Helium
Reject 1
Reject 1
Defining divination
It seems funny to me how people can get all caught up in an argument, when neither side has a
real clue exactly why they believe one way or the other. As someone who has actually taken the
time to understand astrology, I know what astrology is. I have a belief in astrology that is based in
knowledge, not fear.
I do not promote astrology as anything more than a tool, similar to the Myers-Briggs test
psychologists use for counseling patrons. However, I find people foaming saliva out of the corners
of their mouths when they learn I "believe" in astrology. The saliva forms as they angrily spit
condemnations at me. They know absolutely nothing about astrology; and, I have no desire to
teach them about astrology. Their actions, rejecting something they do not know, is a sign of
ignorance.
Now I may have given the impression that those spitting on me are right-wing Christian
do-gooders, who have been seeped in a fear of astrology for years, through religious
indoctrination, which has them fearing what they call a form of "divination." That impression would
be wrong, because that represents only half of the ignoramuses I meet. The other half are highly
intelligent, scientific minded, atheist types, who know everything there is to know, except
astrology. Of course, they think they know what astrology is. They feebly try to show that
knowledge by quoting a definition or repeating some hooey they read in the newspaper; but, they
don't have a clue what astrology is.
The reason both are so violently opposed to astrology is because they are afraid to reach out
and touch it. The are afraid it might bite them. The religious folk think they will forever be
condemned to the pits of hell for having looked as such an evil; but, the scientists are also afraid.
They fear astrology simply because they could never be seen at a skeptics meeting ever again,
should they finally come to understand how astrology works. That alone would be giving astrology
too much credit.
Now my point here is not to focus only on astrology. Far from that. I see astrology as nothing more
than a tool, like a car, which is only valuable when I need that tool. Like all the tools I possess, I
don't want to loan them out unless I trust the person borrowing the tool. I only want to point out
how wrong both sides are, on the general topic of divination. That covers astrology; but, it also
covers everything else that falls in the category of "unknown things I have been trained for years
to fear" (i.e.: fear of the occult).
Webster's lists the etymology of the word "divination" as 14th Century Middle English, from the
Latin root, "divinare." That Latin root word is itself rooted in the Latin word "divinus." The word
"divinus" means, "belonging or related to a Deity; divine." This means the English root word for
"divination" is "divine." The word "divine" means (as an adjective), "of, relating to, or proceeding
directly from God." As a verb transitive, as "to divine," the meaning is, "to discover by intuition or
insight," synonymous with "foresight."
Now, with the understanding of the pecking order of words firmly in grasp, we can understand that
the word "divine" existed first, before someone asked, "hey, what's that state of being, when one
is in touch with God, called?" Only afterward did someone find reason to reply, "divination." This
enlightenment allows us to realize that the definition of "divination," officially meaning, "the art or
practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by
the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers," really means, "yada, yada,
yada ... by the aid of God."
This means that religious upbringing has made people fear using a tool that requires coming into
contact with God for it to work, at least the way it is supposed to work. This means that a tool
requiring the user possess a strong belief in God will never prove to be anything more than
worthless, if the user is an atheist and, by definition, has no belief in God. Still, all of this only
means "divination" is not for everyone.
Everyone needs to come into a state where they make contact with God, some time or another,
hopefully. There are natural ways that divination is reached, without any particular tool necessary,
one requiring training to use properly. For instance, if someone is in need of guidance and offers
a prayer to God for help, some experience of enlightenment is often the result. We may have a
specific question we want answered, which then becomes answered by a mundane conversation
we overhear; or, we can open the Bible and read a passage, one we have heard and read many
times before, but this one particular time it seems to answer our question in some astonishing new
way. This is clearly divination; but, there is a difference.
A personally enlightening moment of divination is not a form of divination that can be used to
entertain the masses. We can't just go out exclaiming, "Come ask me a question and I'll open the
Bible and read the answer for you." (Biblemancy?) That is no longer a situation where anyone is
connecting to God, but one where you play God, without being connected to God. That is the
danger that is written of in the Bible, especially where it warns of "false prophets."
A "false prophet" can be someone using a Ouija board to predict the future and answer
questions. It can be someone selling horoscopes for profit too. Still, it can just as easily be a
church pastor preaching about The Revelation. If fear is the message preached, then it may just
be his incorrect interpretation of a prophetic book of the Bible. The Bible therefore, as divinely
inspired words of God, is a tool for connecting to God with; but, understanding the highly
enigmatic verses of the prophets, by itself, requires divining. Otherwise, how does one know who
"the beast" is, or "the harlot?"
Still, the Bible does not state that any and all forms of divination are evil. It clearly points out that
only those who try to use a holy tool for evil purposes are evil. God is the one knows what the
future holds. Only through Him can mankind have a glimpse of the future. It is not up to man to
determine who God chooses to bless in this way. It is not for us to know the future.
God chooses prophets to serve Him, by speaking to those people and showing them the future in
visions and dreams. God chooses prophets as a means to help large populations of people, not
to make someone a superstar. Someone shown the future by God must, in turn, tell the people of
this future, as God's way of assisting everyone.
The Old Testament tells how the priests of the temple were trained in various methods for
divination. They were warned not to ever do this for personal gain. Still, they were allowed to use
those tools to assist the people of Israel, particularly at times of strife. Practice with those tools
made them capable of understanding God's intentions, when the signs were shown to be in their
favor. The people of Israel benefited from practitioners of divination.
The condemnations of the Bible, in reference to diviners, are all focused on those of other
nations, who were not as restrained. Some tools of divination were said to be for making contact
to lesser gods and demons. The Oracle of Delphi was a source of Greek divination. There the
future was always told to the questioner, because Apollo was the Greek god of truth. The
priestess there connected to Apollo, via a specific divination tool. Since astrology associates the
names of planets and constellations with the names of those gods, it is seen as an unworthy form
of divination, worshiping lesser gods. That is a false.
Western astrology is rooted in the Greek-Egyptian mathematician known as Ptolemy. He
translated a prior knowledge of astrology from Hebrew into Greek. Astrology dates back to before
the time of Abraham. It is a holy practice to both Muslims and Jews; and, it is one of the mystical
arts taught through cabalistic training. That training is rooted in the training the priests of Israel
went through, as one of several ways to divine.
True cabalistic training is almost extinct now, because it takes many years to become adept with
its tools. Simply knowing how to do something is only half of the equation. Knowing why its done
takes much longer to realize. This level of patience is no longer as attractive as it once was.
That is why people do not know what true divination is. They see fools pretending to know what
they are doing. That makes the tool seem to appear foolish.
It seems funny to me how people can get all caught up in an argument, when neither side has a
real clue exactly why they believe one way or the other. As someone who has actually taken the
time to understand astrology, I know what astrology is. I have a belief in astrology that is based in
knowledge, not fear.
I do not promote astrology as anything more than a tool, similar to the Myers-Briggs test
psychologists use for counseling patrons. However, I find people foaming saliva out of the corners
of their mouths when they learn I "believe" in astrology. The saliva forms as they angrily spit
condemnations at me. They know absolutely nothing about astrology; and, I have no desire to
teach them about astrology. Their actions, rejecting something they do not know, is a sign of
ignorance.
Now I may have given the impression that those spitting on me are right-wing Christian
do-gooders, who have been seeped in a fear of astrology for years, through religious
indoctrination, which has them fearing what they call a form of "divination." That impression would
be wrong, because that represents only half of the ignoramuses I meet. The other half are highly
intelligent, scientific minded, atheist types, who know everything there is to know, except
astrology. Of course, they think they know what astrology is. They feebly try to show that
knowledge by quoting a definition or repeating some hooey they read in the newspaper; but, they
don't have a clue what astrology is.
The reason both are so violently opposed to astrology is because they are afraid to reach out
and touch it. The are afraid it might bite them. The religious folk think they will forever be
condemned to the pits of hell for having looked as such an evil; but, the scientists are also afraid.
They fear astrology simply because they could never be seen at a skeptics meeting ever again,
should they finally come to understand how astrology works. That alone would be giving astrology
too much credit.
Now my point here is not to focus only on astrology. Far from that. I see astrology as nothing more
than a tool, like a car, which is only valuable when I need that tool. Like all the tools I possess, I
don't want to loan them out unless I trust the person borrowing the tool. I only want to point out
how wrong both sides are, on the general topic of divination. That covers astrology; but, it also
covers everything else that falls in the category of "unknown things I have been trained for years
to fear" (i.e.: fear of the occult).
Webster's lists the etymology of the word "divination" as 14th Century Middle English, from the
Latin root, "divinare." That Latin root word is itself rooted in the Latin word "divinus." The word
"divinus" means, "belonging or related to a Deity; divine." This means the English root word for
"divination" is "divine." The word "divine" means (as an adjective), "of, relating to, or proceeding
directly from God." As a verb transitive, as "to divine," the meaning is, "to discover by intuition or
insight," synonymous with "foresight."
Now, with the understanding of the pecking order of words firmly in grasp, we can understand that
the word "divine" existed first, before someone asked, "hey, what's that state of being, when one
is in touch with God, called?" Only afterward did someone find reason to reply, "divination." This
enlightenment allows us to realize that the definition of "divination," officially meaning, "the art or
practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by
the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers," really means, "yada, yada,
yada ... by the aid of God."
This means that religious upbringing has made people fear using a tool that requires coming into
contact with God for it to work, at least the way it is supposed to work. This means that a tool
requiring the user possess a strong belief in God will never prove to be anything more than
worthless, if the user is an atheist and, by definition, has no belief in God. Still, all of this only
means "divination" is not for everyone.
Everyone needs to come into a state where they make contact with God, some time or another,
hopefully. There are natural ways that divination is reached, without any particular tool necessary,
one requiring training to use properly. For instance, if someone is in need of guidance and offers
a prayer to God for help, some experience of enlightenment is often the result. We may have a
specific question we want answered, which then becomes answered by a mundane conversation
we overhear; or, we can open the Bible and read a passage, one we have heard and read many
times before, but this one particular time it seems to answer our question in some astonishing new
way. This is clearly divination; but, there is a difference.
A personally enlightening moment of divination is not a form of divination that can be used to
entertain the masses. We can't just go out exclaiming, "Come ask me a question and I'll open the
Bible and read the answer for you." (Biblemancy?) That is no longer a situation where anyone is
connecting to God, but one where you play God, without being connected to God. That is the
danger that is written of in the Bible, especially where it warns of "false prophets."
A "false prophet" can be someone using a Ouija board to predict the future and answer
questions. It can be someone selling horoscopes for profit too. Still, it can just as easily be a
church pastor preaching about The Revelation. If fear is the message preached, then it may just
be his incorrect interpretation of a prophetic book of the Bible. The Bible therefore, as divinely
inspired words of God, is a tool for connecting to God with; but, understanding the highly
enigmatic verses of the prophets, by itself, requires divining. Otherwise, how does one know who
"the beast" is, or "the harlot?"
Still, the Bible does not state that any and all forms of divination are evil. It clearly points out that
only those who try to use a holy tool for evil purposes are evil. God is the one knows what the
future holds. Only through Him can mankind have a glimpse of the future. It is not up to man to
determine who God chooses to bless in this way. It is not for us to know the future.
God chooses prophets to serve Him, by speaking to those people and showing them the future in
visions and dreams. God chooses prophets as a means to help large populations of people, not
to make someone a superstar. Someone shown the future by God must, in turn, tell the people of
this future, as God's way of assisting everyone.
The Old Testament tells how the priests of the temple were trained in various methods for
divination. They were warned not to ever do this for personal gain. Still, they were allowed to use
those tools to assist the people of Israel, particularly at times of strife. Practice with those tools
made them capable of understanding God's intentions, when the signs were shown to be in their
favor. The people of Israel benefited from practitioners of divination.
The condemnations of the Bible, in reference to diviners, are all focused on those of other
nations, who were not as restrained. Some tools of divination were said to be for making contact
to lesser gods and demons. The Oracle of Delphi was a source of Greek divination. There the
future was always told to the questioner, because Apollo was the Greek god of truth. The
priestess there connected to Apollo, via a specific divination tool. Since astrology associates the
names of planets and constellations with the names of those gods, it is seen as an unworthy form
of divination, worshiping lesser gods. That is a false.
Western astrology is rooted in the Greek-Egyptian mathematician known as Ptolemy. He
translated a prior knowledge of astrology from Hebrew into Greek. Astrology dates back to before
the time of Abraham. It is a holy practice to both Muslims and Jews; and, it is one of the mystical
arts taught through cabalistic training. That training is rooted in the training the priests of Israel
went through, as one of several ways to divine.
True cabalistic training is almost extinct now, because it takes many years to become adept with
its tools. Simply knowing how to do something is only half of the equation. Knowing why its done
takes much longer to realize. This level of patience is no longer as attractive as it once was.
That is why people do not know what true divination is. They see fools pretending to know what
they are doing. That makes the tool seem to appear foolish.
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