliomancy is how basic they are. You aren’t having to really infer a deep meaning. Instead, a book like A is for Activist is going to give you actionable steps that you can ground into. You can take these actions for that day, week, or month, whatever it is you are looking for. We Are The Rainbow! has color magic. Flip through it to decide what color to work with or wear that day, to represent the energy you need or wish. A book like A is for Awesome has some great quotes from famous women if you just need some good affirmations.

Yes, there are affirmation cards/decks and other tools, but those are not the most budget friendly. You can grab these off Amazon for under $10, scour your local thrift shops for copies for even less, or go to Thriftbooks and wait until they are on sale for $4-5. I feel like using board books for bibliomancy brings a couple levels of accessibility. 1) Financial accessibility 2) Cognitive accessibility, especially for those who need simpler terms, more direct instruction, and more concrete examples vs theory.

In the coming years, we are going to need to ground into a lot more action than we are thought circles. It is time to get out of the deep thought of theory and philosophy of the swords and into the action and physical plane of the wands and pentacles. These books and so many more, give us very actionable steps in a very digestible way. By having physical copies, we are also helping to preserve knowledge for the community at large.

There are so many ways for us to make a difference. I don’t want to be that white person who is shouting community, community, community. I am still learning about community because, as many of us know, white community is not real community and whiteness rarely actually allows for it.

Instead, I just want to be mindful of all of the different ways individuals can pitch in. It doesn’t need to be shouting and rioting and being out in crowds of people if that’s not your energy. It is not mine. The one protest I went to, I dissociated so hard that my body went into shock. Rather, I can create art, offer free readings, make a large batch of hot food requested by the homeless camps down the street, donate to places like MCK, Black Resilience Fund, Rahab’s Sisters, etc. I can also volunteer my tutoring services to marginalized families. Are these things going to change the world? No, but they are a way to give back, and the are a way to stick it to the party of hate.

If you are a white person like me, we need to really lean into doing the work, listening, and grounding into action. We can’t keep asking Black and Indigenous women and AFAB to stand up and fight what our demographic continues to fuck up. Pick one or two ways to ground into action for 2025. Then EXPAND. We must always expand our efforts.

Would you ever consider using board books like this for bibliomancy? Is this too out there? If you looked at that list of ways to help and pitch in, did any stick out to you? Are there any you’d like to add? Any books for bibliomancy you’d like to add? Comment below!

Wishing you well this week! May your life offer what you need in this moment.

With love,

Aventurine ✨