---------------------------------------- divination July 17th, 2020 ---------------------------------------- A few days ago I coded a shell-script version of the I Ching (Book of Changes), and made it accessible on Gemini [0]. In the process I added a note on the Gemini site quickly addressing some concerns over the use of digital tools for divination. It all felt rushed and incomplete and I think I have more to say on the subject, perhaps a lot more. Gemini isn't the place for that, though. This is definitely a gopher topic. (HTM) [0] I Ching Shell Script I practice a number of forms of divination including consulting the I Ching, tarot cards, tasseography, cleromancy (whether with dice, dominos, or runes), and so on. There's a number of forms I don't practice for various reasons: horoscopy, gematria, extispicy (ew), ouija, augury, and oh so many more. Someone has figured out a way to use just about anything for divination. Before we get too far into this, let me drop some dictionary magic on you. Here's the definition from two online dictionaries: Divination: 1. the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means 2. the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers Seeking knowledge, usually hidden knowledge, by the aid of the supernatural. Cool. Got it? So there are a billion forms of divination out there, but why? Do they all work? Do any of them work? How do they purport to work? Lets focus on the last bit first. How does divination work? This is the interesting bit for me at least. In cleromancy the mechanism of action is some sort of randomness. Cleromancy is about "tossing stuff" like dice and seeing what comes up. Some practitioners suggest that the randomness allows the supernatural to take direct action and influence the results of the toss. Other practitioners would say that the toss and its randomness is just that and not influenced by the supernatural, but the querent (person seeking information) must use their intuition to understand the results of the toss. That type of practitioner moves the supernatural action internal to the unconscious mind and changes its domain of action to the interpretation alone. But there are still other types! Some see the unconscious mind as affecting the toss itself in a sort of blend of the first two. Others shy away from intuition and suggest self-reflection and psychology allow the interpretation of any symbol to be helpful as a means of thinking in a new way about the issue. Yeesh, that's a lot, and that's just cleromancy! But what about chartomancy (books & cards)? Is the mechanism of action different? On the one hand, there are far more established symbols present in, say, a tarot card than in a rune. Consulting the I Ching or the Bible likewise greatly increases the available symbols and interpretations. The act itself is still governed by some sort of randomness, or chaotic action as I like to call it. Shuffling cards, separating yarrow stalks, even flipping pages promotes some sort of uncertainty and allows for the possibility of and unknown. Does this unknown mean that a supernatural power is guiding the result? That's a matter of faith and, ultimately, irrelevant. What about the interpretation? Is that guided by a supernatural power? Again, a question of faith that has no ultimate bearing on the value of divination. What‽ Yeah, you read me correctly. I'm saying that it doesn't matter if there's no supernatural involved at all or if there is. The aim of divination is to seek to foresee the future or discover hidden knowledge and divination can succeed in both cases regardless of the origin of its power. Lets side with the pragmatic doubter practitioner for a moment and assume that there's no magic at work here at all. We're going to go through some exercise that will result in symbols ready for interpretation. The process we have just taken was designed to orient our mind to the problem, focus upon it seriously, perhaps spending a significant amount of time in so doing. We are now asked to review and interpret these forms which have a variety of possible meanings requiring we try to apply them systematically and in various combinations to the problem or subject. That thought process involves mental judo and an openness to new ideas. It will inevitably bring insight and... wait for it... hidden knowledge. It will also undoubtedly influence future actions and have a major impact on the events to come. BAM! Divined. Now, allow yourself to take the seat as an individual who has faith in the machinations of the supernatural. Given even a hint of influence from that "other", the results gain significance and their origins may carry more weight, but the interpretation and internalization of that information is unchanged. It really doesn't matter. I really enjoy the processes, especially the lengthy ones with much ritual like the yarrow stalk I Ching method, or the ones that are inherently delicious like tasseography (reading tea leaves). If I have any advice to give on the subject it is to enter into divination with healthy skepticism, not to undermine the results but to fully engage with them. Don't take any reading at face value or you've done yourself a disservice.