Divination

Foretelling the future, finding objects and people, and determining guilt by means of information obtained from signs, omens, dreams, visions and divinatory tools. Divination traditionally is an important skill of the folk witch. In some societies, divination has been performed only by special classes of trained priests or priestesses. Divination is an important skill for many Wiccans and Pagans.

Since the earliest times in all known civilizations, people have looked to supernatural sources for help and advice, in personal affairs and particularly in matters of state. Methods of divination involve either interpretation of natural patterns in the environment or patterns that are formed by the tossing of objects such as sticks, stones or bones. Information is obtained from the way smoke curls from a fire, the shape of an animal bone, the formation of clouds, and the markings on organs and entrails of sacrificed animals. The ancient Romans favoured augury, the interpretation of the flight pattern of birds, and haruspicy, the examination of the livers and entrails of sacrificed animals. The augurs were a special caste of priests who read the signs to deter lines,

Dreams have always been an important medium for divining answers to questions, as has scrying. Oracles are persons who enter trance states.

Popular in the Middle Ages was the tossing of grain, sand or peas onto the earth to see what could be read from the patterns. Similarly, the Japanese set out characters of the syllabary in a circle, then scatter rice around them and let a cock pick at the rice. Whatever syllables are nearest the grain picked up by the cock are used to puzzle out messages. As far back as 1000 b.c.e., the Chinese have used the I Ching, an oracle which involves tossing and reading long and short yarrow sticks. Another ancient Chinese divinatory method, which is still in use, is feng-shui, or geomancy, the siting of buildings, tombs and other physical structures by determining the invisible currents of energy coursing through the earth.

Finding the guilty. Throughout history, divination has been used to identify parties guilty of crimes. Despite the true psychic ability no doubt employed by many diviners, it is certain that many innocent people have been punished along with the guilty. In the Pacific Islands, murderers have been identified through examining the marks of a beetle crawling over the grave of a victim. The Lugbara of western Uganda fill small pots with medicines that represent the suspects. The pot that does not boil over when heated reveals the culprit. In other methods, suspects are forced to eat or drink various substances and concoctions, such as the gruesome stew made from the boiled head of an ass. Whoever is unfortunate enough to choke or suffer indigestion—even a rumbling stomach—is guilty by divination.

During the witch hunts, witch suspects were bound and thrown in lakes and rivers to see if they would float (guilty) or sink (innocent). If the sinking innocent drowned, that was simply an unfortunate consequence

Contemporary divinatory methods. Most Witches have a favoured tool in divining that acts as a prompt to intuition and the tuning into psychic forces and vibrations. The divined information comes in a variety of ways, depending on the individual. Some persons “hear” it with the inner ear; others see visual images on their mental screen. Divinatory information also comes through other senses, including taste, smell and tactile sensations.

Popular tools include the Tarot; rune stones; crystals, mirrors or bowls for scrying; dowsing; and the I Ching. Many Witches also use psychometry, which is the reading of objects or photographs by handling them. Astrology and numerology are often used in conjunction with divination. Some Witches divine by reading auras, the layers of invisible energy that surround all living things. Palmistry, the reading of lines on the hand, and tasseomancy, the reading of tea leaves, are used by some Witches.

Divination is both art and skill, and one’s proficiency depends on natural psychic gifts and regular practice. For some, divination comes fairly easily, while others must work harder and longer to attune the psychic faculties.

Most covens offer training in developing psychic abilities and divinatory skills. Many Witches feel that the best time to the divine is between midnight and dawn, when the psychic currents are supposed to be at their strongest.

## Divination Tools

Anything from clouds, crystals, incense smoke, or tarot, oracle, or playing cards can be read for divining purposes. All you need is to feel attuned to interpret what you see. Images may appear to you unbidden with a voice within you, telling you the meaning of what you see. The image you see may even change upon acknowledging it, to confirm your thoughts/feelings on the matter. As always, listen to that inner voice.

Divination is not necessarily to predict the future, but to see the energies affecting future events to see how they’re aligned. From there you can allow things to flow as they were, or make changes to alter that alignment, to change that future possibility. Nothing is predestined in witchcraft, because The Power of the Craft comes from the ability of the witch to create changes. If you see something you don’t like, you can perform magics and call upon The Power to shift that thing you don’t like to something better.

There are a number of tools you can use for Divination, but you don’t have to spend a lot of money on them. Crystal ball scrying is typically thought of in connection with witchcraft, but a pan or bowl of water works equally well for scrying. Divination can be done with fire, smoke, cloud shapes & movement, bird flight, and the patterns of the falling leaves. Anything that is connected with nature that inspires a feeling of meaningfulness within you is a possible source of Divination.

If the Lord and Lady (etc) want to show you something, they can use anything to do this. Even the bowl of cereal you’re eating for breakfast. Visions can be found anywhere. You just need to be open to them to start seeing them. Scrying the clouds works on different levels of divination. Sometimes they show events to come, but usually the things you see will resonate on a personal level. If you see a wild and reckless “rade” of horses and riders flying across the sky, you’re getting a glimpse of the Wild Hunt, warning of turmoil in the place where the clouds are heading.

If you see white unicorns, you have good fortune and success with you. If you see black unicorns, call upon the white unicorns to chase them away from where you are, for they are emotional storms and portents of disruptions in your life. Watch the clouds around the moon during Esbat. Look for cloud formations during unusual planetary events like eclipses. Check the clouds for replies to your spell workings and invocations.

For divination in cards, you can use tarot cards that speak to you in the store that you purchase yourself, or are gifted by a friend (never steal!), or a basic playing cards deck can be used with just as much success. The point of the divination tools is that they offer a tool to focus on, not that they hold the power themselves.

You can use a variety of small stones as cards, if you pick up ones that provide you with distinct impressions. When you gather stones, meditate on each one in a quiet time with a white candle, and a gentle incense to open your reception to the meaning of the stone. Once you see what the stone represents for you, name the stone and write down its meaning. Keep them in a bag and when doing divination, reach in and pull them out the same way you would draw your cards.

More information on Divination Symbolism

More information on Divination Glossary