Basic Divination Methods and Devices
TAROT
CARDS
Tarot
cards have been around for centuries.
They first appeared as playing cards in Italy and France in the 14th or
15th century for a game called tarocchini.
Through time, the name evolved into Tarot and disassociated itself from
the game. This method has been
handed down and now is popular in everything from the Lord of the Rings to the
New Age phenomenon.
The
Tarot deck consists of 78 different tarot cards, divided into the Major and
Minor Arcanas or mysteries. The
Major Arcana consist of 22 named cards, The Fool, The Magician, the High
Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot,
Strength, The Hermit, The Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death,
Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgment
and The World. The minor Arcana
consists of 14 cards, Ace (one), Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight,
Nine, Ten, Page, Knight, Queen, and King from each of four suits, Cups, Wands,
Swords, and Pentacles, from the Italian card game Scopa.
To do
a reading, the intuitor spreads the cards into a “spread” after a ritual
shuffling. The spread may consist
of three cards for a fast reading, or many cards arranged in a variety of
layouts. The position and
orientation of the card provides its meaning along with the cards that surround
it. The intuitor uses the Tarot
cards with the techniques of cold reading to give the cards meaning.
The
intuitor should learn the basic meanings of the cards to aid in the reading.
For instance, many cards (including The Fool, Death, and The Wheel) can
mean "change" or “obstruction” depending on the placement.
No matter what position the card is in the spread, the intuitor can make
a completely acceptable statement.
The intuitor can use the idea of a change in the context of the reading by
saying:
“The
position of the Fool card and its proximity to the 7 of cups shows that there
was an abrupt change sometime in your childhood that disorientated you.
Do you still think of it now as an adult?”
PALM READING
Palmistry or Chiromancy is the art of using the analysis of the palm and hand to
determine the character of the individual and the foretelling their fate.
Specifically, chirology is the telling fortunes by lines on the palm of
the hand or palm reading.
Palmistry was practiced in many ancient cultures, such as India, China and
Egypt. The first book on the
subject appeared in the 15th century.
The church tried to put an end to palm reading in the fifteenth century
by forbidding its practice and confiscating all written material on the subject.
Palmistry can be traced back many thousands of years shown by the many
pictures of hands drawn on cave walls.
The ancient Greeks began practicing palmistry on a regular basis, thus
making it a popular practice among the people of that time.
Britain outlawed palmistry in the 18th century.
Interest in palmistry began to make a comeback in the mid 1800s.
Today, it is once again a popular form of divination.
There
are many ways to interpret the lines, mounds and shape of the hand.
This section is not intended to be a full guide to palmistry but the give
the intuitor an overview of the method.
In the reading, the palmist claims to be able to read the various lines
on the hand by looking at what are called the major lines, the life line, the
head line, and the heart line.
According to palmists, which hand is read is significant.
The left hand reflects the inner person, how the person feels and
perceives the world around them.
The left hand expresses the sitter’s past.
It is part of the sitter’s personal development.
The right hand reflects the outer person, how people and situations
affect the sitter. The right hand
is connected the future of the sitter because it is influenced by the sitter’s
social environment and spiritual connections.
In
the reading, the intuitor uses the techniques of cold reading to point out the
meanings of the various lines and their characteristics, their interaction with
the other lines and mounds and other observations that apply to the sitter.
Things the intuitor should look for during a reading are the length,
breaks in the line, and the proximity to other features.
The
Major Lines
The
Life Line begins at the edge of the hand between the thumb and forefinger and
arcs downward toward the wrist around the thumb area.
It identifies health, both current and past, or the interaction of health
with its interaction with other lines such as the heart or head.
The
Head Line begins near the beginning of the Life Line, often merged with it, and
travels across the hand away from the thumb.
It represents the strength of the
sitter’s mental and the intellectual style.
The depth of the line indicates the depth of thoughts of the sitter.
The line could be curvy (intuitive thinker), straight (logical thinker)
or broken (flaky thinker). The
intuitor should always remember to use the Fine Flattery statement here.
The
Heart Line begins at the edge of the hand under the little finger and moves
across the palm above the head line.
The Heart Line reveals the sitter’s the style of relating to other
people, their sensitivity to other individuals and their emotional history.
If the Heart Line sits low in the hand, it is an indication that the
heart rules the head. The line
could be curvy (emotional), straight (unemotional) or broken (open to many
people).
The
Minor Lines
The
Saturn Line or Fate/destiny line
begins just above the wrist and moves up the hand to the middle finger.
It may not present itself on every sitter’s hand.
This line reveals the amount of personal success the sitter may have in a
particular event, either past or present.
It may also represent the sitter’s attitude in handling responsibility.
The
Line of Apollo or Sun line appears under the ring finger and moves vertically
towards the wrist. The presence
this line indicates happiness, achievement or creative talent.
The
Line of Mercury starts at the base of the hand and runs upward to beneath the
little finger. According the books
of palmistry, it could be associated with health, inner dialogue,
self-improvement or business sense.
The intuitor can use this line as needed in the reading
The
Mounts
The
mounts of the hand are those fleshy parts directly below the fingers, the thumb,
and the fleshy part of the hand below the little finger.
The specific locations and meanings vary from book to book, but below are
the most general meanings. To gain
credibility, the intuitor should feel these areas during the reading.
The
Mound of Jupiter is located at the base of the forefinger and is associated with
ambition and pride. The Mound of
Saturn is located at the base of the second finger and is associated with
reliability and responsibility. The
Mound of Apollo is located at the base of the ring finger the intuitor can
associate it with enthusiasm, creativity, and people skills.
The Mound of Mercury is located at the base of the little finger and is
generally associated with verbal skills, quick wit, and mental alertness.
It sometimes is associated with health and physical wellness.
The Mound of Venus is located in the fleshy part of the hand at the base
of the thumb and is associated with energy, sympathy, and generosity.
The Mound of Luna or the Mound of the Moon is the thicker part of the
hand directly opposite of the thumb.
It can be associated with intuition, love, sensitivity, emotion, and
travel.
ASTROLOGY
Man
has used astrology since he has looked upwards to the heavens into the stars.
Its history goes back to Babylon times in the 3000’s BCE (Before Current
Era). The history of almost every
culture has references to Astrology.
It faded from popularity for a while and returned many times.
Astrology was one of the earliest sciences and is the ancestor of
astronomy, be careful not to mix the two words.
The
basic premise of this astrology all things in the heavens are interconnected.
The positions and interactions of the stars, sun, moon and planets
combine to control our destiny here on earth.
They give information about the
personalities, karma, interactions and futures of us mortal humans.
Astrologers create charts of the position of the object in the celestial
sphere and read the influences they have over us.
The
intuitor should learn the different zodiac signs and some of the traits that go
with it. There are many books and
articles written on the various signs; the brief explanations of the signs will
not give a great insight into them; but is designed to give an overview to the
intuitor. Astrology is very popular
and many of your sitters will know a great deal about the sign and how it
interacts with others. The traits
listed below are very generic. By
saying the trait with authority, any trait can be associated with any sign.
If the intuitor makes a miss, it can
always be attributed to a planet or comet that you did not figure into your
reading. Note that in various books
the bracketed dates are different.
Someone whose birthday is on the dividing date is called “on the cusp” and will
have traits of both signs.
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Aries – The Ram
Mar 21 – Apr 20
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac
named for the constellation of Aries, called "The Ram".
Aries is ruled by the planet Mars.
Aries strength Words:
Independent, Generous, Optimistic, Enthusiastic, Courageous.
Aries Weakness Words: Moody, Short tempered, Self-involved, Impulsive,
Impatient.
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Taurus – The Bull
Apr 21 – May 20
Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac
named for the constellation of Taurus, called “The Bull”.
The planet Venus rules Taurus.
Taurus Strength Words: Dependable, Persistent, Loyal, Patient,
Generous.
Taurus Weakness Words: Stubborn, Laziness, Possessive, Materialistic,
Self-indulging.
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Gemini – The Twins
May 21 – Jun 20
Gemini is the third sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Gemini, the Twins. Gemini
is ruled by the planet Mercury.
Gemini Strength Keywords: Energetic, Clever, Imaginative, Witty,
Adaptable.
Gemini Weakness Keywords: Superficial, Impulsive, Restless, Devious,
Indecisive
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Cancer – The Crab
Jun 21 – Jul 21
Cancer is the fourth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Cancer, the crab. The Moon
rules Cancer.
Cancer Strength Keywords: Loyalty, Dependable, Caring, Adaptable,
Responsive
Cancer Weakness Keywords: Moody, Clingy, Self-pitying, Oversensitive,
Self-absorbed
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Leo – The Lion
Jul 22 – Aug 21
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of Leo,
the lion. Leo is ruled by
the Sun.
Leo Strength Keywords:
Confident Ambitious, Generous, Loyal, Encouraging.
Leo Weakness Keywords:
Pretentious, Domineering, Melodramatic, Stubborn, Vain
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Virgo – The Virgin
Aug 22 – Sep 21
Virgo is the sixth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Virgo, the virgin. Virgo is
ruled by the planet Mercury.
Virgo
Strength Keywords:
Analytical, Observant, Helpful, Reliable, Precise.
Virgo
Weakness Keywords:
Skeptical, Fussy, Inflexible, Cold, Interfering
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Libra – The Scales
Sep 22 – Oct 22
Libra is the seventh sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Libra, the virgin. The
planet Venus rules Libra.
Libra
Strength Keywords:
Diplomatic, Graceful, Peaceful, Idealistic, Hospitable
Libra
Weakness Keywords:
Superficial, Vain, Indecisive, Unreliable
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Scorpio – The Scorpion
Oct 23 – Nov 21
Scorpio is the eighth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Scorpio, the Scorpion.
Scorpio is ruled by the planet Pluto.
Scorpio Strength Keywords: Loyal, Passionate, Resourceful, Observant,
Dynamic
Scorpio Weakness Keywords: Jealous, Obsessive, Suspicious, Manipulative,
Unyielding
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Sagittarius – The Archer
Nov 22 – Dec 20
Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation
of Sagittarius, the Sagittarius.
The planet Jupiter rules Sagittarius.
Sagittarius Strength Keywords:
Independence, Intelligence
Sagittarius Weakness Keywords:
Unemotional, Quick to make decisions
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Capricorn – The Goat
Dec 21 – Jan 19
Capricorn is the tenth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Capricorn, the Capricorn.
Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn.
Capricorn Strength Keywords: responsible, patient, ambitious,
resourceful, loyal
Capricorn Weakness Keywords: Dictatorial, inhibited, conceited,
distrusting, unimaginative
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Aquarius – The Water Bearer
Jan 20 – Feb 18
Aquarius
is the eleventh sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Aquarius, the Water
Bearer.
Aquarius is ruled by the
planet Uranus.
Aquarius Strength Keywords: Witty, Clever, Humanitarian, Inventive,
Original
Aquarius Weakness Keywords: Stubborn, Unemotional, Sarcastic,
Rebellious, Aloof
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Pisces – The Fish
Feb 19 – Mar 20
Pisces
is the twelfth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Pisces, the Water
Bearer.
Pisces is ruled by the
planet Neptune
Pisces Strength Keywords: Compassionate, Adaptable, Accepting, Devoted,
Imaginative
Pisces Weakness Keywords: Oversensitive, Indecisive, Self-pitying, Lazy,
Escapist
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Ophiuchus – The Serpent Bearer
Recently,
there has been a change in the zodiac signs due to the progression of
the earth in its axis. This
has caused the addition of a new sign, a thirteenth sign called
Ophiuchus. The intuitor
need not worry about exact dates, strengths and weaknesses, as was said
before; the traits of each sign are vague and applicable to anyone.
Ophiuchus
is now the thirteenth sign of the zodiac named for the constellation of
Ophiuchus, the Serpent
Bearer.
Ophiuchus
Strength Keywords:
Knowledge,
Attention getter,
Builder, Authority figure, Honest
Ophiuchus
Weakness Keywords: Little Patience,
Jealous,
Secretive, Temper
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Using the thirteen signs, the
revised dates are:
Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
Pisces: March 11- April 18
Aries: April 18 - May 13
Taurus: May 13 - June 21
Gemini: June 21 - July 20
Cancer: July 20 - Aug. 10
Leo: Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
Virgo: Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
Libra: Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
Scorpio: Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20
OTHER DIVINATION METHODOLOGIES:
Crystal Balls and Scrying Mirrors
A
crystal ball is a polished sphere often made of a crystal, hence the name, or a
clear substance such as glass or quartz.
It is often clear but can be of any color.
Special reflective mirrors or bowls, called scrying mirrors, are also a
great tool for a reading. The word
scrying means focused gazing. To
use a crystal ball or scrying mirror, the intuitor must tell of the mystic
ritual “power”, the ball or mirror has and that the ball or mirror is ready for
use. Place your ball on a table on
top of a stand or silk cloth. Say
an affirmation out loud that to attract energies from the beyond.
Say that you see a mist forming within the crystal ball.
At this point, proceed with the cold reading techniques.
Tealeaf reading or the like
Tea
Leaf reading, or Tasseography, is a method that interprets patterns in
tealeaves, coffee grounds, wine sediments or any other liquid that may leave
sediment on the bottom of the cup or vessel.
The practice began in ancient China where its practice spread to Europe
in the mid-1700s. Tea Leaf Reading
is strongly associated with the Gypsies and the English in history and
literature. After the liquid is
gone, the intuitor performs a ritual to generate the tealeaves or residue.
The intuitor reviews the pattern of tealeaves and stains remaining in the
cup, and reports the findings to the sitter.
The intuitor uses cold reading techniques to the shapes to tell the
sitter what they want to hear.
Some
of the standard symbolism used is:
Snake
- hostility or falsehood
Spade
- good fortune through hard work
Mountain - journey possibly with difficulty
House- comfort, stability
Apple
-knowledge, enlightenment
Flying birds - good news
Unicorn – luck or good fortune sue to luck
Candle – revelation,
enlightenment
Cat -
a deceitful person
Dog -
loyal friend or relative
Kite
- wishes will come true
Raven
- death or bad news
The
intuitor is free to develop his own set of symbols.
Rune
casting
Runes
are the letters from various Germanic languages from about the first century
BCE. Although the origins of the
runic alphabet are uncertain, it is believed to have come from northern Europe
around the 5th to 1st century BCE.
Despite the fact that the letters appear in many places throughout history,
Runes are relatively new to divination techniques appearing only since the
beginning of the twentieth century.
There are many different letter sets for the Runes.
The illustration is a sample of a rune alphabet.
In recent times, they even are assigned their own computer codes (Unicode
range 16A0–16FF).
The
Runes are printed, drawn, or engraved individually onto tiles, stones or some
other throwing device. Sometimes
wood is used because it comes from the living spirits of trees.
Stones or tiles are used due to the obvious link to the nature and the
earth. The Runes pieces are placed
in a pouch or vessel and mixed.
They can be laid out similar to a Tarot spread or tossed and allowed to land
freely. The intuitor would then
read the resulting patterns using the techniques in this book.
Numerology
Numerology uses numbers to provide a relationship between people, dates and
times, objects, places or other living things.
There are many systems in use to calculate the relationships between
numbers and objects. It is
considered today as pseudo mathematics with its relationship to mathematics
similar to the relationship of astrology to astronomy.
Numerology has been around as long as man has used numbers.
To do a reading using numerology, the intuitor assigns a numerical value
to the letters of an alphabet.
Then, using the sitter’s name and the name of the person or object in question
develops a numerical relationship between the two.
For
example using my name, John Domanico:
J =
10
O =
15
H = 8
N =
14
D = 4
O =
15
M =
13
A = 1
N =
14
I = 9
C = 3
O =
15
This
totals to 121, adding the digits (1+2+1) my number is 4.
Alternatively, using my date of birth:
Dec.
17, 1949 becomes: (1+2+1+7+1+9+4+9) = 34, which becomes (3+4) = 7
Using
this number, the intuitor then proceeds with the reading.
There
are no set definitions for the meaning of specific digits.
The intuitor can use the techniques of cold reading to come up with a set
specific to the sitter. A sample of
a common list
1.
Individual. Aggressor.
Yang.
2. Balance. Union. Receptive. Yin.
3. Communication/interaction. Neutrality.
4. Creation.
5. Action. Restlessness.
6. Reaction/flux. Responsibility.
7. Thought/consciousness.
8. Power/sacrifice.
9. Highest level of change.
Aura
Readings
An
aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object.
The aura is typically egg shaped showing many layers much like an onion.
Each layer is reportedly connected to a layer of the physical body or a
Chakras area. The aura
tells of the sitter’s feelings or inner spiritual self.
Often, religious art will show an aura around a deity such as a halo or
radiant light streaming from the person of object.
Each color and intensity of the auras has special meanings.
The intuitor reports seeing the aura and interprets it using the
techniques in this book.
Here
are some general aura color meanings.
RED:
Passion, very active, (deep red)
over active, (dull red) burned
out, (bright red)
ORANGE:
Creativity, confidence, ambition, originality, sociability, openness, intuition,
YELLOW:
Spontaneous, intellect, happy, and cheerful.
A sense of humor, confident, optimistic, with a warm smile is typical.
GREEN:
Healing, teaching, caring, high self-esteem, tenacity, money, harmony,
BLUE:
Communication, loyalty, good listener, contentment, peaceful, caretaker,
calmness,
VIOLET:
Spiritual, mystical, looks for magical solutions, visionaries, always see the
big picture,
WHITE:
Highly motivated, bright, ability to see 'the big picture', a chameleon, money
is not always the object of their lives, great wisdom.
MAGENTA:
Nonconformists, innovated, strong-willed, inventive, imaginative, artistic
INDIGO:
Intuitive, observant, aware, open-minded, liberal, tolerant, charitable, shrewd
AQUA:
A
need to be recognized, sensitive, vulnerable, responsive, stress and anxiety.
PINK: Shows a purity of
intention, strong sense of companionship, cleanness, love of art and beauty
BLACK:
A
protective cloak shielding themselves from outside energies and keeping
themselves centered or focused
Each of these techniques and more are explained in
detail in the book.
