How can I easily select a set symbol from an ornaments typeface?

Do you have ‘Keyboard Viewer’ in your keyboard menu? that shows you where they all are.
(if you don’t already have it, go: Sys Prefs -> International -> Input Menu and select it)

Okay… I’ve pulled up the keyboard viewer… but it’s only showing me the standard letters on the keyboard? Is that the expected behaviour?

It’ll show the keyboard layout for currently selected font. So, select the ornament font you want to use, and you should see the keyboard layout for it – also, if you press shift/command/option, it should show you the corresponding characters

Sorry, I take that back – you have to select the font from the drop-down in the keyboard viewer.

All I have available is Standard (Lucida Grande), Webdings and the variations of Wingdings… do you get a complete list of available fonts on your system?

Both Bodoni Ornaments and Requiem Ornaments are installed on my system, but don’t show up.

^ On the dropdown, that is.

I get about 7 different ones – so not all of them – another alt. would be the Character palette (set it up same way as keyboard viewer) and that (I think) lets you view every symbol there is and you can just drag it in to the document you’re working on.

Still can’t find anything on the character palette, it’s just selections from Lucida Grande. This is really bizarre. I had to screenshot the ornament I needed and retrace it in Illustrator, it was thoroughly embarrassing. :)

Thanks for your help, if you manage to figure it out at some point then please do let me know.