Divination is the art of using magickal senses to gain information that would otherwise be out of reach. It is a very tricky form of Magick because if you have a vivid imagination ( which all successful magicians do ) you will always get a result, whether it is legitimate or imagined. Once you have mastered divination, you will be able to discern the difference, but early on it can be difficult to tell. For this reason, it\’s extremely important to test your divinations through trial and error. Over time, you will learn how to know the difference between magickal senses and imagination.
For these instructions, we will be using the casting of bones as the divination method, however whatever method resonates with you will work basically the same way. Some people prefer to use tarot cards, some use the surface of water, some use tea leaves, and some even use a crystal ball.
First, gather your bones in a pouch. The bones can be real or synthetic. Either way, they should be carefully chosen by the magician… And by that I mean the bones should choose the magician. Anytime you are choosing tools for a magickal practice, you should feel the energy of the tool. You will know when you\’ve found the right tool for you. Once you have your bones, they should be kept in a pouch of some type that keeps them away from light and away from sight. No one should see the bones except when they are being used. That includes you.
When you are prepared to divine, make sure you have a clean, flat surface. It should be covered with an altar cloth, or some type of clean cloth that is free of foreign energies. The room should be ritually cleansed as well before beginning. At this point, take your position near your casting surface. Take the pouch in your hands and take several cleansing breaths.
Focus intently on the question you are hoping to have answered. If it helps or feels right, you may ask the question aloud. Do not imagine the answer or speculate what you think it may be, only focus on the question. When you have a firm focus on the question, push your energy into the pouch, gently shake the pouch a few times and then in one smooth motion pour the bones out onto the surface.
Focus once more on the question and then look at the bones. If you have done this right, and if you are sensitive to the Magick, you will begin to see patterns or images made by the shapes of the bones. Like clouds or shadow puppets, you will interpret images in the bones. They will be relevant to the question you asked. The images you see are the answers you seek. Your job as the magician now is to interpret how these images translate to the question. Do not guess. Do not speculate. Focus on how you feel they relate to the question. On a subconscious level, you will already know what the images mean. You have to dispel the human part that wants to impose meanings or possibilities onto the images. There\’s nothing for you to figure out. Just extract what you know because the bones have given you the knowledge.
Divination is not easy. What makes it especially difficult is that it\’s very easy to do wrong and very difficult to realize that you\’re doing it wrong. This is where practice, trial and error, and testing your abilities are crucial. Anyone can divine but very few ever actually do divine.