“Synchronicity is an ever-present reality for those who have eyes to see.” – Carl Jung
Divination, a practice as old as civilisation itself, has been a source of mystery, intrigue, and scepticism. In our modern, materialist world, it is easy to dismiss it as mere superstition, a game of “chance” – but this is not what divination is about. Much of the mainstream understanding of divination is inaccurate and misplaced.
Many revere the divination arts as a profound connection to the spiritual realm and a pathway to uncovering deeper truths about oneself and the world. Some of the world’s most notable thinkers, who’ve significantly contributed to advancements in thought and technology, were interested in or sympathised with the values of divination arts. This includes individuals like Nikola Tesla, who was deeply interested in energy frequencies and the nature of the universe; Carl Jung, who explored concepts of synchronicity and the collective unconscious; Johannes Kepler, who intertwined his astronomical studies with mystic and religious thought; and Isaac Newton, who conducted extensive research into alchemy alongside his scientific work.
Given our current understanding of the physical universe, the idea of ‘seeking answers’ through cards, numbers or the stars can seem absurd. Isn’t it preposterous or even self-centred to suppose that the positions of the stars, hundreds of light years away, have any bearing on the lives and minds of human beings?
Indeed there are many legitimate criticisms of the divination arts. I myself spent some years paying little attention to their value and believing they were mere superstition. But today I find them to be an indispensable tool in the process of individuation and the pursuit of self-knowledge. In particular, the four arts of the Western mystical tradition – the tarot, astrology, numerology and Kabbalah.
Instances of individuals reverting to this path seem uncommon. Often, we hear more about those moving in the opposite direction – veering away from what may appear as archaic, fantastical thinking, in favour of the perceived superiority, precision, and functionality of materialist science.
The contributions of modern science are undeniable. I possess a science degree myself and am an example of someone who, at first glance, might appear to have reversed course – who once placed unwavering faith in contemporary science, but no longer does.
However this step is not, as some might assume, a reversion to primitive magical thinking, but a synthesis of what I’ve experienced. To a modern materialist thinker this could seem absurd, and I can relate. How can you possibly ‘reconcile’ with something that seems so obviously “wrong?” The answer can lead to profound insight into the nature of your mind.
Many of the mainstream objections to divination arts resonated with me too. The vagueness and lack of sophistication in typical magazine horoscopes are clear. Indeed, through my own research and personal practice, I have found that a considerable proportion of the exoteric practice of the divination arts is erroneous, inaccurate and based on misunderstandings.
While those of us embracing this pendulum swing back towards mystery are in the minority, we are part of a growing movement in today’s world. Moreover, a desperate need to open ourselves back up to mystery is upon us – not a regression into superstition, but a synthesis with modern understanding.
Carl Jung once stated that not a single one of his patients in the latter half of their lives could find healing without rekindling their “loss of soul.” What’s more, ‘pop spirituality’ won’t cut it and is intended primarily as a tantalising distraction. The process involves upgrading our entire psychological operating system, re-thinking the nature of reality itself, understanding that the ‘self-image’ is not the Self, and opening up a dialogue with the unconscious mind.
In this four-part series titled “Why Divination is Real,” I will share some of the experiences, thoughts, and findings that have reshaped my understanding of divination and the workings of the mind in general.
My aims are threefold. First, I wish to plant some useful waypoints for those who are straddling the worlds of rationality and mystery, to help with their own dialectic.
Secondly, this series is for those already deeply interested in divination who might enjoy a new perspective on its workings and ways to enrich their practice.
And lastly, I hope to engage those who remain sceptical of divination and anything tied to the mystical or spiritual, but who nonetheless are in touch with a curiosity and openness to the unknown.
In Part 2 of this series I will answer the question “What Exactly is Divination?” I will describe four primary divination arts – that is, the tarot, astrology, numerology and Kabbalah – at a high level and touch on some common misunderstandings.
In the third part of this series, titled “Idealism and Divination,” I will present and discuss two concepts that can help us reconcile the seeming contradictions between rational and mystical thought. I will delve into the concepts of idealism and the unconscious mind, discuss their relation to divination, and what this means for spiritual development and wellbeing.
In the fourth part, I will address some of the most common criticisms regarding the usefulness and credibility of divination arts, such as the “Forer Effect” – the idea that people tend to perceive generic information as highly accurate and personal. I will also touch on their apparent ambiguity, and lack of standardisation. I aim to explain how, building on the concepts outlined in Part 3, divination might not be as invalid or illegitimate as materialism would have us believe.
But first, let’s touch on how we got here.
Rationality vs. Spirituality
I don’t believe that rationality and spirituality are mutually exclusive.
Conventionally, one is expected to ally with either camp—you are either rational or spiritual, being both isn’t an option. Each side of this dichotomy views the other as fundamentally misguided. Any attempt to reconcile the two is typically met with scepticism from both ends, suggesting some form of cognitive dissonance.
In their coarse, one-sided manifestations, these two realms are certainly incompatible. Rationality takes shape as modern materialist science, while spirituality manifests as ‘pop-spirituality’ and exoteric religion.
Rational thought began widely calling a literal interpretation of religion into question centuries ago, foreshadowing a gradual decline in religious attendance in the Western world. However, rationality may have been hasty in dismissing all that religion represents as primitive superstition better left behind. In throwing out religion, we severed our connection to vital unconscious aspects of our psyche, elements essential for living integrated, functional, sane, and fulfilling lives.
The consequences of this precipitous abandonment are compounding to a critical point, necessitating change or else threatening to impose it upon us. These repercussions appear in the form of: biodiversity and environmental destruction; a dysfunctional monetary system; societal-scale deception, theft and abuse; pervasive narcissism and; pandemics—not least of the mental health variety. Yet, all these problems stem from a disordered psyche, and the cure, too, lies within this same psyche.
In pursuing an appearance of absolute ‘rightness,’ materialism often ironically fails to be truly rational or scientific. Data points that don’t fit the existing model may be thrown out, or bolted-on erroneously. The theory that the materialist scientific method is perpetually self-correcting is itself a theory, and cannot be meaningfully tested within its own bounds. Perhaps the greatest fallacy is the assumption that a useful model constitutes an explanation. Hence, what may be perceived as a progressively deeper revelation of absolute truth is actually just an ever-more complex model.
Similarly, pop-spirituality, in its fervent desire to uphold a ‘spiritual’ image, fails to engage with mystery at all, and thus serves little transformative value. Psychopathy, narcissism and Oedipal power play are as rife in ‘spiritual’ groups as anywhere. Those practices of divination which cast rational thought aside serve as examples of this perversion, offering ‘spiritual entertainment’ that is more intended to bolster a persona and swerve any real challenges, rather than to facilitate genuine progress.
Yet, there is inherent value in both camps. Not in these coarse, over-identified forms per se, but in what these represent. And not only do both hold value, but neither can continue to exist peacefully without honouring some significant portion of the other. The essence of both can and must be synthesised.
Meaningful progress in the world today is predicated on integrating rational thought with a willingness to engage with the deepest parts of ourselves. Psychospiritual concepts such as the shadow and the unconscious have made their way into mainstream thinking with demonstrable utility. But to continue on this road, it is vital that we have a rational conversation in overcoming our deep-rooted objections to the tools that can facilitate this connection.
The divination arts, when approached critically and practiced correctly, offer one avenue for reestablishing this connection. These arts were not originally intended for mere ‘fortune-telling,’ satiating curiosity, or obtaining a ‘competitive advantage’ in life. They are tools for acquiring self-knowledge and understanding the movements and workings of the mind. This pursuit of self-knowledge is the most profound endeavour, and does not require a belief in anything supernatural. It does, however, require us to expand beyond a defunct materialist paradigm.
Individuation in the 21st century requires us to remain open to these tools. If we can understand ourselves, we can solve our challenges. Some of the ways in which divination arts help with this will be explored in the remaining articles of this series.
My Rediscovery of Divination
The societal progression I’ve been discussing mirrors my own personal journey. My early interest in the mystical was suppressed for some time by the demands of education, the modern workplace and urban living. I had countless mystical experiences in my early years which defied explanation, but eventually I put them down to a combination of being in semi-dream states, ‘random’ coincidence, and drawing spurious connections between incidents.
I too came to believe that the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris were the final word on our understanding of reality. I had my “Spiral Dynamics Orange” phase. While I knew there was still much that science as we knew it could not explain, what I thought I knew was ‘working.’ It was at least producing ‘results’ in my own life, and it seemed to be effective in moving wider humanity forward in our great pursuit of progress. It was sending rockets into space, extending life, creating ever more delicious food and creating more powerful technology that was improving the comfort of our lives, all apparently without consequence. It seemed as if our societal growth machine could be cranked indefinitely through this approach, creating ever more value than it consumed.
I myself was moving forward in life, I seemed to be meeting the expectations more or less of those around me, and by explaining away my experiences my beliefs remained logically consistent.
But I became ever more disconnected from my real self, and my own personal consequences and dissatisfaction mounted. Eventually, I could no longer deny that my approach wasn’t truly ‘working’ at all. How obvious this seems now.
After the premature death of a relative, and some powerful advice that came in a numinous dream, my job in corporate sales seemed an ever more preposterous and untenable life choice. Life began to unfold again in a powerfully symbolic way.
Numinous experience and synchronicity were never far away. But their profundity became impossible to overlook, compounding to an intensity that could no longer be dismissed as mere ‘coincidence’ or ‘cognitive bias.’ From my perspective, the simplest explanation was no longer the textbook one. This eventually prompted me to re-assess the value of mystery.
Re-acquainting myself with meaning and symbolism felt like stumbling upon an oasis after a hike through the desert. After quenching my thirst, I eventually came to realise that many of the objections around the utility of the divination arts are in fact based in misunderstandings – misunderstandings about the mind and the nature of reality, and that are often perpetuated by mainstream exoteric practitioners of the arts, often viewing them through a materialist lens.
Along the way I occasionally encountered perfectly rational people with useful things to teach relating to personal and spiritual development, but who would then drop mention of their interest in divination and how it had helped them. These were not people indulging in fantasy.
Today the divination arts continue to help me in understanding my own Dhamma and purpose and that of others. This in turn has helped me understand what ‘shadow work’ truly meant for me, and what I needed to face up to and embrace. I’ve found tarot to be an invaluable tool for helping to make sense of, eliminate conflicts within, and make decisions regarding matters about myself, my relationships, and life situations. I believe that divination arts are a vital part of opening up a relationship and dialogue with all parts of ourselves in the way that is needed to solve many of our current personal and societal challenges. Hence why I have included practice of divination as part of the Seven Habits of Individuation under Habit 7 – Dedicated Daily Practice.
I originally intended to release this series as a single, comprehensive article, but it quickly expanded beyond the length of my latest downloadable ebook. At the same time, I would rather make most of the information shared in it completely public rather than as a downloadable resource, allowing anyone to read it freely, for search engines to index it, and for AI to learn from it. I want to make these fundamental discussion points as accessible as possible.
However, please understand that this also means there are many esoteric ideas, principles and mechanics that it would not be appropriate to share in this series. Whilst I think it is important to address some common objections to divination publicly, this is not the place to discuss its inner workings. There are many things best discussed only with those truly committed to a path of self-knowledge. This is a fine line to walk and it would be best to err on the side of caution. The idea, after all, is not to definitely close the case on divination, but to help spark and facilitate your own path of self-discovery.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the first part of this series, “Why Divination is Real.” In Part 2, we will answer the question “What are the Divination Arts?” and delve into the four arts of tarot, astrology, numerology, and Kabbalah.
In the meantime, you can explore how the four Divination Arts depict your own character and journey by revealing your Tarot Birth Chart. To learn more about Birth Charts and what is included, go to makeitconscious.com/step/tarot-birth-chart-reports/.
