Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear Friends,

Divination, as you learned in my last post, is a great way to give yourself a heads up about what is coming around the bend. Although it’s not specifically Pagan, a lot of people in Paganism are drawn to it. And for good reason! Using divination tools reminds you that you are connected with everything – the past, the present and the future.

Before you start using any of these divination methods, you need to go into it with the right attitude. When it comes to divination, attitude is everything. The only thing that matters is that you believe in what you are doing and take notice of the messages. Whether you’re divining for fun at a party or using it as a serious part of a complex ritual, the belief is all that matters. Belief helps you focus in on the messages you are receiving.

Think about it this way. You walk up to a friend and ask their advice, but preface it with “I don’t really care what you say, and I’m going to ignore your advice, but here’s my question.” After a while, your friend is going to start ignoring you right back. While I’m all for the playful use of divination (by using one of the more unusual methods described below), thinking of the divine as silly or non-essential isn’t going to get you anywhere. Remember to have respect for the divine and pose your questions with honesty and an open mind.

That being said, let’s get to some unusual and fun ways to divine the future. These methods work just as well as traditional methods like tarot cards, but can provide a way to break out of the seriousness of those methods. I find that when I use more unusual methods, I find connecting with spirit a lot easier. I don’t know if it’s something about stepping out of my usual methods or what, but the unusual methods allow me to relax and get more in tune.

The first method that I like to use requires no more than a television and a remote….seriously. To use the television method of divination, sit in front of the television while it’s turned off. Ask your question and turn the T.V. on. Then start flipping through the channels at a regular pace. Listen to the words and phrases that you are getting from the television.

As you flip through the channels you’ll hear fragments of sentences and words. These words and phrases are coming to you in a specific sequence. Listen to this sequence and try to divine some meaning. One time while doing this I asked the question: “What is the best course of action with my sister?” I was having an argument with her at the time, and wanted to know if it would be better to call her or let her call me.

“Listen…”
“Act now”
“No one is dead”

I called her right away. Your results may vary with this method. Sometimes I have to make a few complete rounds through the channels before I get a clear message.

Another fun method of divination is bibliomancy. As the name implies, bibliomancy is telling the future using books. Traditional bibliomancy books have been the Bible, the Aenid (by Virgil) and the I Ching, but you can use any book that you like.

The basic method is that you put the book on a table with it’s spine down flat down on the surface of the table. Ask your question and then let the book fall open by itself. Point to a paragraph at random on the lefthand side page. Then read the paragraph and draw meaning from it. You can select a book that deals with the theme of your question to get even more insight. For example if you have a relationship question, you could use a book like “Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus.”

Another variation of this method is to decide on a specific number before you “cast” the book. Then you can count out that number of sentences down the page when the book opens. This sentence is the answer to your question.

Finally, a quick and fun method for divining the answer to a yes and no question is to use a coin. It’s a very old method of divination that is still used to this day for coin tosses. But it can also be used for divination. As you might expect, a coin toss needs a yes or no question. Most commonly, yes is heads and no is tails. But you might want to “ask” your coin which direction it prefers. To do this, simply ask “Show me yes” and then flip the coin. You’ll get more accurate answers if you do it this way.

Once you’ve determine what side is which answer, it’s time to ask your questions. Ask them clearly and then confidently flip the coin and catch it in your hand. Unlike with standard coin flips, you’ll want to open your hand to see the coin that is facing upward. This is your true answer. If you drop the coin, try to find it and see what side it landed on. This will be your answer.

Television divination, bibliomancy and coin tosses are just three of the unusual ways that you can use the old art of divination to predict your life. Hopefully you will find use for them soon!

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”