The history of divination has been an important part of religion and faith for thousands of years, going back to very old cultures. It has a long history in Wicca, Witchcraft, and Pagan practices, with beliefs, rituals, and cultural exchanges changing over time. To understand this history, you have to take an interesting trip through ancient civilizations, the Middle Ages, and the present-day revival of these ancient customs.
Ancient Cultures
In ancient Egypt, people used magic every day. The Egyptians thought that the gods talked to them through signs and symbols. Oneiromancy, the practice of interpreting dreams, was very popular (Budge, 1901). People in temples specialized in interpreting dreams, believing them to be divine signs. People also looked to oracles like the Oracle of Amun at Siwa for help with personal and political issues. They saw these oracles as the voice of the gods, and they believed they could give them information that helped them make important decisions.
The history of divination also saw the Greeks and Romans put a lot of faith in astrology and used it in their daily lives. People were familiar with the renowned Oracle of Delphi, devoted to Apollo. A priestess named Pythia would go into a trance and give messages that people thought came from Apollo himself (Fontenrose, 2023). This oracular conference was very important in Greek society; it helped people make decisions and run the government.
In Rome, augury was a common way to find out what the future held. According to Beard, North, and Price (1998), augurs figured out what the gods wanted by watching the patterns of bird flight. The importance of this skill led to the planning of big events based on augural signs. As another way for the Romans to see into the future, they looked at the insides of animals, especially the liver. This was known as haruspicy.
The Celts, who had a significant impact on current Pagan practices, had a lot of different ways of predicting the future. Druids, who were priests, believed that natural signs and omens were messages from the gods and used methods like reading them (Aldhouse-Green, 2005). Ogham, an ancient writing method, involved hurling sticks adorned with symbols and deciphering the resulting patterns to predict future events.
Norse cultures also had their own special ways of telling the future. One notable method was the use of runes, an ancient alphabet, for writing, magic, and divination. People cast and read runes to find out what would happen in the future or to ask the gods for help. The Norse also employed seidr, a shamanistic magic that entailed trance and forecasting, typically performed by a völva, or seeress.
In ancient China, prediction was a crucial part of making choices. The I Ching, also known as the “Book of Changes,” is one of the oldest books used for divination. It involves throwing yarrow stalks or coins to make hexagrams that show what will happen in the future. Chinese astrologers also used patterns in the sky to figure out what the heavens wanted, which affected everything from private choices to state business.
In these cultures, divination wasn’t just for the wealthy. Regular people also used different ways to find answers. People from all walks of life used divination to get advice and know what the future held, whether they talked to a prophet, interpreted their dreams, or looked at natural signs. These rituals brought out the fact that everyone wants to connect with God and figure out the secrets of the future.
The Middle Ages
When Christianity became more popular in the Middle Ages, the history of divination continued to change. The Church attempted to suppress many pagan practices, yet individuals continued to seek assistance from the supernatural (Cohn, 1975). Divination often moved underground and blended with Christian practices to evade persecution.
In the country, clever people, or wise men and women, were very important. People respected them for their expertise in herbal medicine, healing, and divination. To get advice, they used techniques like bibliomancy, which involves reading religious books and figuring out what they mean. By adding Christian features, they used divination to hide the fact that they were following religious rules.
Astrology was still important, but in a quieter way. Astrologers used horoscopes and their interpretations of celestial events to help people with their personal and government problems. Even noblemen sought its assistance, demonstrating how popular it has always been (Tester, 1987). During the Renaissance, people like Nostradamus gained fame for their horoscopes.
People sought answers and comfort through various types of divination during the Middle Ages, a time of social upheaval and confusion. During this time, palmistry and tarot cards were two of the most famous new ways to find out about the future. Palmistry, also known as chiromancy, entailed interpreting the lines and shapes on an individual’s hands to discern their personality, potential future events, and even health issues. On the other hand, Europeans originally created tarot cards as playing cards, but they have since evolved into a tool for spiritual guidance and future prediction. When a skilled professional reads a tarot deck, each card’s symbolic meaning can reveal information about various aspects of your life. People who were dealing with uncertainty could find comfort in these divination practices. People also believed that they could connect with higher powers or unknown forces that impact their lives.
During the Middle Ages, people also wrote grimoires, which were magic books with directions on how to see the future, cast spells, and call on ghosts. These writings mixed old knowledge with Christian ideas, creating a unique mix of customs. Even though they were dangerous to have, people who were interested in esoteric arts passed them around, keeping old divinatory knowledge alive.
The Modern Revival
People became interested in Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism again when they came back into style in the 20th century. Gerald Gardner, often referred to as the “father” of modern Wicca, claimed initiation into a group that preserved pre-Christian practices (Hutton, 2001). Gardner’s works stressed how important rituals and divination were for connecting with the gods. For example, Wiccans use tarot cards, scrying, and runes as they extensively rediscovered the history of divination.
Spells and Wicca of today use divination to find out about oneself, the future, and the divine. In line with the larger Pagan view of divination as a way to connect with nature and the world, it is a tool for personal and spiritual growth. The emphasis is on intuition and giving yourself power, which demonstrates that these spiritual methods are very individualistic.
This detailed history of divination shows how important it has always been to people, showing a constant desire to understand and connect with life’s secrets.
References
Aldhouse-Green, M. J. (2005). Exploring the World of the Druids. Thames & Hudson
Beard, M., North, J., & Price, S. (1998). Religions of Rome: Volume 1, a history (Vol. 1). Cambridge University Press.
Budge, E. A. W. (1901). Egyptian Magic. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd.
Cohn, N. (1975). Europe’s inner demons: An enquiry inspired by the great witch-hunt. Sussex Univ. Press.
Fontenrose, J. (2023). The Delphic oracle: its responses and operations with a catalogue of responses. Univ of California Press.
Hutton, R. (2001). The triumph of the moon: A history of modern pagan witchcraft. OUP Oxford.
Tester, S. J. (1987). A history of western astrology. Boydell & Brewer.
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