So how many forms of Divination are there?

[Milfoil]

I'm just wondering, how many do you know of or use? Can we make a list?

Ogham
Oracles
Runes
Scrying with water
Scrying with a crystal ball
Scrying with hot oil
Scrying with molten lead or wax dropped into cold water
Scrying with raw eggs
Scrying with clouds
Tarot

I know that I have missed out loads - what else is there?

 

[cardlady22]

When I entered "forms of divination" in a web search, I got a couple of good encyclopedia/glossary type sites. One of them mentions having over 255!

 

[zannamarie]

I would think it would be nearly an unlimited number.

I've personally divined with stones (just ones I've gathered at the lakeside and not runes)
animal crackers
photographs
drawings (artwork)
playing cards

I've seen other threads where people have done readings using
conversation hearts (the candy)
coffee beans
jelly beans
crystal skulls
songs
postcards
dice


There's always Umbrae's favorite toothpicks.


And wasn't there a lady somewhere in the UK reading asparagus?

 

[AJ]

I've got a book by Ray Buckland that lists several hundred with their official names.

 

[emmsma]

Didn't someone here offer Dr. Seuss readings?

 

[Disa]

I've used
coasters
an ashtray
bumps in paint on the wall
"popcorn" in the ceilings,
designs in wallpaper and, of course
Salsa

 

[Milfoil]

I guess it would then be a case of 'groups' or types of divination.

Scrying with objects (anything from asparagus, through tea leaves, to zebra stripes) where you discern a meaning from the patterns.

Systems with specific values such as Iching, tarot, oracles etc

Interpretation of natural occurrences - bird flight, strange happenings, numbers, animal sightings etc

That sort of thing

What other groups of systems are there?

 

[Chronata]

Well...you really can divine with anything!

I wrote a book about it (called "Totalmancy"... which I have been too chicken to publish.) But I do love all the traditional "mancys" out there.Some are hilarious! edit...I have tried almost all of them at one time or another!

I would put various divination methods into *almost*the same few major catagories as you do Milfoil...with some sub catagories in each.

Pattern Divining (seeing patterns that form pictures or shapes, that are then interpreted through symbolism) examples... egg, oil, tea leaf,Coffee, bones, stones, smoke, toothpicks, M&Ms...(I would include compass, ouija and pendulum here too, as a subcatagory)

Oracle Divination (relying on indices, a pre-thought out system, or titles that have symbolic meaning) examples ...dice, dominos, tarot, oracle packs, drop stone lithomancy, IChing, runes, witches runes, oghams etc.

Scrying /Guide Work(tapping into the subconcious, or help from spiritual entities to receive sensory messages that can be interpreted.)
examples...guided meditation,vision quests, biofeedback, dream work, astral projection, or mediumship OR...Scrying... (seeing projections of images(or sounds)with the help of tools) such as crystal balls, mirrors,crystal bowls, water, fire, smoke..bibliomancy, automatic writing and spirit art have a sub category here as well.

(I combined these two categories because I haven't decided where these projections originate from...sometimes it can be our own subconscious, sometimes it might be something Else...even using the same methods)

Omen Divination(observing one's surroundings,nature and natural or unatural occurrances taken literally or symbolically) examples...weather changes, sky color, animal apperances, or behaviors, bird augury, finding objects

This isn't perfect, or course...because some things can fall into several categories depending on how the method is done! And some methods can arguably be placed in different categories depending on the person..

I would love to hear what others think too!

 

[Milfoil]

Hi Chronata

I think you are starting to touch upon how I feel divination works. The system is less important than the knowledge or understanding that all messages are orchestrated by the Universe/higher self/guides/angles whatever you want to describe it as.

Regardless of the mechanics, the outcome is palpably the same and reflects the connection between all things.

 

[gregory]

Hi Chronata

I think you are starting to touch upon how I feel divination works. The system is less important than the knowledge or understanding that all messages are orchestrated by the Universe/higher self/guides/angles whatever you want to describe it as.

Regardless of the mechanics, the outcome is palpably the same and reflects the connection between all things.

Yes - I was going to say that there are as many methods as there are people to do it, multiplied by the things available to them to use.... There were sugar packets used on here somewhere.....