Divination

Tarot consists of two parts - the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana consists of cards that we use nowadays as Poker cards - hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades are really cups, pentacles, wands, and swords. Cups symbolize emotions, pentacles symbolize money issues, wands symbolize work or career, and swords represent troubles or problems. Tarot decks are quite diverse nowadays; previously, there was mainly the Rider-Waite version for use. However, no matter what the deck, the meanings of the cards remain the same - "The Fool" (shown above from the Rider-Waite version) will always represent a choice of two paths. There are many ways to read Tarot, but the most popular spread is called the "Celtic Cross", using 10 cards that create a cross with the final card as the outcome of the question.

Runes can be traced back to around 200 B.C. There are Celtic, Viking and Egyptian runes, but the most popular and supposedly powerful type is the Futhark runes. It consists of 25 stones with the ancient Norse alphabet inscribed into each one. To do a reading, you should also have a pouch to carry them in - you would shake the stones while they are in the pouch and pull them out one by one for the reading. As with Tarot, there are several types of readings - the Single Rune (for yes and no questions), the 3 Rune, 5 Rune, and 6 Rune spreads. The more the runes, the more invloved the answer. The rune you see here on this page is "Ansuz", meaning changes in one's life.

There are several ways one can scrye - through a crystal ball, a pool of clear water under the moonlight, a magick mirror, or even the flame of a candle. For all of this, it requires a clear mind - too much concentration on the image you are trying to see never works. Rather, let your eyes wander a bit until the image becomes clear to you. Scrying often takes much practice before one can even make sense of the images, and remember - if you choose to buy your tools rather than find or make them, always cleanse and charge them with your own energy before trying to scrye.

Also known as the "spirit-board" or "talking board", the Ouija board should not be used by an untrained medium. A seance held by people thinking it is only a game will open a gateway to spirits who reside on the lower astral plane - ones who usually died a sudden or painful death. We strongly suggest that if you do use the board as a means of divination, that a clairvoyant, medium, or someone who can "control" the channelling be present. They, along with another person, would put their hands on the "pointer" and ask questions of the spirits. The pointer would then "spell out" the answer. Again, we urge two things : 1) do not use the board alone, and 2) make sure a professional is there with you. Ouija is not a toy, nor is it the "devil's game", as some claim.

The above image is that of the "Shocking Thunder Trigram", which represents surprise and excitement. The two short lines represent "Yin" while the singular, long line represents "Yang". I Ching is a book of Chinese divination over 5,000 years old. The above symbol is just one of many used in the divination process, which requires six coins (or sometimes sticks). If coins are used, the positions (heads-up, tails-up) determines the trigram, and therefore the answer. Numerology also plays into I Ching. The above trigram represents the number 1.

A pendulum, like the one above, is used mainly for "yes" and "no" questions. First, you would need to relax yourself into an "alpha" state (almost perfect relaxation), and hold the pendulum before you. The direction in which it swings or moves provides the answer. It will usually start moving in a circle, and if it then begins to move from side to side, the answer is "no". If it moves towards and away from your body, the answer is "yes". However, many people also use the pendulum (usually made of a cord with a crystal or weight at the end) to dowse for water; if the pendulum seems to swing in a particular direction, that is where the water is.

The above symbol is the astrological sign for "Capricorns", born December 22-January 19; however, the "Daily Horoscope" Page we have on our site is not the true way of Astrology. It is a quite involved system, involving 12 Houses that relate to everyday activities, as well as the sign, the planetary symbol, and more (these are usually used for what are called the "Birth Charts" - the most detailed way of determining someone's personality, etc. using the day and time they were born.) Numerology is not as complex - it uses a number system based upon the letters in your name, for example, the letters A, J, and S are given the number 1. There are "do-it-yourself" numerology books that can help you discover more about yourself using this system.

There are many forms of divination, but the best (in our opinion) is meditation. Quietly asking your personal deity for advice, seeking the aide of the God or the Goddess, venturing into the OtherWorld, soul-searching. These are the most reliable ways and often the most rewarding. One should not rely on divination tools too much; you could become dependent upon them for trivial matters. If you wish to ease yourself into an "alpha" state, there are several ways to do so : counting down, picturing the various chakra colors in descending order, holding a talisman that relaxes you, or simply releasing your stress and tension on your own.