Divination and Psychic Awareness
“He opened the book at random, or so he believed, but a book is like a sandy path which keeps the indent of footsteps.” – Graham Greene
Divination is the art of seeing the present, future, or what is unknown by supernatural means. According to Merriam-Webster, Divination is the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge. It is usually conducted through the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers. Divination is an unusual insight that falls out of typical sensory perception.
Divination is when one accesses intuition and awareness using tools. Hundreds of forms of Divination have been used in both past and present times. Today, the most commonly known are astrology, tarot, pendulum, dowsing, palmistry, tea leaf reading, dream interpretation, runes, I Ching, bone reading, automatic writing, numerology, and scrying. Some of the most unusual forms include reading pig intestines, lightning, throwing peas into the air, and listening to the messages in stomach rumbling.
History
Divination has existed since recorded human history. Early human groups read the weather, animals, nature, and bones, chanted, sounded, and accessed trance states to find meaning in the mysteries of life and the unknown.
The earliest divination records come from biblical times when the prophets foretold the future. Pagan priests and shamans used divination for groups and individuals. Kings, presidents, and celebrities used Divination and still do today to gather information on enemies, outcomes of elections, and other matters. It is documented that the CIA. and local police forces have been known to enlist the help of psychics, mediums, and those with seemingly ‘special gifts’ to gather information, spy on enemies, and crack cold cases.
One of the more complex forms of Divination is astrology. Many branches of astrology are thousands of years old. Mayan, Chinese, Tibetan, Western, and Vedic are significant branches of Vedic astrology. Naadi reading is one of the oldest systems in the world, developed over 2000+ years ago. The Naadi oracles are believed to be over 5000 years old and have been passed down through generations. In some cultures, including the Indian use of Vedic astrology and Naadi readings are used to determine auspicious days for marriage, spiritual guidance, and other important life events.
Today, fortune-telling has reached the mainstream and the masses. It is no longer reserved for religious figures or the town witch. Whether it is valid or illusory, it is, at the very least, entertaining and captures the imagination of people worldwide.
Strange Divination
Divining the future with animal behaviors is an ancient practice. Augury, or Divination, by watching birds. The diviner, called an augur, watched the birds and made interpretations based on their behavior. It became known as “taking the auspices,” where we use the word ‘auspicious.’.
One group of birds dictated omens by their singing, and the other did so with their flight patterns. The movements and sounds meant different things depending on the time of year.
The Greeks thought the birds flying on the right were good, while the left was terrible. The Romans believed it was the other way around, with the left being positive and the right being negative.
Particular birds held significance since Greek gods were often associated with birds. Zeus had the eagle, Apollo had the raven and falcon, and Athena had the owl. That said, herons and swallows also appear in myths as messages from the gods.
The art of telling fortunes through chance encounters with animals is known as apantomancy. Watching what cats do is felidomancy, but anyone familiar with cats knows they often do things that defy explanation. Observing rodent behavior is called myomancy.
The fortune-telling practice of phrenology became a pseudo-science in the 19th century. It was initially developed by German physician Franz Joseph Gall in 1796. Practitioners believed they could understand a person’s character by feeling the bumps of their skull. In their view, these bumps corresponded to parts of the brain. This was no foundation or proof to back these claims, and they were later dismissed as racist and unscientific.
As a skilled reader could see your life’s path in the lines of your palm, a phrenologist could map out your life based on your bumpy skull. You had no control over this and were essentially beholden to whatever character your brain dictated.
Divination Tools
Rather than fortune telling or predicting the future, divination tools are a method of answering a question. There are many forms of Divination. The following are a few of the more common examples that are used in various partner a question:
- Cleromancy
- Using pebbles, bones, or sticks were thrown and read according to the placement and personal meaning.
- Cartomancy
- Reading a standard 52-card playing deck to gain insight on a question.
- Bibliomancy
- Opening a book to a random page and looking at a word or sentence for messages.
- Tarot
- A 76-card deck with major and minor arcana that may be read intuitively or symbolically to glean information on a question.
- Runes
- Reading stones that have symbols engraved from Norse symbology.
- Dowsing
- Using a pendulum or dowsing rod to find yes/no answers.
- Tasseomancy
- Reading the placement of loose tea leaves after drinking a cup of tea.
- Palmistry
- Reading someone using information gathered from the palms
- Psychography
- This is a form of channeled messages that come from the practice of automatic writing.
A Psychic Perspective
Divination is an enhancement or amplification of the ability to intuit or see what is already present in the reader. It is also possible to develop psychic awareness by using tools. Objects do not inherently hold the information; instead, the reader decodes the symbols and messages given. Although it is possible to learn to read using tools through a systematic study using books and programs, at the core, the individual’s ability to open psychic awareness and translate and communicate the information effectively is the valid key to the practice.
Ultimately, the psychic awareness of the reader is the most potent tool for divination. It is unnecessary to rely on external objects to gather information, see images and work from your knowledge. In a professional reading space, the use of divination tools allows for the querent (or reader) to focus on something while the reader is giving a reading. In some cases, relying heavily on these tools can block psychic development. When used in a balanced way, divination tools may unlock new levels of awareness.
If you want to explore psychic tools, meditation, and psychic development, sign up for our Clairvoyant Meditation Free Open House to learn about course offerings or book a psychic reading or spiritual healing through The Psychic School.
