The period between Hallowe’en and Christmas – Samhuinn and the Winter Solstice – is an excellent time for divination. If you’re a spiritual or superstitious person, we say that the veil is thin this time of year. With the last harvest the Furious Host has gathered up the souls of the departed to return them to the Otherworld, but the pathways remain open until that longest night. Short days grow shorter still and we find ourselves surrounded by the unknown of the deepening darkness. If you believe there is a spiritual element to divination then perhaps this time of year we hear messages from the beyond more clearly.

While I personally hold divination to be a spiritual or religious tool, I still measure it with a 50/50 rule. At least half of the guidance or lessons gained should be valid even if there is no such thing as magic, spirits, or gods. If the reader has a creative mind and the querent is open minded, then together they should be able to gain some insight from even a random image or sound. It begins with a sincere willingness to look at things from a different perspective and perhaps relate something external to something internal.

“So you noticed a pigeon today and were briefly fixated on it? What do you think of pigeons, or how do they make you feel? Have you ever thought about how pigeons are such amazingly adaptive creatures? They not only survive human expansion, but they thrive on it. Can we relate that at all to what you were asking about today?”

Even with the most random television image or song on the radio there is the potential for aspects of divination similar to reading a tarot spread or a rune toss. The querent’s subconscious (or spirit) already holds opinions towards this situation. Help them examine what’s already there while paying attention to how they react to what’s been introduced. Add your own knowledge on the subject to spark new ideas. Discuss things in general terms to start, then near the end consider offering to examine things specifically.

With this simple approach anything could be a catalyst leading to new insights. Now imagine replacing that single starting image with a refined spiritual tool that through tradition or design contains deep symbolism to assist this self examination. My personal divination tool of choice is a tarot deck.

Don’t kill the messenger, but not all tarot decks are created equal. Yes if the imagery speaks to you there is a power in that, but you can’t rely on gut feelings and divine contribution every single time. A well designed tarot deck will take inspiration from a variety of sources like mythology, folklore, superstitions, numerology, ceremonial magic, or Jungian psychology. What is important is they will all contain some version of the human experience seen through their own lense. There is nothing we can go through that our ancestors haven’t experienced in one way or another. The mundane explanation is that sometimes tarot readings resonate with people because they recognize the life patterns in a well designed deck.

The second equally important 50% is a willingness on everyone’s part to be open to the possibility that there might be more to it. We have to discover for ourselves what that means or how to achieve it, but for me it is a foundation of study and reflection to ground flowing inspiration and intuition. I don’t ask the spirits or gods for answers, but I do ask them to help us find the answers.

I only read tarot for friends these days and even then only if they’re willing to take it seriously. Not “turn your life upside down because the cards said so” seriously, but I ask for the respect that a spiritual practice deserves. There is a change in energy that can fall across a room that the Druid in me says is the flow of awen. My mind is open to what comes and the words flow smooth and strong. It spiritually sustains me when friends trust me enough to include me in their journey through life. Contrary to the tagline, I believe spiritual tools like tarot should not be for entertainment purposes only.