The Art of Divination

by Willow Moon
copyright 1999

Divination is a technique of passive magic: a magic which is receptive to the unknown, rather than magic that actively creates a new reality. This kind of magic has as its primary purpose not the change in circumstance, but rather the perception of things which are commonly hidden. Many forms of divination end in the suffix "-mancy" and divination itself is called a "mantic" art, or an art in which divination is performed. In order to be useful as a system of divination the divinatory technique needs certain traits such as: a set of symbols or patterns which can convey information to the diviner, a certain degree of randomness to assure one is not manipulating the outcome, and a certain degree of flexibility to allow intuitive 'hidden knowledge' to rise to the surface of the consciousness.

One way to understand how divination works is by using theoretical models such as: chaos theory, theory of synchronicity, revelation theory, theomantic theory and the theory of correspondences. According to chaos theory we can never know the final outcome of a series of events because the events do not occur in a line of possibilities, but rather in a sea of possibilities which could go any direction at any time. Chaos theory says that because a butterfly ascends in the sky over the Pacific, all reality is irrevocably changed.

This is related to the contingency theory of Steven J. Gould, which says that the future is contingent on essentially random or chance events and that small events can change the universe in a big way. If the world is viewed as a web of interconnections, as one part of the web is "pulled" all parts are "pulled". Chaos theory would imply that the randomness of lots reflects the randomness of the universe and thus the drawing of lots participates in the nature of the universe. Therefore, if the lottery is in tune with the universe, then by understanding the hidden patterns of the universe the random patterns produced by the lottery become interpretable.

The theory of synchronicity states that two things that occur together are organically connected; which is to say that events occurring together are naturally and strongly linked because they arise out of a contiguous matrix of events. If you can understand the connection between concurrent events, then you can understand the meaning of the events.

In revelation theory, divination is seen as the process of dropping the internal censors to perceive the knowledge which our censors usually weed out or mask. This is when the diviner feels that the knowledge wells up from within, which the divinatory technique merely brings to the surface of the mind.

When the diviner feels they are ascertaining the God's will through divination they are working in terms of theomantic theory. Practically any type of divination can be theomantic in nature, depending upon the beliefs of the diviner. Such a diviner would believe that the mantic device (i.e. the cards, dice, sticks, stones, etc.) is controlled by the God they are working with. The same diviner may sometimes use a technique that is theomantic and then use another technique that is not.

A trained diviner can read the spontaneous patterns in life's random events by associating the direction, color, time, activity or place of an event to a mythic meaning. Such methods can be applied to: omen bird divining, divination by winds or austromancy, cloud divination, hydromancy - divination by observing water, libanomancy or divining by smoke and haruspicy which is divining by dismemberment. Some diviners also use Paracelsus' [Bombast von Hohenheim (1493-1541)] doctrine of signatures which says the shape of an object corresponds to the inner nature of the object which gives meaning to the shape. In herbalism this principle is applied to the shapes of plants such as lungwort whose leaves are lung shaped and thus healing for the lungs. Shapes produced by clouds, ceromancy or divination by pouring melted wax into water, plumbomancy which is divining the shapes formed by pouring molten lead, lecanomancy or divining the shapes of oil poured onto water (or pouring water into oil), crithomancy - divining by observing the shapes formed while kneading dough and aleuromancy or divining by shaking flour over water are examples of applying the theory of correspondences to divination. The resulting image reflects the inner nature of the question asked and pulls up emotionally charged associations to build a meaning from the image.

Aberrant natural phenomena have, since the beginning of time, been interpreted as the physical manifestation of spiritual powers. The interpretation of unusual phenomena as portents is commonly called augury. The behavior of nature is often closely monitored by soothsayers for signs of significance. Signs are determined to be significant due to their timing, the unusualness of the phenomena or by the diviner's "sense". The observation of spontaneous patterns arising in nature are well known around the world; whereas the art of creating patterns specifically for the purposes of divination are more occult. A saying like "red sky in the morning sailor's warning, red sky at night sailor's delight" is common folk knowledge based upon the experiences of many people; whereas divinatory arts like the casting of bones is a technical skill usually learned from a teacher.

It is common in our culture for people to disregard omens as superstitious. They don't realize that omens operate as a symbolic language of the world. Portents are messages more subtle than physical ink on paper but just as intelligible. A symbol is given meaning by the emotion it evokes in the viewer and that is why symbols are culturally specific - the person must have a background of experience to associate with the symbol. In American culture a black cat is seen as unfortunate whereas in England a black cat is lucky. A symbol transmits information on an energetic level and to understand them we need to relate to the symbol on an energetic level - more subtle than physical "reality" but none the less real.

Some people are afraid of believing in omens, fearing that a "bad" omen means an unavoidable disaster which they would rather not know about. What they haven't learned is the possibility of relating to omens on symbolic terms. That is, if you notice an unfortunate omen of whatever sort, instead of trying to ignore it hoping that it won't affect your life, you meet the omen head on with a symbolic action designed to dispel it's influence. If you understand and respond appropriately to the message the world is giving you then there is no need for a "louder" (more physical) message. If you were to ignore someone talking, then perhaps the person would try to talk louder to get your attention and maybe become irritated. Dispelling an unfortunate omen can be a very elaborate rite or as simple as spilling a drink in offering, crossing your fingers, spitting or clapping your hands.

Others believe that omens set a person's life on an unalterable course and their natural sense of free will rages against the idea. The stars impel; they do not compel, if one is wise. If you are used to allowing yourself to be compelled by events, people and memories then indeed the stars can compel; but for a witch who has taken the time and effort to learn about herself then the stars do not compel any more than any other event does. The outcome is ultimately determined by the person and whether they are willing and able to do the work to change their pattern of living, if the predicted outcome is unfavorable.

Observing specific objects to find meaningful patterns has been an important aid to seers since time immemorial. Practically any object can be used as a tool to stimulate the reception of psychic impressions. Cartomancy is divination by means of cards, cheiromancy is divination by means of the palm, geomancy is divination by means of the patterns of the earth, pegomancy is divination by observation of the sounds and flows of springs, crystallomancy is gazing in a crystal to divine, onychomancy is divining by glimpses of sunlight reflecting from nails that have been hammered into wooden posts or trees, rhabdomancy is divining by the movements of a wand and oneiromancy is divination by dreams.

The venerable art of Necromancy is divination by means of asking the spirits of the dead. Necromancy has many forms: sometime the dead person appears, sometime they speak through the living, sometimes they communicate through mental impressions or telepathy. Sometimes it involves the reanimation of a corpse or the use of an object that the spirit can use as a temporary home, such as a skull or crystal ball. One can also construct a talisman which is charged by the presence of the Mighty Dead who temporarily reside within it. Care in who you decide to call up is advised, since some human spirits find this process disturbing. Often, it is usually best to call only those you know were involved in the Craft and so would be open to being invited to guest at circles.

Oracles are prophetic revelations from either a God or a spirit usually associated with a particular place. Oracular utterances have traditionally been possible only at certain sacred sites when specific rites are performed to invoke the genius loci or the spirit of the place. The interaction of the power of the place, the time, the rite and the participating individuals produces insights into the nature of future possibilities. The word "Oracle" originally meant "the place of sacred speech," however it can be used to refer to the place, the shrine itself, the transmitter of the prophecies or the prophecy itself. In the capacity as oracle the priest or priestess is a medium, being the mouthpiece of the God and usually goes into a trance. The places of power on which the oracles are located are places where the world of humans and the worlds of the spirits are especially close in contact, a location where ecstatic trance can gain access to the will of the Gods and give foreknowledge of things to come.

An ecstatic state allows the mind to relax and become more expanded. This expanded awareness is drawn by the attention into creating connecting links to other realms. If the person is receptive to messages then indeed messages do come! There are many ways to enter an ecstatic state of mind such as: breath control, beautiful sights and sounds, dancing or whirling, chanting or singing, prayer and meditation. Ecstasy attracts the focus of the attention like nothing else can. The practice of tantra is based on the idea that a blissful mind is a strongly concentrated mind which, with proper training, can unfold into infinite understanding. Sometimes diviners use entheogens to induce a state of ecstasy to put them in contact with their divine nature. A true entheogen is a plant that is sacred in and of itself, a plant that is the very body of the God or Goddess, Who is sprung up from the earth. When one eats an entheogen one is eating the body of the Deity and thus one's body participates in the awareness of the Deity.

Part II

How does one go about doing divination? If you are experienced then you probably just do it. But how does someone start to learn? Fortunately, the practice of divination is in itself a technique to develop intuition. That is, if you merely attempt to do divination and if you can continue practicing in spite of the false leads, the doubts, the frustrations of not understanding or getting images then there is a good chance that you will actually develop your intuitive abilities. Particularly, if you practice every day either a divinatory technique or another exercise which will help develop intuition. A quiet, darkened and relaxed atmosphere is best at first to start developing divinatory skills. Also, by practicing alone or with a trusted friend there will be much less pressure to perform and thus allow you to relax more completely. Building your self-esteem to the point of being able to trust your first impressions is essential to success.

The first impressions may be visual, mental or palpable and they may be extremely subtle. By learning techniques to slow the rushing thoughts which splash in the mind its possible to hear the more quiet messages that well up in between the thoughts. Besides learning how to be aware of the subtle messages within you, it helps to learn a knack of shifting the mental focus. This can be learned by using meditation techniques which shift the attention from external phenomena to internal phenomena or through using any of the mind altering techniques so famous to the Craft. Techniques such as: ritual, sex, music, sensory deprivation, entheogenic brews, chanting, or dancing. Also, by practicing shifting the gaze of the eyes to perform scrying techniques you are training yourself in the knack of shifting the focus of the mind.

Scrying is often done by 'looking through' or 'looking past' the object you are gazing at. It is important for the gaze to be soft and relaxed so that the mind is not tense and thus can perceive the subtle messages in whatever form. If the mind is too relaxed however, there is a tendency to fall asleep or to forget the visions like a dream. First the scrying tool will usually cloud over and appear opaque, if it was previously transparent. Or it may go completely dark and you may have a sense of looking into a darkened tube or window. Images may then seem to swirl behind mists which makes them hard to see. Later, the images may build up from the center or the periphery of the scrying field.

It is important not to look at the images directly at first so as to allow them to stabilize more. The images are usually fleeting and changeable, so it is a good idea to write them down immediately or have someone to record the images for you. Also, the images may not appear within the scrying tool but within your own mind as a mental image. These are just as valid a response to your endeavors as any image appearing within the scrying tool itself. In this instance the scrying tool is like an object of concentration which stimulates the imagination and opens the gates of intuition.

How do you know when you, as a reader, are manipulating the outcome or not? I believe that if it feels connected then it probably is authentic and if it feels or sounds forced then it is probably fake. Certain techniques are easier to manipulate than others, e.g., the pendulum or muscle testing. The complexity of ritual, an altered state of mind and randomness of technique reduces the ability to manipulate the results. However, according to chaos theory, we are affecting the eventual outcome of the reading simply by asking the question, so it is impossible not to manipulate the results.

If the chain of events continues to occur in the same pattern as when the reading was done, then there is a high probability that the reading's outcome will become evident. According to theomantic theory, the divination reveals truth because it is the God's foresight and will that informs the divination. If the diviner is a clear channel and the information is interpreted correctly, then the communication should be accurate. Unfortunately, it is possible that the information is interpreted incorrectly due to a clouded perception.

If the diviner is not in a state of mind that opens them up to possible futures, then they remain closed to "impossible" events. If the diviner is too close to the situation, they may lust for a specific result and unconsciously skew the interpretation. Also, if the chain of events does not continue in the same pattern as when the reading was done, then there is less of a chance that the reading's outcome will occur as predicted.

I think there is a difference between reading the language of the symbols on cards and a psychic impression based on the layout of cards. Often a divination is both, as the process of reading the symbols brings up psychic impressions. A reading based solely on technical expertise can be an adequate reading that helps a person to see what they already know; in order to develop confidence in a decision they may have unknowingly made. However, intuitive impressions of whatever sort yield an accessible and moving reading that satisfies the client and the reader in a very deep emotional way.

Sometimes it happens that one is doing readings and then suddenly the inspiration or connections are lost. The reading doesn't flow and the words feel flat. This can happen when the reader gets overtired, gets hungry, is fatigued after reading for many needy clients, or if the spirit that the reader works with leaves. Inauspicious planetary alignments or violent weather can also trigger a sense of disconnection. Psychic vampires can be a problem if the reader is sucked on unawares. Solid training in grounding and shielding can do wonders for discouraging the little buggers.

So how can you deal with a dry period when you can't connect to normally used channels? A good place to start is to take a break or a nap, eat if you need to, or go walk in nature to recharge. Due to a busy schedule, if you are not able to take a break then try putting yourself in a light trance before you begin your schedule and give yourself a suggestion that when you touch a specific point on your body you will immediately relax, recharge and reconnect to your channels. If you work with spirits then dismiss the spirits and try again later when appropriate.

If you feel clouded and unable to interpret the signs it may be due to an unclear motivation. If you aren't sure why you are trying to divine, then often your misconceptions may be projected onto the interpretation. How do you clear the projections and preconceptions to allow clear messages to come through? If you are reading for others ask yourself - why? If you are doing readings in order to help people, then one way to further develop a caring attitude is by focusing for a few minutes each day on feeling kindness toward others. By nourishing such an attitude you will develop a strong desire to do your best. This in itself will give you a fortitude that goes far beyond selfish motivations. A technique, which is from the ancient land of Shang Shung [A country once surrounding Mount Kailash which the ancient Tibetans conquered; absorbing the Bön. It's culture proved to be the cradle of Tibetan civilization and it's teachings have been taught from one person to the next since antiquity to the present.], is to Chant "AHHH" and feel a spaciousness in your heart area expand while you visualize a brilliant rainbow light emerging from your heart and pushing all distractions out into open space into which the distractions disappear.

This article is based on outer court training material we use in Temenos Drakontos to teach our Gardnerian students. Tom started to develop this material many years before he and I formed Temenos Drakontos and I am extremely grateful for his input. I am also grateful to the people who advised me on the creation of this document, thank you.

Bibliography: Loewe, Michael and Carmen Blacker. Oracles and Divination. Boulder: Shambhala, 1981 Pennick, Nigel. Games of the Gods. York Beach: Samuel Weiser, 1989

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