Humankind has always looked for a way to obtain secret knowledge. Every religion has some way to do it, whether through prophesizing, talking to spirits, observing nature, or using divinatory objects like cards, stones, mirrors, or bones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though the popular conception of divination is as a way to tell the future, this is really a very small facet of it. In reality, divination magic is simply a way to obtain information that can’t be gotten any other way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might be about the future, but could just as easily be about secrets, events happening far away, undisclosed facets of the past, or even just factors that the diviner or querent might be overlooking about their present situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are more types of divination than could possibly be covered in a single article, and almost as many different ways of using them as there are diviners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some of the most common divination methods still in use by modern witches and Pagans:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In shamanic journeying, the shaman travels to the lower, middle, or upper world in order to communicate with a variety of spirits. Traditionally, this is undertaken to diagnose and heal physical, emotional, or spiritual maladies, or learn how to keep the shaman’s community in balance with their environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The shaman of a hunting community might undertake a journey to find out why deer populations seem smaller this season, and discover a way to help their numbers increase. They might also undertake a journey for someone else, to discover the root of an illness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See article: What is Shamanic Journeying?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Familiar spirits are typically the helpers of witches and magicians. These shouldn’t be confused with familiars, which, in modern interpretations, function mostly as magical pets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By contrast, familiar spirits are noncorporeal entities that inhabit a corporeal form — usually an animal, though they might also be humanoid, or even some amalgamation of the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Witches and magicians can send their familiar spirits into either the spirit world or the mundane world to obtain information for them. In return, the witch or magician must feed, house, and meet the demands of the spirit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Familiar spirits are tied to their respective people by a pact. As long as the person fulfills the pact, the familiar spirit will work for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n See article: What are Familiar Spirits?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWorking with Familiar Spirits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n