I have discussed two tools of divination and insight in depth (Astrology and Tarot) in other sections of this site.  However, there are a number of other tools, which I will touch on below.
 

I Ching
 

The I Ching is an ancient Asian system of divination and understanding the Cosmos and one's relationship to it.  Legend has it that the I Ching was invented by Chinese Emperor Fu-hsi around 2852 B.C.E.  It is composed of 64 different hexagrams, with each hexagram containing a six-line figure.  There are 4,096 answers that are possible with this combination.

The I Ching is read by throwing yarrow stalks or coins, with coins being the much simpler and more accessible method.  It can be consulted with three pennies, although special Chinese coins can be used if you can find access to them.

There are two different types of lines in the I Ching -- the yin line and the yang line.  The yin relates to the feminine and the receptive, while the yang is the masculine and active (yes, these attributes are a bit sexist, but this is an ancient system.  You can ignore "masculine" and "feminine" altogether if you choose).  The yin line appears as a broken line, while the yang line is unbroken.

When tossing the coins, first decide which side of the coin represents which type of line; I usually use heads for yang, tails for yin, which is most common.  A numerical value is given to each side of the coin, thus heads equals the value of 3, and tails the value of 2.  You throw the three coins six times, writing down the appropriate line each time, going from  bottom to top.  The types of lines possible are as follows:

 ___x___   6 (moving) three tails
_______   7 (young yang) two tails, one head
___ ___    8 (young yin) two heads, one tail
___0___   9 (moving) three heads
 

Once you have thrown the coins six times, you will have a hexagram composed of the upper trigram (the top three lines), and the lower trigram (the bottom three lines).  Consult the I Ching book of your choice, finding the hexagram you have thrown, and read the interpretation.

There are a number of I Ching books on the market; Bollinger's is the best.  The lines are more complex than the explanation I have given here briefly, and you should consult the book of your choice to learn about moving lines, and what to look up in terms of each line.

A finished hexagram may look something like the following:

This is the hexagram numbered 19, called LIN.  Its keyword is "Approach (Symbol of Advance)".  In short, it indicates great progress and success.

The I Ching is part of a holistic spiritual system, and should not be taken lightly.  Many Westerners find it difficult to use as an oracle, yet many others find it immensely accurate and extraordinarily helpful in terms of understanding.  You must treat the I Ching with respect and due seriousness; most who read it have found that it can be mocking in its responses if you treat it as just another toy.
 

Runes
 

The Runes are another difficult system of divination for many, and can be as inscrutable as the I Ching.  Runes were originally pictographs representing various natural forces.  Using a Rune, meditating upon it, would magically bring one into contact with that particular natural force.  The Runes are also an alphabet, and were used for that purpose in addition to magical and divinatory uses.  Runes were used by Nordic and Germanic peoples, possibly as far back as second century B.C.E.  The most common Runic alphabet in use is the Germanic, known as the Elder Futhark.

The Futhark is composed of 24 letters and one blank stone, as follows:
 
 
 
 

The Runes are read in a variety of different ways.  The simplest is a three-Rune spread.  Generally, Runes are kept in a drawstring bag.  Focusing on your question, put your hand in the bag and withdraw one Rune, laying it in front of you.  Put your hand back into the bag, still focusing, and pull out a second Rune, placing it just to the left of the first Rune.  Finally, draw a third Rune, placing it to the left of the second Rune.  The first Rune represents the situation at hand, the second the action which will occur or needs to be taken, and the third represents the new situation which will develop as a result.

A second method involves drawing five Runes, one at a time, placing each one below the other.  The first represents the overview; the second the challenge; the third the action called for; the fourth the sacrifice needed; and the fifth, the new situation.

You can also simply draw a single Rune as needed; often one Rune will answer your question.

You can draw the Runes and lay them out as in the examples above, or you can draw one, write it down, return it to the bag, and continue, doing the same with the second and so on.  In this way, you have the entire set of Runes available for each position.

You can buy sets of Runes commercially; Ralph Blum's is the most common, and includes The Book of Runes to help you in interpretation.  This may be a good place to start.  Many people, however, prefer to make their own Rune sets, of wood or other material, carving or painting the symbols on the stones.
 

Casting Stones
 

I have met very few psychics or others who use casting stones, but there are a few of us who do.  There are many different methods for using gemstones and crystals as an oracle; it depends on what feels right for you.

Casting stones are simply a group of crystals, gemstones or the like which you "throw" onto a surface and then read.  You can sometimes buy casting stones as a kit, complete with a drawstring pouch in which to store them.  Or you can select your own stones one by one as it feels right to you.

The best stones to use in casting stones should be relatively small, but not tiny (very small stones are frequently lost, and very large stones -- well, imagine tossing down a dozen large quartz pieces at once, and you'll get the picture).  They should also be relatively flat, or with a flat side.

You can choose your stones by virtue of their magical associations, color, name, or feel.  For instance, Tiger Eye is usually included in a set of casting stones.  Tiger Eye is a yellow/orange color, and thus has associations with warmth, light, heat, the Sun, clarity, daytime, etc.  It also could be associated with cats, vision, and the night, depending on the question and what you choose to associate it with, or what your subconscious tells you it means.  Amethyst is associated with spirituality and psychic vision, as are all purple-colored stones.  There are a number of decent books out there on the associations of stones, so getting one of those is a must if you want to do stone casting.

You can cast your stones in various ways.  One excellent reader I went to (thanks, T.A.!) had a lovely handmade cloth onto which he threw the stones and interpreted them based on what area they fell in, which stones fell next to which other stones, taking into account colors and associations.  If I'm recalling correctly, he had a circle design on his cloth, divided into four areas representing different things.  I believe his reading methods were based on the four directions and their associations:  East (air), South (fire), West (water) and North (earth).  Air connects with the mind (as does the color yellow), Fire connects with action and energy (as do red colored stones), Water is the intuitive and emotional (blue and purple colored stones), and Earth is the practical and manifest (earth tones).

As an astrologer, I invented my own method of casting the stones, not being satisfied with the directions included in the kit I purchased.  I use a blank astrological chart form (the natural chart, with Aries on the Ascendant), and cast the stones onto the chart form.  Each stone has an association with a planetary energy.  My set contains 13 stones, and there are 10 planets/Lights, so I use the clear quartz to represent the "heart of the matter", and different stones for the Gemini Mercury and the Virgo Mercury (since they are different energies), and two for the Taurus Venus and Libra Venus (ditto).  If the stones fall close to the center of the chart, I interpret them in the past; on the edge of the chart, present; and outside the actual chart but still on the form, future.  The houses into which they fall tell me the areas of life involved.  It's almost like a stone transiting chart for the client.

Although my method involves a fair amount of conscious interpretation, I have found that the stones are extremely intuitive, and will open up your intuitive/psychic mind very well.
 

Crystals/Crystal Balls
 

Crystals and casting stones are very similar, obviously, since crystals can be used as casting stones.  However, this category is more related to the traditional crystal ball of bad movies and bad stereotypes.

A crystal ball (which can be clear crystal, or any other kind, amethyst being particularly good for opening up the psychic mind) is simply a tool to focus awareness and concentration in order to allow intuitive images to appear.  Wiccans call this scrying.

Scrying involves relaxing yourself, emptying your mind, and focusing your attention on the crystal ball in front of you.  Maintaining a state of relaxation, you focus on your question (or your client's question) and allow an image to appear in your mind or within the crystal.

You can also do this with any kind of large stone, and it does not need to be perfect or round in order to use it.  If you can lose yourself in it and see images within it or within your mind while looking at it, you can use it as a tool of divination.

If you have any clairvoyant abilities, crystal balls and such could be particularly useful in helping you develop this ability.
 

Pendulums
 

Pendulums are a very simple method of divination, generally used for simple "yes or no" questions.  A pendulum is some kind of weight suspended from a string or chain.  The end of the chain is held lightly in the fingers, and the question is asked.  The pendulum should, within a minute or so, begin to swing in a particular direction, thus giving you the answer to your question.

Before using a pendulum, determine which direction means "yes", which means "no", and which means "uncertain or don't know".  Most often, a north-south direction means yes, an east-west direction means no, and a circular motion means uncertain.  The best way to determine this for yourself, though, is to make these the first questions you ask your pendulum:  "Which direction means yes?"  And so on.

You can buy pendulums made for purposes of divination in occult and new age book stores.  If you're on a tight budget, you can make your own with a piece of string or chain, and whatever you want to attach to the bottom of it.  It should not be very long (six inches or so), and the weight should be heavy enough to pull the string taut as you hold it gently by the end.  It shouldn't be so heavy that it will give you a pain in the arm or hand, either!

You can use it alone, or you can make a nice cloth (or even just a paper) circle, with straight lines running North-South and East-West to hold the pendulum above.

Pendulums work by allowing your intuitive/subconscious mind to give you the answer to your questions, which in turn moves the pendulum in the direction in which it needs to go.
 
 

 

 
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