What is divination?

[The following reflection was prompted by a discussion in the Aeclectic Tarot Forum. It's not meant to be conclusive.]

Some people say that divination is about, as the name says, purely "connecting with the divine" in order to gain information. 

I feel unsure about this definition, because many times in my life I have struggled to trust in a all-seeing and ever wise "divine", such as Guides, Angels, Deities, Spirits, or a Higher Self etc. I prefer to think that everything around us is divine because... well, it is all there is, isn't it? It's the grand mystery of which we are a part, but that none of us can fully understand, envision or explain. But I can't decide yet whether I believe that there is a greater intelligence guiding our steps or not.

That said, I do think divination is like having a map.

Reading the map will show you what to expect in your path, which way is better, which one is easier, which one is more difficult... It'll help you plan ahead. But it'll not show you every bump on the road, every dangerous curve, every choice you'll need to make. And it'll not show you your whole path - a map, after all, is just the limited snapshot of one single moment in space and time.

Some people spend too much time reading the signs, but do not enjoy the trip.

Divination, in my opinion, is best used when it helps you to make informed changes and decisions. And also, when it gives you the chance to ask yourself why you are chosing one path and not the other, thus making you more conscious of your own inner and outer processes.

It's not meant to replace life. It's not meant to protect you from it. The future shown in the cards is not meant to replace the present - it's meant to help you to understand what you are creating now.

Ultimately, the present is the only time that ever really matters.

WHR - A quick relationship reading.

I received a new oracle last week, called the Wisdom of the Hidden Realms, by Colette Baron-Reid. I had known the deck for a while, but I was afraid that it was yet another Doreen Virtue-ish fluffy deck. To my surprise, it's not. I saw Colette using this deck in a video, and decided it was worth adding to my collection.

After a month of wait, here it is!

I did not have time to play with it during this week because I was oh-so-busy, but today I took it out with me and used it to give a 3-card reading for a friend, S.. She complains that her relationship with her significant other has become stale, and that they have 'lost' their connection over the last few months. She wants to do something about it, so we asked the cards what should she do about this relationship.

In the Wisdom of the Hidden Realms, upright cards are allies, whereas reversed cards are challengers. In this reading, The Rainbow Prince is upside down, telling that in the past S. has perhaps given too much of herself to this relationship, and is now wondering why did she bother. It didn't make anything better in her view. It may also suggest that in a more recent past she stopped giving, and then the link between her and her partner weakened.

The Resting Tree advices that right now is not the moment to do anything. That she needs to let things develop according to their own rhythm, let herself rest and don't worry so much about making a decision. With The Swan Queen as the possible future of this matter, this idea of patience becomes even stronger. Things won't change overnight, and S. needs some peaceful time to think and reassess her situation.

Now is definitely not the time for decisions and changes. It's time to wait and think... perhaps the relationship is just going through a bad phase.


Wisdom of the Hidden Realms © Jena DellaGrottaglia & Hay House, Inc.