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Basic Principles of Divination

In the popular imagination there is a confusion between the processes of divination and fortune-telling. While rune-casting includes a predictive element it consists of much more than just this

• FORTUNE TELLING - This is the accurate prediction of future events. For fortune telling to be possible, future events must be pre-ordained.


• DIVINATION - This uses an oracle, such as the runes, to provide a commentary on events past, present and on possible futures. The oracle advises, warns and guides. However in divination the future is not fixed but influenced by how the querent acts after the reading

In a fixed future what an individual does is irrelevant. There is no point for someone to strive because whether she or he succeeds has been pre-decided. In a pre-ordained future therefore the individual is disimpowered.

The purpose then of divination is to empower someone by providing him/her with information which she/he can use in order to make a decision about his/her situation. In divination the individual is made to understand the options and possible consequences but how he/she then acts is her/his choice. Divination is not then an easy route to anything because responsibility remains with the querent. Divinatory use of the runes requires study, dedication, belief and courage.

According to the Bible the practice of divination is forbidden and hence anyone practicing this art can expect to receive some criticism and probably be exposed at some point to religious prejudice. The rune reader must accept that many religions, Christianity included, have prohibitions against divination. It is not our place to try to change other people's deeply held religious views, even if we consider them wrong, and in most cases it would be a futile exercise anyway. We must just accept the difference of opinion and remember that for some divination is classed as a demonic activity. Great care should therefore be taken to whom you talk about your divinatory practices and how and where you conduct them.

Divination itself can take various forms, including:

1. The direct observation of events which have not (yet) occurred, such as scrying.


2. The interpretation of patterns formed by objects or on surfaces. This included the reading of tea-leaves and palmistry.


3. The selection of objects with meanings assigned to them by some form of random processes such as from a bag or deck of cards. This would include the runes and I-ching.

In adopting a divinatory tool such as the runes you are taking on both a support and a burden. They bring with them certain responsibilities. Though they will speak truly if used correctly, there will be times when neither you or a client wants to hear what they have to say. Remember that when a friend criticizes you it is done out of concern. So it is with the runes.

It is never good to hear that there may be bad times ahead, that we are steering into rough waters. However forewarned really is forearmed. Maybe steps can be taken to avoid the crisis or if that is not possible then at least one can steel oneself mentally.

An oracle such as the runes must always be taken seriously and treated with respect. It is not a game and you should never behave like it is. The reader is a key part of the equation and her/his attitudes are crucial. If you treat the runes like 24 stones governed only by the laws of mathematical probability, then that is what they will become. Treat them like a line of communication to the gods and you will be rewarded.

Our modern civilization often feels the need to deny the magical, the miraculous and the inexplicable. We like to give the impression that we know all there is to, and that there is no magic or mystery left in the Universe. Yet, this is a thin veneer, easily scratched away to reveal a society every bit as interested in magic, prediction, superstition and myth as our ancestors were. Divination is a form of esoteric knowledge which has been handed down through the generations.

Something which is old does not automatically have value. Why is the British prehistoric monument Stonehenge classified as a World Heritage Site rather than as a semi-derelict collection of old stones, ideal for redevelopment? The reason is that it still has relevance today. It speaks to us - its size, shape, isolated location, the incredible effort that went into its construction, all help to ensure that it still has meaning for us. Stonehenge may have been built in the prehistoric period but it is part of the modern world. Equally Tarot, the runes and other forms of divination do not belong to the past. They represent skills and knowledge which earlier generations have passed down to us but which are not outdated. These divination techniques, or oracles as some authors call them, are adapted by each generation according to their needs. In some ways then the runes are as much a part of contemporary technology as the Pentium III chip or the DVD player.

However, divination generally operates through a much simpler mechanism than these technologies, and one which is "apparently" governed by chance alone. Thus there is an element within all divination which at first glance appears to be entirely random, whether this is the pattern of growth lines on a hand, the shape taken by tea-leaves in a cup or which card is drawn from a deck. It is here though that there has to be a difference in view between the sceptic and the practitioner of divination. If you are going to perform some form of divination then you must believe in the method you are using,though most readers will tell you it is not necessary for the person on whose behalf you are conducting the reading to have anything like the same level of faith. Why then is this?

Like many things about divination we cannot know for sure, but it is possible to make an educated guess. The study of magic generally puts considerable emphasis on the power of the human will. Modern witches generally follow the Rede which states "An harm it none do what thy will" and ceremonial magicians use "Do what you will shall be the whole of the law". Both statements stress that it is the will which enables the successful operation of magic. We can see "will" as a combination of belief and confidence in the method used, with a desired outcome. So we can say that -

This confirms then that belief is a key part of the equation but it does not explain the process or why it is necessary. We can clarify this with reference to another key statement about magic.

"As above, so below"

This of course does not make much sense unless you know just where "above" and "below" are. Since this is a course in divination and not magic or wicca we hope any practitioners of magic will forgive the simplification in this diagram.

Imagine two worlds, sharing the same space, hidden from each other by a thin veil but existing independently of each other though in some strange way connected. So if for example a vase in broken in one of these worlds, it will automatically be broken in the other too. This in essence is the meaning of the statement "As above, so below", because if something happens above, in the realm of spirit, then it will also come to pass in the lower realm of matter.

Normally most people are not aware of the upper realm but we can gain insight into it through meditation, trances, drugs, dreams etc, and we can influence by means such as the imagination and visualization.

In the realm of spirit things do not have physical solidity but exist as thought forms, ie objects given reality by the exercising of the will. Hence we can affect our world by interaction with the world of spirit, and indeed this is how magic works.

How then does this relate to the runes. Well, this is our suggestion for what happens. Through the operation of the will, which in this case.

will = faith in runes + question we want answered

we are able to link with our Higher Self which can exist in and interact with the World of Spirit. As we stressed in the first lecture, the stones on your table are not the true runes, they are simply a doorway. The true runes are found elsewhere, in fact in the realm of spirit. Your Higher Self thus contacts the true runes and opens the doors that are the glyphs allowing their power to enter our plane. For the sake of simplicity we will refer to these as "activated" runes though as we have stated in other lectures we believe the activation process is of yourself rather than the runes.

Once activated the runes operate in a similar way to a radio receiver, being receptive to and picking up upon the thoughts of the rune reader and the client.

These thoughts are what influence the selection of runes which emerge in the reading. Hence whilst it may appear the choice of rune is no more than the result of chance, there are forces influencing the selection of which we are not normally aware. So, for a sceptic the runes are ordinary stones randomly chosen, but for a serious rune reader the runes are "activated" and hence influenced by choices made in the realm of spirit by powers beyond our understanding. By means of the above/below mirroring process these choices are then reflected in the selections made in this realm.

You have completed the lesson. Read it as many times as you need to in order to feel you understand it. Then return here for:
Lesson 14 - Comprehension Tests, Reading and Further Exercises

Please ensure you complete these exercises before moving on to the next lesson.