Notes on Divination systems

Divination Systems

What has been will be again,

What has been done will be done again;

There is nothing new under the sun.

- Ecclesiastes 1:9

Man has always been eager to stretch beyond the imagination. One thing even after millennia we cannot do consistently is travel ahead of time. Time doesn’t move faster or slower. Time doesn’t allow itself to be manipulated nor does it allow us to know what future would be if things happen the way they are happening. Time does not allow us to modify future by letting us have peek at it. But that thing beyond the horizon, the search for the world's end, is what broadens the horizon.

And out of this quest are born divination systems. The veracity and its effectiveness of each system are unknowns. Possibly dependent on the player and not the system itself.

Future is highly malleable and elastic. We can manipulate it at our will. But if you bring in God and destiny into context, the picture may start to resemble Quantum and Chaos principles.

Statistical outcomes

All these divination systems are statistical. The submissions of palmistry, for instance, are derived from studying palms of thousands of persons of varying traits. Features, the presence or absence of it, were used to signify the presence or absence of particular trait.

In many senses, no divination system can be ever complete. On the other hand, divination systems do not need much time to complete themselves. There is so much history, that all systems should be perfect by now. Hence, I just assume that players are at fault than the system itself.

Some systems however are more scientific, in a sense its forecasts and outcomes are tabulated for analysis. The systems like meteorology, climate, technical analysis of markets; market share data analytics etc are well researched. Needless to say these systems are much more objective and reliable than entirely subjective. Simultaneously, it does not imply subjective ideas are less effective only that the outcomes are more anecdotal. For example, it unlikely any study has been conducted on the accuracy of reading tea-leaves or tarots.

Every system was made for some particular purpose. This is because of definite rationale that has gone into making of that system. So every system specializes in answering something and may not be suited for other purposes. All these systems are made with an objective of answering different questions or more precisely different modes of questioning to arrive at a same answer.

Chaotic universe

Chaos theory describes behavior of nonlinear and dynamical systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions and any events occurring during the action of system. In effect, a slight change in initial conditions and events during the procedure will increase the possibilities exponentially. An interesting quantum theory states there are infinite universes (quantum multiverse), playing out its’ own version of 'events'. If these are true, we do not have any hope in peeking into future because of infinite variables. It is in this context, Ecclesiastes’ sayings hold us in good stead. By allowing no new possibilities other than one that has already happened (what happened once is past might have been new at that time) we substantially reduce the number of probabilities.

Seeing Future – is it a possibility?

The basic principle on which the tarots are based is: We, in the present moment, are part of the time that also contains future (in it) by looking at what is happening to us (and around us) presently we can estimate what the future is likely to be.

In other words, we are already part of future or future is already part of us. This fits the quantum theory and may be other theories too.

Conclusion

Prediction is futile if it compromises our present. If there is anything that we can change then we must change that (like skill-sets, for example), if necessary. If there are things that affects us but we cant change (like presidential elections) we must watch them and form opinions as we go along.

Trying to reach for the holy grail of divination systems is killing the present moment - literally. There is nothing more futile than fritter away the present moment and its opportunities in chasing a goal that does not exist.

Somebody said that I look at future better because I use the rear view mirror to look at it. This is the central theme of all divination systems. But that is no reason to take our eyes off the road or drive in reverse!

What is twisted cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.

- Ecclesiastes 1:15