Every culture has had its ways of looking for guidance: casting lots, watching birds, gazing into water, and turning over cards. Witches use divination to reflect on a situation, to check a plan before acting, and to listen to their own intuition, which is often drowned out by daily noise.
The four methods below are the ones that beginners most often ask about. Each guide explains how the method works, how to begin with things you already own, and where its limits lie.
Tarot
The 78 cards, the four suits, the meanings of the Major Arcana, and two simple spreads to begin with.
Runes
What the runes were, the meanings of all 24 Elder Futhark runes, and how to cast them.
Pendulum
How to make a pendulum, find your yes and no signals, and ask it good questions.
Scrying
The art of gazing into a reflective surface: what to expect, how to set up, and a first session with a bowl of water.
Choosing a method
| Method | Best for | To begin, you need | Learning curve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarot | Detailed questions about situations, feelings, and choices | A deck of 78 cards | Steady. There is a lot to learn, and it rewards the effort. |
| Runes | Short, direct answers and a theme for the day | 24 marked stones or slips of wood, which you can make yourself | Moderate |
| Pendulum | Simple yes or no questions | Any small weight on a thread | Gentle |
| Scrying | Open-ended reflection and symbolic images | A dark bowl of water | Slow. It takes patience and practice. |
What divination can and cannot do
We treat divination as a mirror and not as a window onto a fixed future. A reading shows you the shape of a situation as it stands, including the parts that you have been avoiding. It can suggest where things are heading if nothing changes. It cannot tell you what must happen, because you are free to act.
For that reason, divination should never be the only basis for a serious decision. Do not use it in place of medical, legal, or financial advice, and be wary of anyone who charges money to remove a curse that a reading has supposedly revealed.
Good habits
- Ground first. A calm mind reads more clearly. See grounding and centering.
- Ask open questions. "What do I need to understand about this?" serves you better than "Will it work out?"
- Ask once. If you dislike an answer, asking again will only muddy it. Wait for the situation to change.
- Write it down. Record the question, what came up, and what you made of it. Check back later. This is how skill develops.
- Read for others only with their consent, and never use a reading to pry into someone who is not present.
- Be kind. If you read for a friend, do not frighten them. Describe difficulties as things to be handled.