"Divination for beginners" - Scott Cunningham

[Kevieee]

So.. I finally got the book "Divination for beginners" by Scott Cunningham.
There are somethings that made me feel uncomfortable about what he said.
"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."
That quote that doesn't make sence. So... "You don't need to be psychic, or believe that a higher power controls the cards." ok the the high powers doesn't control it then to me a tarot card is just a tarot card, and it means nothing because it is not connected to the other world. I mean things like crystal gazing and mirror scrying don't u need to be in a trance state ?? to see messages ?? from the higher world. That is what I believe. But reading Scott's book just drains all my excitement about divination. Ok so anyone can do it ?? its not magic. AND another thing, Some people say divination is a form of magic, but according to Scott its not. SO which one is it and please tell me.

[Bogdanov]

With practice an devotion anyone can learn to predict the future ... I think that you don't need a higher power to control the cards because that higher power is in everyone of us only we need to discover that power and to learn how to use it

[Kevieee]

yh but doesnt mean its "Magic"

[Odin]

this is because you are connecting the the spirit guides listening to the words and looking at the cards and understanding the meanings and the secrets in the cards

the cards are tools just like a scrying mirror, tea leaves are tools to aide in and with the connections that are being made

listen to what the cards have to say and the words will be formulated

[Kevieee]

So is divination a form of magic ??

[Lady Dunsany]

Everyone is psychic, some choose not to know or care if they are. Divination is seeing the future whether it be by sitting quietly and staring through an etheric window, using tarot cards, etc. I myself would not call it magick perhaps but it can be magick when you make a discovery and are proven right in your predictions. As Odin mentioned these are just tools to connect with one's inner guide.

[redhand]

The book is a collection of the various forms we use to call upon our abilities to foretell events and has some history associated with these various styles and tools. Divination is explored in various cultures and with various tools.
Certainly, the best part of the book is the first chapter, providing you useful information regarding time, symbolism and future modification.

Though not the best book on this subject it is a very good starting point to learning these arts.

IMHO, I have to say everyone has some psychic ability. Tarot and Pendulums are merely tools to tap into our Higher Selves. Basically we use our intuition to reveal events past, present and, future. This book will give you some ideas about how to do this.

There are some good books that use these tools also for magic such as Tarot & Magick by Kraig Huna a Beginner's Guide by Enid Hoffman (actually I recommend all of Enid Hoffman's book to anyone interested in Psychic abilities.)

(http://www.amazon.com/Huna-Beginners-Guide-Enid-Hoffman/dp/0914918036/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I35FMQR8BYWZT3&colid=2XZ7LEKCNL2MS)

[NachtSorcier]

This is merely speculation on my part, but I believe that, whether you put it in the form of gods and goddesses or not, we all have a divine spark inside of us. Even if you approach metaphysics from an atheistic point of view, we are all descended from a common ancestor - the very force that brought the universe into being. That spark is our Higher Self, the collective unconscience that we tap into when we divine past or future events.

Thus, we all have the potential to be psychic, but we can choose to develop it to one degree or another, whether it's to the point of being a full-blown psychic or merely opening the third eye for a few minutes whilst gazing at a crystal or drawing some cards. To say that only a chosen few have this potential would be very elitist.

[morbidwizard]

In my conception,magick is for people to get the postive energy,and to avoid the nagative energy,like spell,talisman,ect.And divination just gives a sign of people's future or a sign for people's question.
Magick and divination are different,but they related to each other.So even you don't need the magick power for divination,but I think you must need ESP for divination.

[Norin]

But reading Scott's book just drains all my excitement about divination. Ok so anyone can do it ?? its not magic.

This, at least to me, raises some questions:

Why exactly do you want to do divination? For practical reasons (to find stuff out) or just for feeling special that you can do it and others can't? IMO if you do it for the latter, you're approaching this whole thing from a very weird angle, and you'll probably have a hard time sticking with it enough to learn anything worthwhile.

If it's for practical reasons, then why do you care about other people besides you being able to do it? Just learn the skill, do the divination, find out what you need and move on :)

In all Remote Viewing literature that I studied, it is described as a learned skill that anyone can do, and goes on to say that it happens by the brain "breaking down" random patterns, into known ones, and that process being something that is affected by intuition. So whatever you see in the Tarot cards, crystal, clouds or black mirror, will be relevant to the question you asked, due to your intuition. How more "magic" do you need things to be ? :)

And if I may ask, what exactly do you understand by something being "Magic"?