What is the best tool for Divination?

I would like to hear what other people think is the best tool to use for Divination and why?

I personally think the I-Ching is the best tool, because a pendulum can be influenced by your subconscious, whereas coins can't.

I prefer it to tarot because hexagrams give a clearer message whereas the images in cards leave a lot to your own interpretation.

Best tool? Whichever method/tool that works best for you, personally. This means taking the time and effort to both explore and learn a system well enough that you can use it competently.

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

I personally think the I-Ching is the best tool, because a pendulum can be influenced by your subconscious, whereas coins can't.

I-Ching--

Coins can be just as influenced by your subconscious as the pendulum. In fact, the influence isn't anything to be discouraged. It is coming through you--you are the medium through which the information flows. That's not bad--it's what would make your predictions different from other people's. Each might focus on a different aspect.

Of course there is always the problem of inserting our *wishes*. Not really sure how --or even if--we could/should get rid of all of that.

Sorry to be harsh earlier. Do you feel connected through i-ching?

IsleWalker - Lora

Yourself you are the best tool.

I think that choosing Tools of Divination is a very personal and idividualistic type of endeavor.

IMO--(often-times) the Tools choose us and we may find ourselves expanding and using new Tools as our path progresses.

I started w/ Tarot--now I use many different methods of Divination. However--my personal favorites are Tarot and Candlewax.

Peace and Love on the path of your choice...

Blessed be...

Originally Posted by Quintessence

Best tool? Whichever method/tool that works best for you, personally. This means taking the time and effort to both explore and learn a system well enough that you can use it competently.

What if you concoct your own system? I initially tried Divine by converting the binary results of throwing coins into letters but I didn't get anything intelligible out of it.

What if you use a system that is concocted by others? I tried to use something called the Oracle of Rama and I didn't think it worked very well.

What if your own judgement of a means of Divination is clouded by your own conditioning?

Originally Posted by Occultist

Yourself you are the best tool.

If you are still conditioned by lust, greed, pride, etc; how can you be the best tool?

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

Coins can be just as influenced by your subconscious as the pendulum.

If this is true then why don't you prove your theory at a casino.
I know that if I hold a pendulum on pie chart, I can think of digit and the pendulum will start to point to it, without any physical movement on my part. I certainly could not do that with with coins.

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

In fact, the influence isn't anything to be discouraged. It is coming through you--you are the medium through which the information flows. That's not bad--it's what would make your predictions different from other people's. Each might focus on a different aspect.

What is value of communicating with myself? Where does the "Divine" part come in then. I'm not interested in "my" predictions, I'm interested in true prediction, divine predictions.

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

Do you feel connected through i-ching?

The personality with whom I communicate through the I-Ching is like my best friend and guide. I feel fully protected under His Guidance. I feel like my life has a higher purpose and meaning. Everyday He gives me Guidance on various aspects of my life. I'm at a level of communication where I don't have to ask questions, He tells me what I need to hear.

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by I-Ching

If this is true then why don't you prove your theory at a casino.
I know that if I hold a pendulum on pie chart, I can think of digit and the pendulum will start to point to it, without any physical movement on my part.

Those who mistrust pendulum do so because subtle movement of your arm will start the swing, will definitely affect the movement. But mistrust of any tool is because we mistrust our own information, or we mistrust that our own desires are changing the information as it comes through --rather than accepting what it is.

What is value of communicating with myself? Where does the "Divine" part come in then. I'm not interested in "my" predictions, I'm interested in true prediction, divine predictions.

Whether you accept it or not, you are Divine. You have connection to Divinity through many possible "helpers" but you have a direct link yourself. Guides are here to help us realize that. We have an emotional connection to them so we trust the information that comes from "them". But it is really also information coming from us.

Your subconscious/unconscious is aware of a lot of information that can guide you in the right direction for you. This information can come through "guides". I'm not saying your guide doesn't speak to you, I'm saying your "unconscious" is part of the field of information available to all your guides and helpers as well as to you.

No matter how you get information, it comes through YOU. Your connection to Source is where the information comes from. You are just connecting to more and more of yourself through them.

Right now you seem to be searching for a tool that you trust, that you feel you are not unduly influencing. But all tools are influenced by you. I was just questioning why you use a tool designed for complex answers, scenarios of life situations-- when what you want is Yes/No.

IsleWalker - Lora

Originally Posted by I-Ching

What if you concoct your own system? I initially tried Divine by converting the binary results of throwing coins into letters but I didn't get anything intelligible out of it.

It's interesting you should ask that, because this is something I've done myself and it's among my favorite methods to use. I think when you develop your own divinatory system, it is important to make the principles behind it something that you already have an intimate understanding of. It also helps to have a strong knowledge of various systems of divination and their mechanics, so to speak. The system that you describe sounds workable depending on how you approach the methods. For example, instead of trying to obtain intelligible words, you could work with the symbolism of letters themselves. Lots of ways to refine it into something that works well, but it takes a bit of finesse to get it there.

Originally Posted by I-Ching

What if you use a system that is concocted by others? I tried to use something called the Oracle of Rama and I didn't think it worked very well.

If it were me, I'd start by examining the gut mechanics of the system and seeing if the problem is in the system itself or in my failure to use it properly. Not all divinatory methods are created equal, and some will work better for some questions than for others; experience and knowledge in the field can be an excellent guide.

What's the Oracle of Rama, out of curiosity? Is it a form of cartomancy or something else?

Originally Posted by I-Ching

What if your own judgement of a means of Divination is clouded by your own conditioning?

I don't think there's any way around that. You can't really get outside of yourself, ya know? Well, there are a couple ways around it: 1) Don't do divination yourself; have someone else do it for you, and 2) Don't pick the method yourself; have a teacher or someone else hand it to you. I'd say that if someone was truly concerned about one's judgement being clouded to do one of these two things.