My current view on Divination

During my learning the terms “fortune” and “divination” have come up quite often in literature related with tarot, astrology and other kinds of practices that involve the study of symbols, omens and their interpretation. 

These practices are very old, as old as human beings themselves, not in the same shape and forms they are now, but in many other ways such as reading bones, clouds, water, dreams… That makes me think that no matter how much we try to suppress or deny them, they are a part of us, a very old, maybe primitive part of us that comes alive every night when we fall asleep. We might not listen but the voices in the shape of images are always there talking to us in their own unique language that we have long forgotten. 

Jung was very interested in this language and took the task of studying ancient symbols and their appearances in people’s dreams as well as their meaning and manifestation in the material reality. He himself was acquainted with divination in forms of I Ching, Tarot and Astrology, studying how they function and how they speak to the person about themselves, in relation to a vast unknown cosmos. He came to define divination as a way of “getting in touch with the Divine”, this “Divine” being that inner wise part of ourselves that connects us with the lifeforce, with the cosmos. 

In this sense, divination strikes me as an activity that leads the querent (the one who has a question) to a conversation with themselves, their inner wise Self to find answers in times of darkness, meaning doubt, turmoil and uncertainty. From this point then, the reader (from Tarot, Astrology, I Ching, tea leaves, ect.) functions as the mediator, the translator between the querent and their inner wisdom (the wise Self),  to communicate the answer of the question, the meaning of the symbols, the message.*1

The Matter of “fortune” deals with a somewhat different subject but not foreign to Divination. To go a bit more deep into it I have to go back some time…
In the old Roman religion the Goddess Fortuna was worshiped and was  regarded as the bearer of prosperity and increase. She was also considered an oracular goddess and was consulted regarding the future. Later on, this goddess was identified with Tyche, the Greek goddess of chance, meaning that she could bring about good or ill fortune. She is depicted blindfolded or wearing a veil with a wheel in one hand and a cornucopia in the other, representing the capriciousness of life. 

The concept of fortune telling and asking for it is very much related to this ancient tradition and worship to the goddess fortuna. It must also be said that formerly it was believed that everyone’s destiny was somehow written or fixed and one could appeal to the gods or goddesses for favors or help when needed in the form of rituals or sacrifices. Later on, some philosophers elaborated new ways of thinking about life and the future: some think we must accept what is about to come and some others hold the idea that we have the capability of change and choice, in other worlds free will. But this concept will be better developed in the 18th century with the genesis of Humanism during the age of “enlightenment”*2. 

Well my (or any) perspective on divination and fortune is undoubtedly influenced by these and other not mentioned historical happenings, because wherever we are and we are coming from, as a part of a society who lives in the living organism we call earth, we are connected and we influence each other one way or another, even before internet, now even more with it.

And I have said all of this to at the end said what I have to say about divination and fortune (telling). I agree with the part of the connection with the wise Self or some sort of divine energy or entity that one might want to communicate in the search for answers. When I go to the cards, the pendulum or astrology, I feel a sense of connection of coming to a place, of being in company (of someone?), of being listened to. And the same happens when I read for other people, the quality of the connection is different, is there nonetheless. I also have to add that the way this communication can happen may variate, depending of the matter in question: for example, if someone is in deep pain and confusion, the message might be clouded by it or it could be that seeing the pain and the confusion is vital for the person and the message is already being delivered to the querent through their own emotions and the cards reflect those emotions. In this case the work is to translate in a way the person can understand what is going on inside and around them.
If the person is in conflict with the self, the answer might be contradictory to their expectations or confirming them, in a way to show them their desires and how those are shaping the life of the querent in a way contrary to a better outcome. Etcetera, etcetera…
Long story short: life is not fated, there is freedom of choosing and we write that every single f* day. The present moment is the one important moment, the only one that is real, the one that we should focus ourselves on. So the way I read the cards is based on those principles:

1-Check the question (what are the motives that lead you to ask that)

2-Where are you standing now?

3-What do you expect/want

4-Where is this expectation/desire leading you?

And from this last point we look out for areas of opportunity, things that can or have to be improved to look for a better outcome.

I don’t enjoy telling people what to do, (although my friends and family may differ on this when I nag them, but I have to say when I say what I say I do it bitterly) I believe in the freedom we all have to make choices and the wisdom we all have buried inside of our hearts and minds. I like to help people find their way to that place where they can make those choices. So my method is one of self inquiry and self understanding. Happens that most of the time things come out that they already know and that is because they haven’t been attending to the call of their own wisdom or there is a lack of trust in their inner voice or just lack of knowledge of it.
The process of getting to know one self every time after changes and passages of time is an endless and exhausting job, is also very scary at times but it is also very beautiful and rewarding at the same, it is worth the effort, sweat and tears.
There are many ways to walk the path and many people as well who are there to support each other along the way. If Tarot is something you are interested in and you would like to try out with me, I would be happy to assist.

1*For those who are acquainted with astrology, this means that the divination work is a very mercurial one, where one as the reader is the middle person, the deliverer, the envoy. Then in order to make an effective work of communication it is better to maintain that role and not allow our own emotions to get mixed with the client’s, also to avoid confusion, projection and stay energetically as clean as possible.
 

2*I quoted the word enlightenment because in my opinion, what back then was called a “light in reason”, was in fact the move from one side of the balance where everything spiritual was the only important and truthful and superstition was ruling society to the other extreme where we have cutted ourselves from our connection to nature and spirit and completely disregard anything outside the scope of science. I sustain this from my very personal experience have been going in both sides: very much religious, then not at all and now I validate both sides, because at the end the possible absolute truth comes from the wholeness of having different perspectives an being able to look to a panoramic view and the vastness that possibility and life can offer to us if we dare to open ourselves to the wonders of life.