Divination: A Creative Conversation with Spirit
Have you ever looked at the clouds and seen an animal? Or noticed a shape in a painting that you didn’t intentionally put there? Something catches your eye, and suddenly you’re curious. What is that? What does it remind me of? Why does it feel meaningful today?
That curiosity is a wonderful place to begin exploring divination.
Divination is the practice of seeking insight or spiritual guidance through symbols, images, patterns, or tools such as oracle cards. Some people use it to ask about the future. In my own spiritual and creative practice, I’m interested in what it can help us notice right now. What am I feeling? What needs my attention? What possibility have I overlooked?
For me, divination can be a language with Spirit.
Think about how much we communicate without words. A painting can move us. A song can bring back a memory. An image can help us understand a feeling we haven’t been able to explain. I believe our relationship with Spirit can unfold through that same language of imagery, feeling, and personal meaning.
We ask. We notice. We reflect. We listen.
You might call that connection Spirit, your higher self, intuition, or inner wisdom. There is room to explore what it means to you.
Let the Color Start the Conversation
In my The Artist In You class, we explore this through painting. We choose colors intuitively and spread them in a way that feels pleasing to the eye. There doesn’t have to be a plan. We allow the colors to meet, overlap, and make their own interesting shapes.
Then we pause and look.
Do you see a bird? A mountain? A face? A little doorway? Turn the painting around. Look again. Something entirely different might appear.
This is where I invite you to explore divination through your art. Let an image become a starting point for a conversation.
If you see a tree, what does a tree mean to you today? Roots? Growth? Shelter? Maybe you’ve been giving so much that you need to tend to your own roots. Maybe you’re ready to branch out.
Those are possibilities to explore. You get to decide what feels useful and meaningful. An image doesn’t have to carry a message, either. Sometimes it’s simply a beautiful swirl of blue!
Creatively, this practice gives us permission to experiment. We follow a shape, add a line, or bring forward something we hadn’t planned. The painting becomes a collaboration between our choices and our discoveries.
A Place to Slow Down
There can also be something calming about giving yourself this kind of quiet attention. You sit. You breathe comfortably. You notice color, texture, and shape. For a few minutes, you have somewhere gentle to rest your attention.
Breathing practices and focused relaxation can help the body settle. That offers a possible explanation for why a slow, reflective divination ritual may feel soothing; it doesn’t establish that divination itself regulates the nervous system.
You might use a painting or an oracle card as a starting point for meditation. Look at it for a moment, then soften your gaze. Notice what feelings or thoughts arise. When your mind wanders, gently return to a color, a detail, or the feeling of your feet on the floor.
There is no need to force an answer. Let the quiet be part of the experience.
Bringing It into Everyday Life
A simple question can open the door: What would be helpful for me to notice today?
Pull a card, spend time with a painting, or make a little intuitive art of your own. Write down what catches your attention and what it brings to mind. Then consider one practical way to carry that reflection into your day. Perhaps you need rest, a conversation, time outdoors, or a few minutes to create.
I like to approach divination with curiosity and personal responsibility. A symbol can offer a perspective while leaving you free to make your own choices. You don’t need to keep asking until you get the answer you want.
For me, the beauty is in making room for connection—with Spirit, with creativity, and with the wisdom we sometimes struggle to hear beneath a busy day.
Spread some color. Take a breath. See what catches your eye.
Let’s divinate!
