Learning a divination technique is not always easy. For some people, it can be a real struggle and it can become a mental mountain to overcome. 

Even long-term diviners may find themselves challenged at times. Divination burnout is definitely a thing and there are times where you just feel disconnected from your intuition.

Here’s a few things that can help.

1 – Work in a darkened room

I’m not saying to work in the complete dark, but work in a room where your surroundings are in the shadows. Being in the dark lessens distractions. You can see that distracting thing (the laundry that needs folding or your Nintendo switch, for example) in your peripheral vision, so it no longer becomes a mental task or temptation. It’s out of sight and therefore (mostly) out of mind.

2 – Change up your surroundings

If you normally work in your bedroom, head into the kitchen or hunker down at your public library. Rather than your couch, try the backyard (make sure to have something to weigh down your cards!). You can even just switch up the surface your work on. Instead of a table, try the floor. While leaving your normal space to do a reading may feel really weird, the newness can shake things up for a while. It breaks you out of the “I have to do this” sort of routine. 

Be aware of your confidence in your new space. You may feel really self-aware when working in public. Most of the time, people don’t care. They might look at you for a few minutes, but 90% of the time – if not more – people do not give a shit about what other people are doing. This is true for casting spells in public and anything else. 

Divination is a bit weird though. People tend to approach tarot card readers and assume they’re always for hire or worse, ask for a free reading. If you want to do their reading, that’s fine, but don’t be afraid of saying no. Tell them no, you’re not taking readings at this time, offer them a business card if you have one you’d like to give out, then politely and firmly go back to what you were doing. Headphones are great for this because you can just literally tune them out. If they keep pestering you, then leave that space.

3 – Set the scene.

Light a candle, burn some incense, get your diffusing going, put on a fancy outfit, lay out the good reading cloth, softly play some music, and so on. Set up your space for success. If you already do this, try skipping parts of it them to see if that changes things for you. Or you can switch up the incense you burn, the music you play, or the scents you add to the air. 

4 – Meditate, center, and ground.

Now, I am the first to say that meditation doesn’t always help and isn’t necessary. If meditation is something you struggle with, then doing it before you try something else you’re struggling with is only setting you up for failure. But if you like meditation, or at least don’t mind it, then give it a try before the reading. It can help organize your thoughts and raise some energy.

Centering and grounding also are useful. Even more useful than meditation, even. While the three of them can be combined, centering is more about re-balancing yourself and bringing yourself back to neutral or centered within yourself – great when you’re all over the place. Grounding is about dispersing your excess energy. It can also be about rooting yourself down, building a foundation to stand on. Using which one when you need it can be helpful. 

5 – Manage your phone and devices

Put your notifications on silent. There’s some phones and apps now that have a “focus” mode, allowing you to pick and choose what notifications can disturb you during your phone time. You can also get a focus timer app like Forest to use. I use focus mode when I do divinations plus Forest. This means I can’t access my social media, video games, or anything else like that while I work. Instead, what’s available to me are things like my camera, photo editing apps, related programs, and so on.

6 – Don’t take it so seriously

For some people, divination is a big deal for them and it’s very serious business. For others, it’s all fun and games. If you’re on the more serious or intense side and you find yourself struggling to do a reading, try loosening up. Put the reading you’re working on aside and do a fun one. Predict the outcome on what’s for dinner or ask what your cat’s thinking. Reduce the amount of pressure you’re putting on yourself by making it less serious. 

7 – Mind your schedule

Schedule time to do readings. Pick a day or make time during the day the same way your would some other appointment and work on your divination. This doesn’t mean you need to solely do readings. You can read books on the subject instead, meditate with your cards, or plan spreads. Or you can just sit there and crank out readings. It’s up to you, but scheduling time makes it a priority for you and reminds your brain and this is something that you’re serious about. Practice is key to learning a skill, any skill.

You’ll also want to consider taking breaks while you’re doing readings. For example, I do all of my readings for the week on Sunday. It’s the one day of the week I devote entirely to divination. Why Sunday? Well, once upon a time it was the one day of the week I was guaranteed to be home alone except for the animals. It meant I knew I wouldn’t be disturbed and I could take up as much room and make as much noise as I want.

8 – Tell it to someone

If you’re having trouble getting your words out, try explaining the cards and reading to someone. This could be your pet, a crystal, a familiar, a guide, a friend, or so on. If you normally talk your readings out, then try writing them. Do something to express what the readings in a different way than you normally would do. 

And those are some tips to give you a hand. Don’t be afraid to step outside your norm to shake up your divination routine. It can be really helpful and lead you down a new path of knowledge and divination.

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