Monograph 18:

Divination

Divination is an attempt to foretell the future or to discover occult knowledge by interpreting omens or by using paranormal or supernatural powers. The range of techniques that have been used over the years is quite extraordinary. Here are just a few:

• aeluromancy (dropping wheat cakes in water and interpreting the result)
• aeromancy (divination by examining what the air does to certain things)
• alectoromancy or alectryomancy (divination by a cock: grains of wheat are placed on letters and the cock "spells" the message by selecting grains)
• alphitomancy (dropping barleycakes in water and interpreting the result)
• astragalomancy or astragyromancy (using knucklebones marked with letters of the alphabet)
• astrology
• axinomancy (divination by the hatchet: interpreting the quiver when whacked into a table)
• belomancy (divination by arrows)
• capnomancy (divination by the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense)
• cartomancy
• catoptromancy or crystallomancy (using mirrors or lenses)
• cephalomancy (divination by a donkey's head)
• cleidomancy (divination by interpreting the movements of a key suspended by a thread from the nail of the third finger on a young virgin's hand while one of the Psalms was recited)
• coscinomancy (divination by a balanced sieve)
• cromniomancy (divination by onions)
• dactylomancy (divination by means of rings put on the fingernails or the number of whorls and loops on the fingers)
• daphnomancy (divination using the laurel branch: how did it crackle when burned?)
• dowsing
• geomancy
• gyromancy (divination by walking around a circle of letters until dizzy and one falls down on the letters or in the direction to take)
• haruspicy (inspecting the entrails of slaughtered animals)
• hydromancy (divination by examining what certain things do in water or when taken out of water, such as coffee grounds or tea leaves); hydatoscopy (if rainwater is used); pegomancy (if spring-water is used)
• lampadomancy (interpreting the movements of the flame of a lamp)
• libanomancy (interpreting the smoke of incense)
• lithomancy (divination using precious stones)
• lecanomancy (dropping precious stones into water and listening for whistles)
• margaritomancy (divination by the pearl: if it jumps in the pot when a person is named, then he is the thief!)
• metoposcopy (interpreting frontal wrinkles)
• molybdomancy (divination by melted lead: interpreting its noises and hisses when dropped into water)
• necromancy (communicating with spirits of the dead to predict the future)
• oinomancy (divination by wine)
• onychomancy (interpreting the reflection of sun rays off nails)
• ornithomancy or orniscopy (interpreting the flights of birds)
• ovomancy (using eggs)
• papyromancy (divination by folding paper)
• palmistry
• pyromancy or pyroscopy (divination by fire)
• rhabdomancy (using the divining rod or magic wand)
• rhapsodmancy (divination by a line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits)
• scapulamancy
• scrying
• sideromancy (interpreting straws thrown on a red-hot iron)
• splanchnomancy (reading cut sections of a goat liver)
• stichomancy
• tasseography (reading tea leaves)
• urim v'tumim (reading sacred stones attached to
  the breastplate of the high priest in ancient Judaism)

In this course we shall be looking at a few of the more common systems. It is not important for you to memorise all the above systems of divination. I have given them here just so you can get an idea of the enormity and diversity of the subject.


The Concept of Symbolism

No mater which system of divination we are talking about, they all communicate with us through symbols. So lets tale a closer look at the idea of symbolism.

Symbolism is one of the foundations upon which all divination depends. Symbolism is the connection of personal and/or spiritual meaning to a particular emblem or figure. The human race has a need and a tendency to externalise inner ideas, feelings and knowledge by attaching those mental connections to an outer form. This is a way that we can strive to understand our inner dimensions and the hidden qualities of life by finding items that we can project those concepts onto. This then allows us to analyse and understand those inner qualities more deeply in a way that moves beyond the need for words.

When you think about it, you'll discover how much symbolism is actually present within the day to day substance of our lives. There are many motifs, emblems, etc that we have attached meaning to. Here are some examples of the many ways in which the presence of symbolism influences our lives.

Commercial Organisations have immediately recognisable logos that they use in advertising (you see the logo and immediately think of that company). Most children's fairy tales are symbolic representations of moral issues. Symbols are used in mathematics and science to show particular qualities. Of course, our lives would be totally different without our symbolic alphabetical and numerical systems.

These are just a few examples and I am sure you can think of many more. However, as you can see, symbols have a great scope of influence and meaning in our world. 

Through the various methods of divination, we can develop a deeper and more harmonious connection to the seemingly arbitrary events of our lives. And they also help deepen our awareness of the inner realms by opening up greater abilities of perception within us. The more we look, the more we begin to see, and intuitively understand. This leads to greater discernment and wisdom.

The Future Is Not Fixed

It would be a mistake to believe that any method of divination can reliably predict the future at all times and under all conditions.  For one thing, the future is not fixed.  Time dose not even exist, its just a convienient model to aid (or hinder) our understanding. 

Remember what we said at the start of this course about creating our own reality? As soon as a person is given the results of a reading, their expectations change and as a result, their future changes.  For this reason, when reading for another person, is is VERY important that we tell them what we have seen in the right way. We should stress that what we see are trends, not some set outcome. We can predict trends. We can alert people to opportunities. We can warn of potential dangers. But it is up to them to grasp the opportunities or heed the warnings. It is they, not we, who control their futures by the way the think and act.