Molybdomancy
Molybdomancy is a term not often used in our daily lives, but it describes the practice of divination by means of pouring molten lead into a pot of water and discerning your fortune based on the shape that appears. This practice has been employed in the Czech lands for hundreds of years. It is especially popular at Christmas and around the New Year. Prior to the world wars and the subsequent metal shortages it is said to have been even more popular. While it’s not the most popular tradition at Christmas, 7% of the population say that they still practice it as part of their yearly Christmas celebrations. I’d say 7% of people melting lead at Christmas is a fair number however. One can frequently see the products of molybdomancy hanging from cottage or shed windows like chimes.
"Pelišek" is among the most iconic films in Czech Republic and features a scene of molybdomancy
If you haven’t noticed some of the recurring themes by now, let’s suffice to say that Czechs are nearly obsessed with knowing their futures. When our own children went to Czech public school we often had to confront the teaching of astrology in the classroom. I remember teachers citing our children’s astrological signs as evidence of how they were doing in various school subjects. Thus we are once again confronted with the great paradox of popular Czech culture; A people who will at once dismiss the God of the Bible on the grounds that modern science has proven his irrelevance, while making actual life decisions based on their horoscope as read in the daily paper…or in molten lead.
A Christmas molybdomancy kit sold in stores for about $7
In Matthew 2 we find Herod, desperately striving to control his fate, willing to slaughter a generation of children in order to maintain his position and secure his future. As it turns out, catching a glimpse of his future doesn’t actually bring out the better part of a man when left to his own devices. Our problem has never been that we don’t know what the future holds. Our problem is in our lack of trust in the one who reigns over times, places, people and events from eternity, which happens to encompass our futures as well. Our problem is one of perspective. Let us never be deceived into thinking that we are the masters of destiny, or we can somehow make things happen if we wish hard enough or employ the right system or formula in prayer. May our hearts be aligned with the Christ who came, exactly as promised, to demonstrate the way of the cross, the way of servanthood, the way of humility and longsuffering.
