SpiritualiTEA with Chasity Podcast, Episode 3 by Chasity Jones

An excerpt from SpiritualiTEA with Chasity Podcast Episode 3: Why are we afraid of Divination??? What is divination?

Divination is from Latin divinare “to foresee, to be inspired by a god”. (Goleman, David. The Varieties of the Meditative Experience. London: Rider, 1975.)

“DIVINATION IS A SACRAMENT!!” – Chastity S. Jones

This is beautiful to me because it reminds me of how when the prophets would begin to prophesy in the bible or even the explosive forward movement of the spread of the gospel- driven by the Holy Spirit, as well as those who documented the gospel are all described as being inspired by God. 

The most popular form of divination right now is tarot cards but we will discuss how there are many other forms- including forms that are acceptable in the church RIGHT NOW.

There are many bible verses cursing those who divine but I want to reiterate that one bible verse cannot be a comprehensive ethic or set of ethics, especially when there are other verses that contradict that verse.

Divination is tool of liberation, a tool of healing, a tool of clarity, and connecting to Source/higher power.

Practically it gives me insight as your spiritual advisor on how to advise you. IT gives those who are dedicated to guarding and leading your to abundance, liberation, and recovery a chance to speak into your lives- called many different things depending upon tradition – Guardian angels, the Holy spirit, ancestors, spirit guides, etc.

Insights from your spirit guides and ancestors who have accompanied you since you’ve been born into this lifetime and beyond.

Secondly, I am tired of “mysticism” and “blackness + mysticism” specifically being associated with witchcraft in a negative way. SOOOOOOOOOOOO TIRED – It’s the same old song from colonial times LITERALLY. A Black woman is at the origins of the witch trials of Salem Massachusetts, which is down the road from where I live and where I work.

This is almost laughable to me. As if The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being resurrected from the grave is mystical as if being dunked in water with a prayer can trigger a rebirth, or animal offerings and human sacrifices -JESUS- to the Lord isn’t mystical, super natural, and paranormal?

Not only is divination a crucial part of the lives of those in the bible (old testament and new) but the church was established by those who were diviners. It will never cease to blow my mind how we chose to blind ourselves to the obvious to keep our narrow and fragile world views intact- even though I know why. Some people need “certainty” to feel safe. Divination is tapping into the spiritual realm which is anything but uncertain.

An important lesson that was emphasized in my Sex and Gender in the New Testament class is that the Bible cannot be considered a comprehensive guide to sex and gender because there are so many aspects in which the Bible contradicts itself concerning sexual ethics. For example, Paul advises those who want to advance the kingdom of God if they are single to stay single however in Genesis God creates a partner because God thought, “it is not good for humans to be alone.” In 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 it said that women must be meek and mild and are prohibited from speaking in church, however, Deborah was a famous warrior of God who led the people of Israel back to God in Judges 4. I could go on and on!! My only point here is that this could be applied to many concepts within the Bible including divination!

***I personally feel as though I should not have to use the bible in my pro-divination argument. Still, because I am frustrated with Christian culture demonizing this spiritual tool and because of my Christian ties to Christianity, it seems that everything that I say should be appropriately backed up with scripture. This is one thing that I reluctantly accept as an up-and-coming leader in the Christian faith. Regardless, One of the greatest evolutions of my spirituality as an interfaith spiritual advisor has been gaining the sight to see the interconnectedness of all. Since studying divination and understanding it a little bit better, I have seen its similarities to modern Christian church cultures. All my life in the church, there are people who speak prophecies over people and their lives, there are people who have visions and speak openly about them, they hear the voice of God, they have prophetic dreams, and intuitive knowing- all attributed to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Divination is the same thing, a tool is used to help clarify the messages and interpretations.

This resistance of accepting divination and acknowledging divination as an acceptable spiritual practice is in the same vein that white supremacy and racism converge to create the foundation reinforcing ancestral traditions, cosmologies, and practices that are evil and somehow sinful. But just like all things in the Bible and western Christianity, it is only unacceptable for certain people. Let me reiterate that one bible verse cannot be a comprehensive ethic or set of ethics, especially when there are other verses that contradict that verse.

Although there are verses that say that divination in any manner is sinful, it is revealed that many biblical pillars of the biblical narrative participated in or consulted divination as divination is ancient and cultural.

This is an example of anti-divination propaganda:

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ESV /

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

-I am calling this propaganda because this verse is referring to the spiritual practices of the people who occupy the land that they are about to colonize. This entire narrative of the promised land has been used to justify colonialism throughout history and to persecute those who preserve the traditions of their culture. ****These are propaganda because they reinforce colonialism, racism, and white supremacy.

While commonfolk are forbidden from participating in divination, those in power are ordained to perform it. This makes divination A SACRAMENT.

“The ephod described in Exodus is a precious tunic worn by the high priest that has two stones attached to it, upon which the names of the Israelite tribes were carved. “

Specific colors and crystals – manipulating energy in the universe to help achieve/manifest what we need and want- A DEFINITION OF MAGIC.

These stones are used to consult the spiritual realm to navigate the physical/material world. This was a central piece of Hebrew spirituality, culture, and life. David makes life or death military decisions (2 Samuel 30 1-19) using divination and the original 11 disciples use divination to determine who would take Judas’s place after he betrayed Jesus (Acts 12: 12-26). Divination is used in the old testament as well as the new testament. The Christian church was founded by diviners.

******** Light bulb moment *****It could be plausible that the instructions that the apostles and early disciples were receiving supernaturally, through angels, were facilitated through divination.

An excerpt from SpiritualiTEA with Chasity podcast, listen to the entire episode @ https://teawithchas.buzzsprout.com or fourthwaverevolution.com.

Chasity Jones, M.Div is a Louisiana native and came from a conservative, Evangelical background until moving to Seattle, WA to be a interfaith community organizer. It was here she began to challenge traditional mission work in the context of colonialism and began her own process of liberation and decolonization. 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in history and a master of Divinity (’22) from Boston University School of Theology and a certified yoga teacher. She is currently a spiritual advisor at a substance use recovery center.

She has recently launched Fourth Wave Revolution, a consulting agency, in an attempt to educate as well as decolonize! Fourth Wave Revolution is committed to digging deeper. Chastity is the host of SpiritualiTEA with Chasity podcast that explores the intersection of decolonization and spirituality through a Womanist and yoga lens. To contact, collaborate, or connect with Fourth Wave Revolution please email fourthwaverev@gmail.com.