Not All that Glitters is Gold: good seers and bad seers.
Nature of Oracle, part 6.
Previously in this series (here is an index), we compared and contrasted oracle systems. In doing that, we learned that there’s no such thing as an entirely good or entirely bad oracle system [but people will laugh at some and put other ones on a pedestal ANYWAY. Tsk tsk…]
Today, I’d like to draw your attention to a different fact altogether: how the human beings giving you oracles can make or break your experience.
It’s not the oracle’s fault. It’s the human being’s fault (or merit). Keep that in mind. I know it’s tempting to say you’re “disappointed with tarot” because your younger, more naive, hopeful self once looked for this service and got disappointed — but I GUARANTEE you the disappointment came from human error. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
…And if you’re sceptical and don’t believe oracles work, well, why did you even come here? I’ll show you the back door -> 🚪 Seriously though, in order to seek any oracle, you first need to decide whether or not you believe it. I wasn’t gonna mention it, then I remembered this is the Internet and people have become too lazy to think. So, just to dumb things down for the pedantic crowd: if you already believe, and feel disappointed because [insert incident here with an inefficient person giving oracles], don’t blame the cards (or the stones, or bones, or ritual itself). Blame the person.
Well, maybe don’t “blame”. Blame is a strong word. But just put your focus where it should be. More logic and less emotional thinking, please.
My point is: for every service imaginable, there are good professionals and not-so-good professionals. Why should it be any different with oracle?
With that in mind:
Seers to avoid
See… (pun intended!), I’m not sure about the terminology here. It’s this goddamn English language being limited all over again. Why do we have the same word for oracle (the message received) and oracle (the person who gives it)? I’m trying to teach a lesson here but this language doesn’t help.
That’s why I chose seers for the purpose of today’s article — to make the distinction above easier… But will we encounter smartass people saying “what about oracles who just hear”? Aye. That’s bound to happen. It’s the English language’s fault, don’t look at me, I’m out-
Kidding, I can’t. Gotta finish this article. Here we go, beware the following kinds of seers when you’re looking for an oracle:
Avoid: people who give unsolicited oracles (or “downloads”) for attention.
Instead, go for: people who will answer your questions, period.
Have you been following the full series? *puts on glasses* I’ll quiz you then: what are the 3 professional activities that can teach you skills similar to oracle? Do you remember? I’ll give you some time to think.
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Ready?
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Ok, here’s the answer: translation, math, and the arts. Together, they come close to what an oracle does. (It’s not a perfect equivalence, but some of these skills can be found in the practice of oracle).
So, let’s talk about translation. It exists in every kind of oracle, regardless of tradition. You’re never talking directly to the source of the message (not even in oracle rituals that involve channeling!). There’s always the filter of a person between “source of the answer” and “oracle seeker”. (No, don’t be a smartass, that’s true even when YOU are the seer. How do you think I practise, my dude? I don’t always have guinea pigs who need answers. I still have to translate the messages into an answer I’ll use myself… And this can lead me to distort it somewhat because of my own human fears and wishes).
This translation aspect of oracle is perhaps more obvious when you’re talking about random draw: cards, stones, bones, etc. They have permanent messages engraved in them, don’t they? You have to combine the pieces together according to what you randomly drew, trust it reflects a deliberate choice made by the source (a deity or spirit on the other side), and come up with a coherent answer to the question.
All is good and well, until you remove the questioner from the equation. And to that, I’ll say: what the f…
Why WOULD you deliver a message nobody asked? What for? Usually, it’s either for your ego, or for your newly formed cult (ehemm… Sorry… I misspelled “fundamentalist religion”) to be sold to the masses.
I know some people will say “but what about Nostradamus?”, to which I’ll reply, “Nostradamus was one guy. There’s a chance in several billion someone will replicate what he did. And I don’t fully buy it, there was a lot of propaganda for him but when you look at the actual facts, none of his prophecies has actually made itself useful for anybody. To this day. Even though they were vague. So, why exactly do you guys put him on a pedestal? Propaganda”.
You could be team Nostradamus or team I-don’t-buy-it (high five!), but regardless, you have to admit that the wide majority of oracles (and I’m talking, literally, more than 99.99%) that are legit and not just a power game or ego trip… need to be an answer to a question.
That means there needs to be consent, Kevin. The questioner consents. That’s why they asked.
Avoid: people who don’t explain their methods.
Instead, go for: transparent oracles.
Look, I get it. Some oracle systems require secrecy and mysteries.
My own oracle has secrets and mysteries. I’m not an outsider looking in.
Regardless, there must be some level of transparency. Basic stuff like “who is the source” (a god? Which one? A spirit? Who?); “where does the message start and end” needs to be clarified. I have seen some bullshit out there, I’m not making-up scenarios in my head. *Flashback to that tarot reader I consulted once who started messageing me out of the blue with random stuff the cards apparently said — DAYS AFTER we were done with the reading*.
If you provide oracles and you’re guilty of this, listen here: you will never be a perfect translator. NEVER. Do you hear me? Never ever. Forget that. Ultimately, though, perfection is a selfish pursuit: if you keep trying to add to the message because “it wasn’t thorough during the reading”, maybe your ego will feel good, but I guarantee the customer will lose respect for you, because it looks like you have zero control of when or where you receive a message, and that’s just not professional. Still training? Still making sense of how your oracle works? Then do yourself a favour and don’t offer the service so early.
I won’t even comment on the seers who don’t reveal (or worse, don’t KNOW) who their source is, because… Ya know, that’s treading on dangerous territory. Utterly irresponsible.
Avoid: oracles you’re in love with.
They can be brilliant and the best in their field… But a love interest is the Achilles’ heel of oracular work (lust, after all, is a kind of wish. This is why, in myth, Apollon couldn’t predict any of his heartbreaks). I don’t care if you’re in denial about it, you can’t hide that from gods and spirits. Hence, “know yourself” — be brave enough to introspect, see if you’re desiring someone who provides oracles (even if just in a Platonic sense), and if so, don’t use that person’s services.
This is a tangent, but: now you know [one of the reasons] why a lot of oracles use a ritual name and veil or otherwise conceal themselves during the reading. It’s not mandatory [and it happens more with channeling, trance, etc than, say, tarot — for other mysterious reasons mainly] but it ends up helping people focus on the message and not on the person delivering it.
Avoid family and close friends too if you can (although it’s doable, with a lot of maturity, to read for family/friends. But definitely not a lover. Big no-no).
Instead, go for: strangers, casual acquaintances, or people you’re indifferent about.
I wouldn’t recommend consulting an oracle you absolutely hate as a person either — again, even if you won’t admit it. Know yourself — because that’ll take you to the other extreme of the danger spectrum: fears. You’ll start fearing that their message is biased against you, etc. I don’t care how mature you are, it happens.
Avoid: close-minded or dogmatic oracles.
Instead, go for: open-minded oracles (even if they’re a bit naive or eccentric in their everyday life).
Yes, the most trustworthy oracles are “innocent” people. A bit childlike. In a lot of traditions globally, actual children or teenagers work as oracles (or start working at that age). Here’s one example.
You can’t be close-minded or too opinionated if you want to be an oracle. This red flag has to do with the “art” aspect of oracle: you can’t access the answer to a lot of questions if you’re not open to infinite possibilities. This is where “know yourself” applies more to the oracle than to the seeker: do you know your biases, and do you actively work on setting these biases aside for the duration of a reading? Or are you totally unaware and assume you’re naturally impartial?
A good oracle knows how to accept an answer that goes against their values, beliefs, or preferences, because it happens. And it happens often.
Fun fact: this is why a lot of fundamentalist religions dislike (and create excuses to demonise) the activity of oracle: it can threaten their dogma. We are known for speaking truth to power — including religious leaders.
This is also why I don’t buy the whole idea of prophecy-based holy books. No, sorry, the Bible is not a set of prophecies. Neither is the Quran or [insert fundamentalist scriptures here]. I don’t care that the authors are commonly known as “prophets”, it makes zero sense and has no logic (yes, I’m talking about spiritual logic) whatsoever. That’s no demerit to the message you find in these books — they have very valid, wise messages, but these are maxims at best. They’re not prophecies. That word — “prophecy” — was chosen the moment these religions became imperialistic and started encouraging conversion of the conquered people… Because when you say something is a prophecy, you’re implying it is the “one and only truth” and everybody should bow to it. In fact, no, that’s false. Religions are subjective. They’re a choice. They point towards one possibility, not infinite. Therefore, there’s nothing oracular about religious dogma.
When you’re giving oracles to one person, maybe it’s possible to get specific and reach a certain level of accuracy about future events — because it’s that person’s future you’re looking into, not millions upon millions all around the globe. Re-read my rant about probability calculations here.
Avoid: gossipers.
Instead, go for: oracles who are able to keep a secret.
This is pretty self-explanatory, I think. Nobody wants their dirty laundry or dilemmas they shared with an oracle aired for the world to know, lol.
There’s another reason why this is a red flag, though — a technical reason which directly implies on the quality of your reading — gossip creates triangulation between oracle seekers, which can fuel their fears. And we already know fears are not to be fueled if we want accurate messages.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s no need to be idealistic and expect every oracle to be a saint (I know for a fact I’m not a saint. More like a bitch. Don’t provoke me lol). If they gossip in their regular lives, who the fuck cares? However, if they gossip during oracle, or about oracles given, RUN TO THE HILLS.
Or, ya know, just don’t use their services. That’ll teach them.
Allright! We have enough food for thought before the last article in this series — coming up next! Stay tuned! By the way, something is missing today. Can you tell? That shall give you a hint about next article’s topic!
See ye then.
