Divination
The spiritual practice of seeking knowledge or guidance from a higher power is divination.
When beginning exploring divination tools, one must proceed with caution, doing so with respect to the divine source of energy. It is wise to make protection and cleansing a priority.
Observation – Observation is about remaining open-minded and mindful at once, being able to notice signs and to have acceptance. Staying open and AWARE of the world around you will better allow the spiritual world to communicate with you, and thus deliver clearer messages and answers.
Symbolism – The self conscious mind finds meaning in symbols and signs. Be open to the see the signs that the universe is trying to show you.
Intuition – Intuition is something you know immediately without consciously thinking about it. It’s communication front he soul. Sometimes intuition goes against the logical mind, but divination relies on these natural instincts to interpret symbols and signs.
The following are very general explanations of a few methods of divination I have used and are familiar with, however by no means am I a specialist in any of these methods so there may be many others who may believe differently or practice in another way.
Tarot Cards
Divination cards go back long ago, some say prior to the 14th Century in Europe. There is many debates as to why, when and where exactly they originated. It’s said that the Tarot deck was originally intended to be a card game. The meaning of these divination cards changed many times over time. The most common deck was originally created by Rider-Waite in 1909, it was the most popular deck of the 20th century and still is most read deck by mystical readers today. His deck included a book which explained the story as meaning of each card.
There are many many versions of this deck. In the typical deck. there are 78 cards in the Tarot deck. There are 22 Major Arcana cards, they tell a story similar to the Hero’s journey. Starting with the Fool and ending with the World. There are 56 Minor Arcana cards, broken up into 4 suits, like the traditional playing card deck.
The Minor Arcana consist of 4 suits, Cups, Pentacles, Wands, and Swords. Each suit has unique characteristics that represent their own journey. The Cups family represent a journey of emotions and creativity. The Pentacles represent a journey of wealth. The Wands represent a journey into spirituality and taking action. The Swords represent a journey of intellect and power. The Tarot assists in spiritual guidance, this intelligent, intuitive divination tool offers warnings and wisdom to help you on your journey, the reader uses their intuition to have a deeper knowledge of the significance of cards the placed.
Pendulum (dowsing)
Pendulums have been used for thousands of years, the use of a pendulum is also known as dowsing.
The pendulum can be thought as an extension of your intuition, since it is used to gain access to information that exist in the subconscious level of your inner being and from spiritual guides, angels, etc.
You will find that your pendulum will likely be your most relied upon divine tool. Anyone is capable of working with the pendulum. Learning to work with it is like learning to play an instrument. It requires practice and time.
You should not use the pendulum for egoistic reasons. Use it only for the well being of others or yourself. When selecting a pendulum follow your intuition and choose one that you connect with. Next you should cleanse or "clear" your pendulum before using it for the first time. To do this, simply pass the pendulum a few times through running water, hold over a flame, sage or place in a container of sea salt for an hour or so, or leave out in the sun or moonlight. The more you use this tool the more you need to cleanse it.
Now it’s time to charge or program your pendulum by holding it in the palm of your hand and sitting quietly for a few moments, cleansing and setting your intentions. This will help the pendulum to align with your energy. You can ask your source to bless your pendulum, “ Please bless this pendulum with love and light and allow me to use it for divine guidance.”
To determine what each pendulum movement means for you, ( this can look different for people) hold the pendulum by the end of chain between your thumb and index finger. Make sure that your upper body and back are straight, that the energy can flow freely. Be present, ground yourself and relax. Let your breath flow calmly. Do not swing the pendulum. Let it happen. Hold your pendulum over the center of the palm of your hand and you can ask: “What does a YES look like?” then follow with “What does a NO look like?” Or any other YES or NO question. Once you’ve got your yes and no figured out ask your pendulum to stop. Like learning anything new, it can take some practice. Just be patient and practice a few times a day.
Tea leaf Reading
Divination in a teacup, officially called tasseography, or the practice of reading the leaves. These are special cups with a divine pattern drawn on them reflecting different themes and answers.
In order to use the teacups, you must first pour yourself a cup of freshly brewed loose leaf tea. At the bottom of the cup, once finished, there will be tea leaves left. Observe the pattern and images created by the tea leaves.
The pattern itself, and your interpretation of it, will guide you to any answers you may be seeking. While the answers are not always explicit, they will show a revelation if the seeker studies the image hard enough. Below is the map of a past, present, future position.
Stone Reading
It is believed by scholars that early stone reading also known as lithomancy included stones which were polished and inscribed with symbols–perhaps these were the precursors to the rune stones we see in some of the Scandinavian religions.
This is a fun one, anyone can do! Grab a partner! One will be the reader and one the scribe! Go on a nature walk or hike and ask Mother Earth to provide you a stone for divination and ask her if you can take with you. Find a softball size stone which has for sides.
You can use this stone to reveal answers and guidance to a specific question.
As the reader, concentrate on your question closely and carefully for a minute before you stare deeply into the ball. Ask and repeat your question 3 times out loud while holding your stone. The scribe (your partner) should write this question on a piece of paper.
Pick a side to start, try to discern any shapes or images you see, find 4 and then interpret how they might answer your question, have the scribe write this interpretation on the paper. Do this for all 4 sides of stone.
After you have all four sides, the scribe will then read the question and then the interpretations that will answer your question.
There are many many tools of divination, and some I would not recommend if not experienced, it’s best to always use discernment when choosing to use a method of divination.
