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Divination
We’ve all read about Professor Trelawney’s Divination classes in Harry Potter, but what is Divination?
"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it, True seers are very rare...You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."
Professor McGonagall, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
What is divination?
Divination is the ability to find out things that would otherwise be hidden to us. These things can be in the past, present or future. It can be practiced with or without tools.
It also
goes under names such as physic reading, fortune telling, dowsing, and the more
traditional name, scrying.
How do you scry?
Practicing divination is
much more complicated than buying a pack of tarot cards or runes and learning
the meanings off by heart. In order to be an ‘enquirer’ (of the knowledge
that is hidden) you need to be able to relate the meaning to the life of the
person you are reading for. You also need to present options to them, so that
they can alter their behaviour and take advantage of the knowledge which they
have gained.
Being a reader is in some ways like being a counsellor, because you need to highlight some of their bad habits or traits, and advise them how to change them.
What types of divination are there?
"
The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves.
Professor Trelawney, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Tools are basically what you use to scry:
Tarot: A special set of cards which has up to five suits instead of the four found in playing cards. There are loads of different decks, but the most common is a 78-card pack. For reading, the cards are laid out in a pattern called a spread, and the combination of cards that is drawn is interpreted.
Tea-leaves: Reading tea leaves is a very old skill which has died out since tea bags were invented. (!). Tea is made in a pot, and is not strained. When the cup of tea has been drunk the leaves left in the cup are used to make an interpretation of events, usually in the future.
'"What can you see in mine?"
"A load of brown soggy stuff", said Harry....
"Broaden your minds, my dears, and allow your eyes to see past the mundane!" Professor Trelawney cried through the gloom.'
Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Crystal Ball: In this form a sphere or rounded shape of glass, crystal or other gemstone is used. The reader does not see images in the ball, but uses it to focus their inner mind on the person or question in front of them.
'"Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.
"I don't need help", Ron whispered. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."'
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Palmistry: Palm readers interpret the lines on both hands to determine the character or future of the person it belongs to.
'"I thought we weren't starting crystal balls until next term." Ron muttered...
"Don't complain, this means we've finished palmistry," Harry muttered back. "I was getting sick of her flinching every time she looked at my hand."'
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Runes: In Harry Potter the reading of ancient runes is a completely different lesson, but reading runes is actually a form of divination. Runes can be made from lots of different materials, and come in lots of shapes and sizes. Each rune has a different symbol on it. It is the combination of different rune patterns which begins the reading. Most rune sets are in Norse Origin.
Astrology: True astrology is far more complicated than the horoscopes seen in papers and magazines. First the positions of all the planets at the time of birth are calculated, and the information is put into a natal chart. The chart is then interpreted to give an accurate picture of the personality, skills and abilities of the person concerned.
'Half an hour later they had been given a complicated circular chart to fill in the positions at the moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calculations of angles.
"I've got two Neptunes here," said Harry after a while, looking down at his piece of parchment, "that can't be right, can it?"
"Aaaaah," said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry..."'
Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Dowsing: Various tools are used for dowsing, including metal rods, sticks and pendulums. It is most commonly used to locate water, and water companies often employ dowsers for this purpose.
The Dark Mirror: This can be a watch glass coated in either soot, water and black dye or ink, or black paint. It is then used in more or less the same way as a crystal ball.
Fire:
Either the flames or the hot ambers of the fire are used. In the old days fires
would be left overnight, and the embers interpreted in the morning.
