Richard Webster, one of the world’s bestselling new age authors, explores the incredible wide variety of divination techniques from around the world. Discover explanations and in-depth techniques for thirty divination practices, including common methods such as tarot, astrology, palmistry, numerology, pendulums, runes, and the I Ching, as well as less well-known forms such as automatic writing, candle reading, coin divination, flower reading, sand divination, and many more.
There is so much to learn from this book! I honestly just got it because I wanted to read more about tarot, runes, and of my favorite the pendulum. They are my favorite ones to use. That being said, I learned about some ways of divination that I have never even heard of (which isn't that shocking as I've only been learning these things for almost three years so there is lots I don't know), there is candle reading... I didn't even know that was a thing! There is also sand reading... yeah it was so cool to learn about these things. I also got to learn more about the I Ching, which is something that has fascinating but something that never really worked for me. Not to mention there is palmistry which is something else I enjoy. I can't even name everything in this book as there are lots. It covers all the big ones and ones that like I said, didn't even know was a thing.
I love that they start basic for beginners but there is also things that I learned and think it would be good even for an expert as you can learn something new or even refresh your memory. Not to mention it's a good reference guide, that's what I'll be using it as. It even goes a bit into the history of the different ways. Bottom line: get this book. It's so worth it!
*Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review*
There is so much to learn from this book! I honestly just got it because I wanted to read more about tarot, runes, and of my favorite the pendulum. They are my favorite ones to use. That being said, I learned about some ways of divination that I have never even heard of (which isn't that shocking as I've only been learning these things for almost three years so there is lots I don't know), there is candle reading... I didn't even know that was a thing! There is also sand reading... yeah it was so cool to learn about these things. I also got to learn more about the I Ching, which is something that has fascinating but something that never really worked for me. Not to mention there is palmistry which is something else I enjoy. I can't even name everything in this book as there are lots. It covers all the big ones and ones that like I said, didn't even know was a thing.
I love that they start basic for beginners but there is also things that I learned and think it would be good even for an expert as you can learn something new or even refresh your memory. Not to mention it's a good reference guide, that's what I'll be using it as. It even goes a bit into the history of the different ways. Bottom line: get this book. It's so worth it!
If you are interested in Divination U would recommend this book for sure. Each section catorigizes a type of Divination explains a little of the history, explains ways you can try it and then shares some more reading on the subject if you'd like to learn more about the subjects that interest you. Its a great source of knowledge if you are looking to learn about a broad look at Divination.
First of all, I got to read this book through NetGalley in exchange for a review. It's possible I saw some typos that you won't see. Anyway, onwards to the review:
If you don’t already know, and I’m sort of assuming you do, “complete” books are never actually complete, especially on a subject like divination (or science or history or world religions). The author probably knows this as well, but the selling-a-product trend continues throughout the book, mostly by being geared toward pleasing clients. If you can get past this, and the very New-Age-ness, it’s a decent book. I wouldn’t recommend it to an individual as most of this information can be easily acquired from web searches, but the book organizes it nicely, making it a decent choice for anyone who regularly teaches introductory classes.
I say introductory because I’ve been reading tarot cards for about six years now and I did not learn anything from the tarot section. However, I dabble in I Ching readings and I did learn a few other ways of doing them. I also learned a bit about scrying in a parapsychology course at college, and this made me disappointed that there weren’t more scientific studies cited in this section, but that’s probably just my bias. The book does cover dozens of other methods of divination, some of which I'd never even heard of until reading it.
Let me start by says "Wow!! What a book" I have been using tarot, the pendulum, astrology, and runes for years. But I am the type of person who believes you can never know something well enough to not learn more about it. So when I saw this book I jumped at the chance to review it. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance.
Not only did I learn a few things about things I know. I learned things about things I had heard of but do not practice like numerology. I also learned new things like Sand Reading. I had never heard of that.
The book is well written, I feel that is more based towards the beginner but the experienced will gain some from this book as well. This book is filled with information, tips, tricks, and so much more. It is well written and easy to understand. This is one of the books that needs to be put on a reference shelf. It is not a read it once and be done with it book. There is simply too much information to grasp it with just one read. You will want to go back to this book time and time again.
This is a book of all things divination! It’s very useful reference book, and I will continue it to reference it for many years, it’s very well written, I highly encourage that if you are a witch who works with any any type of divination, such as tarot (most common method muggles are used too). For me, I have taken classes in Lenormand, & tarot, an general magickal) I use these often, some oracle cards, pendulum, and also scry, which this book gives some great points in all methods of divination from cards to runes, from pendulum to bone casting, for scrying with a crystal ball 🔮 of various stones, & smoke scrying, it’s all encompassing for any method you wish to study or reference, one that will be in my library for a long time even I am familiar with many methods, this opens doors to many other things I dont know & things I wish to. Learn, but a lifetime reference book for any method you know to ones you wish to learn!
First, it is impossible to be a complete book of divination. Second, this book does a decent job of highlighting the most common, and lesser known ones. As with everything Richard Webster, there is that little extra that is difficult to find anywhere else. Of course, included is Tarot (each card gets an illustration and a separate page of description), Astrology, Palmistry, Tea Leaf, I Ching, Runes, and Playing Cards to name a few of the best known. He also includes Flowers, Crystals, Germs, Dice, Herb, Face and Sand among the thirty-one main articles, followed by a chapter for more unusual ones such as banana, sky stones (mentioned in his Omens, Oghams, and Oracles), Knee, or Dough reading. Finishing the book are chapters about finding the method for you, and how to prepare for divination. I always learn something.
Not a book I would normally read since I feel this goes against what the Bible teaches and borders on witchcraft. That being said I read the book to learn more about those things so I could have a conversation with someone who is into tarot reading and things like candle reading or sand reading which is mention in the book. If you're into numerology and tarot cards and things like that then this is the book for you. I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255
Richard Webster is a well respected author of metaphysical books, from introductory guides on a wide range of subjects to advanced techniques for experienced practitioners. In this comprehensive treatment, he prefaces the extensive list of divination techniques with a well-researched history. More importantly, he emphasizes the approach of honesty and integrity in divination work, a view not often expressed in the many “how-to” books of this genre. The subjects are alphabetically presented with each explained by typology, history, and process. This is an excellent work for teachers and researchers as well as those seeking new ways of anticipating the future.
While the rating would be different if this book was read for research purposes *it covers a wide range of topics* I gave it two stars because of how little it included in some sections. Particularly the tarot. I feel like in order for it to be useful it would interact with the user more and show them different ways of using things like the tarot over providing basic information that can be found in thousands of other books.
Really amazing and informative book. Covers every single kind of divination I have ever come across/heard of/ and then some
Highly satisfied with the amount of information I received in this book! I feel like I made 100 bookmarks just because it's just such a great reference I know I will be coming back to refer to it.
This was extremely hit and miss for me. Some sections were clear, concise and interesting. Some seemed kind of useless (/had glaring issues like the geomancy section not saying which figures were made up of which patterns? It's like 10 pages long but entirely unusable.) Some of the most interesting/new stuff I learned was hard to verify/find similar information on, which makes me leary of trusting the research.
A really fascinating and instructive book. I improved my knowledge of already know divination methods and learned of new ones. Also got some new idea about tarot reading and other divination methods I already knew. A good and learned guide to the divination world.
A great intro to various forms of divination across the world. Because this is a brief guidebook covering many methods, this will only give you enough info to get started. I'd recommend picking up a book solely devoted to your particular divination method of choice for more in-depth info and helpful tips/tricks!
Really good book that gives a great overview of different methods of divination. (Luckily, the author didn't pad the tarot section.) Couldn't go into oracles because there's way too many of them. Good bibliography and options for extra reading (although they're mostly Llewellyn titles).
Quick impressions: This is an interesting book. It is informative, and it provides enough detail on the 31 main practices for folks who may want to try a practice.
Disclaimer: I received a free ARC in exchange for my review; however all thoughts and opinions are solely my own. As with any book from Llewellyn's, this book is detailed and informative for both novice and long-term practitioners of divination.
The book is organized into the following chapters.
Chapter 1: What is Divination? Chapter 2: The History of Divination Chapter 3: The Main Systems of Divination Chapter 4: Unusual Methods of Divination Chapter 5: How to Choose the Right Oracle for You Chapter 6: Preparing for Divination
The author gives a thorough description of divination along with its history. I really like his answer to is divination always accurate. He provides information on over thirty types of divination. He gives an overview of each type along with instructions on how to use it. Some forms were new to me while others I have been using for years. Mainly I use the Ogham, Runes and Tarot but have used Astrology, Bibliomancy, IChing, and Scrying. I look forward to learning Tea Leaf Reading, Palmistry, and Sky Stones.
He states you need to have passion for a specific oracle and enjoy working with them to be successful. Don’t pick something just because it sounds good. Choose something because you like it and have the time to study its system. The appendix at the end of the book lists even more types of divination not completely covered in the text. I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about divination.
When I read the title, I assumed Webster would probably cover a few of the more well studied topics; however, I was most surprised that he exceeded my expectations and have provided an encyclopedia worth of information related to all arts of Divination. From Astrology, Numerology, to even Dowsing and Bibliomancy, Webster covers it all and even provides a 'How To Do' for every divination practice mentioned. If you've ever had a flight of fancy and wanted to explore the divination world, this is definitely the book you should consult first. Also, I was so delighted to find out that the things I usually notice, like the sound of the wind and the ripples of the water and the flame were in fact types of divining. I definitely plan on adding this book to my permanent book collection as a reference guide.
If you are looking for introduction material and a book that is excellent for reference, this is definitely worthy of consideration. There are some things that are questionable in it and for that reason, I would encourage you to continue delving a little deeper into other sources instead of taking everything as absolute. Regardless, it's still enough information to overwhelm someone completely new. I do recommend this book.
Thank you to Richard Webster, Llewellyn Worldwide, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.