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novaglow · 3 years

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Divination Basics

From the Roman priest reading auguries to interpret the will of the gods to the modern fortune teller reading with a deck of playing cards, divination has been a part of human spirituality for thousands of years. Today, divination is an important part of many witches’ practices, and can be an important tool for self-reflection and analysis.

Merriam-Webster defines divination as, “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.” Divination can be used for many things, not just to predict the future. It can be used to understand the past, identify patterns at work in your present, or as a tool for working through trauma.

In the book You Are Magical, author Tess Whitehurst describes divination as, “a way of bypassing your linear, thinking mind and accessing the current of divine wisdom and your own inner knowing.” As I’ve discussed in a previous post, all of us are receiving psychic information all the time, though many of us don’t realize it. Divination tools like tarot cards or rune stones act as triggers to help kickstart our natural psychic gifts.

Divination relies on the use of our intuition. Intuition is defined my Merriam-Webster as, “the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.” These are the things you know without needing to be told. Another way of thinking of it is this: your intuition is the way you interpret the information you receive through your psychic senses.

The most important thing to remember when doing divination is that the tool you are using isn’t giving you information — it’s simply helping you to access information you already know. The revelations come from you, not from the cards or whatever other tool you may be using.

When using divination to foresee the future, it’s important to remember that the future is never set in stone. These tools can only show you the most likely outcome based on your current direction.

Beginner-Friendly Divination Tools

These are the divination methods I would recommend for beginners. For one thing, most of these systems are fairly easy to learn and use. For another, these are some of the most popular divination methods among modern witches, so it’s easy to find information about them and/or talk to other practitioners about their experience.

As you’ll see, each divination method has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you may choose to learn several methods that you can combine to get stronger readings. Or you may find that you can get all the information you need from a single method, which is also okay.

Tarot. This is my personal favorite divination method, but it’s also the one with the most misconceptions surrounding it. Tarot cards do not open a portal to the spirit world, and they probably didn’t originate in Ancient Egypt. In fact, evidence suggests that the tarot comes from a medieval Italian card game called Tarocchi, although the modern tarot deck as we know it didn’t come around until the 20th century. Tarot cards are not any more or less supernatural than ordinary playing cards. (Which, incidentally, can also be used for divination.)

Tarot makes use of archetypes, and many readers interpret the cards as a map of an archetypal spiritual journey. For this reason, tarot cards are especially useful for identifying the underlying patterns and hidden influences in any given situation.

Most tarot decks follow the same set of basic symbolism. Unfortunately, this does mean that new readers will need to study the accepted meanings. This isn’t to say that your readings will always match up 100% with the standard meanings of the cards — you may receive intuitive messages that deviate from tradition. Still, it’s helpful to know a little of the history and traditional symbolism behind this powerful divination tool. The good news is that, since most decks use similar symbolism, once you learn the traditional meanings you can successfully read with almost any tarot deck.

I’m planning to post a more in-depth introduction to tarot very soon, but in the meantime, if you want to learn this divination method I recommend starting with the book Tarot For Beginners by Lisa Chamberlain and/or with the website Biddy Tarot.

Oracle Cards. Oracle cards have been rapidly gaining popularity in the witchcraft and New Age communities in the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. One major appeal of oracle cards is how diverse they are — there are countless different oracle decks out there, each with its own theme and symbolism. Another big plus is how beginner-friendly they are; Oracle cards are usually read intuitively, so most decks won’t require you to learn a complex system of symbolism. (Of course, the fact that every oracle deck uses different symbolism can be frustrating for some readers, because they have to learn a new set of symbols for every deck.)

Some readers (myself included) also find that oracle cards usually give more surface level information. Tess Whitehurst says that, “While oracle cards can help us answer the questions ‘What direction should I take?’ and ‘What is the lesson here?’ tarot cards are more suited to helping us answer the questions ‘What is going on?’ and ‘What is the underlying pattern at work here?‘” For this reason, many readers choose to use tarot and oracle cards together to get a more well-rounded look at the situation.

Another common complaint about oracle cards is that many decks are overwhelmingly positive and shy away from dark themes or imagery, which creates an imbalanced reading experience. I think this is best summed up by one Amazon review for the Work Your Light Oracle, which says: “Basically, this is very much a deck for Nice White Ladies™ who like crystals and candles but aren’t ‘super into all that witchy stuff.'”

There ARE oracle decks out there that address darker themes, but many of the most popular decks on the market are overwhelmingly positive. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes a little positive encouragement is more helpful than brutal honesty. However, too much focus on the positive can lead you to ignore your problems, which only makes things worse in the long run. For this reason, finding balanced decks is important — if you’re going to use a very shiny happy deck, my advice would be to alternate it with more grounded decks, or with a deck specifically designed for shadow work.

That being said, oracle cards are a great divination tool if you can find a good deck, especially for beginners who are intimidated by more structured systems like tarot and the runes. If you’re interested in working with oracle cards, the best way to start is to find a deck that 1.) you feel a strong attraction to, and 2.) has a good guidebook. (My favorite oracle deck is the Halloween Oracle by Stacey Demarco, which I use for readings all year.)

Runes. The Elder Futhark alphabet is a runic alphabet that originated in ancient Scandinavia around 200 AD. While this was an actual writing system, it also had magical and mythological associations in the cultures that originally used it. While using the runes for divination is a modern practice, it is based on the historical sense of magic surrounding these symbols.

Like tarot, the runes have a traditional set of meanings. However, because there are only twenty-four runes, there aren’t as many meanings to learn as there are with tarot. Some rune sets also contain a blank stone, which has its own special meaning. I have personally found the runes to be a great source of wisdom and insight, although they do tend towards “big picture” messages rather than small details.

However, there is one major stain on the runes’ history; they were studied and used by Nazi occultists before and during World War II. Like many symbols associated with historical Germanic paganism, the runes were appropriated as part of Nazi propaganda — for example, the Sowilo rune was incorporated into the SS logo. This isn’t to say that you can’t reclaim the Elder Futhark alphabet, but I do think it’s important to know the history going in. Because of their association with Nazism, it’s best to avoid wearing or publicly displaying the runes.

There are other ancient alphabets that are used for divination, like the Anglo-Saxon runes or the Irish Ogham, but the Elder Futhark is the most popular.

If you’re interested in learning divination with runes, I recommend the book Pagan Portals: Runes by Kylie Holmes.

Pendulums. Pendulums are interesting because, unlike tarot, oracle cards, and runes, they can be used to answer yes or no questions. For this reason, many readers use pendulums to get clarification on readings they’ve done with other divination methods, but you can also use pendulums on their own.

A pendulum is any small, weighted object hanging from a chain or string. You can buy a pendulum made specifically for divination from a metaphysical shop or an Etsy seller, but you can just as easily use something you already have: a necklace, your housekey, or a small rock or crystal tied to a string.

Pendulums may be the easiest divination method to learn. The only thing you need to do to learn how to interpret a pendulum is ask it what its “yes” and “no” motions look like. To do this, simply hold your pendulum in your hands and focus on your connection to it. Then, let the pendulum hang from its chain or string so it can swing freely. Say or think, “Show me ‘yes’.” Allow the pendulum to swing, and pay attention to its movements. “Yes” is often a forwards-and-backwards swing or a clockwise circle, but your “yes” may look different. (Some witches even notice that different pendulums in their collection have different “yes” and “no” movements!) Once you’ve gotten the pendulum to show you its “yes,” ask it to show you its “no.” For many readers, “no” is a side-to-side swing or a counterclockwise circle, but again, yours may be different.

The biggest downside to pendulums is that because they typically only answer “yes” or “no,” you have to be very specific with your questions. Pendulums aren’t the best tool for general energy readings or open-ended advice. However, that specificity makes them great for validating your gut feelings, interpreting your dreams, identifying a deity or spirit that you think may be reaching out to you, or any other situation that requires a little clarification.

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novaglow · 3 years

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100 things to ask a psychic

1. How can I be more successful at my job?

2. Which colleagues should I bond with?

3. Which colleagues should I stay away from?

4. How do I shift my career to something more meaningful?

5. I’m not happy in my current job. Do you see anything better coming for me?

6. Is my lover going behind my back?

7. Is my lover unfaithful?

8. Is my lover actually in love with me?

9. How can we rekindle our spark?

10. What should I be open to right now?

11. How can I attract love into my life?

12. Do spirits have a message for me?

13. Does my spirit guide have a message for me?

14. Who is my spirit guide?

15. Is my loved one okay?

16. How does my ex feel about me?

17. What am I not seeing?

18. Is there anything a passed loved one wants to tell me?

19. What was one of my past lives like?

20. What can you tell me about my soul purpose?

21. How can I improve my finances?

22. What can you tell me about my spiritual life?

23. What can you tell me about the energy of my house?

24. Does my pet have a message for me?

25. What can I do if I’m attracted to a person who might not be attracted to me?

26. Are things serious between us?

27. Is the universe trying to tell me something?

28. What steps can I take to reach my goals?

29. What is stopping me from finding love?

30. How can I develop a deeper relationship with my children?

31. How do I improve the energy in my home?

32. Do I have any psychic abilities?

33. Have I been abducted?

34. Can I astral project?

35. What can you tell me about my dreams? (You need to explain the dream for this question)

36. What steps can I take in order to get a promotion?

37. How can I improve my grades?

38. Where can I find love?

39. What is my aura like?

40. Do I have any fake friends?

41. Is someone talking behind my back?

42. What can you tell me about my relationship with my partner?

43. Am I oppressed by negative spirits or energy?

44. Is there something I am not seeing?

45. How can I heal my relationship with my friend?

46. How do I become successful in school?

47. Which deities are trying to connect to me?

48. How does my deity want me to honor them?

49. How can I start to find joy again?

50. What caused my happiness to disperse

51. What changes in my life would make me happy?

52. Should I rekindle my relationship or should I let it go?

53. Why do I feel stuck or stagnant?

54. How can I find hope for my future?

55. How do I feel more connected with life?

56. How do I connect with my spirit guides better?

57. What messages do my spirit guides have for me about work?

58. Why do I keep attracting the wrong partner?

59. Why am I holding onto a toxic relationship?

60. What am I supposed to be learning from this relationship?

61. What is my life’s main purpose right now?

62. Is witchcraft something I should explore?

63. Why do I feel spiritually blocked?

64. Why do I feel like I can’t connect with my deities anymore?

65. What does my friend think about me?

66. What do my co-workers think about me?

67. Is my friend telling the truth?

68. Do they really want a relationship with me?

69. Should I quit my job?

70. Am I a star seed?

71. Am I an indigo child?

72. Am I a rainbow child?

73. Am I a crystal child?

74. How can I use my spirituality for a higher purpose?

75. How can I help others?

76. How can I protect myself?

77. How can I better my home?

78. How can I save money?

79. How can I improve my psychic intelligence?

80. How can I communicate with a loved one?

81. Is there a secret I need to know about?

82. Is there something wrong with my loved one?

83. How can I be more independent?

84. How can I find my soul purpose?

85. How is this week going to be for me?

86. How is this month going to be for me?

87. How is this year going to be for me?

88. Will I get that job I applied for?

89. What crystals are good for my aura?

90. Why do I see repeating numbers?

91. Am I telekinetic?

92. What should I write about?

93. What is the energy of my workplace?

94. What is the energy of my school?

95. Are there any rumors about me?

96. What do people really think about me?

97. Am I a good person?

98. How many past lives do I have?

99. Do I have past lives on other planets?

100. Should I stay or should I go?

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novaglow · 3 years

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Made a tarot reading after a loooong time not practicing, it felt very comfortable and calming. ✨🪐

#forestcore #naturecore #witchcore #witchlife #tarot spread #tarot #tarotblr #baby witch #witchcraft #witch

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novaglow · 3 years

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Hidden Power Spread

This spread is based on a tarot request that someone emailed me and I absolutely loved it!

If you like my content, please consider tipping me at my ko-fi

#tarot spread #tarot

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novaglow · 3 years

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For free weekly. tarot spreads follow me on IG & Pinterest @emeraldlotusdivination

#tarot

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novaglow · 4 years

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Flowers and Magic

My favorite subject which is flowers and magic. As someone who enjoy natures colorful spectacle I can tell you I use flowers a lot in my workings. Below is a list of flowers that myself or others that I know have used. This is probably going to be one of my biggest lists yet.

1. Bird of Paradise: Intuition and Insight, protection, walking between the worlds.

2. Black-Eyed Susan’s: Cleansing and releasing, grounding, and integration.

3. Calla Lily: Peace, peaceful transitions, sleep, and soothing grief.

4. Carnations: Beauty, love, perspective, and rebirth.

5. Chamomile: Breaking curses and spells, positive thoughts, prosperity, and sleep.

6. Dandelion: Animal protection, divination, happiness, healing, and wishes

7. Foxglove: Courage, faery connection, heart healing, and protection.

8. Geranium: Heals domestic conflict and trouble in the workplace, first love, and money

9. Heather: Ancestral wisdom, healing deep issues, luck, and memory.

10. Hyacinth: Self-esteem, rebuilding trust after a betrayal, happiness, and attracting beautiful things into your life.

11. Hydrangea: Boundaries, hex breaking, protection, redirecting curses and psychic attacks, and restructuring an energy field.

12. Jasmine: Powerful love, increases sexual desire, optimism, and moon and night magic.

13. Lavender: Love, especially self love, fertility, health, guards against cruelty and spite, reduces stress and anxiety, and is all healing.

14. Marigold: Increases positive energies in a room or building, protective, especially at night and in domestic matters, resolution of legal problems, increase of love and fidelity.

15. Peony: Cleansing, healing, prosperity and luxury, protection and exorcism, success and confidence

16. Rose: Ultimate flower of love, healing, and reconciliation

17. Snap Dragon: Hex reversal, owning your power, protection, and truth

18. Vervain: Connection with the faery realm, eternal love, and good luck.

19. Wisteria: Divine Blessings, Comfort, Love, Healing Grief, Softness, Soothing, Stress-Relief, Wisdom

20. Yarrow: Banishing and Exorcism, Divination, Healing, Releasing Negative Emotions, Protection

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novaglow · 4 years

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Wood and Magic

Wood isn’t something I haven’t really worked with but a few of my friends who are fellow witches have. One friends workings stand out to me the most and she has learned most of these workings from a book she bought awhile back. I would like to share them with those who may take a liking in practicing with wood.

1. Apple: Self-love, symbol of last life and lasting good health.

2. Ash: Career advancement, courage, confidence, power and prosperity

3:Birch: New beginnings and opportunities, for moon magic, health and wisdom.

4. Elder: The fairy tree for wishes, protects the home, and absorbs negativity.

5. Fig: Creativity, wisdom, harmony, and balance.

6. Maple: Long life, fertility, pleasure, and brings luck.

7. Oak: Tree of the druids, use for wisdom, knowledge, power, and long term prosperity.

8. Pine: Drives away all negativity and can be used for guarding property and premises

9. Walnut: Teleportation, astral travel, weather working, averting lightening, powers of the wind and breath, and motivation.

10. Willow: Willow is an interesting wood it is strong in the cycles of life dealing with death and rebirth, change, and the will. Willow can add vital energy to the sick and elderly. It strengthens the third eye, and is a great tool for divination as well.

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novaglow · 4 years

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Key Herbs for your Craft

Here are some really basic herbs for your magic workings :

Sage - Cleansing (properties : purification, wisdom, immortality)

Lavender - Calming (properties : love, healing, sleep, dreams, divination)

Rose - Opening (properties : psychic awareness, opening the heart, love)

Eucalyptus - Inspiration (properties : healing, protection, purification, invigorating)

Bay Leaves - Divination (properties : psychic powers, success, money)

Cardamom - Arousal (properties : lust, sexuality, reigniting intimacy)

Rosemary - Focus (properties : mental powers, banishing, purification, protection)

Bergamot - Increasing (properties : manifestation, wealth, success, prosperity, adds power to magic)

Oats - Grounding (properties : wealth, abundance, prosperity)

Dandelion - Releasing (properties : divination, wishes, summoning spirits, releasing)

Yarrow - Banishing (properties : banishing, death, courage, psychic powers)

Cloves - Luck (properties : driving away negativity, cleansing, prosperity)

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novaglow · 4 years

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Now that pumpkin spice is back in season, and so are colds and flus, let's talk about some of the other common Autumn spices - cinnamon, clove, and ginger.

Cinnamon is known to be antispasmodic as well as antibacterial. Some people do take cinnamon in capsule form as an herbal supplement to help control blood sugar.

Clove is high in antioxidants, may alleviate tooth pain, and also may help support healthy blood sugar levels.

Ginger has gained popularity for it's anti inflammatory properties as of late for arthritis and other ailments. It's also a common anti nausea fighter and stomach settler. Also useful for easing menstrual cramps!

And why not stir all that goodness into a warm cup of tea on a chilly autumn day?

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novaglow · 4 years

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A few herbs and from Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs

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novaglow · 4 years

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Witchy Self Care & Mindfulness🌻🌿

Artwork by @CraftingWitch on Instagram

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novaglow · 4 years

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A Spell to Protect BLM Protesters

Although magic is no substitute for genuine activism, not all of us are able to attend protests, donate money, or even be outspoken about our support. This spell allows you to magically lend your energy to the cause.

What you will need:

a sheet of white, red, or black paper

a black pen

a protection oil, a protective essential oil like myrrh or rosemary, or salt water

Performing the Ritual:

Write the words “Black Lives Matter” in the center of your paper. As you do so, visualize these words forming a connection between yourself and the protesters who are a part of the movement.

Draw a circle around the words, moving your pen counterclockwise.

Say: “I cast protection around those protesting on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement. They are under my protection from anyone who would do them harm or oppose their goals.”

If you work with sigils, runes, or some other kind of magical symbols, feel free to incorporate symbols for protection and power into your circle.

Take a little bit of your oil or salt water on the tip of your index finger and use it to anoint the circle at each of the four cardinal points (north, east, south, west), starting at the top of the circle and moving clockwise.

Say, “May this [oil/salt] protect those protesting on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement. May it shield them from harm and surround them with a wall of protection and light.”

Focus your energy on the paper, and visualize the protests going on around the country right now. Focus on sending your energy to those protests to protect and support those participating.

I’m a Reiki practitioner, so when I did this spell I also incorporated a distance Reiki session to send Reiki energy to those protesting, and to add an extra layer of protection. If you practice any kind of energy work, that would be a beautiful thing to incorporate into this spell.

If you worship any deities associated with justice, feel free to call on them during this ritual.

Finally, if you have an altar, fold up your paper and place it on your altar once you finish the spell. Keeping the paper in a sacred space will allow it to keep receiving energy, and you can come back to pray for/send energy to protesters again in the future.

What to do next

If you can, donate to organizations that contribute to the cause, like Black Visions Collective, Reclaim the Block, or a similar local organization.

If you can’t donate, raise awareness on social media and in real life. (For my fellow white folks: try to focus on sharing stories from POC, rather than talking over them. Yes, we should use our privilege to raise awareness, but we should do that in a way that keeps the focus on those who are directly affected by the issue.)

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING A PROTEST, be smart and be safe. Keep your face covered, don’t talk to reporters, don’t take pictures (especially if you use iCloud!), stay the fuck away from anyone with a camera, and don’t post about it on social media.

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