I Encountered a Cheese Oracle Who Guided My Next Journey

At first, I doubted the goat's significance. Yet, it appeared as if it were carved into the cheese, like an optical illusion. "Can you see it? The horns... and the mouth?" inquired Jennifer Billock, a practitioner of tyromancy, the mystical art of cheese divination. This practice dates back to the second century, first noted by the Greek historian and diviner Artemidorus of Daldis, who loathed cheese and believed that cheese divination tarnished the craft of genuine seers.

Billock, based in Chicago, initiated our Zoom tyromancy session with a historical overview. "Cheese has played a role in magical rituals since ancient Greece and Rome," she explained. "Both cultures included cheese as offerings to their gods." She highlighted a cheese well in Peeblesshire, Scotland, where people historically tossed cheese pieces in hopes of fairies granting them a prosperous harvest. "If the fairies were pleased with your gift, you’d enjoy a bountiful yield; otherwise, your crops would fail," she noted.

Before our Zoom call, Billock requested that I select four cheeses—representing Past, Present, Future, and a Question—and email her images of these labeled wedges. "Typically, blue cheese works best for readings," she shared, emphasizing that cheeses with veins or unique textures are ideal for tyromancy. I sourced a Mediterranean selection from my favorite cheese shop in New York City, Murray’s. My Past choice was Moliterno al Tartufo, a truffled Sardinian sheep cheese. For the Present, I opted for Pecorino Oro Antico from Tuscany, known as “ancient gold.” Lastly, I picked Andazul, a blue cheese from the rare Payoyo goats of the Andalusian mountains, for the Future. As we discussed the cheeses, one key lesson emerged: my intuition was sharpening over time. "Just stay attentive," Billock advised.

A seasoned travel writer, Billock has practiced tea leaf reading and various divination techniques since childhood. "During the early pandemic, I discovered that tyromancy was once a popular method of divination, and since I adore cheese, I decided to teach myself the craft," she recounted. "It took me a couple of years of research and trial sessions before I felt ready to conduct workshops."

Initially, I had chosen an aged Manchego for my Question cheese, but upon learning that my friend could join our Zoom call from Croatia, I switched it to Paški sir (Pag cheese), a six-month-aged sheep’s milk cheese from Pag Island, Croatia. Martina Pernar Škunca, who manages marketing at Paška Sirana, one of the factories crafting the island's award-winning cheese, provided a wedge exclusively for our tyromancy session, as it was otherwise sold out across the USA. Since this cheese and its island inspired my debut novel, The Cheesemaker’s Daughter, I asked: How will my future travels influence my creative journey?

The outlook was promising: "Your dragon is soaring into this flower, which symbolizes taking the initiative and embracing growth," Billock remarked, guiding her cursor over the rind patterns. "This will enhance your creativity even further." She then identified the silhouette of a butterfly, symbolizing "progressing into a space where you can spread your wings, broaden your mind, and unleash your creativity."

She noted, "Typically, the travel inquiries I receive revolve around whether someone will embark on a trip soon, where they’ll go, and if it will be enjoyable. I look for clues in the cheese that might reveal this information." Billock elaborated that cheese divination involves analyzing the shapes and number of holes, their depth, mold patterns, scents, and other characteristics. "The interpretations are quite similar to other divination methods like tea leaf or coffee ground reading," she explained. Recently, she discerned the outline of Iowa alongside an airplane in someone’s cheese and predicted she would likely travel to Iowa soon. "She was astonished and revealed she had a trip to Iowa scheduled in two weeks. Spooky!" Billock recalled.

The session concluded with the very cheese that unveiled the remarkable goat image in its rind. This goat appeared as part of the Bonus Question about a Croatian cheese known as Dalmatinac, crafted from cow’s and sheep’s milk, which Billock sourced from her local cheesemonger in Chicago, Beautiful Rind.

My inquiry: On August 30, I’m heading to a cheese festival on Pag to promote my novel. How can I maximize that experience? Billock advised, "The goat’s best counsel is to truly embrace the flow as much as possible. There may be challenges or unexpected situations, but the goat will chew through them. As long as you remain persistent, maintain a positive attitude, and are ready to adapt to any changes, you’ll be in an ideal position." That goat—and the cheese—offered some solid life advice.

Experience your own cheese reading: Jennifer Billock provides both in-person and Zoom tyromancy sessions. Check out KitchenWitch for details. ($45 for individual sessions or per person for groups up to five; $30 per person for groups of six or more; an additional $10 per person if Billock purchases the cheese.)