Traditional Javanese culture is a world where even the most ordinary events may portend the arrival of fortunate or unfortunate circumstances. Typically the nature of these circumstances is surmised by considering the time of day the event occurs, or the day it occurs in relation to the various cycles of the Javanese calendar. In the case of some involuntary physiological phenomena, such as muscle ticks & spasms, meaning is determined by considering the part of the body affected.

Today, my experience suggests that probably very few Javanese would run to their book of traditional knowledge (primbon) or seek out a mystic (dukun) when, for example, suddenly confronted by an attack of sneezing or experiencing a muscle spasm in their left elbow. Nevertheless, these beliefs are still frequent enough among older and younger people from the rural countryside (desa) as well as others who are less involved with the "modern", more technologically-oriented sector of Javanese society.

The examples of folk divination presented here and on other pages are just that: examples, compiled and translated from several popular primbon in my personal collection. While the interpretations are generally consistent from one source to another, significant variations do occur from time to time. Where I have found differences, I have noted these with numbers (1, 2, etc.).
 

Like ticks and muscle spasms, sneezing (wahing) also indicates the arrival of fortunate or unfortunate circumstances in the near future. The nature of these circumstances can be surmised by observing the time of day the sneezing occurs. These appear in books of traditional wisdom, but my impression is that very few people now actually believe in them.