Module 5: 
Divination Techniques 
 
In this module, discover ways of divination you have never heard of and some you have. 
Since you are taking a beginner course, you may not know all of them. Divination is the art 
of connecting with the subconscious and spirit realm to get guidance. As with all things in 
the metaphysical realm, have an open mind. This is a great guide to get you interested in one 
or the other.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This is a tasseomancy or tasseography session. It is the art of reading sediment found in the bottom of a cup, 
whether it be tea, coffee or wine. This case, it was divination tea.  
 
 
 
 

1
Tarot 
 
Tarot is probably the most well known divination technique. In tarot, there are 78 
cards total. Sometimes decks have a slightly different amount. There are two ways to read 
tarot cards- intuitively or right out of the book. Most people that have been doing tarot 
readings for an extended period of time read intuitively. It can take a while to know what 
each individual card means, and do not get frustrated, just keep practicing. Most tarot decks 
come with books to learn the card meanings from, and in all reality, you do not have to 
memorize all the meanings, it is in the book for you for a reason. As you do more readings, 
you will naturally learn the card meanings.   
It has been said your first tarot deck must be gifted to you, that you must not buy 
your own. This is not a fact, this is opinion. You really do not have to wait for someone else 
to purchase a deck for you. Rather, it is a personal endeavor to go pick out cards that call to 
you. Once you find “THE” deck, you will in fact feel it. It is just like when brides find “THE” 
dress, it is an immense amount of happy and thrilled emotion all at once. You will notice that 
with the craft, you need to rely heavily on your intuition and the feelings your body naturally 
sends to you. Reading tarot, or any other divination for that matter, is no exception.  
If you have always had a curiosity about tarot, then explore it. You can find relatively 
cheap cards on websites like aliexpress.com. If you are a witch on a budget, you could 
potentially make your own cards. All you need for that is: 
-Paper (cardstock would be best) 
-A writing apparatus 
-Internet connection to look up each card 
Cut the 8x10 cardstock into quarters. Pull up the good old Google search engine and look up 
the cards in a tarot deck. Look for 78 cards. As you draw each individual card, be as creative 
as possible, it only adds to the magick of them. You can color/decorate them as you like. 
Once they are complete, you can sleep with them under your pillow wrapped in very thin 
cloth, to form a bond. Three nights is preferred.  
The key to tarot is you need to realize that the cards are a spiritual entity. Speak to 
your cards as if they had a spiritual entity attached to it. You can even ask the tarot cards 
questions about itself such as, “How are you feeling today” or “What is your card today”. It 
further connects you and your cards. If you can, keep a divination journal. Track your cards 
answers. Write the question you asked if any, the date, and what the cards told you. You can 
also just do a daily pull for yourself, whether it is one card or multiple cards. Do not be 
afraid of the cards. Society has been conditioned to think divination, including tarot, is 
sinful. This is not a fact. Jump right in! 
 
 
 

2
Scrying 
 
Scrying is the practice of finding objects in reflective surfaces. It is also known as 
hydromancy or oculomancy. Some examples of reflective surfaces are black mirrors, black 
dishes with water or a special scrying liquid, crystals and even pupils. This is a technique 
that could take some time mastering, but be patient! If it interests you, you should look into 
this divination style further. There is also smoke, and water scrying where you find shapes 
in both.  
It is best to do this in a meditative trance, so you should start with the deep breathing 
technique, in through your nose, out through your mouth. You use this technique a lot in 
witchcraft. Clear your mind and focus your energies on seeing symbols, visions, and 
attaining important messages from the spirits. Mirrors have long been in folklore for having 
many powers, scrying makes perfect sense!  
While scrying, you can drink divination tea to help you see the visions and receive 
messages. Always double check the ingredients to the tea to make sure your body will not 
have a negative reaction to the herbs. Two of the most common herbs used in divination teas 
are Mugwort and Wormwood. Those are the two that connect you to the divine in a safe way. 
Some people, of course, use hallucinogenic drugs. You must be safe with all practices!  
You can also burn a divination incense. Again, you can use Mugwort, Wormwood, 
Dragon’s Blood resin, cinquefoil, jasmine, coltsfoot leaf, dandelion, or juniper just to name a 
few. If you have any questions about the incense message me ​HERE 
 
 
 

Runes 
 
Runes are an ancient form of Divination. There are three different versions of Runes 
based on location and timeframe. Depending on the rune type you connect with most, the 
number of how many may be different. Some of the shapes are slightly different as well. The 
main most commonly used Runic alphabet is the Futhark Runes. These consist of 24 symbols 
that all have their own meaning. To make a rune set you will need: 
 
*24 flat disc bones (could be antler or something similar), wood flat discs, flat stones 
or crystals 
*A device to etch/paint the symbols onto the rune material 
*A bag to put them in 
 
 

3
The material listed above can include cemetery stones, always leaving offerings at the gates 
of the cemetery and in the location in which you harvest things.  
Take your device to paint or etch the runes on and on one side of each rune piece, put a rune 
symbol. Eventually you will learn all of their meanings as you use them more. Some people 
leave one blank rune, although there is no historical proof this rune existed in ancient times. 
It is a modern addition and represents fate and turning inward. It is to give hope in a 
situation. Some call it Odin’s Rune.  
 
How to use runes: 
Before any divination, you should clear your mind and focus on the question you had in 
mind. You can pull one rune from the bag, or multiple if you need further clarification from 
the one. You can also pull four, and do a past, present, future and obstacles. You could also 
ask yes or no questions with one rune, symbol side up is yes, blank side up is no. Use them 
however you feel comfortable doing so.  

 
 
 
4
Coins 
 
Coins are one of the easier, more simple ways to get answers. With coins, you will 
have to ask yes or no questions. You can start with questions you know the answer to, just to 
get an idea of its accuracy. This helps to train the coin. You should meditate on your 
question for a moment, then toss the coin. Heads for yes, tails for no. This is also a budget 
friendly divination technique as you can use any coin.  
 

 
Pendulums 
 
Pendulums are a pointed object on a string. You can literally use a sewing needle and 
thread as a pendulum if you do not have the means to purchase one. There is a wives tale 
that says if you put put thread through a sewing needle and put it over a pregnant woman’s 
hand, it will reveal the sex of the baby. It is nice seeing mainstream populace using such 
witchy divination techniques.  
There are many types of pendulums- ones made out of crystals, brass, bone, but in 
the end, they all have the same purpose- To answer our most thought of questions. You 
should train your pendulum. You can do this by sitting with your pendulum, letting it rest 
over your hand, and telling it to go up and down for yes or side to side for no. Then you start 
by asking questions you already know the answer to, for example-”Is my name Juelz Sims?” 
It should then start moving up and down.  
You can get a pendulum board, but it is not required. It is a nice aesthetic and you 
can decorate it with beautiful spiritual symbols that may help your divination. As long as you 
know which direction your “yes” and “no” answers are, you will be just fine without one. 

 
Candles 
 
Candles are another one of those very simple, easier to understand divination 
techniques. You can even use a tea light. You can use anything with a flame. Sit in meditation 
on your question and ask the candle “Yes” or “No” questions. You should train your candle 
by telling it “raise higher for yes, go lower for no”. The raising and lowering should be 
noticeable. I personally have been using this divination technique for about twenty five 
years. You can anoint your candle with divination herbs and oil to help aid in your session, 
but it is not necessary. Another way to utilize the candle is reading the wax. You can look for 
shapes left behind, it could be a sign. You can also take pictures of the flames and look for 
shapes in that.  

5
 
Bone & Curio 
 
Bone and Curio is the practice of using multiple small objects to represent answers. 
It is an extremely custom and personal practice. The reader assigns the meaning to each 
object. For example, you can include a small ring to symbolize relationships, a mini mouth 
meaning gossip, a mini baby meaning a baby is in the future. Throwing bones is an ancient 
and accurate way to get answers.  
You throw the bone and curio like you would dice. You examine how each one falls, if 
it is reversed, right side up, and what it is near. You can read this like you would a tarot 
spread-see how it is all connected. See the story play out with your objects. As always, trust 
your intuition while reading.  

 
Playing Cards 
 
Playing cards can be used as a form of tarot type divination called cartomancy. Both 
tarot and playing cards came out around the same time. Each suit in the deck relates to a 
certain subject in life- Hearts represent love, diamonds represent all things financial, clubs 
represent hard work, career, mental issues and spades represent changes and challenges. 
Some people assign their own meanings as well. Each number and court card has their own 
meaning. There are spreads you can do, just like in tarot. Although they are both very much 
alike, the best part about having playing cards as your divination tool is they will not expose 
you as a witch. Many people cannot tell their family or friends they are a practicing witch, 
They are not “out of the broom closet”. These cards can be right out in the open, but try not 
to use them for games. Make them your specific divination deck.  

 
Eggs 
 
The art of using an egg for divination is also called Ovumancy or Oomancy. It is said 
the person who has a question carries the egg for a day and sleeps with it under their bed at 
night. The next day, they bring it to the reader with their question. The reader then opens 
the egg into warm water and deciphers the shapes in the yolk.  
When doing this, make sure you listen to your intuition. This is a form of scrying and 
is similar to finding the shapes in tasseomancy. It is more of the messier type of divination, 
but nonetheless, it is one of the techniques to find the answers you need,  

6
 
Tasseography 
 
Have you ever had a loose tea blend then tried to decipher the shapes left behind 
from the residue? That is Tasseography also known as Tasseomancy. There are different 
techniques to use while doing this. I will share with you what I learned from my favorite 
local Tasseomancist, Kat Taormina. She is my go to Tea Lady (who does so much more than 
just tasseomancy).  
You can read any sediment left behind from a beverage. It can be coffee grounds or 
even wine sediment. You can also add divination herbs right to your wine to make a special 
wine just for divination. Again, always be sure to check the edible level of the herbs you 
ingest! 
 
Kat’s Ritual 
After letting loose leaf tea steep for about 10 minutes, drink tea, leaving about 1/3 inch 
of water in the bottom. Use your non-dominant hand, swirl remaining tea clockwise 3 times. 
Flip over the cup onto a little plate and proceed to make your bond with the cup. Tap the cup 
3 times with your index and middle finger (non dominant hand still) Imagine a cord going 
from your arm through your non-dominant hand, and into the cup. You can imagine a tiny 
"you" dancing around inside the cup placing the leaves to show you your message. Keep your 
hand over the cup that whole time. Once you feel as though your bond has been established, 
put the handle pointing at you, rotate the cup clockwise 3 times with your non-dominant 
hand. Flip over the cup and read the tea leaves inside! 
 
 
Timeline of your cup : 
Day/Month Reading: 
Bottom of cup= Morning 
Middle of cup= Obstacles 
Rim of cup= Solution/ Resolution 
Year Reading: 
Bottom of cup= Present 
Mid-Section= 3-6 Months 
Rim= 1 Year from present 
 
Making your own divination tea? Grind the herbs clockwise! 
 
Check out Kat’s Etsy shop ​Here 
 

7
  
Me serving tea at our Witchy High Tea Kat leading the ritual at our Witchy High Tea.  

 
Dreams 
 
Dreams have a long history of divination. Seeing visions and being told the future 
through your sleep is possible due to your altered state of mind while sleeping. Many have 
said it is where the spiritual realm can communicate with you. Your dreams can give you 
ideas, warn you about situations, or even bring forward spirits that are no longer here on 
Earth. You can learn to utilize your dreams like any other divination technique.  
A great way to start dream work is drinking a mugwort tea of sorts, or burning a 
dried jasmine, coltsfoot leaf, mugwort and wormwood incense while preparing for bed. 
These types of herbs promote visions, psychic abilities and vivid dreams. You could also 
smoke some mugwort, wormwood and lavender for some dreamwork. Smoking obviously is 
not good for you, but it is an option.  
Dreams are said to give you some of your best ideas. Salvador Dali used to get ideas 
for paintings from his dreams. Socrates received some of his ideas through his dreams. 
Dreams can be a very powerful yet mysterious tool for the witch. There is even the 
possibility of dream jumping, which means you go in someone else’s dream. There can be 
invasion of privacy if you do not have permission to do so.  
 

8
 
Numerology 
 
Numbers can mean very significant things. Have you noticed you see a certain 
number or a set of numbers all the time? You need to look up the meaning of those numbers. 
Some call them Angel Numbers. They are here to guide you. Are you always looking at the 
clock at 3:33? That means you are being guided by Ascended Masters and help your mind, 
body and spirit. The trinity. 9:14? That means you will be basking in the glory of all your 
hard work very soon. Regardless of which number you may be seeing over and over, you 
need to read the message, look into the numerology meaning of that number. It can very well 
guide you. You do not have to be a witch to follow numerology.  
 
 

Underground Techniques 
 
Some people even create their own forms of divination. I have seen people read blank 
cards and let their intuition show them the picture, I have seen someone make a deck of 
numbers for a numerology type deck. The main thing to keep in mind is your intuition. Look 
at all the signs in your life, be open to see the signs and you will start seeing them in 
everything. Get creative! Even starting by making your own tarot deck could get your 
creative mind flowing.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

9
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations! You have finished the Text for Module 5. 
Up next: Wheel of the Year 

10