Seekers are welcomed here:

It can be daunting to begin a new spiritual practice, especially if you have no prior experience, but the very fact that your interests have led you here, should at least indicate that this is a path that is open to you. Divination and oraclework are not closed to those who may not have had life-affirming experiences within liminal spaces, or with spiritual beings such as Deities. They are learned skills, which can be and should be trained, if one is willing.

Yes, there will always be those who have been touched at a young age, and whose natural talents are openly apparent, yet there is nothing in this world that trumps research and hard work. Even those of us who are naturally talented within the arts of divination and oraclework must commit to lifelong training, and practice humility.

This is, and always will be, a journey you can take; a journey meant just for you. No two oracles are the same, and their modes of operation will be blessedly different. You have a desire and gift that is uniquely yours, and only you can bring it forth into this world; to further your learning, to hone your craft, and to assist all those who will seek for your guidance.

Trust yourself, and trust that this path will be one of great success, and constant and apparent improvement.

We are always changing:

I want everyone to know, that no matter what your thoughts or opinions once where, there is always space to rethink or to even alter those thoughts and opinions. All of us are always growing and branching outward as people, as professionals, as friends and loved ones. We needn't be pulled into stagnancy by our previous modes of relation with the world around us. Change is inevitable, both within us and outside ourselves. Better to move with the river of change, than to struggle against it, but "moving with" will be different for each of us.

Some will choose to prepare by releasing their grip on the new ideas springing forth within them, so that those ideas may finally bloom in the world; while others will begin by reevaluating hardline positions that they once held very closely, allowing them to see truths and differences that were once obscured by their refusal.

The point, is that ideas change, and that ideas *change people*. None of us are who we were ten years ago, and none of us will be who we are now, ten years hence. If you are waiting for a sign that today is the day for you to embrace or discard a thing, let this message serve as a marker on your winding road: "This way, toward the newness you seek. This way, toward your future."

Within oraclework, respect is key:

For those of us whose oraclework practice involves communication and communion with spirits or Deities, it is imperative that we remember that these entities are living beings with a will of Their own. They are not vending machines, in which we deposit coins in return for oracular advice.

Yes, it is true that there will be some give and take-- such is the nature of reciprocal relationship. However, spirits and Deities are often afflicted by Their mood, and previous obligation, just as much as humans are.

There will be times in which a God or spirit will simply not feel like participating in an oracular rite; or, They may be too busy to do so at a given moment. Mortals can not know the extent of Their duties and responsibilities, and we should not presume to know. The best we can do, is ask Them for Their availability, and to be prompt when given a opening, because time is valuable.

We must respect all participants within oraclework; Gods and spirits are no exception. In fact, it is best to first consider the needs of the God or spirit who will be petitioned, and within that framework, to include the needs of all mortal participants. In this way, we can tailor the experience toward everyone who will be present.

How to be open:

One of the first things an oracle must learn, and oftentimes one of the hardest things to learn, is how to be open and present within the bounds of one's service, especially how to remain available for a spirit or Deity, without compromising the self.

Carrying the weight and potency of a God is by no means easy, nor should it be taken lightly. It is also not a situation that one ought to walk into without knowing the expectations that will be thrust upon you. But, even as these things are asked of you, there will be room to negotiate best practices, in order to ensure that the agreement meets the needs of both the Deity and the oracle.

First, you must be honest with yourself about how much control you are willing, and especially, able to relinquish to the Deity. Do not make promises that you will be knowingly unable to keep. Next, ask the Deity how much physical and mental control They wish to establish within your agreement.

Try to meet somewhere in the middle, where you both can be satisfied, and can work together with ease, or at the very least, without losing focus on the tasks at hand.

Remember that oraclework is a service done for one's community, in addition to the pleasure of one's God. You and your Deity should be on the same page regarding the usefulness and necessity of your oracular work, and in so being, must acknowledge any impediments to the work.

If at any point you feel yourself being too subsumed by your God, or you are uneasy, or unwilling to continue, you must bring your concerns to the Deity. Openness is not only about making yourself a willing receptacle, it is also, and crucially, about developing an honest rapport between your God and yourself. If you can not be truthful about how this work makes you feel, to the Entity which holds the most power in the relationship, then perhaps now is not the time for you to embark upon this journey.

A God who cares enough about you to entrust Their Divine will to your voice, will care enough to ensure your comfort and safety within the work They wish to accomplish with you. This is why you both must feel a mutual trust and respect.

Ways in which these conversations can take place, are of course through divination, through dreams or waking visions, through prayer, or through simple thought and open speech. The how matters much less than the action itself.

Do what you must, so that you, and your God, may continue doing what you will.

What motivates you?

There are so many reasons why a person might turn toward a divinitory or oracular practice, not least of all because a God or spirit directed them to. But there are other, equally pressing reasons that can spur a person into this work. One of these reasons could be simply to straighten out their life, by allowing certain processes to ripen; and to cease fighting against their nature, and their talents.

Many of us have either known, or been that friend who perceives the world, situations and people so clearly that others often push them to the social fringe, out of fear or envy. We've done, or seen them struggle to compartmentalize their perceptions, just to preserve a semblance of normalcy. Ours is an unforgiving world for mystics to inhabit, and those who are touched, are all too often seen as a threat, especially when and if we are as yet unable to control our gifts and talents.

Too often, we hear of such people desperately trying to escape a mystic's life of isolation by denying the truth inside them. But that tact only seems to increase their discomfort, for escape is at best, temporary, and at worst, debilitating.

When we deny ourselves the opportunity to face what's inside, we stifle our lives in ways that we can not even begin to fathom. After a person has lived within this rut for long enough, the desire to be free and authentic eventually supercedes whatever drove them into hiding in the first place.

This desire and realization is often the first step toward owning the oddities, the coincidences, the strangely on point perception that they have denied for so long. This is when many people begin to look toward learning and embracing what was once taboo; when they say to themselves, "My wellbeing is more important than the comfort of people who don't even see me as human."

Coming into divination or oraclework from this standpoint is a wonderous step toward self-actualization. You not only acknowledge your gifts and sensitivities, but you begin to work toward integrating them into your life in positive and affirming ways.

Once we open this first door, so many more become available to us. For instance, taking control over when your increased perception presents itself leads to greater skill in summoning that perception on command. When you are able to tap into that aspect of your senses, divining with tools becomes that much easier. And once you've trained via the use of divinitory tools, eventually you will start to perceive by reading the same energy currents that you once utilized your tools to tap into. When you reach the stage where tools become less necessary, you will have anchored your keen perception in true and authentic control.

This, my friends, is the very process of self-actualization: realizing who you are, knowing yourself deeply, expressing that truth openly, and improving one's life with all the skills and knowledge gained. Divination and oraclework can help you achieve this, if by only opening your eyes to what lay within.

So, what motivates you, in particular, to walk this path?

Here's a cautionary tale about my life with spirits, and the spiritual:

Naturally, as someone who is touched, and an oracle, I straddle the line between the spiritual and the "mundane". It's always been difficult to balance the two, and was frequently overwhelming to the point of me not being able to function to the degree our society often touts as proper. I was just living in a world rife with spirits, because such is the world we live in, and part of truly living in this world as a seer and witch is accepting that spirits are real, and are around.

But because no one else in my immediate vicinity was willing to support me in the ways seers and oracles need to be supported, I started coming apart at the seams, which was seen by "rational" folks as succumbing to delusion or fantasy. So, because I had no support, I decided it was best to compartmentalize these disparate aspects of reality as I experienced it, and shoved all of the overtly woo aspects of my life into a little box at the back of my perception, with the hope that life would become balanced, and "easy" again.

It absolutely did not. Do you know what did happen? I lost touch with intrinsic parts of myself, those parts that were responsible for my abilities to see beyond in a situation, and to avoid traps and hardships. Not seeing only served to make me not see what I would have avoided at any other time in my life.

Rationality, and focusing on the purely "mundane" won't save you from making bad choices in the way that perceptive spiritual senses can. All I managed to do was thrust my whole life into chaos, that I am, thankfully, managing to dig my way out of.

So, take it from me, if you're struggling with your spiritual worldview, try to take the time to develop or access supports that will both acknowledge and accept what you're seeing, hearing and feeling. Trying to close down those inner and outer pathways that lead you to the dual nature of reality will only stifle the balance within you, which could lead to disastrous and unforeseen outcomes. Living between two worlds is hard, but it's not harder than imprisoning yourself within one, in a mistaken bid to make life "easier".