Divination: The Dictionary Definition

The word divination has three meanings, per the Oxford English Dictionary.  One has to do with Roman law.  The other two are inclusive of everything, I think, that divination can be and its interesting to note that the word does not necessarily imply a connection with divinity as in God.

The action or practice of divining; the foretelling of future events or discovery of what is hidden or obscure by supernatural or magical means; soothsaying, augury, prophecy. With a and pl., an exercise of this, a prophecy, an augury.

 In a weaker sense: Prevision or guessing by happy instinct or unusual insight; successful conjecture or guessing.

I found the definition interesting because it represents two levels of the same meaning.  These levels can be seen as a continuum or matter of degree - powerful to weak - or in terms of our fundamental spiritual and / or scientific frame of reference.  This month I'm going to take a look at some popular (as opposed to esoteric) forms of divination and blog on what I learn.  

I will say going in that I'm an intuitive person.  I am also very sensitive to energy.  I do not consider myself psychic but I do believe in energy and that a person can connect with this energy through dreams, study, prayer or circumstance.  To me divination, in the common fortunetelling sense of the word, falls in the realm of circumstance and I get readings and use Tarot cards to this end.  As for the information I'm given - I hold everything up to my own radar  and suggest that everyone else do that as well.

Early uses of the word divination as listed by the Oxford English Dictionary:

c1374 CHAUCER Boeth. v. pr. iv. 125 (Camb. MS.) Marchus tullius, whan he deuynede the dyuynaciouns, that is to seyn in his book that he wroot of diuinaciouns. 1382 WYCLIF Acts xvi. 16 Sum wenche hauynge a spirit of dyuynacioun. 1387 TREVISA Higden (Rolls) III. 57 Either seide that [he] hadde the better dyuynacioun of foules [felicius augurium]. 1555 EDEN Decades 309 To speke of thynges that shalbe, longe before they are, is a kynde of diuination. 1579-80 NORTH Plutarch (1895) 80 The flying of birds, which doe geue a happy divination to things to come. 1662 STILLINGFL. Orig. Sacr. II. iv. §1 The Gentiles hearkend unto Oracles and Divinations. 1712 ADDISON Spect. No. 505 Among the many pretended arts of divination, there is none which so universally amuses as that by dreams.