Divination General Sticky

Welcome to Divination General

Contents:
-       About
-       Some Terms
-       Rules
-       For Querents
-       For Readers
-       Discussion



About:

>What is this place?
Divination General, also known as /div/, is a recurring thread for the practice and discussion of divination.

>Divination? What's that?
“The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.” There are countless methods for achieving this, many of which are discussed in ScryGuy's divination guide:
http://pastebin.com/0q3jAE9z

>What, so you can all tell the future?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. This is a discussion topic all its own, but most of us are of the opinion that you can still change your fate through action. To put this very simply, a future reading gives you an idea of where you're currently headed based on current trends in your life. At any time, you could throw a monkey wrench in this, though. If, for example, you get an accurate reading showing a positive direction in your relationship, and you suddenly decide to cheat...well, you changed your fate, and a subsequent accurate reading would likely come out different.

>Why do we have these threads?
Well, it's to prevent the trend we've traditionally had on /x/ where there are 10 dead tarot threads in the catalog because anons kept posting in dead threads. Also, the presence of many diviners in one place promotes better readings from all of us due to the synergy of a shared task.



Some Terms:

Diviner: someone who practices divination
Reader: the person(s) doing the readings
Querent: the person(s) asking for a reading
Query: the post where you ask for a reading
Air-query: a query that is not directed towards a specific reader



Rules:

1. Be good to each other.
As simple as this may seem, it is truly the most important rule of all. Some lurk these threads out of interest in divination, but many come here looking for readings. Think about how you feel when you can't figure something out by mundane means and feel desperate for a reading. A lot of others feel the same way as you do. Before you let off a bit of steam on someone else in the thread, consider that you're both in the same boat. Be good to each other.

2. Promote a positive atmosphere and keep whining to a minimum.
We get it, you're in a rough spot and you really feel the need for some guidance, but it doesn't help to whine about your inability to get a reading on your own timeline. This sort of behavior is actually detrimental and self-defeating, as it harshes the vibe of the thread and actually scares readers away. Diviners are intuitive individuals and often somewhat empathic as well. If you were inclined to offer some guidance at the end of a rough day, but you find that the place has a really negative vibe, would you bother to give your time in such a situation? If you have an idea for improving the thread, voice it, by all means. Simply saying “these threads suck nowadays” is unproductive and detrimental. Promote a positive atmosphere.

3. Ignore and/or report shitposters and trolls.
This is 4chan; there will always be shitposters and trolls. Just report them and move on. A janitor will come and delete their posts eventually.
>Or, you know, you could always curse the shitposters and trolls, but that's on you.

4. Read carefully before you post. (ie, lurk moar)



For Querents:

-Dishonest queries get dishonest readings
If you bullshit the reader, you'll likely get a bullshit reading. Simple, right?

>How do I get a reading?
Lurk the thread. When a reader announces that they are doing readings, query the reader according to his or her guidelines. If a reader is telling you that he or she will do x amount of readings and requires a given set of information, provide the requested information if you would like a reading, and try to link the reader's announcement post to make sure you're noticed. You should preferably try to see if said reader is still doing readings before querying; it only takes you an extra 30 seconds or so.

>What if nobody is doing readings right now?
Well, you're unlikely to have your query answered if you post it. Just posting in the thread without querying a reader directly is what I like to call “air-querying,” as you are querying the wind. Some readers actually like taking these, but most do not; most readers only take private queues. If you air-query, it's a crapshoot, and you shouldn't count on getting a reading.

> What should I do to make sure I get the most out of a reading?
Lurk a bit and learn about the different readers. There are different levels of skill and experience represented in these threads, and some readers will be able to connect with and advise you better than others. I've gotten brilliant readings from both novice and experienced readers; not everyone is the same. When you want a reading from a specific reader, follow their guidelines as best you can, and make sure to phrase your query well.

>Everyone wants different info, WTF!?!
Yes, all readers are individuals, and we all connect differently. In our time doing readings, we've all discovered what works best for us (or some are still working on discovering that), so we will tell you what we need in order to connect to you. We are not being nitpicky divas; we are simply telling you what we need in order to read well for you. Why would we bother reading for you if we can't actually help you?

>Why won't [reader] read my query?
Well, there are a variety of possible reasons. If you, for example, phrased your query poorly, you shouldn't be surprised that it doesn't get answered. If you ask for a reading that said reader won't read, then you shouldn't ask said reader that query. Some readers won't read generals, some readers won't read love, and some readers won't read death, etc. Respect their wishes, and query something that they'll answer, or query someone else.

>I posted every @#$%&! day, but I haven't gotten a reading!!!
Are you air-querying? That's a crapshoot; sometimes you get read, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you query a reader directly, and they already have a full queue. Well, there's always an element of luck involved; sorry, that's how it goes.

>I GOT SKIPPED!!!
Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. Let's tackle the obvious first: if you're air-querying or too late in a queue, you didn't get skipped, it just didn't work out for you. If you are in an individual reader's queue, and you still got skipped, let's examine this:
> Did you follow the reader's guidelines?
> Did you link the reader's post?
> Did you get there in time?
If you have answered yes to all of these, then AND ONLY THEN do you have cause to grieve. Well, I can only suggest you consider how you phrased your query. If you did the best you could, well...sorry, friend, sometimes the fates won't lend themselves too well to you. Shit happens, basically.

>That reading was inaccurate!
That happens sometimes. As previously mentioned, there are different levels of skill and experience represented in these threads. Some readers have years of experience, and some are barely doing their first readings or otherwise practicing. We welcome everyone here, so you might be read by an inexperienced reader sometimes. Not every reader will give you perfectly accurate readings, and some can connect better to you than others. We're all individuals here, remember.

>That reading made me sad / shit sucks / fuck my life
Sometimes you're on a bad path. If you get a negative reading, try to take it as a warning, a sign of how things are currently going. The future is always in flux, and you can always change your luck. Forewarned is forearmed.

-Give feedback
We readers love getting feedback for our readings, as we want to know that we're reading accurately. Sometimes we're a little off, no matter how experienced. Feedback is also critical to helping those who are still learning.



For Readers:

> Be clear in your requirements
Be 100% clear in what you need from querents in order to read from them. If you need to see an entire astrological chart, a full name, a location, and a song, TELL THEM. Nobody will give you good queries if you don't tell them what you need.

> Tell them what you won't read.
You're not down to read generals, love, death, whatever? Fine, just make it clear that you won't do __ type of readings. If you make it clear, you're in the clear as well. If you don't tell them that you won't read love, for example, don't be surprised if you receive a mess of queries asking you romantic questions about some girl or some guy.

> Announce your limits
If you're only going to do three readings, announce it in your initial post. If you're going to read for 5 hours, tell them. If you're inexperienced and don't know how long you can read before getting tired (that's fine), tell them. Let the querents know what's up if you read for them. If you're taking a queue of 20 queries and you only read for 5...well, you know how that looks, right?

> Tell them what you're about
If you've been here long enough, people might recognize your style and know what you do. If not, give specific and fool-proof instructions on how to get a reading from you. Seriously, retard-proof it.

> If you're new
Wonderful! We love to have you here and reading! If you're just wetting your cards (or whatever you read) for the first time, just say you're inexperienced, but you'll still find a few queries, I can almost promise you. I did my first readings on /x/, and I've grown quite significantly as a reader in my time reading here. Let go of your fear and feel free to do some readings. All are welcome.



Discussion:

> Hey, I have a question about divination or want to discuss a specific aspect of it.
Awesome, let's talk about it. If I might make a recommendation, this is probably the best situation in which to reply to the OP post. Maybe we can make it a standard practice that only discussion-related questions reply to the OP post? That might increase the likelihood of a discussion going on.

> This is crazy interesting, how do I into this?
Scryguy has a guide on getting started in divination:
http://pastebin.com/0q3jAE9z

> I want to know more about ___mancy
Cool, read up on it or find someone who knows about it. Given that we are trying to gather everyone in these threads, there is some likelihood that you can find someone who knows about what you want to learn. Some of the anons and readers here are extremely well-informed and clever. Don't hesitate to seek their guidance or ask a specific question of them; most are happy to share what they know.



Lastly:
> Be good to each other.