Divination has been around for thousands of years. At least, that’s how long we have been actively recording divination practices. Divination tools have been around just as long. Since the beginning of the occult, practitioners have used tools to gain answers to their questions from spirits.
Hundreds of years ago, witches and seers used to “see” using divination tools such as bone reading and entail reading. Obviously, these methods are not super popular anymore. Divination tools have evolved over time, and even though they look a little different, there are still many popular divination tools out there today that work.
Today, I’m introducing the 21 most popular divination tools right now. You may already use some of these divination tools or they may be completely unfamiliar to you.
Make sure to clear any divination tools before you use them. I use incense to clear my divination tools, but you can also use sage, sound, the sun, the moon, or visualization techniques.
It’s really important to clear a divination tool (especially if it’s new) so that you don’t have any different energy influencing your answers. The only way to get a valid reason is to clear your tools first!
Divination Tools:
These are my favorite 21 divination tools. I also find that these are the most popular divination tools to work with right now!
You may find that some of these divination tools work for you while others do not. This is perfectly normal. Try experimenting with various divination tools to find what methods are the most comfortable and natural for you.
Related Post: Are You Claircognizant? The Gift Of Psychic Knowing: Claircognizance
21. Pendulum (Dowsing)
The pendulum is one of my favorite divination tools because it’s so easy to use! Using the pendulum is the act of dowsing.
Not only is a pendulum very inexpensive to purchase (I typically buy 100% metal pendulums on Amazon), but it’s very easy to clear your pendulum once you own it.
I find that the pendulum is one of the best divination tools for yes/no answers or questions that call for a very specific answer. I also like using my pendulum with charts.
Keep in mind that you can use almost anything in place of a pendulum. You might want to make your own pendulum using a rock and string, or you can use a necklace. I prefer purchasing a pendulum because it’s made to swing equally in all directions, but this is simply a personal preference.
20. Tarot Cards
Tarot cards are one of the most popular divination tools throughout history. Although Tarot cards are a bit difficult to use at first, I really love Tarot and do recommend putting in the time to learn these divination tools if you’re interested.
If you’re new to Tarot, you’ll want to start off with a deck that is suitable for beginners. Practice asking your Tarot Cards simple questions to learn the deck before moving on to more complicated spreads.
Tarot cards won’t give you a super clear answer (unless you use Tarot for yes/no questions, which I personally do not), but will instead give you an insightful reading that is geared towards soul growth.
19. Oracle Cards
Oracle cards are similar to Tarot Cards but they’re much more flexible. Oracle cards are one of the newer divination tools on the market.
Tarot cards have specific suits and numbers; almost every deck has similar meanings for each card with slightly different photos. Oracle Cards are instead made in any way the creator wishes. No one deck is like another in any way.
You can purchase a variety of Oracle Card decks and use them for different sorts of readings. I like to keep my Oracle cards in one place and choose what deck I’ll use for a reading based on intuition.
18. The Pen (Automatic Writing)
The pen isn’t one of the most well-known divination tools, but it is highly effective. The pen is best used during automatic writing sessions.
Automatic writing is a great way to practice divination! You simply need a pen, a piece of paper, and a quiet place to sit. Check out this post for instructions on how to practice automatic writing.
17. Ouija Board
Although the Ouija board is often viewed with fear, I find that it is simply another divination tool. You may need to add some extra protection when you’re working with an Ouija board, but you can certainly connect to positive spirits and receive insightful answers.
I do recommend purchasing a brand new Ouija board instead of using one that has entities attached to it. You’ll need to clear the board and cast a circle in order to keep out negative spirits.
16. Crystal Ball
Scrying is the act of finding answers through looking into something transparent, such as a crystal ball. You can also scry using water, a mirror, a spoon, or anything else that is either transparent or has a reflection.
The crystal ball is one of my favorite divination methods when I’m working on developing clairvoyance! I use a clear crystal ball, but these divination tools come in a variety of sizes and colors, so choose something that feels right to you.
To learn more about how to use a crystal ball, check out this post.
15. Candle
The candle isn’t often though of as a divination tool, but it works quite well. You can scry into the candle flame if you want to practice clairvoyance. Alternatively, you can speak aloud (about any topic) and interpret the bounce and height of the candle flame as your answer.
I often incorporate candle divination into my spell work. If a candle flame is strong, I assume that my spell has a good amount of energy. If the candle is going wild, that’s an indication that something is off with the spell. If the candle flame is weak, I usually know to gather more energy in order to cast a spell successfully.
14. Tea Leaves
Tea leaves are a super fun divination tool! Tea leaf reading is a popular “psychic” tool, but that’s probably because it works.
I love doing a small tea leaf reading for myself at night. To practice tea leaf reading you’ll need a tea cup, a saucer, a kettle, and loose leaf tea.
Drink the tea until there are only a few drops left in the bottom, the flip the cup over so that the loose leaf tea has a chance to move about and stick to the side. Flip the cup back over and observe what patterns you see in the leaves.
13. A Table
Table turning was super popular in the Victorian times, probably because you only need a table. Similar to the Ouija board, table turning got a bad rap, but it’s really just another one of the many divination tools that we use to get answers.
The idea is that the energy of the group (sitting around the table) and the energy specifically coming from their hands (resting on the table) gives the spirits power to tip the table. You can ask a question then say various letters or answers. When the table tips to one side, this is indicative of an answer from the spirits.
Although table turning isn’t super popular nowadays, it is a super fun group activity for a spiritual community to try, similar to the Ouija board. Make sure to cast a circle or at least cast some type of protection barrier before beginning.
12. Astrology
Astrology is one of my all-time favorite divination tools. It isn’t so much a physical divination tool as it is an art. I use physical charts for the purpose of astrology, but most of the answers in astrology come from learning, studying, and intuiting.
It can take quite a bit of time to learn astrology, but I really feel that it’s worth it. Astrology is (in my opinion) one of the most accurate divination tools on this list. It’s a comprehensive science/art that you’ll start to see in every area of your life.
If you’re brand new to astrology, start out by learning about the big three signs: the sun, the moon, and the ascendant/rising sign. You can later learn about the other planets, the houses, aspects, asteroids, etc. More advanced students may want to delve deeper into things like the degrees of each sign and past life astrology.
Check out our section in the blog on astrology for more information!
11. Scrying Bowl
You don’t always need a fancy crystal ball or crystal to scry. In fact, you can use a plain old bowl of water!
You’ll want to use the same method you would use with a crystal ball. Let your eyes fuzz out and spend a few moments getting into a deep trance while focusing on the water. Over time, images will reveal themselves to you.
10. Wooden Runes
Wooden runes are based on Nordic runes, which are extremely complex. If you don’t know the full language of runes (most of us don’t), it’s much simpler to use wooden runes.
You can ask a question and pull a rune from a bag without looking. Once you know your rune, you can look up various interpretations of it to discern what answer you received.
These are some great wooden runes for beginners.
9. Playing Cards
Most people own playing cards, but you might not know that cards are effective divination tools. I typically use playing cards for numerical questions, but you can really use them any way you like.
If you want more than just numerical answers, you can assign values or meanings to each of the playing cards. Alternatively, you can pair each playing card up with a Tarot card definition. This is pretty easy because there are 4 Tarot suits that coincide with playing card suits.
8. The Palm
Palmistry is another one of the older divination tools on this list, but it’s still extremely popular today.
Learning to read palms is a bit more difficult than most give credit. This is a great book for beginners that’s complete with descriptions and pictures!
7. Crystals
Crystals can be used for so many spiritual activities, including divination. You may already own crystals and not realize that they can function as divination tools!
You might want to use crystals to enhance your divination abilities or place crystals on your chakras. Alternatively, you can scry using a crystal, as long as it’s slightly see-through or milky. Some of my best scrying sessions have been while using a crystal!
I generally keep crystals around my home to enhance my psychic abilities. Choose specific crystals for specific purposes. Don’t forget to bond with your crystal before using it.
6. Dice
You can use regular dice as divination tools! Most of us already own dice, so this is an easy way to practice divination without spending any money.
For very basic questions, an even number is a yes and an odd number is a no. It can be helpful to use multiple dice at once to get clearer answers. If the dice are split (one is even while one is odd) then the answer is unclear or unknown.
You can also ask numerical questions to the dice and gain insightful answers. For example, you could ask how many minutes would be most beneficial for your body to workout or other health-related questions. I also like using the dice for time-related questions.
Related: Types Of Ghosts, Spirits, and Entities
5. Astrology Dice
I just purchased a set of astrology dice a few weeks ago and I’m obsessed! There is one dice for the signs, one for the planets, and one for the houses.
I’ll ask all sorts of questions using the astrology dice. There really are no limits! Here are examples of questions I’ve asked:
What sign do I need to embody this week?
What sign/planet/house is causing me the most trouble right now?
Which sign describes my relationship with my cat/plant/parent/partner?
Which sign should I embody to further my career?
What house is currently holding me back?
What planet do I need to focus on to further my spiritual growth?
4. Books (Bibliomancy)
Bibliomancy is an ancient form of divination that’s really simple. The only divination tool you need for Bibliomancy is a book. You can use any book at all!
Ask a question out loud, then open the book (while closing your eyes) and point to the page. Open your eyes and read the sentence your finger landed on. This is your answer. Super simple!
3. Incense Smoke
Incense smoke can be used to get answers, similar to the flame of a candle. Ask a question then light your incense. Pay particular attention to the smoke as the incense burns.
You may see symbols, letters, patterns, or pictures in the smoke. You might instead notice that the smoke is strong, weak, angry, peaceful, etc. Feel what comes to you and go with the flow!
2. Mirror
The mirror is one of these divination tools that you probably already own. I love scrying into a mirror! I find that it’s as effective as a crystal ball.
You can use a handheld mirror, a full length mirror, or anything in between. I do recommend scrying into the mirror when it’s somewhat dark so that you can see more easily.
There are many ways to scry into a mirror; there really are no rules. You can ask a question and wait to receive the answer visually, or you can see what comes up. Sometimes, I even ask to see a past life in the mirror.
You can also use the mirror to see your own aura or to activate your chakras.
Lastly, I find that the mirror is really useful for shadow work and self work.
1. The Mind
It just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t include the mind on this list of divination tools. I believe that the mind is the primary divination tool. As much fun as it can be to use various tools and methods, psychism begins within us.
Don’t feel that you must become knowledgable at using a variety of divination tools. It’s certainly fun to play around and you can get many great answers from divination tools, but at the end of the day, the answers are always within.
If you want to develop your psychic abilities, I recommend focusing both on the abilities you naturally possess (see our posts on clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, and claircognizance to determine which abilities you should develop first) as well as focusing on divination tools to enhance these abilities.
