Because of their extraordinary ability to see into the future and access information across the temporal landscape, some witches choose to learn as much as they can about divination via various methods. They might have already acknowledged a particular gift for cards, runestones, astrology, reading palms, or tea leaves, or they might only suspect they are good at something and want to develop their abilities. Just as not everyone can sing well, not all witches will be adept at predicting the future. Yes, we all have the ability, but we don’t all have the gift!
Witches are highly intuitive, a must for accessing and interpreting information from the grid of time and space where the past, present, and future exist as a landscape. Witches can look into this landscape and find bits of information, just as shamans do when they journey between worlds, to help someone heal, achieve a spell of their own, or just access insights that will help them grow, evolve, and pinpoint their destiny.
Cards have been used for divination since ancient times. The oldest-known cards are the tarrocchi, or Tarot, which can be traced back to ancient Egypt. The Tarot was also used in ancient Chinese divination and was popularized by gypsies in Europe as far back as the fourteenth century, when the oldest Tarot card deck was discovered. Traces of evidence of similar card decks in use as far back as 1329 C.E. in Germany have been found.
A Tarot deck consists of seventy-eight oversized, colorful cards divided into two sections: the Major Arcana or Greater Trumps with twenty-two cards and the Minor Arcana or Lesser Trumps with fifty-six cards. Each card bears a symbolic illustration or image of an allegorical figure or scene. The Major Arcana are:
• The Magician
• The High Priestess
• The Empress
• The Emperor
• The Hierophant
• The Lovers
• The Chariot
• Justice
• The Hermit
• The Wheel of Fortune
• Strength
• The Hanged Man • Death
• Temperance
• The Devil
• The Tower
• The Star
• The Moon
• The Sun
• Judgment
• The World
• The Fool
Some scholars suggest that each card aligns with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The Minor Arcana are divided into four groups: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. The cards have different meanings right-side up and upside-down and are traditionally read in several different layouts. To do a Tarot reading, the deck is shuffled and spread out with the images facedown. Then, cards are selected by the Tarot reader and placed in a particular layout and order and turned faceup. Everything has meaning and can be interpreted as a sign of future outcomes and events, and Tarot readers warn not to take the image on the card literally, as its meaning may be highly symbolic. For example, pulling the Death card doesn’t mean you are going to die. It means that a huge transformation is coming, as in the death of the old and the birth of the new. Sometimes, the person being read for is asked to just pick one card and the card is turned over and interpreted, but most readers perform their craft via one of many layouts that has been used for hundreds of years.
The Major Arcana cards of the Tarot are shown here. Tarot cards date back centuries and are used for divination.
Tarot reading and interpretation takes time and practice because it involves intuition and learning to read symbols that speak to the subconscious. The reader is utilizing information they receive from a higher source and often gets into a meditative, trancelike state to do the reading so they can bypass the five senses and the restrictions of time and space. They may ask silently for help from deities and spirit guides and are also using their own intuition, higher wisdom, and discernment.
Some of the more modern decks have watered down or changed the symbolic images on older decks, which could affect the outcomes of the interpretations. Tarot cards are used in many cultures the world over and are a favorite divining method of occultists and witches who love the imagery and connect with the deeper meanings of each card.
One of the most popular ways witches divine the future is with scrying. Scrying is basically staring intently at or into a particular object and recording visions, images, and inspirations that arise. You can scry into a crystal ball, a bowl of Moon water, a large mirror, or a candle flame. The idea is to get into an altered state of consciousness while focusing intently on the singular object, gently letting any other thoughts or distractions exit the mind as they enter. It is a form of meditation with an outcome geared toward seeing an event, situation, or answer to a question.
The word scrying means “seeing” and is an ancient form of divination that works best with a reflective surface. Native American tribes use crystals for scrying work, as do the Australian Aborigines, and ancient Romans used highly polished copper. The Maya used polished stones, and many occultists throughout history, including John Dee, the astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, have utilized mirrors and crystal balls. One of the most famous scryers was French astrologer and physician Michel de Nostradamus, who wrote extensively about predicted events, many of which people ascribe to current events of the last five decades. Some scholars believe he simply rewrote and rearranged already existing prophetic materials to create his famous “quatrains,” but others claim he went into meditative trances and gazed into objects like a candle flame or a bowl of water to envision the future.
A Halloween card from the 1920s shows a young woman using a mirror for scrying and finding her future husband.
To scry is to be able to bypass all external distractions and allow visions and images to fill the mind, then record them and later revisit them for possible interpretation. The scrying witch knows that he or she may not have an clue as to what the images or visions mean at the time but trust that the answers will be revealed. Scrying is said to be an act of engaging the subconscious to speak to the conscious mind in images and archetypes that are only understood by the deeper levels of the mind. Whomever is interpreting the images must be careful not to taint their findings with personal biases and beliefs, although this applies to any form of divination that requires interpretation (astrological readings, Tarot, palm readings, etc.).
Scrying requires practice, discipline, and self-trust that the images and visions you see mean something. Don’t just toss out a vision because it makes no sense. Write down everything you see before you forget it because no doubt, it will have meaning at a future time. Trusting that everything happens for a reason and that every image or vision is intentional allows the witch to learn to relax into the scrying and be more open to the information in the aether, whether it seems important or not.
Crystal balls are far older than most people imagine. In the first century C.E., Pliny the Elder, the Roman naturalist and philosopher, wrote about the use of crystal spheres or “orbuculums” by soothsayers. Ancient Rome in the fifth century C.E. was filled with scryers until it was condemned in medieval times by the Catholic Church as heretical along with other forms of divination and occult practices. Fortune-tellers and seers continued to use the large, smooth balls to divine the future in the shadows of the Church’s prying eyes, and, to this day, the art of scrying with crystal balls has remained popular.
Scrying with crystal balls is a practice that dates back at least to ancient Roman times.
During the Victorian era, occultist/astronomer/mathematician John Dee popularized crystal balls as part of his wide array of divination practices. Scrying became a popular pastime with those who could afford the crystals, and people flocked to seers to learn what their futures held in store in the depths of the crystal ball’s reflective surface. The term “crystallomancy” was given to the act of using any transparent object to discern the future.
Some of the crystal balls were large, weighing up to fifty pounds, and were usually made of quartz crystal and placed on ornate, metal bases. Over time, even crystal skulls became useful for scrying or just as decorative items. Not every witch wants a large crystal ball on his or her altar, but now, many sizes are available in many colors of quartz.
Runes are used by many Germanic pagans for divination and magick. They represent an ancient alphabet made of symbols that can answer questions and solve problems in a way similar to the Tarot. Rune cards and runestones have the same symbols and representations in readings. Upon each stone/card is a symbol with a special meaning and associated letter of the Nordic alphabet. Each runic letter can be used to invoke spirits and deities for guidance and assistance, or the stones can be tossed and read via interpretation of which symbols land faceup or facedown. Runestones do not predict the future. They are meant to help bring wisdom to the present.
Runestones come as a set of twenty-four stones and are usually placed in a cloth or velvet bag. You can do a single stone reading, getting into a meditative state and holding the bag, then asking a question, removing a stone, and interpreting the symbol on the stone as the answer to your question. If you feel you don’t have enough information, you can take another runestone from the bag until you understand the message of the stones.
More advanced readings, using four or more stones, represent things like past influences, present influences, future influences, and the patterns and behaviors that stay the same throughout. Reading the stones requires a lot of study and practice, and you can try different stone or card layouts to see what suits you. Use a clean, white cloth to set the runestones upon, and always charge the stones and the cloth before beginning a reading.
The selections of the stones are considered nonrandom and are choices made by the subconscious, which knows the answers to all questions long before the conscious mind figures it out. You can pick a runestone every morning to interpret and set the tone of your day.
You can buy runestone kits with stones, cards, a pouch or box, and a book of instructions and general interpretations to get you started. Do some readings on yourself and some close friends to increase your skills and ability to intuit the proper interpretation of each symbol. You can even buy blank runestones and paint them yourself to place in a cloth bag of your choice. Stones are made of wood, glass, or sometimes plastic. It’s always better to get those made of natural, organic materials. Rune symbols never change from kit to kit, but the spelling of the associated letters and some interpretations may be a bit different.
Runestones are sets of twenty-four stones inscribed with the ancient letters used in ancient Germanic languages.
To really understand runestones and their uses, it helps to have some background knowledge of Germanic and Nordic myths and deities. This can deepen your ability to properly read each stone because you know where it came from, what elemental properties are ascribed to it, and what particular deities it is associated with. Because runestones often require asking for help from a deity, you want to make sure you know the gifts and characteristics of that deity before proceeding to invoke said deity and begin asking all kinds of questions.
You don’t need to have any Nordic blood or Germanic ancestors to love working with runestones. Just as with gemstones and crystals, you might choose to simply carry a particular runestone with you each day that pertains to a challenge or problem you wish to overcome or a characteristic, such as courage, hope, or calm, that you need for the day’s activities.
Tasseography is the name for reading the placement of leaves in a teacup. Tea readers have been around for hundreds of years, if not thousands, and are popular fortune-tellers today because everyone drinks tea. The art of tasseography takes practice because it involves being able to properly interpret shapes and apply them to the questions or problems you are reading for. It’s a fine art and not for every witch. Witches who love coffee will be pleased to know they can read coffee grinds in a similar fashion. Lattes? Not so much!
To read tea leaves, you first need to choose a type of tea to work with, and this is entirely personal. Take a pinch of tea leaves and put them into a teacup. Pour boiling water over the tea leaves, and let it stand for two to three minutes.
Drink the tea but be sure to leave the tea leaves on the bottom and a small amount of liquid (a teaspoon), enough to allow the leaves to move around and settle into place. Have the person you are reading for, if not yourself, take the cup by the handle with the left hand, rim upward, and quickly swirl the contents three times from left to right. It’s fine if the leaves settle on the side of the cup or near the rim. The rim stands for the present, the sides for close future events, and the bottom for the distant future. Leaves close to the handle signify things that will manifest very soon.
Reading tea leaves is a practiced skill that requires the reader to access the personal subconscious and the collective unconscious.
Carefully note the shapes of the leaves you see on a piece of paper. Turn the cup at different angles and write down or verbally report what you see and feel. Always read in a relaxed and open state so your own thoughts and beliefs don’t interfere with your interpretation.
Also, take note of the relationship of leaves to one another. A tea leaf shaped like the crescent Moon next to one shaped like a heart means something. Don’t ignore spacing and closeness as well as size and shape. Look for letters or lines that might indicate something and the number of leaves in a cluster. Everything may mean something, although that meaning may not be discernable immediately to you or the person you are reading for. This is work that taps into the subconscious and the archetypal collective unconscious, so answers won’t always come in ways that are readily identifiable.
Advanced tea readers can read the entire cup contents with skill, and all this comes with practice. It is important to stay calm and centered and to keep the mind clear of cluttering thoughts while being open to any image, thought, inspiration, or idea that comes into the mind because it may be symbolic to the reading. Shapes associated with good luck and fortune are birds, butterflies, anchors, stars, trees, elephants, and triangles. Hearts suggest love, unless broken. An owl may signify a warning against starting something new or that you are sick. Acorns mean good health or an improvement in health. Bats mean that a journey will be undertaken soon.
Lines symbolize journeys, trips, travel, and inner growth. Straight lines signify quick journeys, and wavy or broken lines indicate that travel might be fraught with challenges. Long lines mean that the journey ahead will be a long one, and if a line reaches the handle, it means moving for a time to a new location.
Letters may have meaning in regard to an asked question and can represent the first or last initial of a name or person involved. Numbers of leaves clustered together can have significance along with their shapes, sizes, and positions. That meaning may be elusive, in which case another reading might be called for. Usually, a symbol read correctly will give you the feeling of having hit the nail on the head and a strong sense of certainty.
Be careful to not read your desires into the tea leaves or force a particular answer to a yes or no question just because that’s what you’re hoping for. This is why it is often difficult to do your own readings because of subconscious and conscious biases and attractions to an outcome that might cloud the real meaning.
Some general pointers on tea reading:
• The handle represents the person at the receiving end of the reading.
• Tea leaves should be read starting at the handle, then moving clockwise around the cup.
• Leaves near the rim or top of the cup may indicate events that will occur within a few days.
• The middle of the cup means that things will happen in a few weeks.
• The bottom of the cup means that things will come in the distant future.
• See if the collective tea leaves tell a story, with individual leaves each a chapter of the story.
• Larger images are more critical to the reading. Start by reading the largest images and then working your way to the smallest.
• The more shapes you can clearly see, the more activity is occurring in the life of the person you are reading for at this time.
• Try to write down the reading notes so that the person being read can refer to them as time passes.
• If an answer comes up that is negative, don’t try to make it better by rereading the leaves. Do one more reading for that particular question and accept the answer that comes.
• Never, ever scare the crap out of someone you are reading for by telling them that they are going to die or be hit by a bus, even if you see something that looks like a person being hit by a bus. Again, these images are more symbolic than literal, and what you are seeing may really mean that the person needs to be more aware of their surroundings or to watch out for someone blindsiding them in a job or relationship context.
• Coffee grinds are more difficult to read because they tend to clump and not take shapes as much as tea leaves. Like tea leaves, you read the location and size of the grounds in the bottom of the cup, with about one teaspoon of liquid in it, and look for shapes. Coffee shapes may be harder to discern, but allow your mind to relax, and don’t force it to see anything. Until you become adept at reading tea leaves, perhaps leave the coffee reading to those who have been doing it for years.
The art of reading palms is also called palmistry and chiromancy. You read the lines on the palm of the hand and interpret meaning from their length and location. Palmistry is ancient, with roots going back to ancient China, India, the Middle East, and gypsy cultures of Eastern Europe. The lines of the palms could be used to determine a person’s character as well as predict their future success, love life, and longevity.
When reading palms, the left hand represents the right brain and a person’s creativity, imagination, and past. It is the realm of the anima of the archetypal world and the feminine aspect of duality. The left palm describes the person’s inner world and character.
The right palm controls the left brain and the analytical, logical, common-sense side of the person’s personality. This side of the hand represents the animus, or male aspect of duality, and the outer world of the person as well as their future.
When reading palms, the passive hand indicates traits that have been inherited at birth. The dominant hand indicates changes made to the inherited state, like major life events and milestones. When examining the palm, several lines need to be looked at. A less prominent line means that this is an area of life that needs clarification and more work. A deeper line signifies that the characteristic associated with the line is stronger and more developed, requiring less work. Most palm readers use the dominant hand for a reading. The main lines of interest are:
This photo shows the main lines of interest for palm readers: 1) Life Line; 2) Head Line; 3) Heart Line; 4) Girdle of Venus; 5) Sun Line; 6) Mercury Line; and 7) Fate Line.
• The Head Line—This is the line in the middle of the palm. If it’s short, it means that you are a quick thinker and decision maker who doesn’t hesitate to take action. If it’s longer, you like to ruminate on things and weigh both sides for a while before making a decision. If the line splits in two, you are flexible and change your opinions and beliefs when presented with new information. If the line is curved, you are creative and don’t always like to take the road well traveled. A wavy line means that you have a short attention span and need more focus. Marks or crosses in the line indicate that you are having an emotional crisis, and multiple crosses indicate that you are facing a big life decision.
• The Heart Line—This is the line that begins below the index finger and runs at the top third of the palm to the side of the hand. A short line means that you like freedom and independence and are action oriented. A longer line means that you are a rational person who likes to analyze things and consider the feelings of others. A short, curving line indicates that you are more reserved and don’t like to be around large groups of people. A longer, curving line means that you are open and passionate and have a devil-may-care air about you. If you have a line that splits in two, it means that you often put your feelings last and tend to meet the needs of others first. A wavy line means that you have either had many lovers or an absence of serious lovers. A circle on the line indicates sadness, and a broken line means that some type of emotional trauma has taken place or will take place. Smaller lines that cross the main line indicate emotional traumas.
• The Life Line—This is the long, curving line that begins above the base of the thumb and ends at the base of the palm. A long line means that you are a deep person people know they can lean on and count on at all times. A short line means that you have tons of energy and need to keep busy to get through tough times. A faint line means that you need more relaxation in your life and are also easily manipulated by others. A split or broken line means that you have had a traumatic experience that now shapes your decisions. Multiple life lines mean that you have a lot of vitality and life in you. Some readers believe that the longer the life line, the longer your life will be, especially those who have a line that curves around onto the side of the hand under the thumb’s base; however, others say that it is more indicative of general physical health and mental well-being as well as coming major life changes. If a circle is in the line, it means that you might be hospitalized or injured.
• The Fate Line—This line runs down the middle of the palm vertically and may be very faint. This is your destiny line that indicates how much you are controlled by fate and how much free will you have. A deep line means that fate plays a strong role in your life. A faint line means that you have a strong will of your own. Breaks in the line and changes in the direction of the line mean that you are going to experience changes in life due to external forces. If your fate line joins up with your life line in the middle, this could mean a point where your own interests and hobbies give way to those of another person. If the fate line begins at the life line, it indicates that you are a selfmade person with plenty of goals. If you don’t have a fate line, it means that you are in charge of your own future and do not live by predetermined fate.
• The Girdle of Venus, which is the arched line found surrounding the middle and ring fingers. This is an arc-shaped line that starts at some point between the index and middle fingers and ends between the ring and pinkie fingers. If there is no break, it means great intelligence and a sense of beauty, which is commonly found on the palms of artists. If the line is straight, it can indicate good luck with financial affairs and an unexpected money windfall. If the line is wavy it indicates an anxious, indecisive personality, and if the line is broken it signifies a sentimental nature.
• The Sun Line is the line associated with happiness and is located below the ring finger. It represents success, courage, loyalty, nobility, and all the aspects one might associate with the Sun itself, including a capacity for great personal accomplishment. If the Sun Line is short or missing completely, it means you are modest and prefer the ordinary to the life of fame and recognition. If your Sun Line begins at the root of your palm and goes all the way to the top just below your middle finger, it is a great omen for a good marriage and financial success. A Sun Line that starts in the palm itself means success achieved later in life.
• The Mercury Line is also called the Health Line and indicates your overall health. It can also signify success or failure in business. If you don’t have this line, it means you are healthy and vigorous, and if the line is clear and strong it means you have a solid constitution. A reddish Mercury Line can indicate poor health or an infection somewhere in the body that needs attention. A weak or fragmented line can mean an improvement in self-care and health is needed, which could be something as simple as changing your diet or exercise plan.
Lesser-known lines include the travel line, bracelet line, marriage line, and the curve lines that associate each finger’s fleshy base with a god or goddess. In addition to the lines on the palm, a person’s hand can be associated with one of the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire. It all depends on the length of the palm from the wrist to the bottom of the fingers.
• Earth—Square palms; very broad, thick skin; a ruddy color; and the length of the palm equals the length of the fingers at their tallest. This means that you are solid, stubborn, grounded, practical, material, have strong values, and prefer the tangible to the abstract.
• Fire—Square or rectangular palms; pinkish skin; shorter finger lengths; and the length of the palm is longer than that of the fingers. You are more spontaneous, energetic, optimistic, passionate, and extroverted. You can also be egotistical, impulsive, and boorish. You act with boldness and instinct but perhaps don’t stop long enough to think things through.
• Air—Square or rectangular palms; long fingers with low-set thumbs; dry skin; larger knuckles; and the length of the palm is shorter than that of the fingers. You are sociable and friendly, full of wit and humor. You like to try new things and are often called a radical or maverick. You can be a bit shallow and cold, but you are comfortable with the world of the mind and abstract concepts.
• Water—Long palms, sometimes shaped like an oval; long, flexible fingers; and the palm and finger lengths are equal. You are perceptive, intuitive, and creative. You have great empathy for others and are often introverted. You like to spend a lot of time being quiet and alone and can often be moody and overemotional.
Palmistry can be even more involved, with readings including the length and shape of each finger, the size of the hand, the width of the hand, and the fleshy mounds below each finger. The average witch won’t need to get too detailed and can do an accurate reading just by focusing on the main lines and the hand/element associations above. As with any type of divination method, so much of it involves personal interpretation, and it is critical to not predict anything dark or bad for the person you are reading for. This could end up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you could be completely wrong in your assessment. Offer as much positive and constructive information as you can, but always tell the person that you are interpreting the lines as you have been trained to, which doesn’t make it an exact science or the absolute truth. If it feels right to them, great.
”What’s your sign?” Our modern understanding of astrology, an ancient form of divination, has been whittled down to a simple use of zodiac signs and short, generic blurbs in magazines or online. Astrology is a highly complex and detailed divining system, yet most of us only know our Sun sign and key characteristics, disregarding all of the intricacies and complexities that go into a real astrology chart.
The signs of the zodiac according to Western astrology (shown here) are what many Americans think of when it comes to star signs, but the Chinese, Persians, Egyptians, Hindus, and Arabic peoples also have zodiac systems.
The author of this book recalls years ago having a chart done by a woman who was serious about her practice. The report was thirty pages long, filled with readings for Sun and Moon signs, nodes and rising signs, correspondences, and a whole lot of other stuff that resulted in a highly detailed, and incredibly accurate, examination of the past, present, and future. The new witch doesn’t just dabble in anything, including astrology. He or she dives deep into the practice and becomes adept at it.
Astrology is ancient. It dates back to nineteenth-century B.C.E. Mesopotamia, where it then spread to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle East. Many cultures, from the Maya to the Hindu, Chinese, and Hermeticism, understood the basic foundation of astrology as “as above, so below” and that the events in the heavens among celestial objects directly mirrored and influenced, even predicted, the characteristics and actions of humans and events on Earth.
The Egyptians, Hindu, Persian, Chinese, and Arabic civilizations had their own systems, each with an entirely different set of correspondences with months of the year and the turn of the Cycle of Life. Western civilizations focused more on forecasting trends rather than predicting specific events, and Eastern systems focused more on predicting specific events and trends.
Today’s witch mostly focuses on Western astrology, and education begins with the breaking down of the year into twelve sections known as zodiac signs that correspond with a person’s date of birth and their Sun sign.
The Chinese zodiac has a cycle of twelve, too, but unlike the Western zodiac it covers twelve years instead of twelve months.
• Aquarius, the Water Bearer (January 20–February 18): Wise and intellectual, they love to read and talk about philosophy and spiritual matters. Hardworking and into originality and self-expression, but they can be flaky and unreliable and have their head in the clouds too often.
• Pisces, the Fish (February 19–March 20): Flexible, adaptable, and open to change. Mysterious at times, but that’s because they spend a lot of time in their heads. Sometimes, they need to be reminded to come up for air and be more social.
• Aries, the Ram (March 21–April 19): Dynamic and temperamental, brave and bold, active and adventurous, filled with raw enthusiasm and passion for life, but sometimes, they need to be more grounded and coolheaded.
• Taurus, the Bull (April 20–May 20): Steadfast, strong, and sensual. Earthy and honest, stable and loyal, but they can often be incredibly stubborn and stuck in their ways or too dependable for their own good.
• Gemini, the Twins (May 21–June 20): They have incredible perception, can see both sides of any situation, and are able to change their minds with new information. They can be quite flighty and flaky, though, if they don’t find a way to stay grounded. They also experience indecisiveness and having “two minds” about a subject or decision.
• Cancer, the Crab (June 21–July 22): Empathic, emotional, genuinely cares for other people, mysterious, and helpful, but they can become angry and aggressive when they need to be.
• Leo, the Lion (July 23–August 22): Loves to be the center of attention, ego oriented, often arrogant, and lofty. Courage of a lion, steady and reliable, and loves to make a grand entrance. Leos can be loyal, but their love of attention gets them into trouble.
• Virgo, the Virgin (August 23–September 22): Analytical yet intuitive and open to new ideas and personal change. They have quick minds and often live in their own world, so they need to be more social at times and express their emotions more freely.
• Libra, the Scales (September 23–October 22): The diplomat, justice freak, and social butterfly who loves beauty and the finer things in life yet can befriend anyone at any time. They are great communicators and mediators, yet they struggle to find balance in their own lives and have difficulty making decisions.
• Scorpio, the Scorpion (October 23–November 21): Passionate, mysterious, sensual, and intense, they love to be in control and in charge of things but can be all over the place with their energy and goals.
• Sagittarius, the Archer (November 22–December 21): Idealistic, intellectual, and philosophical yet also creative and kind. They love to pursue goals and take aim at things they want and desire.
• Capricorn, the Goat (December 22–January 19): Materialistic, mysterious, deep, and very hardworking. They get the job done and can always be counted on, but often, they forget how to have fun and enjoy life because they are so focused on the climb.
The zodiac signs are also categorized by the four element signs.
Associations are also made between the zodiac signs and the four elements of earth, air, water, and fire that add even more depth to the character study of a reading and give additional insight into personality traits, patterns, blocks, emotions, behaviors, and patterns of thought. The elements describe some unique aspects of each sign’s personality.
• Water signs include Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. These are the emotional, intuitive, and mysterious signs that are also sensitive and empathic. These people love deep conversations and meaningful connections, although their emotions can often trip them up if they don’t balance them with some rational thinking.
• Fire signs include Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. These are the passionate signs, who anger easily and are dynamic, if not outright temperamental and impulsive. They are energetic, strong, and action-oriented people who go after their goals and use their brains as well as their emotions. They are adventurous and sometimes hard to keep consistent because of their high energy and lofty ideals.
• Air signs include Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius. These are the social creatures, idealists, thinkers, and communicators. They love to discuss philosophy and are deep thinkers, intellectual yet also empathetic and friendly. They are great diplomats and at times can be wishy-washy and superficial with their “heads in the clouds.”
• Earth signs include Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. These folks are grounded and intellectual, steadfast and loyal, and focused enough to consistently get the job done. They are the workhorses and down-to-earth in every sense of the phrase but can be stubborn and too fixed in their ways, and sometimes, they have tunnel vision and are not open to new perceptions.
Astrology looks at the time and location of your birth, while numerology focuses on your birth name and the correspondence of numbers to letters of the alphabet. As many systems of numerology exist as ancient cultures, and some include the person’s present name (even if they changed it because of marriage) and their birth date to find the key numbers that will determine and predict their future.
Numerology uses numbers, the language of the universe, to examine traits and characteristics but also to forecast future events based upon a master number that is derived by adding up the numeric correspondence to each letter and coming up with a single-digit master or life number.
Example: JOHN DOE
J is 10, as it is the tenth letter of the alphabet
O is 15
H is 8
N is 14
D is 4
O is 15
E is 5
Total is: 71 = 7 + 1 = 8
Therefore, John’s master number would be 8. If the total is
11 or 33, you do not in most systems add those together, as they are considered special master numbers on their own. That final master number is the one that translates into your life path and reveals your destiny in terms of talents, gifts, opportunities, challenges, and blocks. However, what you choose to do with this information is ultimately up to you. Numerology is like astrology—a blueprint that you can learn much about yourself and your future with, but you still have the free will to change or alter.
Numerology is an ancient science, with roots dating back to ancient Babylonia, Sumeria, and Greek and Egyptian cultures, but it was also widely practiced in China and the Far East. Some of the most popular were the Phonetic, Indian, Arabic, Chaldean, and Pythagorean systems. These civilizations recognized the sacred and powerful nature of numbers, mathematical rations, and measurements and how they could determine a person’s destiny as well as mirror the mysteries of the cosmos on an earthly level. Sacred geometry sought to bring the magic of the heavens down to Earth by building and erecting temples and places of worship along lines of power and vibrational frequency that amplified the power of the heavens and brought it down to the level of human existence.
Witches who resonate with numbers may also practice one of these mystical traditions or divination systems, but, like any other, they require a lot of research and study as well as practice when it comes to reading and interpreting data. Doing a numerological reading for someone is a long and arduous process and doesn’t just involve adding up their name letters to find a master number and ascribing it a generic meaning or value.
Using a pendulum is another favorite divination method of witches. It’s easy, basic, and doesn’t require expensive equipment. Basically, it’s an object on the end of a long string that can sway when held over a piece of paper. Usually, the words YES and NO are written upon the paper. You get your mind into a meditative, altered state, then hold the string so that the pendulum is still and in the middle of the board and ask a question or have the person you are reading for ask. Then wait as the pendulum begins to sway toward the yes or no. It may sway back and forth awhile before coming to rest more toward one word than another. You must keep your questions to those that require a clear yes or no answer, and never use it to answer critical questions about your health or the health of another person, such as “Do I have cancer?”
Pendulums are another tool for divination, but they work best if you only pose “yes” or “no” types of questions.
Witches often use pendulums to determine the gender of a baby. You can do this by holding the pendulum over a piece of paper with a blue mark and a pink mark. Ask the baby’s gender and see which way the pendulum “leans” or swings.
If you decide to make your own, use strong string, chain, or cord, and hang a crystal or rock at the end with a pointy tip. You can buy them already made in metaphysics shops or online, but always be sure to cleanse them before and after use to clear them of attached energies.
Pendulums are said by skeptics to employ subtle movements of the fingertips that affect the outcome of the swing. See the section on dowsing below for more on that.
Water witching or dowsing is not necessarily a method for predicting the future, but it is a popular practice among witches for locating sources of water, minerals, and underground materials. Dowsing requires a Y-shaped metal rod or wooden stick that is forked so that the dowser can hold either of the two ends lightly while holding it pointing toward the ground as he or she walks. The rod or stick will suddenly begin to move and rise horizontally at the presence of water or certain minerals, similar to how a metal detector beeps when it finds coins or jewelry buried in beach sand or dirt.
Dowsing dates back thousands of years and may have originated in Germany in the fifteenth century as a means for locating underground metal sources. It was used in the Middle Ages by witches who were then said to be in league with the Devil. Their ability to find water sources was considered evil by the Christian Church. In the Bible’s Old Testament in Hosea 4:12, God condemns dowsers by saying, “My people consult their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand informs them, for a spirit of harlotry has led them astray, and they have played from the harlot, departing from their God.” This reference suggests that dowsing was a type of divination, although in modern times, it is most often used to find water. Modern dowsers claim that they can locate underground pipes and even locations for archaeological excavation.
Dowsing is a time-honored method for discovering sources of water buried underground, but it can also be used for divination.
Water witches swear by their ability to find water, which is the giver of life, and if they indeed have the gift, they are often employed by farms, ranches, drillers, and mine owners to help locate hidden riches beneath the ground.
Have you ever picked up an object and gotten a flash of a vision or a glimpse of a future event? Have you touched something that belonged to someone else and had a sudden insight into who they were? Psychometry is a form of scrying that uses the power of touch and the energy of physical objects that is left behind by their “owners” to determine future events or answer questions.
The object can be small or large, but it is best if it can be held in your hands. It may have a long history or be brand new, but as long as the person you are reading for has held it, you should be able to pick up on their signature energy and read the object. Larger and heavier objects can be read by placing your hands, palms down, upon the object. It all requires a lot of practice to be able to pick up on the residual energy someone has left behind. That energetic imprint is on every object, but some witches are more gifted at feeling and reading it than others.
In a way, you are reading the aura of the object and interpreting the sensations you receive from coming into contact with it. You can ask a question for the person you are reading for or ask a question over the object you are reading (even if you don’t know the owner) and, by touching it and allowing your own energy to intermingle with the energy of the object, experience some vision, sensation, thought, or inspiration that may lead to the answer you seek.
Some witches are sensitive to the energy given off by older objects and feel overwhelmed in antique shops or when wearing someone else’s clothing or jewelry. Perhaps you once owned a piece of used furniture that just gave you a bad vibe or felt like you needed a good purification cleansing after touching an old painting or vase. This means that you would be great at psychometry, as long as you can find a way to deal with the strong sensations and not take them with you after the reading.
It’s important when doing this work to wash and purify your hands first, and you can rub them to create a warm friction before touching the object. You can close your eyes or keep them open when you handle the object, whichever works best for you. The most personal items work the best, such as pieces of jewelry or a favorite pipe or piece of clothing, because they will carry a much stronger energetic imprint.
Relax, and allow images, words, memories, feelings, and sensations to come through you. You may want to say them out loud to someone who can write them down so you don’t forget any. Don’t be surprised if you get a lot of negative energy at first because hatred, fear, and anger are powerful imprints. You must learn how to read that energy without absorbing it, so always do a little protection circle or ritual around yourself before you begin.
It may take a while to learn to discern the images and information correctly, but because everything is energetic, you can be assured that it will work, so don’t shun anything that comes up during a reading simply because it seems wacky or unrelated. Psychometry is all about reading vibes, and it is incredibly exciting when you start to become more and more accurate with time, patience, and practice.
