Some people count divination as a form of magic. In fact, they are separate fields. Both magical practices and fortune-telling do rest on the same foundation – occult beliefs about the nature of the world – but magicians and diviners have different aims.
A common source, different aims
Magic seeks to master supernatural, mysterious forces in order to use them for one’s own ends. Someone who practises divination renounces magical action. They wish only to see into the intentions of the powers they believe govern fate, to adapt to them and – where possible – to change the future through the advice they receive.
Some magicians also try their hand at divination and combine magic with fortune-telling. Both appeal to supernatural forces and mechanisms.
Astrology and oracles
Astrology, one of the best-known and most wide-ranging forms of divination, reads the future from the movements of the planets. For the star-gazers of old, the movements of the heavenly bodies were a sign of the secret forces hidden behind them, on which everything on earth depends. People have long believed that phenomena in the sky and in nature reveal a person’s future through their signs.
Divination means that a gifted person, using special tools or supernatural methods, tries to gain insight into the nature of the world and its future. There is also a form of divination based on oracles. The institution of the oracle has been known for thousands of years and rests on clairvoyance.
Clairvoyants and their predictions
Many clairvoyants are at work today too, although, sadly, a good number of those who practise it stray from the truth. Some are bolder in their claims and want to predict an event – the end of the world, for example – to the very day and hour. In most cases such predictions are not borne out by reality. Clairvoyants’ certainty probably stems from their self-confidence and their faith in what they do. But their visions do not always flow from the superconscious – sometimes they are mistaken, guided by the subconscious.
Divination and magic today
Divination is currently embraced with more enthusiasm than magic. Cartomancy – reading the cards – has a particularly large following. Magic is held in lower regard, because many people treat it purely as a way to get rich and are not true adepts of the art. Besides, it’s hard to verify whether a charm, spell or curse really worked, or whether events simply unfolded in such a way that the wishes came true.
Do predictions come true?
According to tradition, you can divine from practically anything, because everything is a sign that holds a metaphysical force. There are many methods, and among the most popular are cards, astrology, the I Ching and reading tea leaves or coffee grounds. They are not equal when it comes to interpretation: some give very detailed answers, while others answer only yes or no.
You need to remember, though, that readings are not infallible. Whether they come true depends on many factors.
The reader’s attitude
The first factor is the attitude of the person giving the reading. If they believe deeply in the power of the superconscious and interpret the cards with concentration, they have a chance of reading the future accurately. It’s worse when someone lays out the cards mechanically and barely goes into their meaning.
The success of a reading also depends on the day it takes place. If the reader is tired, has problems of their own and cannot put them aside while laying out the cards, the message is incomplete and the interpretation may be wrong.
The questioner’s attitude
Another factor is the attitude of the person asking. Fortune-telling isn’t about predicting a beautiful future, but about revealing the truth. It often happens that people want to hear kind words, and when they hear something quite different they rebel and blame the cards for their misfortunes. If the cards advise someone to take a particular path and they don’t take it, or do nothing at all, their fate will not change – and that isn’t the fault of the cards, but of their own choice.
Wishes instead of intuition
Sometimes readings – especially elaborate, detailed ones – may reflect only our subconscious world of desires rather than a genuine message from intuition. Then the reading doesn’t come true, because it speaks mainly of dreams, and dreams can be unrealistic or require effort to achieve. If, on the other hand, a reading comes about in a state of concentration that allows access to the superconscious, it has a chance of coming true.
It’s important to understand, however, that the cards show the most likely paths ahead of us, which we may choose – but we won’t necessarily take them. They often warn of unpleasant events, speak of things beyond our control and of what deserves our attention.
General readings and horoscopes
Some fortune-tellers speak in very general terms – and such a reading usually “comes true”. As a rule, though, they aren’t taken very seriously. The same goes for mass-produced horoscopes. In astrology, only an individual horoscope is considered capable of delivering a genuinely accurate message.
From the archive of our esoteric magazines. Written by astrologers and esoteric specialists working with our editorial team; edited and translated for HOROSCOP.SPACE. © All rights reserved.
