Divination tools are often dismissed as mere fortune telling, but for me, they became self-growth tools after a car accident in 1994.

Most spiritual journeys start with a wound, as did mine. I have often asked myself why pain is the route to discovering your inner self. Why can’t we walk into the spiritual zone willingly and joyfully? Primarily, because it’s not a journey that we are prepared for in the material world. It’s not considered important enough in the race of life.

It’s mostly considered a journey of short explorations, few minutes of prayers, a hasty bow in front of the temple, a festive occasion to wear new clothes, eat mithais and kick off the good times with family and friends, catch up on the gossip and generally forget all about it till the next bout.

Trauma, Healing & Spirituality

Anyways, philosophising isn’t my motive. My goal is to lead a peaceful life, walk the path of joy, hope, light. I thought this lay in the world around me, until that day… January 2, 1994, time of the accident: 2 pm.

Two years after the accident, I began to heal my physical self with yoga and gym. I thought my physical self would be as good as new with lots of exercise. Well, I did recover some of my physical ability, but I also acquired invisible emotional and mental wounds. I discovered the word ‘trauma’: Something hiding deep within the layers of your soul, forgotten to us, but surging full force when a heart jolting situation acts as a trigger. Traumas manifest in complex ways such as emotional bouts, broken relationships, scarcity mindset, loss in all ways—simply put a broken heart and soul.

They aren’t your regular cuts and scratches; their roots go deep sometimes, right to your DNA. Sometimes, you carry the memories of your ancestors, sometimes your own unresolved issues and most of the times the information you have absorbed from your environment. These imprints become patterns, quietly governing our choices. Healers and therapists classify these as Somatic Memory, Intergenerational Trauma and Karma. A lot of research has also been done on epigenetics and behaviours.

If you step into healing these invisible wounds and open the spiritual door, you discover another world. Maybe you are unable to share this world with all and sundry, but it’s your compass, the navigation tool. And it thrives on joy. But I learned this lesson after three decades of hits and trials.

Being spiritual isn’t about wearing white or saffron, it’s about filling your life with sunshine, living a fruitful path. It doesn’t need to be announced from the rooftops; it needs to flow gently like a brook. It also isn’t a horror movie or an issue that needs to be hidden in the closet; it’s about being you—the real you.  

Each individual addresses disturbances in a different manner. Initially, the experiences of others guide you. In India, a common way to handle complex situations is to go for pilgrimages, seek help from astrologers, soothsayers, oracle card and tarot card readers, psychics, tantriks and divination practitioners. Science hails psychiatrists and psychologists, counsellors and therapists as the right route. I haven’t been able to figure out the right route—it’s about individual choices. But my journey began with meditation and astrology.

I thought these were magic pills. One fine day, when I discovered deities and demons, thinking a heartfelt prayer a day with some remedies would straighten life out. Here again, another truth waited for me.

What Are Divination Tools?

Divination tools are not magic wands that help your karma go poof. They are more personal growth tools, coping and learning mechanisms that come with their own shifts—truckload of bitter truths and a massive need to change the life patterns, belief system and habits. Beyond fortune telling, divination tools are maps, mirrors, companions.

Tarot, oracle cards, astrology, meditation, shamanism — often dismissed as fortune telling — are actually tools for self-reflection and growth. They help us:

✨ Recognize hidden patterns.
✨ Sit with uncomfortable truths.
✨ Build coping mechanisms for daily life.
✨ Shift gradually into alignment.

Meditation

Let’s begin with meditation. From the ancient gurukuls to modern apps, meditation is now a household practice. However, meditation is more than dhyan, concentration. It is about letting go, saying goodbye to all that clutters your brain, heart and soul. It takes more than one or two sessions to declutter; it takes years of practice to have a clean mind. Training the ‘monkey mind’ is a Herculean task.

When I started meditating, I found myself enveloped in heaviness, dark energies. It’s much later that I experienced bliss, the quietness that helped me withdraw from situations that weren’t working in my favour. After 30 years, I learned the art of saving my energy for things that worked for me and not be swayed by the world that was running around me.

It’s slow and steady work with layer after layer needing cleansing until you come to a clean surface. Then you begin anew, the ground that works in your favour.

It taught me self-control, helped harness anger and impulsiveness. I stopped jumping headlong into every conflicting issue and arguing till I was attacked hard or sidetracked with a single motion. I realised that in most situations, I should have just backed off. And that doesn’t mean I am a coward; it means I value myself more than the fiery situation that is draining me out.

It’s taken years to find clarity, purpose and desire to live a greener life, rather than be a donkey in lion’s clothing.

While there are 112 meditation techniques mentioned in Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, I have tried about 20 and all have worked in different ways for me.

Astrology

Of course, me, the wounded soldier, had little faith in God or sacred places. My emotional wounds kept getting deeper, while the surface appeared fine. Ironically, the person who hit me the hardest, also turned me towards astrology. Since I had heard a lot about astrology but was clueless about it, astrology became my first step into the world of divination tools.

I enrolled in astrology classes at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Delhi. The classes under the ‘School of Astrology’ were held on weekends. It suited me, as I had also started working at that time. The founder, Mr K.N. Rao’s reputation as actor Amitabh Bachchan’s astrologer, had been the reason for this decision to join the course. I thought I was going to be bestowed my magic wand now. The complexities would disappear overnight.

I did the two-year course, learnt a lot about ‘Jyotish’, saw the references to Vedas and ancient rishis, but this was just the tip of the iceberg. I enrolled in research, wrote for Mr Rao’s ‘Journal of Astrology’ and even went on trips to Vrindavan with his group.

I was awarded silver medals in both years, and even wrote an article on the famous policewoman Kiran Bedi in an anthology, Famous Women, under his guidance. I learnt the value of prayers and revived my little bit knowledge of Sanskrit (thanks to the time schools did teach Sanskrit) by reciting the strotras.

Looking back, I realise that the impact was subtle, not visible to me, but something within had begun to take shape. I was still running after worldly things; astrology and spirituality, weren’t my comfort zone till then. I didn’t realise that there were many more deeper layers to shed. I didn’t realise that anchored in this Vedic knowledge, I would be heading deeper into the spiritual world, that found a home in Shamanism.

At the beginning, I was excited, then jaded, and finally disillusioned for my worldly requirements weren’t fulfilled. I had never planned a career in astrology, I had never planned a career in journalism either, but I enjoyed that adventure more. Journalism gave me the discernment to see the other side of things, varied angles and a much wider exposure. It developed my sleeping mind; astrology became a guiding light that helped me navigate the lows.

Under Mr Rao’s guidance, I learned the value of life, people, respect for the many wonders that our world holds, the diversity that thrives in the planet and the ability to let life flow uninterrupted. The main thing: the power of faith and prayer, which doesn’t lie in a place or an idol, but within. It strengthens you from within.

Tarot & Oracle Cards

My introduction to tarot was through my work. A broken me, struggling to find her feet, hoping I could turn the clock and find myself on safer shores, I interviewed, Guneeta Dhingra (now lives in Australia), and she helped me understand the brilliance of cards. She is the author of Tarot Reading Fortunes, published in 2012 by Sterling Publishers. However, I didn’t pursue that route, as I was enrolled in astrology classes.

Then, I discovered Angel and Oracle cards, and met another reader Durgesh Singh. My interactions with her over a decade have been a major transformative shift in my perspective. She’s guided me through the ups, the lows, the downs, the indecipherable and even the weirder aspects. During Covid-19, she surprised me with a gift of four decks!

Then my journey took off. I watched many YouTube practitioners, attended masterclasses by the popular Colette Baron Reid and finally began journaling.

I am learning more from the cards daily. Working with colours, numbers, astrological symbols, symbolic interpretations, the cards are a daily dose of serotonin. They are your best friends, your guide, your harmonising tools and handy enough to carry in your tote bag.

Shamanism

After astrology, this has been my most complex energy work. It involves emptying everything inside you to discover a whole new you. It’s almost like seeing the cosmos within you, as Krishna showed Arjuna in the battleground of Kurukshetra.

It frightens most people. ‘You go into a trance?’, ‘Is it harmful?’, ‘Does your mind go haywire?’, ‘How can you see things like that?’, ‘There’s just darkness when I close my eyes.’ And many more presumptions. They also find me a weirdo when I mention this; some are fascinated but almost never walk the path that the spirit shows. All the world’s a maya, an illusion, a playground. And when we realise that the inner world is the reality, then it’s no longer a dark maze, but a brightly lit sky.

So, yes, the strong meditative discipline has helped me go deep within to find answers. Shamanism is as old as mankind. It’s the sixth sense, the inner light that comes from an invisible window that shows you what the creator has in store for you. All you need is solitude and silence to let the spirit to guide you into that loving and compassionate world. Somehow, I don’t relate to the public trances or elaborate rituals that I see on YouTube.

Shamanism originated long before Google became the king of solutions. Shamans were healers, the oracle men who helped their community. They were capable of removing toxic energy and guide you on where to find food, shelter and much more complex issues.

What shamanism has given me is a love for Nature. It has taught me the value of safeguarding the environment, the healing power of greens. It has helped me root myself to Earth, knowing the planet is abundant and willing to take care of me. It’s been my guiding power to write, learn photography, get into videography, trust my capabilities, and always sends a helping hand during the toughest situations.

It has proven to be my lifesaver on many occasions, such as avoiding bad routes, helping get over betrayals and insults. It’s taught me to see light, change my habits, repattern myself for the life I want, rather than the life imposed upon me by my lack of understanding.

It instilled in me a love for healing therapies such as forest bathing, sound therapy, akashic records, chakra healing. I’ve also tried past life regression, family constellations, a bit of reiki, aura reading, colour therapy, astrological remedial measures, but the biggest solution to calm troubled hearts lies in surrendering to the flow of life, letting go of all that doesn’t work for you and in adopting ways that bring the change.

Divination tools aren’t merely used for fortune telling or suggesting remedies that ease off your blocks or challenges. They act as shields that insulate you from your destructive habits/behaviours/patterns, guiding you towards change, step-by-step. It’s a slow passage, almost like a turtle, but then winning the race isn’t always about jumping around like a rabbit. Remember, the turtle reached the finish line.

The journey is not easy. It demands patience, courage, and honesty. But as I’ve learned, when we open ourselves to these practices, we discover that spirituality is less about magic — and more about transformation.

👉 Read more reflections on spirituality, healing, and divination
Healing POWER OF An Urban Forest Bath
Healing Your Shadow: A Guide to Better Mental Health and Well-being
A Sound Bath Healed My Heart
A Year of Birding: My Transformative Journey
10 Meditation Techniques That Help Me
How a Vipassana Retreat at Sohna Changed My Life
Oracle Card Journaling: Discover Clarity and Guidance
6 Ways to overcome emotional battles
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence: Tools for Self-Awareness and Empathy

This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Mads’ Cookhouse.