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㠀㠀. A Guidance for Divinationă
Reminder that this is from my experience and research. Some may be different for others, so please keep that in mind. All practices may differ from one another. And this is mostly with divination with deities. Please inform me of any misinformations!
đ . What is divination?
According to Google, divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. Synonyms for divination include fortune telling, divining, second sight, prophecy, prediction, and witchcraft.
Britannica defines divination as the practice of determining the hidden significance or cause of events, sometimes foretelling the future, by various natural, psychological, and other techniques.
Merriam-Webster states that it is the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge, usually by interpreting omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.
Despite the various definitions, it is clear that divination is fundamentally a practice that facilitates communication with the supernatural to answer questions we wish to explore.
From my experience, as I continue to practice divination, it holds additional meanings for me. Divination serves as a way for me to form a connection with the supernatural. It acts as a bridge that allows us to communicate with the other side. Others may view divination differently, and their experiences may vary as they continue to practice it, and you can too!
đđ . Type of Divination
Divination has existed for thousands of years in various parts of the world, including Ancient China, the Khmer Empire, Ancient Greece, and Rome. As a result, there are many ways to practice divination. It has always been a part of religions and cultures! Some forms of divination are closed practices, while others are open. We must bear in mind that not all practices are accessible to everyone, and we should be respectful of their cultures.
Since there are many types of divination, I will focus on the ones I am currently practicing, which include:
Shufflemancy
Tarot readings
Oracle
Bibliomancy
1 . Shufflemancy
Shufflemancy is a modern form of divination that uses music to answer inquiries.
Often, people create playlists consisting of various songs. This can include any genre, such as rock, hip-hop, indie, etc. It can truly be anything, and you can even use the playlist you listen to every day! However, I personally avoid explicit songs.
How do you do it? You start first by picking numbers! Choose the numbers you feel connected to. I usually hover my finger over the numbers on my keyboard and choose the one that calls out to me. This can be in the tens, hundreds, or even the thousandsâas long as your playlist has that many songs.
After picking a number and finding your song, you can go ahead and listen to it while doing research! Personally, listening to the song makes me feel more connected to it, and my emotions can be influenced by it. I also find symbolism within the song.
Research about the song by asking yourself:
What was the situation of the artist when they made it?
What is the meaning of the song?
What do I feel when I listen to the song?
These are some of the questions you can reflect on.
2. Bibliomancy
Bibliomancy refers to the act of divination using books. This can be done with any book, but many prefer sacred texts such as the Bible. You can use books you feel deeply connected to, because divination is personal.
Like Shufflemancy, you pick a number and turn to that page. Read it once, twice, or as many times as youâd like.
Ask yourself:
What are the quotes?
What is happening in the book?
How do the characters feel?
How does it make you feel?
What is your personal interpretation of that page?
Sometimes, I also look back at the previous page for more context.
3. Tarot
Tarot is a form of cartomancy, which is the practice of using cards for divination. Tarot consists of 78 cards with different interpretations and is divided into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana has 22 cards:
- The Fool
- The Magician
- The High Priestess
- The Empress
- The Emperor
- The Hierophant
- The Lovers
- The Chariot
- Strength
- The Hermit
- The Wheel of Fortune
- Justice
- The Hanged Man
- Death
- Temperance
- The Devil
- The Star
- The Tower
- The Moon
- The Sun
- Judgement
- The World
The Minor Arcana has 56 cards divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
More of Tarot cards see here!
How do you use Tarot? Shuffle the deck! Whichever cards fall out are your answers. Sometimes they come upright, sometimes reversedâeither way, they have meaning. Donât worry about reversals. The number of cards you read is entirely up to you. I personally do five-card readings, so I only read five cards, and I put any extras back.
4. Oracle
Oracle and Tarot are similar to each other! They are both a form of cartomancy, but Tarot has Major Arcane and Minor Arcane, while Oracle has free-formed and themed decks instead. Oracle doesnât have a structure, and the meaning of the cards can be from the guidance book given with the Oracle cards (if any).
Oracle cards are different from one deck to another, so donât worry about it being different than others.
How do you use it? Same with Tarot!
When buying Oracle and Tarot cards, remember that buying the ones that call out to you the most is more important. These cards are supposed to be connected and compatible with you.
đđđ. Cleansing
Cleansing your tools is important! This refers mostly to physical tools. For things like Shufflemancy or digital divination, Iâm unsure, so I wonât refer to them here.
There are many ways to cleanse your tools! Personally, I use sound, shuffling, and smoke.
â Sound cleansing ; this can be songs, bells, clapping, humming, etc. It can be nearly anything as long as it gives sound. I usually hum or use my metal roses to make sounds. I would do small chanting while imagining the negative energy fading away. I do this until my instinct tells me it is enough or until the air around me feels lighter. You can knock as well. Knock three times with your dominant hand while making your intentions clear to clear the negative energy.
â Shuffling ; if you are doing cartomancy, you can shuffle your cards! Imagine all of the negativity being fanned or falling off. It resets your cards, especially if they have been used by someone else before. Close your eyes and think of your intentions of cleansing the deck.
â Smoke/incense ; this is a popular form of cleansing! Burn your incense and allow the smoke to pass through the cards. You can do it one at a time for each card or do it all together! Let your intentions be clear! However, be reminded that you have to be careful with the smoke and fire.
đđ. Environment & Deities
This depends on the person doing the reading! This varies from person to person, so donât feel stressed that your practice is different from others.
Itâs okay that your practice is different. Your divination is personal, and it should be yours to control.
1 . Appearance
Some may prefer to be dressed while doing a reading, while some donât. This depends on the person, especially with the deities. What is your relationship with your deities? Is it formal? Is your deity okay with it?
From my experience, I prefer to be dressed casually while doing a reading with my deity because itâs more respectful and less awkward from my perspective, but someone else might like to do it while theyâre not dressed, or someone else might like to do it in formal attire. All is fine!
2. Enviroment
Akin to the appearance, it is entirely up to you what you want your surroundings to be like. You prefer it messy because it helps you more? Go for it! I like it cleaned before and after readings to show respect to my deities.
3. Calling out to the deities
Again, it depends on the person, but here is what I usually do:
â Meditation ; as I prepare my reading tools, I try to close my eyes and regulate my breathing. If Iâm feeling emotional, I try to calm down first before starting. Yes, your emotions do influence your reading and interpretation. If you are anxious or scared, your reading may be influenced. Take a deep breath and relax first.
â Praying ; before I start my reading, I pray to the deity I wish to have the answer from. I explain to Them that I want to know Their answers (or the answers for the person youâre giving the reading to). I also light Their candles if I have one.
â Talking & Listening ; while doing my reading, I put on songs that remind me of Them. I try to talk to Them about the situation that I/theyâre facing right now. I speak the meaning to Them, and I observe the reaction of the flame. (You can really talk about anything! What you think is going on, what youâre feeling, etc.)
â After ; I thank Them for answering the reading, and if I can, will have a conversation for a little bit more before concluding it. I usually thank Them twice, which is after the reading and after the conversation! I also cleanse my tools by knocking or shuffling them a few times.
đ. The End !
I wholeheartedly endorse everyone to bear in mind that all practices are different from one another, and one shouldnât feel ashamed of it. As I said before: divination is a personal thing that shouldnât be controlled by others.
Learn. Grow. Enjoy yourself.
đđđđđđđ đđ !
â The Swan
