We’ve spoken a lot here about divination as a personal, meditative practice that centers the self. All of that is still true. What I’d like to focus on here for a moment is divination as an aspect of worship in general and pagan worship in particular.
Whether we pagans are praying at an altar, in a consecrated space, out in nature, or elsewhere, we share with many world religions the types of prayer that people use in communication with the sacred:
Wow (praise and adoration)
Please (petition)
SOS (intercession for oneself or others)
Thanks (gratitude)
Sorry (confession or contrition)
There are likely more, depending on how granular your categories are, but these hold true for my experience.
I’m not here to tell anybody how or when or why to pray but, for centuries before Martin Luther nailed his theses to a church door, humans have shared a desire for a direct relationship with deity. And that relationship is built (at least in part) by prayer. But it’s not a one-way street. When we put energy into a relationship, we desire – we PRAY – to receive from it just as we give.
In my faith, that’s called the return flow and it’s a big reason why I practice divination. When I form a prayer, I know to whom I am speaking, and it’s important to me that I listen to the response.
How are my prayers received?
Are my offerings and actions congruent with my purpose?
What are the larger forces at work in this circumstance?
You see how this is a few degrees different from divination for mindset or meditation, which we undertake frequently for ourselves. But if we don’t ask these questions, then we aren’t in communication and, if we aren’t willing to respond and adjust to the answers, then we aren’t in a relationship, either.
Think of it as elaborate hospitality. You wouldn’t just keep putting food in front of a guest without asking if they are enjoying the meal, would you? If you invited somebody to stay at your home, wouldn’t you want to know whether they were comfortable? If a friend did something kind or amazing, you’d want to acknowledge that, right? And if something were to happen that you needed to apologize for, you’d want to feel forgiveness.
Adding a return flow to your practice gives you that opportunity. After you’ve finished your prayer or offering, take a moment to imagine that energy reaching wherever you sent it. Then put yourself in the frame of mind to receive feedback from that source. If you've got your favorite divination tool, this is the time to use it. If you don't have tools, then opening yourself to a message from your environment can be fruitful too. (Radiomancy can be a lot of fun, for example, when you ask the next song to be a message.)
Upon receiving your own return flow, take a moment to bring the message into yourself. You could breathe deeply, imagining that you’re letting it fill you like oxygen. You might even hold your hands over a cup of water to sip during the day. Certainly try to write it down so you can refer back to it and test your results over time.
May you be reassured that you’re investing in the right action, at the right time, in the right place, for your own right outcome.
Bright blessings,
Nicole
~ Nicole (Nikki) is owner and general manager at Nine Fires Press. Her Druidic practice has included solitary, small-group, and congregational worship, with a focus on liturgy and seership. She is rehabbing an underground home in the Midwestern US and loves to fall in love with bad ideas.