The Hit List - Divination is IN

“Is divination out?” That was the question posed to me recently. Apparently, there are a few folks in the mystical realms who are once again trying to convince the community that divination or the dreaded “f-word” – fortune-telling – are no longer in vogue. Nope, instead, some sort of therapeutic law of attraction mashup is what’s “in.”

Tell that to old skool fortune tellers like Valentina Burton who happens to be booked to the gills with a full roster of clients who want to know what the future holds.

Or check out the annual Tarot School’s Readers Studio for 2019, which is now offering a Divination Day instead of the Tarot and Psychology Day. (FYI: it sold out in about three weeks – a record.)

And let’s not forget the resurgence of Lenormand and Kipper cards, which are strictly for “fortune-telling.” These old divination methods are crazy-popular at the moment. Plus astrology books are flying off the shelves.

In other words: Divination never went out of “style.” In fact, it’s hotter today than ever before.

Every so often one of these self-proclaimed tarot experts comes along trying to peddle this whole “divination is dead” line of thinking. Of course, they have a “method” that is superior and they want you to think that it’s the only way.

They’ll try to convince you that “seeing the future” takes away your personal responsibility, which is total nonsense. Looking ahead allows you to see what’s possible, which is EMPOWERING.

Think of it like this: if you’re driving down a road at night and a car coming from the other direction flashes its headlights at you. You know what that means: there is a police officer ahead. Now you have a choice: you can keep speeding…and risk getting a ticket. Or you can slow down and avoid the drama. This is how divination works. It’s not some “oh here you go, now you’re doomed” thing. It’s quite helpful.

I talked with Briana Saussy about these naysayers and she summed it up best: “It totally flies in the face of the way that divination has been worked with by traditional people and societies FOREVER…as a diagnostic, fortune-telling, Fate-bartering, tool. It is another freaking way of trying to colonize the damn Sacred Arts. They want magic and miracles and cards and crystals but God forbid that we take any of those things too seriously. If it is just for planning your best life then go by a journal or some angel cards and just shut up and get on it with it already. If you are working with the Tarot and you want to ignore the lineage that Tarot carries with it – including the fortune-telling components then FUCK YOU SIDEWAYS.”

Perhaps the people who want to diminish fortune-telling and divination have never felt the awe of a prophetic dream, the wonder of deja vu, the goosebumps of a “bad vibe.” Maybe they don’t know how to tap into the mysterious, which is why they want to pooh-pooh it. Whatever the case, long-time readers will tell you that it’s poppycock and divination is definitely not dead. Fortune-telling is alive and well. Divination is IN. It’s here to stay.

So what about the “new” ways of reading tarot? There’s room for them too. If you’re using tarot as a self-help tool, have at it. If you want to combine it with the law of attraction type “create your future” that’s up to you. If it works, go for it. (Psst…telling someone that they create their future is nice in theory but do keep in mind that this isn’t always the case for every person. There are plenty of marginalized folks out there who will tell you that vision boards are not the answer for grinding poverty or lack of opportunities. People who tout law of attraction tarot reading and want to tell you how it “made them rich” or some such thing often come from a place of privilege. So there’s that.)

Ultimately, you can choose to divine or not. But don’t shit on those of us who use tarot for divination. This is our work, our craft, our sacred art. And this work will continue on in many new forms well into the future. That’s a prediction you can count on.

Other stuff:

I’m chatting over at Reinfery29 about Why You Should Pay Attention To The Court Cards In Your Tarot Deck.

Way to go Golf Digest! Golf Digest helped to free an innocent man.

Check out this awesome astrology ebook from The People’s Oracle: houses – why they mean what they mean.

The Midterm Elections Can Be Confusing—Here’s What You Need to Know About Them.

Wonder what an astrologer means when they mention aspects? I’ve got you covered in this week’s Astrology Bytes.

Science says that there is a reason why your best ideas happen in the shower.

The Numinous has a great post on How to Work With Your Lilith Sign.

Mercury retrograde is coming. Briana Saussy has something you’ll want: the Mercury Rx Survival Kit.

Oooooh, you are SO going to want this: Shaheen Miro’s Lunar Alchemy Experience. WOW.

8 Puerto Rican Women On How Hurricane Maria Impacted Them.

Healthy Relationships Have Boundaries. Here’s How to Set Them.

Great advice from Coming Out Tarot: How to get the most out of a general reading.

Damien Echols is the most magical person I know. Get to his book signings next month and you’ll see what I mean.

This guy raises money by napping with cats.

Women’s reproductive history may hold clues about Alzheimer’s.

If you’re in New York: Don’t Miss The 16th Annual New York Burlesque Festival.

The world’s oldest known animal has been identified.

I love Issa Rae: “There was no blueprint for my career.”

Trixie Mattel is one of my faves: Trixie Mattel on Her New Sugarpill Cosmetics Makeup Line Oh Honey!, DragCon, and the Future of Drag.

From the New York Post: Why my tarot reader is more like a therapist.

What the Harvest Full Moon means for you.

There’s still time to win The Light Magic for Dark Times Instagram Giveaway!

The Full Moon in Aries arrives on Monday. I’ve got the dirt on that plus some free tarot readings for each zodiac sign.

As the leaves fall, it’s time to think about the last quarter….and what’s next in 2019. Book your tarot reading today and let’s see what’s up.

Tess Whitehurst has a new book out: You Are Magical.

This is a great kit for tarot beginners from my friend Arwen Lynch: Practical Tarot Wisdom.

Interesting: The Tapping Solution to Create Lasting Change: A Guide to Get Unstuck and Find Your Flow.

If learning tarot makes you feel like pulling your hair out, check out The Tarot Coloring Book. It’s the easy, fun way to get it down!

You can pre-order my next book now: Tarot for Troubled Times: Confront Your Shadow, Heal Your Self & Transform the World. I co-wrote this one with my friend Shaheen Miro.

You know I have my eyes on this one: All About Cake.

Sasha Graham just released Tarot of the Haunted House.

Did you check out Andrew McGregor’s The Orisha Tarot yet? You should.

My upcoming classes:

Astrology for Total Beginners: learn the basics of natal chart interpretation. This two-hour workshop will get you up to speed on what all that astrology stuff is about! Join me at Boston Tea Room. Date: Wednesday, October 10th. Location: Ferndale, Michigan.

Intuitive Tarot Reading at Boston Tea Room. Date: Sunday, October 14th. Location: Ferndale, Michigan.