Page:Three Books of Occult Philosophy (De Occulta Philosophia) (1651).djvu/539

 in the which, a perfume being made, his temples anoynted, things causing dreams being put on his fingers, and the representation of the heavens being put under his head, and paper being consecrated, his prayers being said, let him go to bed, earnestly meditating on that thing he desireth to know: So he shall see most true and certain dreams with the true illumination of his intellect: whosoever therefore shall know to joyn together those things which here and there we have delivered concerning this matter in these books, he shall easily obtain the gift of oracles and dreams.

Chapter lii. Of Lots and marks possessing the sure power of Oracles. There are also certain Lots having a divine power of Oracles, and as it were Indexes of divine judgement, being before sought for by earnest prayer, and sometimes commanded by God himself to be done, as is read in Leviticus concerning a goat to be offered to the Lord, and of the scape goat; and in the book of Numbers of the rods of the Tribes of Israel. Now both Moses and Joshua did by Lots in the presence of the Lord divide the lands, and inheritances to the tribes of Israel according to the command of God. The Apostles of Christ, prayers going before, did by lot choose Matthias into the place of Judas the traitor. Jonas the Prophet when he flying from the presence of God did sail to Tharsus, a dangerous storm being raised, was by lot found out by the Mariners to be the cause of the danger, and being cast into the sea, the tempest seased. Caesar reports of M. Valerius Procillus, being taken by his enemies, concerning whom it was consulted whether he should be presently burnt, or reserved to another time, that by lot he escaped safe. There was formerly at Bura, a Town of Achaia, an oracle of Hercules constituted by a chest bord, where he that went to consult of any thing, after he had prayed, cast four dice, the cast of which the Prophet observing,