WHAT EXACTLY IS DIVINATION
What, exactly, is divination? The Miriam Webster dictionary defines divination as either the art or practice ‘that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers’ or more simply as ‘unusual insight’ or intuitive perception.
It can be said that many people have that “gut feeling” or instinct in certain circumstances that may prompt hesitation, wariness, or even a feeling of imminent danger. The actual word divination comes from the Latin word divinare, and defines the ability to foretell, to prophecy, or to predict.
Divination today
Divination today is practiced through a variety of methods and is found in literature as well as modern works of fantasy. The practice of divination seeks a deeper understanding of ourselves, events, or even actions to make sense of certain aspects of our very existence, but it’s not to be confused with fortune-telling.
Divination is practiced by numerous cultures and religions throughout the world, with its practitioners often using a variety of methods to achieve the understanding of an event, actions, and possibilities. For example, the use of tarot cards is a type of divination, as is the use of dowsing rods to seek water. It can take on many forms, including the practice of astrology, crystal gazing, and reading of horoscopes.
History of divination
The practice of divination has its origins in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and the Babylonian era, or roughly the year 2000 BC. For millennia it has been used in many forms by numerous kingdoms around the world.
The ancient Druids relied on a practice known as scrying, while the Chinese practiced I Ching. Divination in the form of Feng shui or geomancy is still practiced today, sometimes inadvertently by those wishing to improve the flow of Chi or energy through a room by the proper arrangement of furniture.
The ancient Romans perceived that divination was an important aspect of understanding the will of the gods. Throughout history, divination has been practiced by ancient Mayan cultures to Sanskritic to Judeo-Christian religions, namely in seeking answers to questions regarding the human condition.
Divination has often been looked down upon and criticized by skeptics and scientific communities and yet millions of people around the world turn to their horoscopes on a daily at basis to see with their short time future may have in store for them.
Common forms of divination
A number of common forms of divination practiced today include but are not limited to:
- Numerology
- I Ching
- Tarot Cards
- Crystals
All of these seek and utilize a form of energy produced in the universe in an effort to perpetuate inner knowledge and guidance, and understanding and gaining inspiration from a higher state of consciousness. Actual methods of divination differ widely, based on cultures and local practices.
How does divination work?
In modern times, ‘consultants’ in divination are often known as diviners. In many cases, such individuals offer their services for a fee, although there are some that share their gift of divination for altruistic purposes.
Techniques are as broad as the individuals performing them. Some utilize physical objects while others rely on inspiration or intuition, while still others combine techniques. Practitioners of the art will often use a wide variety of objects in order to translate their perceptions.
In many cultures today, as in historical times, it is still believed by some that a person or society’s “bad luck” are caused by and deserved through arbitrary notions of Fate. Throughout history, such troubles or ideas regarding fate were blamed on sorcery or witchcraft. In the past, as in today’s practices, divination is used to try to identify sources of conflict or trouble, and to remove it.
During the practice of divination, an individual’s thoughts are guided into their recent or distant past, which is believed to have a huge influence on a person’s present and future experiences. A sense of direction or a course of action is typically determined when, through consultations, a person can accept suggestions on a course of action that instills confidence. In other words, a person may turn to a diviner when they’re not sure how to act or behave, when something troubling is going on in their lives, or they are disturbed by dreams or feelings of dread.
Divination therefore seeks to identify the source of an issue, such as the cause of an anxiety or the nature of a crisis. Divination takes on many forms and practices, most of them relying on the special, intuitive gifts of the diviner. They must also be willing to accept the interpretations of the diviner strongly enough to take positive action to resolve challenges and move forward in life with a deeper commitment to their sense of self and their place in their environment.