Wicca 201: Elementary Principles of Divination
There are several questions that are frequently asked about any form of divination (most frequently Tarot, which is the most popular form). The most common questions are if divination is ‘real’ and how does it work. In addition to these questions, novice readers often ask how one filters the actual message of the divination versus what one wishes the message to be. When beginning any form of divination it is wise to perform a ‘check-in’ before hand. If a reader is upset or struggling with something at the time they sit down to perform a reading with any divinatory tool, it is possible for the reader to miss subtle details that prove the difference between an accurate and inaccurate reading.
There are six major considerations for the witch who is going to do divination with any tool or for any reason:
- The source of the messages is the witch’s spirit, not the tool.
- The deceased may choose to use the divination tool to convey messages, this does not mean the message is always accurate.
- The spirits that choose to contact the witch via divinatory tools are not always benevolent and must be handled with care.
- One must trust their intuition and not censor themselves as they detail the findings of their divinatory efforts.
- The future is awash with possibilities. The most likely as of that moment are the ones that will be revealed.
- Divination is an imperfect art form. Do not expect an accuracy rate greater then 75%. No one is 100% accurate.
There are several theories as to why divination works. The one that is easiest to explain to skeptics is the following theory which is based in Jungian psychology. The unconscious mind of the witch and the unconscious mind of the querant (the person receiving the reading) are both linked to the collective unconscious of the society. This can be accessed by way of formative images or concepts (called archetypes) which are in turn associated with tarot images and divinatory concepts. The unconscious mind of the querant organizes the tool (the tarot deck for example) and then the unconscious mind of the reader analyzes the patterns and the details of what the tool reveals. This analysis is then expressed by the reader, thus interpreting the divination tool.
The second theory that is most likely to be accepted by skeptics is the sociological explanation of why divination works. This reasoning for the sociological explanation for the success of a divinatory reading is often confused with the practice of ‘cold reading‘. Where cold reading uses general statements and leading questions, the sociological explanation of why divination works is a combination of applying the traditionally ascribed meanings of the divination tool’s results and the observations of the querant by the reader. Just as the psychological explanation of divination relates the dependence upon the unconscious mind of the querant to answer their questions, so too does the sociological explanation. Here the information is recieved by verbal and non-verbal cues from the querant in response to the information presented by the divination tool. This is the ‘traditional’ method of tarot reading.
Closely linked to this is the use of pattern analysis. Pattern analysis combines the first two theories and an assessment of the results of the divination tool of choice for patterns. This can be applied when the reading given utilizes multiple divination tools (tarot cards and runes, for example). It serves to deepen the reading and hilight major issues of importance in the reading which the querant should pay attention to.
The process of using divination tools that includes spirit contact shall be discussed separately under the heading of mediumship.
