An Introduction to Divination
What is Divination? Who can practice it? What should it be used for? Whether you're a fledgeling witch just starting out or a tenured practitioner well versed in the different types of magic, one way or another you're more than likely going to find yourself coming across the term "Divination." For some of you, you're trying to deep-dive into the theory and practice of Divination, trying to reach out and grasp the knowledge that will allow you to strengthen and exercise your psychic ability and intuitiveness. For others, you may just be wishing to touch up on some magical knowledge. Either way, here's a collection of some thorough information I've gathered on Divination, and different facets of the craft. Some of the information is borrowed from online resources I've combed, so enjoy!
Essentially, Divination is a practice of magic in which someone attempts to get an insight into a question or situation they have, by using ritual work and application. Although a lot of people who practice Divination have different ideas and follow different traditions in regards to the craft, the basic general understanding is that with Divination someone can interpret messages gathered from either their own collective unconscious or from communication with the natural/spiritual world.
While a lot of people practice Divination by using tools such as a Scrying Glass, Tarot Cards, etc, Divination can also be done without the implementation of physical substances. For example, instead of relying on a Tarot Deck specifically, someone can get a bit of insight by going through some deep meditation and connecting to a spiritual guide of sorts. Either way, the base-divinatory skill that's the most important is the ability to still your mind, so that you can open up the gateway for information and notions to pass through without your judgement or anything clouding it.
For some people, whether they follow Pagan/spiritual traditions or not, the innate psychic ability that we're all born with is fairly pronounced and evident. In truth, everyone possesses some form of latent psychic talent, it's just that for some it's more obvious, where with others it's more like a well within their body, waiting to be tapped into. Some of us are able to completely divine the future or whatever we're looking for, while others get mere grasps and messages from the spiritual/natural world. With knowledge of what Pschic Ability is, most consider there to be a few different types of Pschic Talent.
*Precognition, which is when you have the ability to know the future, or see glimpses into it. Some people with precognition abilities are able to get very definite messages, while others get more vague ideas of stuff that's gonna happen.
*Intuition, which is that gut feeling you get when you just KNOW something without being shown or told. Intuitive people make awesome Tarot readers, and another word for intuition is "clairsentience."
*Clairvoyance, the ability to see or know things that are hidden. Locating lost objects, finding hidden paths, things like that.
*Empathy, wich is the ability to sense feelings, thoughts and emotions from another person. People with a great deal of empathy are known as Empaths, and they can be so strongly influenced by someone elses energies that they often need to develop methods of shielding themselves from it.
*Another form of psychic ability can be found in that of a Medium, which is someone who gets direct or indirect contact from the Spirit World. Some can hear or see actual spirits, while other people get messages through dreams or visions. A few people can actually allow the spirit they're communicating with/through to use them as a vessel of sorts, the spirit writing or speaking through the Medium.
Flexing your Psychic Muscle
Ultimately, the all-time best method of honing your psychic talent is through meditation, because it allows us to sort of comb through our subconscious and sort through everything that's there. However, there are other little tidbits and whatnot that you can do that will help as well.
*Acheive deliberate clarity. To do this, you need to train yourself and work torwards being aware of everything around you. Pick up on and take note of everything that's happening in the world around you; Changes in the sunlight, shifts in the shadows. Consider the change in direction and intensity of the wind, etc. This will help you out later on, help you interpret what's real and what's not in regards to the messages you're going to be getting through your craft.
*Listen to what's being said, and what's not. A lot of times, someone might say one thing, but mean or be leaving out another. If you ask someone how they're doing, they may say "Fine. The kids are good..." but there's no mention of their spouse, so perhaps there's a reason for that. Understand that omission is still a form of communication.
*Meditate regularly. One of the best ways to strengthen your flexible ability is to meditate.
*Learn to trust your gut.
*Write everything down. If you ever have a dream about someone, or a particular situation, write it down. If you get an intense feeling that something's gonna happen, write it down. By keeping a journal of the times you experience these feelings/dreams and whatnot, you can go back and look through them to see if they hold any validity. Did the thing you thought was gonna happen come to pass? Bear in mind, sometimes we get messages that we can never confirm, because there's just no way of knowing.
*Test yourself. If you ever get a hunch or feeling about something, try to confirm if you're right or if that hunch is valid. If you're gonna meet with your friend later, try and guess what kind of music she's listening to in her car, or what you guys might talk about when she gets there. When she arrives, ask her, or wait to see if it happens. When your phone rings, before you look at the Caller ID try and guess who's calling. Visualize it, imagine it. When you answer the phone, see if you're correct. Little exercises like this will help you develop your innate abilities.
*Practice helps. If I could double-bold that, I would. Practice with things like Divination is NOT going to make you perfect, but it will allow you to sharpen your intuitive talent so that you can proceed down the path that suits you.
Some people like to perform spellwork or rituals will do some form of Divination prior to magical application, to help them decide how they should go about their spellcasting. Alternatively, some like to perform Divination AFTER spellwork to see get a feel for the general success of what they've done.
All in all, Divination is a very fulfilling and spiritually expansive practice, that can really open our minds to a world of possibilities, allowing us to have an idea of what we're dealing with before it hits us in the face. A lot of people write Divination off as just guesswork and scams, but those people don't realize that when we practice Divination, we're not simply predicting someone's future. OK...Maybe we are, but that's not all we're doing. When we do readings and predictions, we're giving ourselves a brief look into different situations and ideas that we have. Starting a new job? Getting married? Want to know how to connect better with loved ones? Divination allows us to look at these challenges and possible things we're gonna face, and determine the right way to go about them, or what to expect.
Maybe you don't feel right practicing Divination, maybe it's not something you support or hold validity in. That's perfectly fine, it's still something that I feel everyone should at least have an idea about or read up on, and I hope the information I've gathered guides your way somehow down your magical or spiritual path.
***NOTE, I am a Literary Witch, meaning that the majority of my spellwork/ritual cleansing and whatnot consists of study and research. The information gathered here has been collected from various sites, blogs, and other means of study. Sites like ThoughtCo have been used. I've added my own personal twist to the wording and whatnot, but I do not claim credit for work recognized or found in other forms of media.
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