Divination: What Is It and What Forms Are There?

I like divining. Divination is one of my favourite aspects of being a Witch. Now that’s not to say that all witches like divination but the vast majority that I know do. It is interesting to see how much we differ on our preferred methods though. Some like Tarot, some like Oracle cards others like pendulum, it goes on and on really. I prefer Tarot and Oracle cards but I do also like to occasionally do pendulum work and I found I have a bit of a knack for Tasseography. I will be doing a short blog post on each popular method of divination so I hope you can read through each one as they come up and get a feel for the type you think would best suit you!

Before you read on, a suggestion: When choosing your first Tarot or Oracle deck it is very important that you choose a deck that speaks to you, that resonates with you on a deeper level because let me tell you, if you can’t connect to your deck, you will not be able to read it.

TAROT

The tarot is a great way to read into the future, see what’s coming up or get an answer to a problem or situation. It is also great just for general guidance. It’s an artform that has been around for a very long time, 500 or more years. It was quite popular during the renaissance but was kept strictly for the rich and aristocratic. However nowadays, thankfully, the tarot is essentially available to everyone! But what is in a Tarot deck?

A tarot deck consists of 78 cards, 22 in the Major Arcana and 56 in the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana cards represent or cover the bigger things in life whereas the Minor Arcana represent more day to day stuff. The Minor Arcana is separated into 4 suits most often Swords (Fire), Cups (Water), Pentacles (Earth) and Wands (Air) however they will differ from deck to deck depending on the author/illustrator. Each part of the Minor Arcana, like a deck of playing cards, is made up of 10 numbered cards and four court cards.

I’ve come a long way with my Tarot reading skills and now have a tarot stall at Firefly where I give readings. I most often use the Celtic Dragon Tarot by Lisa Hunt and DJ Conway but I also have the Mystic Faerie Tarot by Linda Ravenscroft and Barbara Moore. 

Deck pictured: DruidCraft Tarot

ORACLE

Oracle cards are a wonderful divination system. They have a long history and a rich history but it is important to note they are not like Tarot cards. They are not divided into suits, usually don’t have any astrological or elemental associations and are often a picture with a one word association or phrase to be used as the interpretive starting point. Oracles are definitely more intuitive based than Tarot as you don’t have a reference point such as Pentacles to give you an idea that the answer is connected to earth or prosperity.

Like Tarot decks, there are a multitude of styles and artwork when it comes to Oracle decks. Oracle decks are usually themed (witches, faeries, mermaids etc) so it can be great fun finding a deck that relates to your particular interest. I love Oracle cards, I find them easy to read with and surprisingly accurate! My favourite deck to work with is the Oracle of Shadows and Light by Jasmine Beckett Griffith and Lucy Cavendish, I've found I am quite accurate with this deck. I also have the Druid Plant Oracle by Phillip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm and Will Worthington and the Wisdom of the Hidden Realms deck by Collette Baron Reid.

Cards pictured: Oracle of Shadows and Light