There are three basic modes of psychic receptivity:

1. Clairsentience: Being aware of facts or situations that you have no concrete way of knowing by experiencing them emotionally. In other words, a clairsentient can feel the emotions of others, can feel the presence of spiritual entities and feel that a situation will turn out a certain way. This happens to be the mode I work most from.

2. Clairaudience: This is the ability to hear sounds (music, voices, names) from other realms. Joan of Arc is a famous example of a clairaudient.

3. Clairvoyance: A clairvoyant experiences psychic awareness in the form of visual images. Sometimes these images are of actual scenes, sometimes they are symbols. Clairvoyants can sometimes see spiritual entities. The child in the movie "The Sixth Sense," for instance, was an extremely powerful clairvoyant.

If you are intuitive and empathic, your primary mode will likely be clairsentience. If you are a very visual person, chances are your primary mode will be clairvoyance. Experiment and see which works best for you. Practice! These are not skill you can master with a minimum of effort. It is like exercising a muscle; You have to work it to make it strong.

The state of mind you should be in for divination is close to a meditative state. Your mind and body should be relaxed. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply. Slowly let your mind open.

Having a divinatory tool to work with is an excellent idea because it gives you something tangible to interpret. It stimulates your intuition and unconscious mind by serving as a screen for them to project upon. Some useful divinatory tools are The I Ching, a form of stichomancy (the practice of seeking insight into the world by reading a random passage in a book), Runes (a tool that dates from at least 300 AD when they were used by the Goths) and The Tarot. Then there is:

This is the use of a crystal or crystal globe or, more economically, a bowl of water with a few drops of ink (not India ink so in case you spill it, it won't be a disaster).

In order to scry, you should sit comfortably, preferably inside a cast circle, in a darkened but candlelit room. Then, without straining, gaze at the surface of your scrying tool. You may be able to discern a blue light emanating from it. Out loud, say the question you want information about. Continue to gaze at the scrying tool. At a certain point, you will notice its surface has become hazy. Then it will come sharply back into focus. This is the point at which the vision may open. If it doesn't, don't be impatient. It may take lots of practice before you have a breakthrough.

The vision may be symbols or scenes. When you are a beginner, they may not be easily discernible. Resist the temptation to shift your line of vision in an attempt to try to make them out. Keep your eyes on the scrying tool. Perhaps the images you see won't make much sense to you, but make sure you write them down in your notebook along with the question you asked so you can assess their meaning from the vantage point of a later date.

Have a friend give you a question on which to meditate. Or ask a question yourself. For learning purposes it should be a question you do not know the answer to but will be able to verify later. Get a pen and a piece of blank paper. Relax. Breathe deeply and slowly. Find your centre. Ask your spirit guardian for assistance in guiding your hand. Let your mind drift. Hold the pen lightly in your hand. Focus on the question and on the charge of energy that is building up in your hand. At a certain point, the pen may begin to move, seemingly of its own accord. Don't let the excitement you feel at what is happening disrupt the delicate connection between your everyday consciousness and your deep mind. This last point is probably the most difficult instruction to follow, particularly when you are just starting out.

Your first few efforts will likely result in a collection of squiggles and chicken scratches. Again, don't be disheartened. With practice you will be able to write legible words. Save even your most illegible efforts in a binder or notebook so that you can keep track of your progress.