5 Divination Methods You Can Do Yourself

Photo by Dana Beveridge on Flickr

With a bit of research, a lot of practice, and some faith, you can be your own "fortune teller." While I can't promise you will always "see" the future like a Nostradamus, using divination techniques can be a great tool for self-discovery.

Here's a quick introduction to five methods of divination I am very familiar with that you can learn to do yourself.



5. Bibliomancy
The art of divining the future using a book. This is probably the easiest route for you, as books are plentiful. Choosing a book that means something important to you might aid in your quest for uncanny answers, though a dictionary, magazine, or comic book could work just as well. Just concentrate on your question and point to a random page. The results could be spooky...or seemingly meaningless. What's important is what the particular word you chose means to you.





4. I Ching
Reading the I Ching consists of casting 3 coins (or yarrow sticks, if you happen to have them around the house) to build a series of 6 lines called a hexagram. Then the hexagram pattern is looked up in a book called I Ching or Book of Changes, and a fortune is read. The resulting readings are often delightfully nuanced and intelligent, giving you a lot to meditate on; but you will have to buy one of the editions of the I Ching & learn the methodology. More on the I Ching and recommended editions in another post.



3. Runes
Runes for divination take the form of 24 stones inscribed with letters from an ancient Germanic alphabet. Each letter corresponds with a certain meaning that might require some work and knowledge on your end to interpret. For example, the letter tiwaz, with its arrow pointing upward, might obviously mean some sort of positivity or increase in relation to your question. But another letter might need more reflection. You can buy a set of runes or learn to make your own.


2. Dream Interpretation
This one seems deceptively easy: just remember your dream and attempt to interpret it as some possible augur of your future. The problem is this: while there might be some dream material that refers specifically/literally to your life and/or a possible future life event, the dreams could also be symbolic or the result of anxiety or wishful thinking. You could scare yourself to death by dreaming of your death but it might all be symbolic of a job ending or something. Good dream interpretation takes a lot of practice, trust in intuition, and research into universal & personal symbols.


1. Tarot
This is probably one of the most popular forms of divination. It can be a lot of fun, very convenient to use, and great at parties. It also involves a bit of practice and study to really make the reading effective. I would give it six months of getting to know the meanings of the various cards and spreads before you really feel you've got the knack for it – but once you've got it it's like riding a bike, you'll never forget it. Also, the symbology of different decks are not necessarily the same, and you would need to take care in procuring a deck that's right for you.

There are, of course, other forms of divination that I haven't covered here: palmistry, the West African system of Ifa, using a pendulum, staring through a scrying mirror, etc. I've just listed the ones I've had personal experience with.

No matter what system you use, a really important word of advice: don't ask the same question twice or more in a row in a desperate attempt to secure the "right" (a.k.a. the one you want) answer. You really kill the spontaneity that way, and I think that spontaneity is very key to the efficacy your reading.