Book excerpt: Like its descendants the Ouija board and the Magic-8-Ball, The Ladies’ Oracle, first published in the sixteenth century, divines answers to questions inquisitive women through the ages have asked about life and love. Shall I soon be courted? Ought I to grant that which he asks so ardently? Shall I be happy in my enterprises? What young woman hasn’t at one time or another fretted over these most perplexing of questions? One has only to put to The Ladies’ Oracle these and a multitude of other queries, and the book will lay forth its wisdom. Ask and the Oracle shall answer. Compared in its wisdom to the I Ching, the Oracle derives its infallibility from a reliable mathematical plan. It’s easy to use with satisfying results and includes an addendum of charms, ceremonies, and spells. For those preoccupied with the details of their destinies, this elegant volume based on the original English edition published in 1857 is an absolute necessity.