“Divination is a path to the knowledge of the universe. It is not fortune telling, but a way to gain a deeper understanding of the universe and the influences that affect a person or situation.” (Well)
Our world is a place of mystery, chaos, and darkness; this being said- we will do whatever our primitive little hearts and minds want us to do, to exert some control over that chaos or make ourselves think we can control that chaos and mystery. Humanity has practiced the art of divination for a millennia, and until we have a time machine, will probably continue to delve into the practice. For this reason, I decided to wax poetic on one of my favorite occult divination sources- Tarot.
“The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs.” (A.E.Waite). Tarot has practically been around since we awoke from the dark ages. The first appearance of the divination tool, was in the Northern part of Italy during the early 15th century. Our European brethren were dominated by the overwhelming shadow of the Church, which meant everything held some deeply ingrained religious meaning and symbolism was everywhere. If your crops were failing, it was “witch-craft”, if your kid came down with plague- it was “evil spirits” or some sin you committed. The entire world was soaked in meaning, and “God” could be understood as speaking through the mundane and the mystical to deliver profound messages to his people.
Originally playing cards themselves, became a trend in China, traveled to Europe through contact with Islamic culture, and sometime around this point, someone created a mystical deck of tarot cards with allegorical and theological images. The original deck had four standard suits, and then a set of “trumps” that overwhelm or trump the other suits. Then there was a 22nd card- called “the fool”, added on to make the deck a 78 card set up.
The Tarot was an illustrated deck of cards, populated with images representing a synthesis of the different phases of life, and therein the existing mysteries, as well. (SAUNDERS). They are a combination of letters from the Hebrew alphabet, Christian Iconography, etc. Practitioners of Tarot believe that these enigmas, images and series represent the sum of the knowledge of all sciences, particularly astrology, and in the permutations in "dealing the cards" are capable of revealing the future and solving all problems. (SAUNDERS).
Within my own realm of experience, Tarot has about as much meaning as you allow it to have. I have had readings performed for me that were spot on, and others that were utter nonsense. I think Tarot can be an interesting tool to play with and if it makes the user feel more in control of their future, have at it!
I believe Tarot is a direct example that relates to the idea of divination, because it is a divinatory tool that has been used for centuries, to give us a feeling that we are peeling back the veil of the unknown to get some clue as to what is out there for us.
Works Cited
A.E.Waite. (n.d.). brainyquotes.com. Retrieved March 1, 2014, from Brainy Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/tarot.html
SAUNDERS, F. W. (n.d.). CatholicEducation.org. Retrieved 03 01, 2014, from http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0109.html
Well, T. S. (n.d.). Divination. Retrieved March 1, 2014, from http://www.shamanswell.org/topic/Divination