Divination

***Courtosy Of Blue_Wolf***

Divination: From Latin word "divinare" meaning to foresee, be inspired by a god, or be related to the divine

This is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of a standardized process or ritual. It is an integral part of witchcraft and has been used in various forms for thousands of years. Diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a querent should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens, or through alleged contact with a supernatural agency, most often described as an angel or a god though viewed by Christians, Jews and Muslims as a fallen angel or demon. Divination can be seen as a systematic method with which to organize what appear to be disjointed, random facets of existence such that they provide insight into a problem at hand. If a distinction is to be made between divination and fortune-telling, divination has a formal or ritual and often social character, usually in a religious context, as seen in traditional African medicine; while fortune-telling is a more everyday practice for personal purposes. Particular divination methods vary by culture and religion.

Of course, the art of divination was forbidden by the Catholic Church and most Western religions as an act against God. In certain areas, it is still against the law today.

One interesting note is that there is a difference between Oracles and Seers. Oracles were considered conduits for the gods. They spoke to the gods directly. Seers did not have direct contacts with the gods. They were interpreters of the signs provided by the gods. Common Methods of Divination:

• Astrology, movements of celestial bodies
• Augury, bird flight
• Bibliomancy, books; frequently, but not always, religious texts
• Cartomancy, cards
• Taromancy, a form of cartomancy using tarot cards
• Cheiromancy, palms
• Palmistry, lines and mounds on the hand
• Chronomancy, about time, lucky/unlucky days
• Extispicy, animal entrails
• Feng shui, earthen harmony
• Gastromancy, stomach-based ventriloquism (historically)
• Geomancy, markings in the ground, or the way earth or soil lays when thrown
• Haruspicy, livers of sacrificed animals
• Hydromancy, water
• I Ching divination, yarrow stalks or coins and the I Ching
• Lithomancy, stones or gems
• Necromancy, the dead, or spirits/souls of the dead
• Numerology, numbers
• Oneiromancy, dreams
• Onomancy, names
• Pyromancy, fire
• Rhabdomancy, rods
• Runecasting/Runic divination, runes
• Scrying, reflective objects
• Crystallomancy, crystal ball
• Spirit board, planchette or talking board divination
• Tasseomancy, tea leaves or coffee grounds

I thought I'd touch on if you need to have psychic ability to be able to be successful at divination and the answer is no. Of course, the psychic ability will help you while you are let's say doing a tarot card reading but its not necessary. If you have faith in the cards and know how to read them correctly, you will get a correct reading. Where having psychic ability would help you out is if you are doing readings on people, for example, an aura reading.

But the more practice you do with divination the better you will get at it and the stronger your readings will be. Also, everyone has a method of divination that works for them better than others. So you might have to try a few before you find one that works for you.