| Have you ever flipped a coin to make a decision about | | | | ordered or how the runes are cast. |
| something? If so, then you've used divination. | | | | A different aspect of this theory explains that the |
| Divination means simply making the unknown into the | | | | events may really be truly random. The Tarot cards |
| known. Many cultures all around the world have some | | | | are shuffled and laid out in a certain way but the cards |
| form of divination tools or rituals, often ancient in age | | | | are totally separate from each other and in arbitrary |
| and practice. Some examples of different divination | | | | patterns. The unconscious mind interprets the patterns |
| systems are the tarot, I Ching, scrying and using a | | | | and relationships of the cards instead of determining |
| pendulum. | | | | the patterns themselves. |
| Those who believe that divination works believe that all | | | | Another theory describing divination is called |
| matter, whether "living" in the traditional sense or not, | | | | synchronicity, which states that separate events may |
| has an innate intelligence and that all things are | | | | actually be meaningfully connected. Arbitrary events, |
| connected through their energy. When you are | | | | no matter how disconnected they seem, contain |
| working with objects, whether it be tarot cards, runes, | | | | meaning and wisdom if their hidden meaning can be |
| bones or tea leaves, those objects are connected | | | | ascertained. For certain types of divination such as |
| energetically to a higher power. Since you are handling | | | | Tarot or runes the synchronicity theory is a common |
| those objects and are connected to them, you are | | | | explanation. |
| then connected to a higher power through their energy. | | | | Can divination tell the future? Popular divinatory |
| It's as if all objects are alive. Believing and accepting | | | | techniques such as Tarot seem to do so. Yet modern |
| that everything on earth is intelligent makes it easy to | | | | physics shows us that events happen on a totally |
| believe that everyday objects and events have | | | | random scale. This brings into question whether |
| meaning and may be trying to "tell you something." | | | | foretelling future events is possible - events occur in a |
| One general type of divination is the reading of omens, | | | | certain way simply because they did not happen in |
| which is the most primitive method. Historical Chinese | | | | another way. |
| records indicate mentions of unusual weather events | | | | Many events that happen in our everyday lives can be |
| and uncommon births. Information such as this was | | | | seen as divinatory. If you're rushing around like a crazy |
| used in long-range planning, and may even have been | | | | person and your car breaks down in the middle of |
| the impetus to our modern-day scientific method. | | | | your errands, some might take that as a message to |
| One theory on how divination works is that the | | | | slow down. But don't fall into the trap of assigning |
| information obtained comes from our unconscious. Our | | | | divine meaning to every single thing that happens in |
| minds constantly process data and information that we | | | | your life. Some things that happen really are just |
| are not aware of at the time. It's feasible that this "data | | | | random events. As Freud stated, sometimes a cigar is |
| bank" is accessed during divination. The unconscious | | | | just a cigar! |
| mind may physically determine how Tarot cards are | | | | |