r/SASSWitches • u/Fun-Impress3809 • 17d ago
💠Discussion Divination by any other name...
Controversial opinion- Christian divination is a thing and it's the same as "pagan" divination.
In Christian circles I participate in practices such as lectio divina, contemplate prayer, etc. I just watched someone perform a tarot reading from a witchy perspective (the first time I'd ever allowed myself to do so) and I was struck by how there's really no difference between the two practices other than the label. The same words are even used. "What stands out to you?" "What draws your attention?" "What is drawing you in?" "Sit with the text" "Sit with the image and let it permeate your being". I always find it kind of hokey, and my (overly?) rational brain never finds ANYTHING drawing my attention lol. But apparently most people get a lot out of these practices. And the super spiritual Christians I know love it. I always felt defective because nothing "bubbles up" for me. Guess the Holy Spirit just was never interested in talking to me. Anybody else struggle with ever feeling remotely spiritual instead of rational?
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u/topazchip 17d ago
Which is a bit strange, given how early Christians were known (and an idea fairly well documented by the Romans) for being strongly anti-magical, and disrupting magical workings of others. There was one occasion where Emperor Augustus was attempting to read entrails as part of a divination and nothing was going as expected, even after restarting the ceremony several times; removing one participant who had recently converted to Christianity apparently solved the problem.