3 things everyone gets wrong about oracles.
So you think you know what it’s like to work with divination?
This article is, specifically, about the people who work with divination — not their tools. I know it’s common practice to only call someone “oracle” if they’re literally channelling, but I extend the term to tarot readers, scryers, astrologers, etc too. I don’t see why not.
And no, I’m not adding it to the Nature of Oracle series, simply because this has nothing to do with what an oracle is or isn’t. I’m just casually telling you about what it feels like to learn oracle and work with it.
1. Prophesising = having anxiety about the future.
No. Just no. Forget that.
This is so false, it makes me wanna pull my hair out.
Let’s untangle this mess, since it’s referring to two separate phenomena:
Do oracles have anxiety? Uh, yes, we do. We’re human beings. We feel anxiety, we feel hunger, we feel cold… All the things everybody else feels. The list goes on.
We do not, however, mistake these normal feelings for the more unusual information that comes from the 6th sense. They’re two very different, very separate things. It’s understandable that most people mistake them, though, because when you don’t have a framework of reference for what it feels like to see the future, of course your head will go like “404 not found” and you’ll just equate it to the closest phenomenon you DO have reference for. It’s only human. But since I’m here, let me explain:
Anxiety about the future always comes with a long string of “because” sentences (even if you’re not consciously aware of it). So, “I have no hope of getting that job”… “BECAUSE, I’m not prepared enough for today’s interview”… “BECAUSE, I feel like I’m underqualified and will have to lie if they ask tough questions”… “BECAUSE, I applied on a whim and didn’t think enough about it”. And on, and on, and on it goes. Sometimes it can give you a headache! Your mind is working overtime to account for all the reasons WHY you came to the conclusion you have about a situation. That’s called worrying. There’s nothing mystical about it.
Prophesising, on the other hand, just feels like taking a conclusion out of nowhere for no reason with no emotion or expectation attached. It’s… weird. You meet someone for the first time and haven’t even talked yet and think to yourself “I don’t trust this person” when they’re perfectly approachable and helpful and do not remind you of previous untrustworthy people and did nothing wrong — but as it happens, in the future you fall out for a completely random reason, and then you go like “ohhhhh I get it now. I won’t trust this person. Won’t, instead of don’t. Future, instead of present. That’s what I should have said to myself”. Or on a more positive note, “I love this kind of rug, but that’s for the smaller house with a window like this and stairs like that”. And as it turns out, in the future you end up moving and downsizing to that exact place.
It doesn’t use mental bandwidth. It doesn’t give you a headache. It just comes, and often you don’t even realise it. Especially true if you’re not training as an oracle, or if you’re a beginner. The “raw” ability can make for some really confusing scenarios — ranging from funny to disturbing.
2. Divination is a prestigious and pretentious activity.
This misconception comes from multiple stories of people who advised and prophesised and were considered untouchable or super important. From the Egyptian oracles to Nostradamus and beyond… Yeah. The activity got super mystified. I’m not sure how to feel about it. I think I hate it, but at the same time I empathise. Who knows? If I were an outsider, I’d probably have this same outlook.
What makes this myth complicated to debunk is the fact that technically, it can be true in rare isolated cases. I’m not gonna lie to you and say “oh, no, sweetie, don’t be silly, we never predict anything relevant or advise anyone important”. It can very well happen! Why not?
The misconception is coming from an all-or-nothing outlook, I think. People assume we only ever speak words of the utmost wisdom and only ever look into life-changing situations that will mark the oracle seeker forever. Boo! Did I scare you? Lol
In truth, we’re actually more approachable than that. Within reason of course. Don’t be a dick. But anyway, we’re quite approachable. Oracles are simply sensitive to certain energies that can indicate what is to come, or what has already happened and isn’t fully understood — much like a meteorological balloon.
Yes, call us meteorological balloons. This keeps things friendlier (and siller, perhaps).
3. Oracles are “more evolved” or “more empathetic” or “holier and more enlightened” than the mere mortals.
Look… I know it’s hard to move on from Christianity. I understand. But for god’s sake get over your Christian guilt already. I’m fed up. Ugh.
I’m kidding.
Anyway, the idea that anyone and everyone who approaches the sacred HAS to be the utmost role model of immaculate saint perfection… came from Christianity. Yes, love-and-light newage crowd, sorry to break that to you. (You too, western Buddhists).
Truth is, if you talk to any shaman from a traditional tribe in any remote area of the world, you’ll come to understand that they have flaws.
And I’m not talking about small, “oopsie, hehehe” kinds of mishaps. I’m referring to downright immature and antisocial behaviour. Obviously, this isn’t a generalisation — these problems can exist, but sometimes they don’t.
The bottom line is: any kind of occultist worker (from healer to oracle to sorcerer and all things in between) is human. We’re human, guys. Don’t forget that. And we didn’t “earn” the “gift” of divination because we were saintly enough to please the Christian god. Most of us don’t even believe in the Christian god (or your chosen alternative iteration — “Mother Goddess” included). It depends on tradition, some of us were born with it, others acquired it because it happened. Ultimately, the “reason why” is a mystery. We don’t even know. It doesn’t matter any more than the reason why you have curly hair and green eyes. It’s not that deep.
Yes, you can hold us accountable for bad behaviour. You can offer us therapy (if you’re a therapist) all you want. We’re not beyond anything. We’re just like you, except oracle.
Stop mystifying us, hm kay?
