Pagan Coffee Talk
We will discuss topics related to the Pagan community. All views are from a traditionalist's point of view. The conversations are unscripted (no preparations have been made ahead of time). A special thanks to Darkest Era for the use of their songs: Intro- The Morrigan, Exit - Poem to the Gael. Check them out at http://darkestera.net/.
Pagan Coffee Talk
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Which Divination Tool Rules Them All?
The path of divination holds many routes, each with its own challenges and rewards. In this intimate conversation with Brina, a first-degree member of Life Temple, we explore the personal journey of finding divination tools that truly resonate with your unique gifts and spiritual practice. The conversation reveals that successful divination depends less on the tools themselves and more on your mindset, preparation, and ability to access your intuition.
We candidly examine the challenges of various methods: runes demand memorization that can overwhelm visual learners, pendulums can be unconsciously influenced by our desires, and spirit boards require careful protection. Scrying stands apart as perhaps the most challenging yet purest form of intuitive divination, requiring practitioners to develop the ability to see beyond the mirror and access visions within their own minds.
The latter half of our discussion shifts to the power of names in magical practice. Choosing a craft name isn't simply about aesthetics—it's about understanding the energetic qualities you're inviting into your life. Brina shares her experience of selecting a name meaning "protector and defender," and how this energy manifested powerfully in her practice, sometimes requiring conscious balancing until reaching higher degrees.
Visit us at lifetempleseminary.org to connect with our community and discover more resources for your magical journey. What divination tools speak to you? We'd love to hear about your experiences.
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Speaker 2:Hi, welcome to Pagan Coffee Talk. I got a special guest, Brenna. Would you like to introduce yourself?
Speaker 3:Good morning, my name is Brenna.
Speaker 2:And Brenna, who are you? You're a first degree.
Speaker 3:First degree Member of Life Temple.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, and that's it.
Speaker 3:Anything else. You want anybody else tonight? Just asking. Pretty good start. Sure a lot more come out as we chat along god, you look nervous as hell never been up for me to talk as much as I do. I've never been on a podcast.
Speaker 2:I know it's hard to believe I know, so let's talk about different forms of divination.
Speaker 3:Different forms of divination, all right?
Speaker 2:Well, let's start with tarot cards.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, tarot cards. Those are my personal favorites, my personal favorites. Tarot cards, though, leave a lot of room for interpretation.
Speaker 2:Well, that's the style in which you were taught, though you were taught more intuition.
Speaker 3:Correct. Reading than Correct, and there's a lot of. You've got to be careful too, in my own personal opinion, because obviously every debt comes with a guide. You can even get cards, for example, that have the meanings written on them for you, because obviously every debt comes with a guide. You can even get cards, for example, that have the meanings written on them for you, but that's not necessarily what the cards are telling you when you read them.
Speaker 2:So intuition and being in the right frame of mind when you use the tarot cards or any divination tool is what's most important I think, first, first and foremost, first and foremost, all right, but when picking it, what? What are we looking at? I mean, I, I tend to like the tarot cards. I'm like you, I like the tarot cards but, why not runes? Why not scrying? Why not? There's more, so oh there's many different forms.
Speaker 3:What made?
Speaker 2:you pick tarot cards over all the other forms.
Speaker 3:I was just drawn to it. I can't and I think that's a part of everyone's personal choice. What are you drawn to? I was just drawn to the tarot cards personally, and maybe it's because I reflect a lot, I like to think a lot, I like to look at every angle and the cards can give you that guidance. They're broad, they're not very direct. They can be very direct if you're very specific with your intent.
Speaker 2:But they're not that direct.
Speaker 3:They're sort of yeah, they're not that direct. They're sort of yeah, they're very abstract, but you have to. They can be direct if you're asking a very specific, or you're you're looking for a very specific answer or guidance to a very specific need or problem that you're having.
Speaker 2:They can be yeah, but I mean there are some problems with doing intuition readings, like we're told is if you're not in the mood, if you're not in the right head space, it's very hard to correct.
Speaker 3:I I. I don't know how to explain that if you're you have to be in my, my own, personal practice. Everybody is different, everybody is unique.
Speaker 2:Everybody's path is their own but we all wind up doing the same thing. You're not going to go. Do road rage to go to a party than sit down and do a damn terror. Reading Correct Exactly.
Speaker 3:Ground yourself.
Speaker 4:Cleanse your area.
Speaker 3:Set your intent, and that's true for any divination tool. Again, you don't want to have party music playing in the background if you're trying to focus on something serious and solemn, and especially when you set your intent beforehand. So you really have to be in the right frame of mind and to get there, you have to do certain steps to put you in the right frame of mind, and that's whether it's tarot, whether it's runes.
Speaker 2:I always found runes harder because you've got to learn the individual runes first and memorize those.
Speaker 3:Yes, and if you're like me and have memory problems, then issues with memorization, those could be more difficult.
Speaker 2:But if you've got somebody who is is is gifted and has that type of photo, photogenic, photographic memory those might be the way, lord man kept on trying to write a book about runes, but he was trying to do the runes like we did learn the alphabet as kids a is for apple. But that's what he was trying to do to the runes was to write them, so it would be easier to try to remember them.
Speaker 3:That would be helpful.
Speaker 2:You know this rune is for this. This is what he was trying to do. He was trying to make a damn kid's book, but with runes instead.
Speaker 3:That would be an awesome. I would be the first to buy it, because, again.
Speaker 2:I might actually remember them, I know and I'm very visual.
Speaker 3:So I'm very visual, so I'm a visual learner, I'm a graphic learner. So, yeah, that would actually be something I'd purchase.
Speaker 2:That would actually be kind of cute, it would be fun, but that was. My only problem ever with runes is trying to remember them and all this. Sometimes I feel like when memorizing the meaning of them, you sort of get influenced by somebody else too. There's very little room for that intuition.
Speaker 3:Right, right, and that's what you, you want to pull from within. Right more than Exactly, and that's why I say be careful too. Every, every deck of cards, every divination tool that you buy, for instance, if you don't make it yourself, if you purchase it from from from one of your metaphysical shops, they're going to come with a guide, they're going to come with instructions, but I always say be very cautious. Of course, if you don't know anything about them, you need to read the instructions you need to learn, but lean.
Speaker 3:Like I said, learn from within. You got to pull the information from within and don't just take every card for face value.
Speaker 2:Now, out of all of these, there are two that are a little bit more dangerous, iffy type of forms of divination. One is the spirit board Ouija board thing and the other one is pendulums.
Speaker 3:Oh, I love a pendulum though. Oh, I love a pendulum though.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the only bad thing about pendulums is when you're a witch. I find myself manipulating the pendulum because I already want the answer, so I can see my self-influence. That pendulum's a whole lot easier. Yes, I know there might be some people that can do it without doing that, but I it's hard to.
Speaker 3:It's hard to because I think I do the same thing and I use my pendulum a lot as well. But you got to be careful with those two. They're very accurate and and they will answer those specific questions, but you've got to be mindful that time here, right is not the same as over there and again you these, these two are a little bit easier for you to influence, these two forms. Correct.
Speaker 2:So, again, there's a higher level of doubt when you get to the answers, I think.
Speaker 3:And that's why I use my pendulum for different types of divination or different types of specific answers that I'm looking for. It's it's not the type of tool that you would want to use for predictability per se.
Speaker 2:No, because again there's that whole time is not the same no, I mean again finding water on your property or finding a lost object in your house.
Speaker 3:That's really good for the whole pendulum thing to help you narrow down are my keys in the house. Are they even in the house? Right right, that's a good tool. Why does my pendulum keep on pointing to my vehicle I don't get it exactly, but but you're right, it can be easily influenced too, if you're if you're not careful and and ouija boards are the same way, or the spirit boards they are.
Speaker 3:I can see that a lot, especially when you're, especially when you're not careful, and Ouija boards are the same way, or the spirit boards they are.
Speaker 2:I can see that a lot, especially when you're messing with or doing it with other people. It seems like the person with the strongest personality or the strongest will seems to always get their answers that they won't.
Speaker 3:Well, and then there's the stigma associated, too with the Ouija board, because you're directly talking to spirit, or Because it's a little bit more easier to operate.
Speaker 2:You can get a little bit more.
Speaker 3:Correct.
Speaker 2:Weirder stuff.
Speaker 3:Again, you've got to be, I think, prepared before you use that tool, especially any other tool, with, with your intent, with your space, setting up your space because, um, you want to always be mindful and protective of right making sure that you've put all safeguards into place. If I'm saying what I need to say, you're doing just fine.
Speaker 2:Without saying Now let's talk about the now there's one form I've put off for the last, and that's scrying. Oh yeah, all right Now. Scrying's normally done in front of a black mirror, where you have a light and you can barely see it. And just to let everybody know, you don't actually see the images on the actual mirror. You see them in your mind per se, but scrying learning how to scry takes you down a different path altogether it does and I can't say well, I have to admit that I haven't been very successful.
Speaker 2:Um with that, that's a weaker, a weaker tool for me well, believe it or not, here's what I found over the years. If you practice it, if you practice crying enough, you start to get to the point to where, when you don't have a mirror, you can sort of do the same thing.
Speaker 3:Huh.
Speaker 2:You know that thousand yard stare. Yeah, that's literally the same mindset. You sort of got to be in.
Speaker 3:You've got to get into that state, that state.
Speaker 2:So I think it's less about the mirror itself and more about us that makes complete and total sense, because that, because where I'm coming from is when you get to scrying. You are pure intuition, no triggers, no nothing. This, this is pure you.
Speaker 3:Yes, you're pulling from completely within, within, so any symbols, any feelings or anything.
Speaker 2:These are things that you need to interpret on what in the world is going on there.
Speaker 3:Yes, and there's not a guidebook for that.
Speaker 2:So let's, in totality, give me your list From the best forms of divination to the worst.
Speaker 3:Oh, oh gosh from the best to the worst, I guess. Well, again, my, these are just my personal preferences, right? And I use, um, my, my tarot cards almost daily and, um, even if it's just to pick a card, uh, for the day, to give me an indication how my day's going, so I'm always going to put my tarot cards at the top. Then my pendulum is my go-to. That's my cheat, again, because I do lose a lot of things, I'm forgetful. So that's my quick go-to. I need kind of a one and done. I've got a quick question. I need a specific answer, as long as it's not associated with any type of time or date.
Speaker 3:that's my go-to Runes. I like runes, I like the idea of runes, but again, the memory work. I'm the kid that needs the instructions right beside her to do the runes.
Speaker 2:And again, there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 3:Right, right, absolutely. I understand a lot of people have to do that. And you've got to just with runes or any type of divination. You have to practice, you have to continue working at it to get better.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:And that's where I stand with the runes as well.
Speaker 2:I have to continue with it to get better.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's nice that you have your 50th deck of cards, but until you actually start to use them, they're just exactly dust collectors, exactly. And then, of course, the scrying would be, um, the most challenging for me, right, the most challenging, and, and I guess too, because in, you know, today's world, every everybody's schedule is so busy. I know me personally I'm raising two boys on my own, so I'm always doing something after work, taking somebody somewhere, doing dinner, preparing for the next day.
Speaker 3:So sometimes it's hard to find the time that I think is involved for scrying, that you should dedicate specifically to scrying.
Speaker 4:Right.
Speaker 3:Because to get into that state of mind it takes, it takes some time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it takes some time you know, I've met some really good fire, uh scryers oh, really I have for some reason, I'm sorry. It seems like fire is like the easiest thing to hypnotize yourself and I can buy that besides the black mirror. I just it. I always find it hard to do the black mirror because the room has to be in a certain lighting and it's very hard to get the ambiance just right to do that.
Speaker 3:Yes, and fire is one of, I think, the strongest elements and I could get very hypnotized by that. I'm sure that's my element. Really, really, really.
Speaker 2:That's my element, really, really, really. Never would have known that A little bit A little bit Anything else you can think of on divination.
Speaker 3:Well and again, we just named some popular things, but intuition comes from within. Is it handy to have a deck of cards? Absolutely yeah. Is it easy to have some deck of cards? Absolutely yeah. Is it easy, um, to have some rooms and a guidebook? But I think, overall, sometimes, when you seek the answers that you, that you're looking for, or if you need guidance on a particular topic, meditate, meditate, um I wonder where you learned that from.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 3:Don't overcomplicate things, Don't overthink. Sometimes it can be as simple as spending some time with yourself meditating and you can find those answers.
Speaker 2:There was. I take that back. There is one other form of divination it is like the hardest one I think of and that's using omens or portents using omens or portents you? You have no. No, the cloud in the sky looks like a skull. There's somebody's gonna die. Oh, there's a ring around the moon. Oh yeah, two birds flew into my house. That means somebody's good oh yeah, I can never remember them all I can't either.
Speaker 3:I can't either. Um, I can't either. And again, that's one of those.
Speaker 2:I'd have to write it down or call somebody and ask no, that would be the one I would have to sit down. I've got to have a book.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the significance of.
Speaker 2:The significance of dropping a fork on the floor.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 2:Means. You have arthritis, you idiot. Exactly, you tripped.
Speaker 3:In my case, you tripped.
Speaker 2:Pick it up you know, or the old one. The one I do remember is if you're at the dinner table and somebody knocks your chair over, they've been lying while they're sitting at the table.
Speaker 3:Oh, interesting, I did not know that one. And if you leave your cabinet doors open, people will gossip about you. Oh, mine never shut must be all that could explain all that ringing in the ears that I've been hearing lately all that sneezing I live in an old house so the cabinets don't shut all the time, really good well, so now I know the reason, paying attention now alright about ready for some coffee, I think so I think so this has been neat, very great. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3:I love it great for you to be here paying attention now, all right About ready for some coffee? I think so. I think so. This has been neat, very great. Thank you for having me, I love it Great for you to be here.
Speaker 2:Hi, I still have Brenda here with me. We're going to pick a different subject, so let's talk about names.
Speaker 3:Names Craft names.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 3:Craft names.
Speaker 2:At some point at names, craft names Alright, craft names. At some point. At some point, everybody in craft seems to pick a name For us and our tradition. It's normally you get your first name at first degree, correct? Let's see there are little protocol things here. Alright, let's deal with that, alright. Now again, the majority of the times if you hear somebody introduce themselves with three names, you're probably dealing with third degree, correct.
Speaker 3:Correct.
Speaker 2:All right, because in a certain tradition, with each degree we pick up a new name.
Speaker 3:Right, which is our tradition.
Speaker 2:Again not completely followed.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 2:Everybody's different.
Speaker 3:It just happens to be our path.
Speaker 2:It just happens to be our path, and both the words Lord and Lady are used as title for our high priest and priestesses and anyone over second degree or more.
Speaker 3:Correct.
Speaker 2:They are not part of your name.
Speaker 3:Correct. All right At the end of the day, nobody is Lady whatever, or Lord whatever. Right, that's not.
Speaker 2:That's not. That's a title like Sir, or mrs, mrs, mr mr or reverend or pastor right okay, so now that we got that out of the way, yes, how do we pick?
Speaker 3:our names very carefully and I cannot stress enough, especially in retrospect, how carefully you need to select your name. There's a lot of factors, of course. You want to definitely research the meaning behind that name you said that.
Speaker 2:so what surprises did you get that maybe high priest and priestesses warned you about ahead of time and you decided to ignore us anyway?
Speaker 3:I think y'all think it's funny sometimes too. Well, there have been those, some names that y'all outright I wouldn't say denied, but you know other members have really had a strong opinion of, but because of the meanings, were so forceful, highly cautioned against using those. And now, as a first degree, I'm understanding why. Yeah, for example, mine. The meaning behind my name is protector and defender, and which seems like positive attributes. Oh yes everyone wants to have that, you know, protective and defensive trait to their personality, especially for loved ones that they know however.
Speaker 3:However, there's a however there is a, however, it's very strong. I'm trying to put it into or frame it correctly into the right work, or put it into the right framing. Um, especially when you're a first degree, you don't have those other degrees to balance you out yes. So that's why it's very important, especially at the first degree level, to know what you're choosing, because you're not going to get that balance, for example, until you've achieved your second degree or your third degree.
Speaker 3:And so, in my own personal experience, the meaning protector, defender you can kind of take that to the extreme yes and that's what you want to be mindful of when you, when you choose a name that, even though it may seem like a very positive attribute to have, it may seem like a very well let me pick on a name because I just I love this person and the name that they picked to begin with yeah that got turned down yes, all, right all right, okay, but when you come to me with the name tempest and you're already sort of tornado and yes, no, we're not gonna sit there and go yeah, there's the name for you yes, I
Speaker 3:know there's a strong pull and but yes, and I can, I can, I can second that. That was my spiritual mother, um, that you're talking about, and, and, and she was already by. By definition, she already had those attributes. So for her to have been initiated for lack of a better explanation with that would have only made those characteristics explode, and they may or may not have exploded in a good way, and so that's why I think you guys kind of cautioned her to tone it down a little bit, and rightfully so.
Speaker 3:But then part of me kind of chuckles and thinks what if? What would we have ended up with?
Speaker 2:um, so that just scares me Because she was such a magnificent priestess.
Speaker 3:But yes, lots of thought, lots of research. There's some numerology involved as well with picking out your name.
Speaker 2:You can go that route. Only I did with mine you can use your birth name number to kind of help you pick or narrow down what might best suit you or whatever, or your birth number.
Speaker 3:Right, and I think that's what I did with mine. I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 2:Now I will never Well again. First of all, in Life Temple. We will never okay any name where you're naming yourself after a god or someone of exactly great importance. We will never have a merlin or hillis or right, I mean, these names are just too synonymous exactly, and it puts a lot of pressure on the person to live up to them a lot I think I've only known one, lord Merlin.
Speaker 3:Really.
Speaker 2:And yeah, he was something else. Oh gosh, I would not even I mean he used to run around with Lady Santana. So if that tells you any idea how Maybe he could carry that off, then If he could hang with Lady Santana, then maybe he could carry off the craft name of Merlin.
Speaker 3:But yeah, I couldn't see. I don't want to say it's disrespectful because you want to honor the different gods and goddesses, but I know that personally, for me, I would never want to tackle Lilith, I would never want to tackle Hecate.
Speaker 2:Now are you looking at a craft name different from just a regular name?
Speaker 3:Yes, you do.
Speaker 2:All right. Would you have a problem with if you would have named one of your kids Apollo? Or if you had a daughter, what if you would have named her Aphrodite? In craft circles? This is a little bit different, but we're just talking about kids having parents.
Speaker 3:If I had a daughter and maybe wanted to name her Lilith. No, I think there's a difference In the secular world, so to speak. Again, that would be almost you're naming them in honor of. I'm naming my child or my daughter Lilith in honor of. That's different than me trying to assume the name Lilith in honor of right. That's. That's different than me trying to assume the name Lilith in the craft.
Speaker 2:I mean because we don't use a lot of these nicer names. I think you don't right. I'm trying to think of somebody in Greek mythology, all the mythology now, and I can't think of a single name Zeus uh again. Do you really want to name? You know, right, I mean, but would you name your kid thor?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah you know, I mean absolutely or brand we're talking secular versus right and but but these names.
Speaker 2:We believe words have power, so there is some carryover there.
Speaker 3:I think so. I think so, and we have had some who their secular name is their craft name Right their first degree craft name. And because of the power and meaning associated with their birth name.
Speaker 2:And the fact that they had carried that name.
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 2:All that time shows that they can hold up to.
Speaker 3:Exactly, exactly.
Speaker 2:So just that, but I'm asking a question. But then, on the other hand, are you actually even so? Again, if you do have a kid and you do name them Apollo, are we putting them a little bit extra?
Speaker 3:pressure on there, or Maybe Are you? But it goes back to, I think, the child, though the child is only going to feel the pressure if the child believes in the pressure to begin with, okay, if that makes any sense, but again, then you have the parents sitting there going.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I named you after this, the hope you would be.
Speaker 3:Right, but you know, sometimes children don't follow in the footsteps of their parents. You know, sometimes children don't follow in the footsteps of their parents. So I think the pressure is only going to apply if the child allows for that pressure to apply, and then some of them might really dig it.
Speaker 2:Wait. I mean it's hard not to see the power of names in mundane life. I mean, how many Eugenes have you met that don't look like what you expect. I mean I'm not trying to be ugly, but you.
Speaker 3:None. They all look like a Eugene.
Speaker 2:You're with me, so I do wonder.
Speaker 3:I think it's very possible. It's very possible.
Speaker 2:You know, maybe parents should maybe be a little bit more careful what they name their kids A hundred percent, a hundred percent, a hundred percent. Do you really want to put up with that? I mean because even just naming your animals after deity sometimes can be a pain.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, very true, very true. Be very careful with that.
Speaker 2:So maybe this does affect even our mundane. It does, but I still go back to the the naming after deity is not quite as taboo as what you would. What we would do in craft.
Speaker 3:Or as potent Right, and especially as they're young. I think you know, if I had a daughter named Lilith and she chose to follow the same path as I did, then that might.
Speaker 2:Well then I have to ask you. I mean, you've got two boys. You didn't name either one of them Merlin.
Speaker 3:Correct. Although one is named after a prophet We'll see.
Speaker 2:We'll see how that turns out. You still have hope there. We'll see how that turns out.
Speaker 3:So far that hasn't bothered him in the least. So we shall see. But yes, just to kind of circle back, be very careful and know what it's going to bring into play when you choose your name. That doesn't have to be negative. For example, circling back to mine, you know protector and defender. You just have to learn how to live with your name, right. Just like you have to learn how to live with you know anything else and be cautious and knowing that it can be a little overwhelming and powerful at times, right. And you're going to have to rein that in until you reach a different level and can balance it out, all right. So I think it's safe to say just be very careful.
Speaker 2:Ready for some more coffee?
Speaker 3:I am ready for some more coffee.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening. Join us next week for another episode. Pagan Coffee Talk is brought to you by Life Temple and Seminary. Please visit us at lifetempleseminaryorg for more information, as well as links to our social media Facebook.
Speaker 4:Discord, twitter, youtube and Reddit. Don't admire, just hold my hand as we pass by a sea of blazing fires, and so it is the end of our day so walk with me till morning breaks. And so it is the end of our day. So walk with me till morning breaks. So walk with me till morning.
