Product Description

Anyone can practice divination. You don't need to be psychic, or believe that a higher power controls the cards. Anyone can learn to predict the future using the methods described in this book. Learn how to choose the methods that works best for you, and ask the right questions so you get accurate answers. Discover the secrets of a wide variety of methods, from Tarot cards and the I Ching to crystal gazing, palmistry, and even reading signs and omens in the world around you

The real value of divination is in planning and prevention. If you like the answers you receive, continue on. If it looks like trouble ahead, adjust your course of action and see how your new plan affects the outcome. In this way you can use divination to fine tune your future and start living the life you've always dreamed of.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #194513 in Books
• Published on: 2003-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

About the Author
Scott Cunningham practiced magic actively for over twenty years. He was the author of more than fifty books covering both fiction and non-fiction subject matter; sixteen of his titles are published by Llewellyn Publications. Scott's books reflect a broad range of interests within the New Age sphere, where he was very highly regarded. He passed from this life on March 28, 1993, after a long illness.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Part I Aspects of Divination

Beginnings The earth, the air, the chaos and the sky, The seas, the fields, the rocks and mountains high Reveal the truth. - Lucan

Divination is the practice of determining the unknown by the manipulation and observation of tools recognized by their users as possessing the ability to provide such information.

The ancient art of divination has never lost its popularity. Even today, in our largely materialistic world, we perform age-old rites to discover the shape of the future. In its many forms, divination is as much a part of our lives as it was in the ancient world.

The practice of foretelling the future through the use of tools predates history and so we have no record of the first culture that acted upon its desire to peer into tomorrow. Perhaps the earliest forms consisted of gazing into lakes, watching the smoke rising from cooking and heating fires, and observing the shapes of clouds. In preliterate times all such phenomena were invested with spiritual energies, and it seems logical that it was to these that our ancestors turned for glimpses of tomorrow.

In the great cultures of the past, divination was usually linked with religion. The deities, it was believed, were willing to provide hints of the future if they were given the opportunity to do so. This was provided to them by the presentation and use of specific tools, which the deities manipulated to provide specific responses. The earliest diviners thought that divination revealed the will of the deities. The future, they thought, was unchangeable.

After many centuries of practice, however, it became obvious that this concept could easily be challenged. Why did some events revealed in predictions never occur? Werent the deities in total control of human life? Some cultures answered such questions by altering their definition of divination. Rather than revealing a fated future, divination provided glimpses of possible future events. The future could be altered by human action. Thus, divination provided a window into potential tomorrowsnot of fate. Negative messages were now considered to be useful warnings, not inescapable messages of future doom.

Today, divination is often defined as a branch of magic. This is untrue. The two practices are entirely different. Divination attempts to discover the past, present, or future, while magic is an active process by which the future is thought to be changed. Though magic and divination can be used together, they are in no way related. Those who claim that they are one and the same have no understanding of either practice, or have their own axes to grind.

How It Works There are many theories that attempt to explain the mechanism at work during divination, some of which are ap-plicable only to specific forms. In general, however, it is believed that our actions and thoughts produce nonphysical waves of energy that extend into the future, and thus shape it to a certain extent. They produce a map of tomorrow based on our current speed and direction, but many destinations lie upon its surface, and we can change course at any time.

Divinatory techniques examine these energy waveswhich may not be consciously known to the divinerand, by taking them as well as other forces into account, paint a picture of the futureif things continue on the present course for some time.

The tools reveal the unknown information in a wide variety of ways. Some of these (the use of the pendulum or sand divination, for example) seem to rely on the subconscious mind, in which we become aware of these streams, to produce the response.

Others techniques are completely free of our conscious or subconscious control, relying on other forces to manipulate the objects and to produce the prediction. In these forms, which are usually the most reliable, we simply present the tools and allow them to do the work.

The Major Types of Divination By studying the hundreds of techniques used in cultures throughout history, scholars have divided divination into two basic forms: operational and natural. Operational divination consists of the manipulation of tools (smoke, oil in water, eggs, dice, pieces of paper, knives, stones, and so on) to determine the future. Such tools are used in specific ways for this express purpose. These represent later developments of divinatory technique.

Natural divination consists of the observation of occurrences in the natural world. A specific time and place is set aside for the express purpose of asking that omens derived from natural physical phenomena present themselves to reveal the future. The casual observation of omens that may unexpectedly occur at any time isnt true divination. Omens must be preceded by a request for information in order to be classified as divination. These are known as provoked omens.

Such omens are created by the world around us. The flight or appearance of birds, the behavior of animals, observation of the stars and clouds, the winds activity, and the sudden appearance of meteors and lightning are some popular forms.

The Divinatory Response Messages received during divination are known as responses. They usually take one of three forms. The nature of the technique determines the messages form.

The first form produces so-called binary responses. The techniques that create binary responses are the easiest to perform and often produce the clearest answers. Questions are asked that can be answered with a yes or a no; hence the term binary. Occasionally, a third option, maybe, perhaps, or no answer is also included.

The second response consists of the creation of symbols or images. These forms are termed symbolic. The divinatory tools (particularly crystal spheres, clouds, fire, smoke,...(Continues)

Customer Reviews

A Look at Various Forms of Divination
This book has seen several names and printings; "The Art of Divination" and "The Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling", but any way you look at it, it is Scott Cunningham exploring the different ways and tools we use for divination.

The book is a collection of the various forms we use to call upon our abilities to foretell events and has some wonderful history associated with these various styles and tools. Divination is explored in various cultures and with various tools.

Also explored are the ways we can use these ways of divination and how to practice the various arts. While the more common ways of divination, tarot cards and crystal balls and such, are discussed, Scott also presents us with mirrors, herbs, cloth and other non-traditional ways of foretelling future events.

All of this is done with Scott's careful research, simple style of explanation and the usual wit and wisdom he applied to everything he wrote.

There is a good bibliography, the book has been indexed and there are diagrams and graphics that work well with the written material.

While this book addresses those who are beginners to the art of divination, there are little gems of information that could be appreciated by all levels of practitioners and the histories and lesser known methods of divination will interest all.

This is a good addition to your library if you do not have this already as one of the other titles. However, even if you do, you may want a copy to replace the worn one on your shelves or just to keep to lend out. My lending copies always seem to find a good home and I need to replace them on a regular basis.

Looking for all kind of oracles? This is your choice.
Art of Divination by Scott Cunnihngham provides more divination sources you could ever possibly imagine. But certainly, the best part of the book is the first chapter, providing you useful information regarding time, symbolism and future modification. If you are intrigued for your future, this book will help you to responsibly find an alternative way to look at it.

A little bit of everything
Intriguing read, wonderful content for future reference. Scott Cunningham's grace throughout, and concise introductions to an unbelievable number of divining techniques. Although this book won't really help one to become proficient in any particular art, it gets them started, and points a person in the right direction. I especially liked the neat idea of using Scrabble pieces to divine. Walmart sells just the scrabble pieces with a pouch in their scrapbooking section, a perfect purchase to go along with this divination suggestion.