Pressed Penny Readings Tutorial
by Mystikka Jade
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https://www.thegamecrafter.com/designers/mysti
Pressed pennies are real pennies, stamped by machines with images and text to represent various amusement parks, museums and other attractions. Since the late 1800’s, they have been sold as souvenirs. Many people collect them as a hobby.
Pressed Penny Readings - The Story
In September of 2020, I purchased a mixed lot of pressed pennies, while considering charms for casting. I searched online for evidence of them being used for divination and found no results.
Even though their intended purpose isn’t for psychic arts, pressed pennies are ideal for such. Their symbolism is ripe for interpretation. They can be cast like charms, or drawn like runes.
Getting Started
To begin, obtain the following items:
1 - large, mixed lot of Pressed Pennies (I started with 200)
2 - magnifying glass to help see small text and image details
3 - sturdy bag or other container to store and shuffle the pennies
4 - steel wool pads
5 - cleaning gloves
Note: You can also buy pressed pennies individually, or in smaller lots. To get the biggest bang for your buck, I suggest going for the larger lots. Plus, they are fun to go through!
Preparation
Please wear gloves during the first sorting and cleaning process. Some lots can be extremely dirty.
The first sorting is to weed out the ones you know right away you don’t want to use. In this process, I’ve put aside bent coins, duplicates and duds. I also reject those which come from places that have a negative connotation in my mind (such as Sea World). A lot of this process will be ruled by personal preference.
I’d like to advise not to dismiss darkened or dirty coins. A few of those ended up being my favorites after cleaning.
Next, clean the coins. The Penny Collector goes into detail about the different ways to clean them, here:
https://www.pennycollector.com/cleaning.html
I tried a few methods and found that scrubbing with steel wool pads made the biggest difference for most of the darkened coins. Some will remain in bad condition after being thoroughly cleaned, yet others will shine up beyond expectations.
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Some of the cruddiest from my first lot. Same pennies, before and after cleaning. |
While cleaning, you will likely notice images that have meanings you can connect with right away. Place those, and other favorites into your divination set.
After cleaning, decide on definitions for the pennies you keep. This can be done intuitively, or by researching metaphysical meanings of each symbol.
Especially for beginning readers, it can be helpful to write descriptions and chosen definitions in a notebook or document. The notes can be referred to later, like a guidebook for an oracle deck.
If you already understand the basics of oracle reading, charm casting, or dream interpretation, then you’re already familiar with interpreting symbols and relaying their messages. You will likely be a natural at this.
The ideal collection will contain a vast array of symbols. Aim to cover a balanced spectrum of human experiences in the meanings of chosen coins.
Place your preferred pennies for readings in a bag or other container. This will be used to store and shuffle them.
Reading with Pressed Pennies
First:
Gently shake or mix the bag to shuffle. You can draw coins individually and place them into any tarot or oracle layout. They can also be cast like charms.
Single Penny Draw:
The simplest way to start is with a single penny draw in response to a specific question asked. Often, concise messages are more effective than ones given by complicated spreads.
Casting:
For casting, you can use a casting sheet, mat, or just a plain surface. Gently toss/drop a handful of pennies over it.
Remove the coins that land upside down. Those will have a blank side facing up! Interpret the symbols and text showing on the remaining, face-side up coins.
More Information:
Get a reading with me:
Learn all about Elongated Pennies:
https://www.pennycollector.com
For extensive information on Disney elongated coins, check out:
Mysti
www.mystikka.com