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CULTURESHACK OCTOBER2013
CULTURESHACK
KYLA CABATIT JONATHAN DAILISAN CAMILLE LEONG NOELLE SAMPANG CARL TOBILLO
Imagine a shack filled with A taste of culture windows from which you can view a variety of landscapes. A taste of life CULTURESHACK
2 Bell-ding a Community 8 The Bell Mass: An Invitation, A Bond 12 Ringing Message 16 The Unexplained 20 More Than Just a Table
presents its readers a glimpse of Asia's diverse cultures infused into the Filipino setting. It brings you tradition right at your fingertips.
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CULTURESHACK OCTOBER2013
Bell-ding a Community
don’t be a stranger in the temple By Kyla Cabatit Never in my life have I heard of the religion “Bellism”. I know that religion in the Philippines is a hodgepodge of spiritual beliefs—Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, Iglesia ni Cristo, and folk religion among many others. That’s why it came as a surprise when I discovered that Bellism in itself is another system of faith and worship. Bellism is a fledgling religion slowly gaining a devoted following. It arrived in the Philippines about 51 years ago with its main church located between the border of La Trinidad and Baguio. Although most adherents are Filipino-Chinese, anyone and everyone is welcome to participate in the practices of Bellism. Mr. Albert Leong, the President of Bell Church International, explains, “Ang teaching sa simbahan na ito, hindi ‘yan kamukha ng ibang religion na bawal ka pumunta sa ibang religion. Dito, puwede ka pumunta kahit saan. Basta basically ang tinuturo dito kailangan mabait kang tao. (The teachings of this church are unlike other religions wherein you’re not allowed to follow other religions. Here, you can go anywhere. Basically, this religion teaches you to become a good person.)” It struck me how I have not the slightest clue on the religion Bellism. Even my trusted friend—Google, failed me. Hence, I went to Bell Church Commonwealth filled with a strong spirit of inquiry. I feared that people would see through my mask of
“Ang teaching sa simbahan na ito, hindi ‘yan kamukha ng ibang religion na bawal ka pumunta sa ibang religion. Dito, puwede ka pumunta kahit saan. Basta basically ang tinuturo dito kailangan mabait kang tao.”
confidence and detect my unfamiliarity with their practices. I put myself at ease with the thought that I could pass off as Chinese with my small chinky eyes. I would examine the place, attend the service, and leave unnoticed—the end. I was wrong. It was not a simple matter of blending in the crowd. Everyone knew each other and I was a stranger in their temple. Bell Church Commonwealth was far from other Chinese temples I have visited in the past. It wasn’t an imposing figure on top of a distant hill; it was in the middle of the bustling Metro. It also wasn’t the patchwork of tiers, arches, and statues of dragons that I imagined it to be. Instead, it was a two-storey building that looked as if it were fashioned out of a child’s Lego set. If it weren’t for the towering red gate adorned with two green dragons and a sign that spelled out “Bell Church Commonwealth Chapter”, I wouldn’t have mistaken the place for a Chinese temple.
The main chapter is located between the border of La Trinidad and Baguio.
It has become quite a tourist spot. Don’t forget to drop by on your trip to Baguio!
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Walking past the compound’s tall beige walls, I was led to Bell Church’s own version of Dorothy’s yellow brick road—an elevated green-tiled path. This led me to Emerald City—I mean to the main building whose massive doors could fit five people side by side. In front of the entrance was a small pond filled with koi fishes whose multi-colored scales glistened in the afternoon light. Tables and chairs were scattered before the entrance. A golden bell waiting to be rung hung silently on top of one of the two wide doors.
Once I was inside the building, did I only realize that I was truly inside a Chinese temple. The entire room was bathed in colors of red, green, and yellow. Intricate designs of Chinese dragons embellished the altars. I couldn't help speak in a low and hushed voice, as the place seemed to be commanding silence from the people. Several rows of wooden pews were separated neatly into two columns. Females sat on the left, while males sat on the right resembling an awkward soiree. I stopped to examine the place and realized it wasn’t big enough to seat a hundred people. People heard the mass with their valuables safely stored in a row of shelves located at the leftmost side of the room, thus detaching them from texts, tweets, and the latest Instagram post. On top of the altar were two red candles almost as long and as thick as human arms. A large golden cauldron for incense sticks was in front of the altar. The strong smell of burning incense sticks filled the room during the mass.
On both sides of the altar were two small staircases that led to a display of five statues enclosed in glass cases. The statues represent the five saints the people send their prayers to. I also noticed two small altars on opposite ends of the room where food and flowers were offered. I then found out that the most important ornament in the temple was a wooden brown table located at the rightmost side of the room. The priest or medium makes use of the table to communicate and receive instructions from the saints. Sadly, I did not witness this event unfold. It would have been an unforgettable experience to watch the medium in trance. The mass itself was a short affair, which lasted about an hour or so. The people’s voices were in sync as their singsong prayers filled the room. Incense sticks were burned and water was offered to the saints. I followed as they solemnly bowed to the saints after each action. I bowed at the most awkward moments, and missed a beat in some. To my great astonishment, I did not receive the suspicious looks and cold stares that I was expecting. Instead, the people were kind enough to tell me what I needed to do. They didn’t seem to mind my ignorance of the procedures of the mass. It was enough for them that I joined them in prayer.
A simple salu-salo followed after the mass. Food offered during the mass was sprawled on a long table outside the building. There was an array of food ranging from dainty cupcakes and donuts with cream fillings, to large plates of pancit or stir-fried noodles. The churchgoers sat in plastic chairs crowded around plastic tables. I sat in hungry anticipation for the pastries that were being served. Meanwhile, food was passed around and conversations were exchanged. Unlike the celebration of mass in the Catholic Church where I belong, the people in Bell Church Commonwealth took time to get to know each other over a shared meal.
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While eating, I noticed that the crowd wasn't composed purely of Filipino-Chinese individuals. In fact, there were people who did not have the slightest trace of Chinese blood in them. Some of them would make you pause and wonder what they were doing in Bell Church in the first place. I even recall seeing one guy who had short blond hair. Despite these individual peculiarities, no one really stuck out like a sore thumb. There was casual familiarity among the churchgoers. Everyone seemed to belong—it was a community. Bell Church Commonwealth isn’t exactly a tourist spot where you would want a photo op with your friends—nonetheless, it is picturesque in its own way. There is a certain beauty about the place that stems from its simplicity and uncomplicated layout. It is not a serene Chinese temple nor is it a palatial Muslim mosque; instead, it’s a simple rectangular box with windows, two massive doors, and a sign telling you what it is—“Bell Church Commonwealth Chapter”. This is what makes it unique. Bell Church Commonwealth’s simple design and layout sets it apart from other places of worship. Chinese décor is infused with modern design to create a place that serves as a venue for prayer and community building. It is made even more beautiful by the close-knit community formed by its members. Although I was a stranger, they let me have a peek at their practices. From this, I saw how Bell Church Commonwealth is slowly bell-ding a community within the confines of its rectangular box.
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CULTURESHACK OCTOBER2013
The Bell Mass: An Invitation, A Bond
what to do when you attend mass at Bell Church By Noelle Sampang
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The Bell Mass is a weekly ceremony of the adherents of Bellism wherein they connect and pray to their saints. It is like the counterpart of the Sunday mass of the Catholics. The difference is that in Catholicism, people pray not only to their saints but most importantly to their God; while in Bellism, in lack of god/s, they pray to their saints with some Chinese touches like the use of incense, bowing, and the like. The participants of the Bell Mass last July 14 were mostly Chinese, or at least people with Chinese blood, from all walks of life. What pleased me was their acceptance of us, the new participants, and their gentle and clear instructions of what to do during the mass. The reverberating sound of the church bell on top of the entrance marked the start of the Bell Mass. After the bell rang thrice, we went in front of the altar which had a variety of food laid out and a wide bowl that
stood at about three feet containing burnt incense, by batches of five, to show respect and to say a prayer to the saints while holding a stick of incense which had, for me, a new yet quite relaxing burning smell. The leader said, “Sam pai,” commanding the people to bow thrice each batch. Everyone moved quickly like robots in auto-pilot, in my point of view at least. Fortunately, I was in the last line which gave me time to study the procedures. When it was our turn, the woman beside me with straight, and somewhat stiff, medium-sized hair instructed me what to do. So I technically did as I was told, watching her while we were doing them – we held a stick of incense then bowed thrice as a sign of respect. At that moment, I felt like I was Mulan from the Disney movie of the same name respectfully paying tribute to my ancestors. After all of the people got their chance to bow and
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After all of the people got their chance to bow and pray, we went up the altar barefoot; but this time ten people per batch, where partners exchanged in pouring water in each other’s glasses to signify sharing with one another. As I was about to feel thankful for the convenience of being in the last line, the first batch went up the altar with their back turned to us which made me panic a bit because I didn’t see whatever they were doing up there. Oh no, it was our turn to go up already! Though I was lost and didn’t know what to do, I just went with the flow afraid of making a scene. I was partnered up with my group mate but the woman with the straight medium-sized hair, giving me directions, was still beside me. When we went up, there were a kettle and several glasses in front of each statue of the five saints. Again, I did as I was told – picked up the kettle, bow thrice when the leader says “Sam pai”, poured water on my partner’s glass and placed it in line with the other glasses. The thought again of Mulan pouring hot tea in a cup motivated me to act carefully in order not to break any fragile object, and gracefully just to be pleasant to the eyes. When everyone was done, we got down and read the prayers to the saints from the yellow and green booklets that contained the Guoyin, the Chinese characters and the Pinyin, the phonetic characters spelling out the Chinese sounds. After each prayer we bowed three times. I tried to read them and catch up but I ended up just jaw-dropped; and as I expected, I didn’t understand a single word from the prayers but was amused by the catchy tone of their pronunciations with the rise and fall of their intonations.
The youngest girls served the glasses of water we filled during the earlier part of the mass to everyone after reciting the prayers. We, by five, went in front of the altar, bowed thrice, made a wish and drank the glass of water. It was only then I noticed that the smoke of the incense filling the whole cramped hall of the church was stinging my eyes making me teary-eyed. This added to the dramatic almost overwhelming effect caused by the thought that after all the things we’ve done to pay respect to the saints of Bellism, I got to wish for something I truly desire. When the mass was done, we were all invited to the traditional feast they hold after masses. The food served was the food laid out in the altar during the mass. The elders said that after offering it to the saints, we somewhat reward ourselves by eating them together. While eating, what came to my mind is how the participants still give time and full-hearted effort in attending the mass despite of their busy lives. As I observed them, they didn’t attend the mass only out of obligation but also out of their love of the religion. They appear to have this invisible bond that ties them together - their faith in Bellism. I may be new to the practice of the Bell Mass but I must say that I was inspired to join the religion because aside from the excitement of trying something new, I was truly enthralled by its adherents’ acceptance to us and their belief not just caused by obligation but also by their own free will and by one unifying purpose.
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Fusce ac leo Purus, in consectetuer Proin in sapien. Fusce urna magna,neque eget lacus. Maecenas felis nunc, aliquam ac, consequat vitae, feugiat at, blandit vitae, euismod vel.
“Wala kang maririnig dito na, sorry sa Catholic Church ha, diba na nakikialam sa buhay ng may buhay. Bahala siya sa kung ano gusto niya.”
Ringing Message
a talk with Bell Church International’s President By Jonathan Dailisan Catholicism revolves around knowing, serving, and loving God. It is said that being able to serve the Lord can grant peace and happiness. Despite all of these, some people question their own religion as this has been involved in many issues in the world. They question the existence of God. They question the purpose of religion. Although most religions revolve around gods, beliefs and cultural systems, Bellism is a religion that focuses on doing good deeds to one another. In doing so, people receive good karma that they may benefit them or their family later in the future. Opinions and thoughts still accumulate about the religion as it is only 51 years old in the Philippines. This is where Mr. Albert Leong, President of Bell Church International, comes in. He shares about his understanding and opinion of Bellism. Mr. Leong differentiates Bellism and Catholicism as they have differences in members of the community, roles in society, and benefits of the religion. Bell Church Commonwealth Chapter is seen to be a modern Chinese Temple in the middle of a rumbling city. Since it is a Chinese Temple, people assume that it is only a church for the Chinese. Wrong. Not all of the members of the community of Bellism are Chinese. Mr. Leong states, “Ang presidente ng Baguio Main Church ay Filipino. Fifty percent Igorot pa ‘yun.” People have the freedom to choose whether they want
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to join and devote their time in the religion while Catholics get are baptized into Catholocism. “I was born as Catholic, nabinyagan ako sa Catholicism marunong ako magdasal pero umalis ako sa Catholicism. Bakit? Kasi during the time na magrerebolusyon kay Marcos, Marcos’ time, nagmimisa yung sermon ng pari minumura si Marcos.” A simple yet ill homily had him rethink of his own religion. He goes to church to listen to the sermon about the Lord, not some sermon flaming Marcos. Religion plays important roles in our society. They form and mold the mindsets of its community and they learn different values and virtues that guide them in life. But aside from what they bear fruit to its community, some religious groups affect society itself. The Philippine constitution says that there should be a separation of the Church and the State. Despite this, many projects like the RH Bill are affected heavily by religious groups. “Impossible yun kasi somewhere somehow magbabangga kayo eh. Hindi kayo magkikita diba? Kaya dito wala kang maririnig na ganoon. … Wala kang maririnig dito na, sorry sa Catholic Church ha, diba na nakikialam sa buhay ng may buhay. Bahala siya sa kung ano gusto niya.” Mr. Leong states that Bellism only aims to teach its community of believers to do good deeds. Pretty simple, right? Compared to the Church setting guidelines that may determine how people will see each other, Bellism does not set any
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Bellism does not set any restriction in the lives of its believers. They can choose to do good or do bad. Whatever path they take, the consequences will take place in the future as karma. Benefits can be earned in religion. It may be not in a tangible form but rather spiritual. Catholicism shows that showing love to each other and serving the Lord will promise you peace in heaven. Karma, good or bad, is gained for every action that one does. “Kasi ang sinasabi nila is magiipon ka ng kabutihan para tumatanda ka nakakaipon ka ng karma. Nagkakaroon ka ng karma. Kapag tanda mo yung mga iiwanan mong mga anak mo magiging mahusay naman ang buhay nila.” Although karma is something that should be considered in the religion, Mr. Leong tells us not to always think about karma. The important thing is that a person is able to learn from the religion and do good. Mr. Leong shares a personal experience that he had as a believer of Bellism. He often had private conversations with his father since he is the eldest in his family. He received requests and tasks from his father as he rests on his hospitable bed. It was not very often that he had conversations with his father. He considered this last moment to be special. His father died later on but he remained faithful to Bellism as he believed that there is a chance for him to receive a message from the departed. “Two weeks later na nailibing yung father ko, may ginagawa kami sa simbahan sa Baguio. Mantakin mo yung sulat, lahat nung sinabi nung father ko inulit lahat. Parang kinocomment lang lahat. Umiyak ako talaga kasi it’s between my dad and I lang yung pinaguusapan naming hindi naman alam ng ibang tao pinaguusapan naming diba?” This event made his faith in Bellism stronger as it somehow proved that Bellism holds its promises. All of his dedication and belief turned out to be great and he was even given the chance to receive the message from his father. Catholicism and Bellism are somewhat similar due to their giving importance to doing good acts but the latter is more focused on it. Although having this similarity, Mr. Leong believes that Bellism is different from Catholicism when looking at its members of its community and its role in society. As a Catholic who has experienced some of the events in Bellism, I would say that it has a lot of potential to become a religion to choose. But in the end, it is all up to you guys who will decide for yourselves.
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“Kasi ang sinasabi nila is magiipon ka ng kabutihan para tumatanda ka nakakaipon ka ng karma. Nagkakaroon ka ng karma. Kapag tanda mo yung mga iiwanan mong mga anak mo magiging mahusay naman ang buhay nila”
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The Unexplained
“Lo rem Ips um Dol or Set Ah met In Acr u. Null am Co nse ctet uer
souls need prayers By Camille Leong
You could pray to those souls which are believed to have already gone up to the heavens. You could pray for those souls who wish to be reincarnated. You could pray for the undecided or those who do not know what they want to be. And lastly, you could also offer prayers to those souls which have descended into hell. A billion and one things set Bellism apart from any other religion; but, among all these, praying and talking to the departed have got to be its most distinct characteristics. The prayers you offer don’t necessarily have to be for your late loved ones alone. You could pray for just about any soul. This practice is very popular among Bellists because Bellists believe that good karma can be earned by helping the dead and by praying for them. They say that good karma, aside from being an investment for yourself, is also an investment for the people around you --- for the people you will leave behind come that moment you pass away, frankly speaking. Also, what makes the Bellism practice of praying for the dead really different is that it is only in this religion that you actually get a virtual response from the “other side.” Here, you don’t merely stop at wishing for a soul to rest; you’ll know if the soul has actually rested or not. Back in the days, people were allowed to have direct dialogues with the dead. They could call up to four souls in the process. They call the souls they want to get in touch with and wait for the souls’ response on which date they will specifically be coming. On the set date, the person calling for the soul/s would sit together with the head priest in a small mahjong-like table. The priest
then writes down the soul’s instructions as if his hands were being possessed by the spirit itself. Normally, the conversation would start with the soul writing about his relationship with the person back when he was still alive. It is through these writings that the person would be able to identify and verify who the soul he called was. This old practice dates back to the 70’s and 80’s and is no longer done in present time. We might have a little problem if you wanted to know more than the above stated. It would be quite difficult to gather more information regarding this practice. You see, the church elders are either not so familiar with the technicalities of the process themselves or they simply refuse to talk about the practice. If you are lucky though, you might be able to find someone from church who would be willing to share the entire process with you. Try your luck with that random old practicing Bellist you see in every mass, perhaps? Among these two popular practices of Bellism, only praying to/for the dead is still practiced today. Formal prayers are offered to the departed twice a year. It’s a 3-
day event held in Bell Church, Baguio (the main chapter) every 7th and 12th months of the lunar year. The first day is dedicated to all the souls; the second for the battered, raped, murdered, and maltreated ladies; and the third for babies who, sadly, passed away rather early. Children are not allowed to participate in this event because they say too many souls are wandering around in this time and area. Some souls are so unaccepting of their deaths. In desperation to live again, they possess the human bodies of the children since children are generally weaker to fight them. also one of the reasons why Bellists pray for them -- for the discontented souls to rest in peace instead of them wandering here on earth. Another reason why they do is to wait for the answers they will get out of it. As a gift, the soul you have prayed to will respond through a message. He’ll send you a written response, specifically some poetic line or two, on something significant about your life. It could be a warning on an approaching danger, a note on a coming blessing, or simply a message thanking you for his prayers.
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I remember it was two years ago when I also got a response similar to this from a soul expressing to me his thanks for helping him successfully cross to the other side. Well, of course, I had attended the event and had undergone the process of this practice prior to receiving that response. In the event that I came, all the attendees who wished to read a prayer to the dead had first submitted their names to the church heads. A regular mass had then preceded. Afterwhich, the people who submitted their names, I included, were called by 8’s, one set after another. Each set of 8’s formed an octagon in the middle of the church with a basin of water placed at our center. Then, we read aloud the readings handed to us as we followed what it said as is (when to bow, when to drink, etc). The responses of the souls came afterwards; but, they didn’t come right away. Some people had to wait weeks for it, others, months. The timeframes varied. I guess it’s because the souls’ traveling times also varied. I myself wouldn’t really know. Not everyone is capable of understanding and appreciating a religion such as Bellism. Bellism for most of us is something relatively new and is probably also something that may appear “weird” since we are, after all, unfamiliar with it. Surely not everyone would be as welcoming and open to this idea; however, no matter how ridiculous a belief, a practice or religion may sound to us, each person still deserves a tantamount amount of respect for what he stands for. Religion is something none of us can ever fully comprehend. It’s just a matter of believing in something or not without having been given any explanation. It’s simply a matter of trust. Personally though, religion to me is an idea so vague, so powerful, so limitless that I believe not even a lifetime is enough to fill it. Religion, no matter how inexplicable, is still being held on to. And again we’ll never know why.
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More Than Just Wood a not so ordinary table By Carl Tobillo When I find myself using a table, most of the time, I imagine it to be used for eating, writing, working, and many other more normal daily activities, but the Table used inside the walls of Bell Church is more than that. This Table is a vital artifact of Bell Church and is something else. Sure it may still have the standard purpose of being written on, but this table is one of the few that has the sole purpose of displaying the messages spirits want to convey. It is as if the Table were, shall we say, the telephone, which connects the world of the living and the world of the dead. Spirit mediators who communicate with those who have passed through the other side of life after death use this simple looking desk. The spirit mediators become the chord of the telephone, which lets the message travel. This Table originates from an old book entitled, “How You Invite Your Saints,” (translated to English) which was found by two unnamed Chinese cook who founded Bellism itself. At first glance, the Table is just an ordinary desk with simple aesthetics, with a protruding handle at the very center of the top. The wood has a fully varnished finish, which gives off the common yellowish brown tone. Approximately, the size of the table is two and a half feet by five feet. The legs of the chair have a height of about 4 feet and have average thickness. Once the wooden top cover is removed, the true surface of the table is revealed. Its concealed surface is made out of glass with hint of a green tint, and this is where the actual divination is performed. There is a small drawer with an embedded handle, at the topleftmost side of the table, which contains a metal pan filled with rice husk ashes, and a brush used for the spreading of the ashes over the glass surface. To use the Table, ashes are first obtained from the small drawer, then they are spread over the glass surface of the desk, with the help of the brush. After which, the spirit medium holds a planchette and lets the writing device come into contact with the ashes. The planchette is a wooden “T” shaped writing device with a metal tip attached to the bottom of the vertical side; and, the wielder of the planchette holds it at the horizontal side. The spirit possessing the medium now does the rest by controlling the whole body of the medium, but more specifically the hands, which are rapidly moved and guided to form the message to be shown. Since the medium is preoccupied with the spirit, an assistant is responsible
for recording all of the messages shown on the glass surface of the Table. If an assistant is not available, the medium records the message after the trance is complete. People, who practice the mysterious art of mediumship use this table to communicate with those who have passed away and have moved on to the spirit world. The dead people that mostly try to possess the spirit medium are those who have recently died, or those souls that are trying to communicate with their relatives and loved ones; but these encounters are very random and do not have any kind of permanent pattern. The messages usually do not directly point towards the intended recipient. Instead the intended recipient must be able to identify whether the message is actually meant for him or her. Saints, who try their best to guide the people of this church, also possess the spirit medium, and give advices to them. People who believe in Bellism rely heavily on the readings obtained, as the readings at times are instructions on how to pray for a specific dead individual or a group of dead people. An example of this is offering material objects such as food, in honor and respect for the dead. The reading can also show the future of certain individuals or the community. These readings can be used as life guides, by either being a straight-to-the-point or riddled advice.
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The Table is a vital artifact in the Church of Bellism. It is through the faith of the people in this church that an ordinary table is transformed into a tool of divine intervention; but it is also through this sacred item that believers of Bellism, are able to strengthen their faith in honoring the dead, which is a core value of this lifestyle. What happens on this mere human made table, is unbelievable, but the thought of being able to communicate with spirits sparks an anyone’s curiosity; it is definitely intriguing. This table still has mysteries that have not been fully explained, and I hunger to know more about it. I’m very sure that those who have heard stories about this enigmatic furniture will be as interested as I am, and for those who are curious about this tool, I invite you all to see this seemingly ordinary table and maybe get a chance to see how the actually ritual of divination is done.
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