Juniper Divination

7 Beginner Divination Methods: Which One Is Right for You?


Want to start reading cards or tea leaves but don’t know where to begin? You don’t need expensive tools or special training. A regular deck of cards works. So does a book you already own. This guide breaks down seven divination methods for beginners so you can pick one and actually start.

1. Tarot Cards

What it is: 78 cards split into Major Arcana (big life lessons) and Minor Arcana (daily situations). Each card has symbolic imagery that tells a story.

Best for: Deep dives into complicated situations and big decisions. Works well when you need to understand multiple angles of a problem.

Time needed: 15-30 minutes

Learning curve: Moderate. You’ll learn 78 card meanings, but illustrated decks make this easier because you can read the pictures. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is designed for visual interpretation.

Cost to start: $25-60 for a deck (Rider-Waite-Smith is the beginner standard), or start with an at-home printable version of the deck for $1.99

Try it if: You want serious depth and don’t mind studying. Tarot handles complexity better than most methods, and it grows with you as your skill develops.

Guides available: Learn Tarot for 99¢, and Beyond the Little White Book: A Zine for Tarot Interpretation and Intuitive Reading for Beginners for 99¢

2. Playing Card Divination (Cartomancy)

What it is: Regular playing cards for readings. Hearts connect to emotions, diamonds to money and career, clubs to action and goals, spades to challenges and change. Card numbers carry symbolic weight.

Best for: Understanding relationships and situations without buying special decks. Good for travel since you can carry cards anywhere.

Time needed: 10-20 minutes

Learning curve: Moderate. You’ll learn 52 cards instead of 78. The structure mirrors tarot but feels more accessible to some people.

Cost to start: $0 if you own cards

Try it if: You want tarot-style depth but prefer working with familiar objects. Playing card divination has centuries of history behind it.

Guide available: Shuffle, Draw, Discover: Read Your Fate with Playing Cards for 99¢

3. Tea Leaf Reading (Tasseography)

What it is: Drink loose leaf tea from a light-colored cup, swirl the remaining leaves, flip the cup over, then read the symbols formed by the leaves

Best for: Building intuition and symbol-reading skills. The process itself is meditative.

Time needed: 15-25 minutes (includes drinking the tea)

Learning curve: Moderate to Advanced. Success depends on your ability to spot patterns and trust what you see. Some people take to it naturally; others need more practice.

Cost to start: $5-10 for loose tea and a white or light-colored cup with sloping sides

Try it if: You trust your gut and like working with symbols. Tea leaf reading rewards patience and gets easier with repetition.

Guide available: Brewing Insights: Tea Leaf Reading Zine for Beginners for 99¢

4. Dice Divination

What it is: Roll three six-sided dice into a circle. Add up the numbers. Look up what that total means. The system comes from Victorian fortune-telling traditions.

Best for: Fast answers to specific questions. Works well for yes/no decisions or when you need quick guidance.

Time needed: 2-5 minutes

Learning curve: Easy. Learn what numbers 3 through 18 mean, roll your dice, read the meaning.

Cost to start: $0 if you have dice

Try it if: You want quick clarity without memorizing complex symbol systems. Dice divination is straightforward.

Guide available: Three Dice Destiny: Learn How to Tell Fortunes with Dice for 99¢

5. Bibliomancy

What it is: Hold your question in mind, open a book to a random page, read the passage. The words provide perspective on your situation. Ancient practice used with sacred texts, poetry, and philosophy.

Best for: People who think in words and love books. Works especially well for questions about meaning and direction rather than practical details.

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

Learning curve: Easy to Moderate. The mechanics are simple—anyone can open a book. Reading passages metaphorically takes more practice.

Cost to start: $0—poetry collections, philosophy books, and novels you already own all work

Try it if: You’re a reader who connects deeply with written words. The best books for bibliomancy have layered meanings you can read multiple ways.

eBook available: Bibliomancy: The Complete Guide for $1.99

6. Charm Casting

What it is: Throw small objects (charms, stones, coins) onto a cloth, read where they land

Best for: Visual thinkers who like building their own systems

Time needed: 10-20 minutes

Learning curve: Moderate—you assign meanings to objects and learn position reading

Cost to start: $5-15 for small objects (or free if you use what you have)

Try it if: You like hands-on work and want to create something uniquely yours.

7. Pendulum Reading

What it is: Weighted object on a string swings to answer yes/no questions

Best for: Simple questions and energy work

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

Learning curve: Easy—learn swing patterns, ask questions, watch

Cost to start: $0-15 (make one from a necklace or buy one)

Try it if: You want the simplest method possible.

Quick Comparison

Method Time Cost Difficulty Best For
Tarot 15-30 min $25-60 Moderate Deep insight
Playing Cards 10-20 min $0 Moderate Situations
Tea Leaves 15-25 min $5-10 Advanced Intuition
Dice 2-5 min $0 Easy Quick answers
Bibliomancy 5-10 min $0 Easy-Moderate Wisdom
Charm Casting 10-20 min $5-15 Moderate Visual learning
Pendulum 5-10 min $0-15 Easy Yes/No

How to Choose

Pick based on what you actually need:

Fast answers: Dice or pendulum

Learning a whole system: Tarot or playing cards

Strong intuition: Tea leaves or charm casting

Book person: Bibliomancy

No money to spend: Dice, playing cards, bibliomancy, or DIY pendulum

You can mix methods. Use tarot for big decisions, dice for quick confirmation. Or start with bibliomancy for perspective, then pull tarot cards for specific steps.

Start Here

I wrote complete guides for five methods:

All five guides cost under $7 total at ko-fi/juniperdivination

The best divination method is whichever one you’ll use. Pick what calls to you. You can learn others later. Each method teaches something different about reading symbols and trusting your instincts.