diviners

Diviners are practitioners who claim to obtain information about persons, events, or the future through interpretations of signs, signals, or spiritual insight rather than through ordinary empirical means. Across cultures and periods, diviners have served roles ranging from religious specialists and healers to entertainers and advisers. The term covers a wide array of practices, including astrology, tarot or oracle cards, palmistry, runes, I Ching, tea-leaf reading, bibliomancy, and the interpretation of omens, dreams, or natural phenomena such as weather or animal behavior.

Some diviners specialize in ritual acts or communication with spirits, while others focus on divining patterns in chance or chance-like systems such as cards and dice. Dowsing or divining rods have also been used in attempts to locate water, minerals, or other hidden things, though their status is contested in science.

Historically, diviners occupied significant social roles. In ancient civilizations, oracles, seers, and augurs interpreted signs to guide decisions of rulers and communities. In many Indigenous and East Asian traditions, divination was integrated into religious practice. In the modern era, divining practices persist in various forms, including spiritual movements, cultural festivals, and commercial fortune-telling.

Skepticism and debate about the veracity and ethics of divination remain common, with scientific evaluation finding little evidence that psychic readings reliably predict events. Ethically, diviners may face concerns about consent, exploitation, and the potential to harm those seeking guidance.