There are may different forms of Divination.  Often thought of as just "predicting the future" - Divination can help you to understand a situation more deeply and give insights into areas you might not have considered. You can use Tarot, Runes, Tea leaves, Crystal balls, The I Ching and many other methods.  Topics Covered: General Advice | Tarot | Pendulum Scrying | The I Ching | Colours Runes | Assorted other forms

1).  You did not concentrate on the question fully.
2). The reader (if not yourself) may not have interpreted the situation correctly.  (it happens sometimes)
3).  If the reading was done by you for yourself, you may not be able to be impartial, and received an answer that did not make sense.
4).  You may not be destined to know the answer to that particular question.
5).  You didn’t phrase your question properly, perhaps leaving it vague.
6).  You usually won’t get an answer if you are not prepared to accept it.

To help make your readings as accurate as possible, you can try some of these:
 

1).  Write the question down on paper, then read over it and see if it makes sense.  Read over it again to make sure you asked for exactly what it was you wanted, then do the reading.  Be specific.

2).  If someone else is doing the reading for you, it sometimes helps to tell him or her the situation you are asking the question of.  Some people will tell you that you should let the reader tell you the situation, but the reader’s role is to interpret the symbols they receive, and as symbols can sometimes be confusing or vague on their own, knowing what the situation is can lead to a more accurate reading.  Remember that the reading is for you, and the more information you can get out of it the better.

3).  Meditate to relax your body and mind before asking the question, so that thoughts such as “Have I brought in the washing?” won’t block the real question.

4).  Don’t ask a question unless you want to know the answer.  It sounds silly I know, but being a professional Tarot reader, I see LOTS of people who ask a question and when I ask them about it, I find out that they don’t really want to know the answer.  They may be scared of the outcome or other reasons.  The reading is for your benefit, so only ask what you want to know.  Usually you won’t get an answer if you don’t want to know, or are not prepared to accept the answer.

5).  If doing a reading for yourself, try to be as unbiased as you can.  In your mind, you may know what you want the answer to be, try and ignore that and do the reading as if it was someone else you were reading it for.

6).  Don’t do readings “just for fun”.  If you have a question – ask it, if you don’t…don’t bother doing a reading, go play scrabble if you want fun and entertainment.

Myths
There are many myths about storing, using and purchasing  divination tools.  Some people believe that you should not buy your own divination tools (cards, runes etc.), they say that you should have someone buy them for you. Some people also say that you should never use second hand tools, or tools belonging to someone else.  I do not believe this to be true, and I buy my own tarot cards and runes,  sometimes second hand, and I have have some given to me as presents.  The tool itself is just that.. a tool, it helps you, but it is you who does the work.

To give you an example of this.. I made my first set of Tarot cards when I was about 10.  My mother had a magazine (Woman’s day or something similar) that had an article on the cards, and a handy colour picture of each.  So I carefully cut out each picture, glued them onto card (I cut up an old school project for the card) and wrote the meanings out on some paper I found lying around.  I taught myself how to read tarot cards from that article.  For years, those were the cards I used when doing readings for all my friends.  Until I was 16 and I bought a second hand set from a market.  Which to my delight had the same pictures as my hand made set (The standard Rider Waite deck).  Years later, when I moved house and left my old cards behind, I started working professionally as a tarot card reader, and was given a deck by the person who had the job before me.  It is (of course) a Rider Waite deck.  I know these are very popular decks, but they seem to be following me.  I have bought and been given other decks (prettier ones), but it is the Rider Waite that I feel most comfortable using.  I use second hand cards, that have never been cleansed and I have fantastic results with them.

Cleansing
Most people cleanse their divination tools.  I don’t believe this is necessary unless you feel you need to.  By cleansing them regularly you will not be allowing them to gather magickal energy, however if you use them for readings with other people, they may require cleansing more than if you only read for yourself.  If you are doing readings for yourself, you shouldn’t need to cleanse them at all, as they will only be picking up your energies (and you should never do a reading when in a bad mood, or angry at someone).

Some methods for cleansing, if you choose to do so, are:

1).  Hold them up to the Moon and visualise Moonlight purifying them.
2).  Hold them up to the Sun and visualise Sunlight purifying them.
3).  Sprinkling them with Salt.

Storage
After they are cleansed, you can store them in a black silk bag or wooden box if you wish.  You can make a special herbal bag to keep them in.  To do this, cut 3 squares of material the same size: 1 square of chiffon or  fine mesh and 2 squares of  some other material (Black velvet etc.).  Put the right sides of the material together, and the mesh on top (up against the wrong side of the material.  Sew the squares together leaving one side open.  Turn inside out.  You should have a pocket with the mesh forming another pocket on the inside.  Full the space between the material and the mesh with dried herbs, crystals etc. for cleansing and protecting, and sew the top of that pocket together, so that you are left with a pocket with an inside wall of herbs.  You can now hem the top edges and place a zip or drawstring top to finish.  The herbs will help cleanse and protect your Runes, cards etc.

Intuition
The most important divination tool you need is your intuition.  Intuition is where you “feel” something  Listening to your intuition will tell you which meaning out of the list is the correct one for you at that time.  It may even (with practice) be able to help you to predict the future without using divination tools at all.

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Hold the pendulum approx 1cm away from the paper, above the dot.  Try to keep your arm steady.  It is a good idea to rest your elbow on the table so that you will not accidentally move the string as your arm shakes.  Watch to see which line the pendulum is drawn towards, and that is your answer.  If you have lost something in your house.. try drawing a sketch of the house and placing the pendulum in the centre, search whichever room the pendulum swings towards, or do another reading from that room.  You can use a pendulum to choose oils in a blend, hold the pendulum in the middle of the oils, and choose the oils the pendulum moves toward.

With all pendulum readings, it is important to hold the pendulum an equal distance from each option.

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To use a crystal ball, take the ball and place it on a black cloth.  Stare through the ball, relaxing your gaze.  The same can be done using a candle, stare through the flame and relax.

Using a cauldron or bowl of water to scry is done by half filling the cauldron or bowl with water and dropping a silver coloured coin into the bottom.  Stare at the coin (so that you are looking through the water – not at it)

Some people may see images inside, or reflected on the surface of the ball.  Some people feel the need to close their eyes and receive the images once their eyes are closed and they are almost in a trace state.  Neither way is any better or worse than the other, everyone is different.  Whatever images you get, whether they are visual or in your mind’s eye, interpret them as symbols to receive the messages you have been given.

The important thing it to look through the object, not at it.  As you are using your mind’s eye to see the images, not your actual eye.

Making an infusion of Mugwort and bathing your crystal ball in it is said to aid in divination.  You could try burning Mugwort on charcoal blocks while doing readings, or keeping Mugwort with your divination tools

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Yang 

Heaven, Positive, Active, Light, Masculine, Unyielding, moving, living, creative, logical, assertive, action, achieve potential and not be swamped, determination, strength, light, Fire, Air, conscious. 

Yin

Earth, Negative, Passive, dark, feminine, soft, still, non-living entities, receptive, accepting, intuitive, patience, empathy, endurance, emotion, dreams, fluidity, darkness, Earth, Water, unconscious.

To make your own set of I Ching stones, you can make 3 sticks of clay or wood and paint or scratch the Yang and Yin symbols onto them, so that you end up with a block looking like this:

2 sides should have a Yin and 2 sides should have a Yang symbol on them.  In this diagram, the bottom of the block would be a Yang symbol, and the back of the block would be Yin.  Each symbol is on the opposite sides of the block.  Or you can make 3 Yin blocks and 3 Yang blocks, so that you have 6 I Ching stones, each one having all 4 sides the same symbol rather than both.

To read the I Ching, take I Ching stones/blocks and place them into a bag.  Close your eyes, think of the question and draw one stone.  Place it (without looking) on the table, Still thinking of the question, draw another stone and place it above the first stone, and finally choose the 3rd stone, and place it above the second one.  So you will have 3 stones in a row with the first one you chose on the bottom, followed by the second one in the middle and the last one at the top.  This is called a Trigram.  Interpret the meanings from the list below:

 

Sky or heaven – Father or pure energy.  You can succeed if you believe in yourself and your abilities.  Ideas, independence, new beginnings, use logic or Air and the limitless potential of the sky to assert what it is you want, and go for it alone if necessary. 

Earth –  Mother or pure nurturing.  Accepting it is more important to let any ventures and relationships blossom in their own time and to offer love and acceptance to others rather than criticism.  Fulfilment comes through others and through waiting rather than acting.

Fire, Lightning or the Sun –  Inspiration, creativity, clarity and drives away doubt.  Sudden illumination, an answer that suddenly comes to old problems.  Optimism and happiness, perhaps after a dark period.  Use your imagination and enthusiasm to make your ideas happen.

Water – Fluid movement.  Move forward wherever opportunity arises, however unlikely. Tune into other people’s feelings, especially those beneath the surface, and be adaptable to the current situation.  Water always finds a way through and although it may begin as a tiny stream, it gathers momentum and always reaches the ultimate goal, however many diversions life puts in the way.

Thunder – Sudden dramatic movement, shaking the status quo and heralding change.  It is important to let any resentments and frustration be known.  Make decisive change and use the sudden thrust of energy to make life more as you want it, and to make your unique identity and strengths felt.

Wind, Wood – Tree.  Gentle change.  The way forward is through gentle persistence, a step at a time towards the fulfilment of any goal, whether large or small.  Your dreams may seem an age away from reality, but as long as you keep going and resist pressures to give up, you will get there in the end.

Mountain or Hill – Stillness, looking beyond the immediate to a long term aim, limitations of time and space within the human spirit.  Yearnings for something beyond the immediate and material.  Do not settle for second best, or be weighed down by the concerns of mundane existence.

Lake – Movement in a down wards motion rather than the upwards movement of Water.  Inner joy and tranquillity from looking inward and concentrating on dreams, on the world of the psychic and spiritual.  It is mountain reversed.  If you are feeling exhausted and out of touch with the world, withdraw for a while and listen to your own counsel, rather than that of others.

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White
Change, Radical approaches, Novel remedies.
1). You or someone close is feeling restless and wants to change an important aspect of their life.
2).  Change would threaten the status quo or may be making people close to you feel insecure.
3).  Initiate the change regardless, although you may have to begin slowly.

Black
Negativity, Opposition.
1). There is a lot of unresolved business around you.
2). You own fears and doubts may be holding you in a negative situation.
3).  Counteract any negativity with positive actions, however small.

Grey
Compromise, negotiation.
1).  You may feel in limbo and waver between moving forward and hesitating.
2). The indecisiveness or conflicting opinions of others may be holding you back.
3).  Accept that issues are rarely clear cut and adapt you plans so that you can achieve at least some of your aims.

Red
Confrontation, Strong feelings, Flying.
1).  You may feel angry or resentful about a matter or are concerned with a survival issue.
2).  Because emotions may be running high, you could be involved in unnecessary confrontations.
3).  Direct any anger, whether you own or that of others, into positive actions, rather than responding on a personal level.

Orange
Identity and status at stake, Ego.
1). Your identity and core beliefs may be at stake or you may feel that you personal happiness has been buried beneath the needs of others.
2). A person may be trying to dominate you, perhaps in the nicest way.
3).  Resist any erosion of personal space without damaging the egos of others.

Yellow
Communication
1).  You may feel that your talents and mind are being spread over too many fields.
2).  Jealousy and even treachery are undermining your efforts.
3).  Be logical about priorities and be aware of what others are saying, especially when they think they are out of your hearing.

Green
Emotional demands
1).  Should you follow your heart or commit your emotional wellbeing to another?
2).  Other may be playing on you kind heart and even exercising subtle emotional blackmail.
3).  Trust you emotions and, if it feels right, move forward or closer. However, if instincts tell you otherwise, listen to them and not the words of others.

 Blue
Attention to detail, fine print, use a conventional approach.
1).  You may be involved with officialdom or are contemplating an unconventional approach or move
2).  A official or even someone close may be hindering your progress by arguing over minor details or attempting to hide behind rules.
3).  Follow the conventional approach for now but the ingenuity to get things moving and do not compromise your high ideals.

Purple
Intuition, gut feelings.
1).  You may be undecided whether to accept short term material advantage or deeper satisfaction that may be a long way off.
2).  Unrealistic dreams and hopes, whether you own or those of others, may be holding you back.
3).  Use your intuition and listen to your inner voice rather than conventional wisdom.

Brown
1).  You may be feeling overwhelmed by responsibility or the demands andopinions of others.
2).  The people who are making demands or offering advice may be suggesting that your ideas are ill-informed or selfish.
3).  Trust the evidence of your five senses and above all your common sense and off load unfair obligations.

Pink
1).  You may be feeling less than harmonious in your attempts to keep the peace in your personal or work life.
2).  The quarrels of others may be forcing you into choices you do not wish to make.
3).  Withdraw from the conflict of others and concentrate on restoring harmony to your personal sphere.

Gold
Altruism, Don’t worry about getting credit or scoring points, look to the long term goal.
1).   Should you aim high to accept the limitation of present circumstances?
2).  Others tell you that you have reached your limits or potential.
3).  Believe in yourself and your own abilities and make your own targets.

Silver
Beware of the easy path, backstabbing.

If you have several possible outcomes, write them all on a piece of paper in a wheel pattern (write each option on each “spoke” of the wheel)  Place the paper in a heatproof bowl, and place a lit match in the centre of the wheel.  The first outcome to be burned is your answer.  Or you could place  a candle in the centre and the first to be touched by the wax is the answer.

Candles
You will need to perform these divinations in a room where there are no drafts.  Make sure no-one will open doors or windows while you are doing your readings.  Perform these on a flat surface that will not mark if wax drips onto it.

A good idea is to purchase a ceramic floor tile and place that on  a hand towel on the table or bench.  The towel will stop the tile marking the table and the tile will prevent the table marking if the candle drips.  Please make sure you have any loose clothing or furnishings tied up and out of the way.  Use plain white candles, or a colour symbolic of your question.
 

Candle divination
If you have to choose between several different options, take a candle of the same colour and size for each, write the option into the wax on each candle and light them all.  The first candle to burn down is your answer.

Flame Divination
Light a candle and place it in its holder. After the flame has settled down sit or stand before it and interpret signs from the flame and the wick. 

Dim flame - It may be best to hold off on plans for the time being. 
An extremely bright flame - A sign of good fortune, 
Bright flame diminishing quickly - The luck will be temporary. 
Wavering flame - Bad weather may be coming, or a great change in circumstances is foretold. 
A spark visible in the wick  - The arrival of good news. 
Flame in a circle or spiral – Danger.
Halo around the flame -  An approaching storm.

Dripping Wax Divination
Place the candle in a candleholder. Ask a yes or no question while lighting it. Watch the candle as it drips.  If the wax drips only on the left side, the answer is no. If the candle drips only on the right side, the answer is yes. If the candle drips equally on both sides, no response is possible. If no wax drips down, ask again later.

Hidden Message Divination
Did you ever write secret messages with lemon juice?  This is a divination method based on that.  Take a bowl of fresh lemon juice and using a toothpick, or a nib pen (the kind used for writing with ink).  Write a potential outcome on separate pieces of paper.  (The lemon juice makes a clear “ink” so will be fairly hard to write with)  Allow the pieces of paper to dry. Light a candle. Place the pieces of paper into a bowl. Mix them with your left hand, then choose one at random. Hold the chosen piece of paper close enough to the flame to heat it but not enough to burn it. The heat will reveal the future written on the paper as the lemon juice darkens. This will determine the possible future. 

Patterns in wax Divination
Take a candle and while thinking of your question carefully allow the wax to drip into a cauldron or bowl of water.  Keep your hand steady.  Interpret the patterns the wax makes:

Spiral – Re-incarnation, Need to evolve beyond the problem, The problem or solution is in the home.
Circle – Eternity, Fertility
Dots – Lack of attention, Too complex to answer now.
Broken lines – Scattered forces, lack of focus, forces working against you.

If you have trouble keeping your hand steady, you can try bending the taper and leaving it in a candle holder instead of holding it.  To bend a taper without breaking it, half fill a sink or large bowl with warm water from the tap (make it fairly hot, but not hot enough that it will scald you).  Place the candle into the water for 1 min.  Carefully remove the candle and slowly bend it into shape.  You can make the candle bend into a 90 degree angle, and place it in the holder beside and slightly above the bowl.  Make sure the candle will not topple over as the centre of balance will be changed.  You may need to hold the candle holder to keep it steady, but this will be easier than holding the candle above the bowl.

Spice
To divine using Spices, take a tray of powdered spice (such as cinnamon) outside during a rainstorm.  Quickly come back inside and interpret the patterns the raindrops have made in the powder.
 

Wind
Write all the decisions you have on separate pieces of paper, all the same size.  Fold them twice and place them on a table that is not pushed up against a wall.  Allow the East wind to blow across the table.  The last piece of paper to hit the ground is your answer.
 

Rock
Ask a question and throw a rock into a pond or stream.  Count the ripples it makes.  Even numbers of ripples means no answers.  Odd numbers of ripples means yes answers.