The Word “Oracle”
In ancient times, an oracle referred to a sacred place where divine advice or predictions were received. Over time, the term also came to denote the interpreter who conveyed the message. Today, “oracle” can refer to the place, the messenger, the message itself, or even the tool used to access it.
Thus, an “oracle” may be: the message, the messenger, the location where it’s received, or the tool or process used to interpret it.
What unites all these elements as “oracular” is a process of connecting with the divine—understood in any way one might conceive. The divine could be a god or gods, spiritual beings or guides, or even the wiser, more eternal part of our own being.
Each of these sources can be valid. However, a message originating from spiritual realms doesn’t automatically mean it must be accepted uncritically. It’s the responsibility of the seeker to use common sense and retain autonomy in their decisions—even when facing an oracle.
Oracles, Entertainment, and Superstition
Throughout history, humanity has created grand oracles: temples dedicated to deities, staffed by trained individuals who transmitted divine messages. A classic example is the Oracle of Delphi, where priestesses inhaled entheogenic vapors to reach altered states of consciousness and channel Apollo’s words, later interpreted by priests.
Similar practices appeared in many other cultures: reading shells, stones, clouds, animal entrails or bones, or interpreting the embers of a fire.
Regardless of method or location, these practices occurred within a ritual context. They were not casual or spontaneous, and certainly not on par with TV astrology, horoscope apps, or carnival sideshows. Nor were they mere superstitions—though those also served as intuitive prompts toward the unknown.
Breaking a mirror, crossing paths with a black cat, walking beneath a ladder… these are considered bad omens. And while individuals interpret them according to upbringing or experience, they tend to be more tied to chance, coincidence, or carelessness than to a genuine oracular process.
The Components of an Oracular Process
From the above, we can identify the key components of how an oracle operates:
- Source: the origin of the information.
- Seeker: the person posing the question.
- Interpreter: the one who decodes the message as an intermediary.
- Tool: the means of receiving the message, usually symbolic or mythic.
- Ritual: actions and declarations used to attune to the divine.
- Attunement: the setting, timing, and conditions that connect all components.
The Oracular Process
With the components identified, here’s how the process unfolds:
Everything begins with the seeker’s question. That moment sparks attunement (call it causality or even destiny), enabling the seeker to find their oracle—whether tool, person, or place. In ancient times, this meant a pilgrimage; today, thanks to the internet, access is much easier, even for personal self-practice.
Once the interpreter is chosen (whether the seeker themselves or another), the synchronicity is triggered. Through tool and ritual, the interpreter aligns with energies suitable for answering.
Tools may be tangible (cards, stones, etc.) or intangible (meditation, prayer, dance, substance use, etc.). Even when external tools aren’t present, the interpreter’s nervous and energetic system is always engaged.
Rituals can be lengthy and elaborate—fasting, sleep deprivation, sexual abstinence, esoteric symbols, sacrifices—or as simple as stating the seeker’s name and question. What matters is efficacy, not complexity: a brief ritual can still connect us with our wiser self, even without invoking a higher spiritual entity.
When the ritual is complete, the oracle is opened. The interpreter translates symbols, sensations, and intuitions into a message the seeker can understand—in their own language. Trances in “tongues” may be dramatic, but if the message can’t be comprehended, they are effectively useless. (“Barbaric words” are another story.)
If the message seems unclear or inauthentic, it’s up to the seeker to weigh its value and decide what to take from it.
It’s also possible to engage in a more spontaneous oracular process: focus, ask the question, and use an external act to receive the answer. In these cases, synchronicity itself becomes the oracle. Examples include opening a book at random, interpreting coffee grounds, or observing how a cigarette burns. Simple, yet sometimes potent ways of gaining guidance.
When It’s Not an Oracular Process
If there is no ritual or clear intention to activate attunement, then the process isn’t oracular—it’s pure chance.
This applies to fortune cookies, TV or magazine horoscopes, or superstitions like waking on the “wrong foot” or passing beneath a ladder.
I’ve seen—both on social media and in person—situations where someone examines melted candlewax and asks what it means. Here, different scenarios arise:
- No oracular process occurred. A candle was lit due to a power outage, and afterward someone asks for a message. There was no question, no attunement. Only randomness.
- An oracular process happened, but the interpreter can’t read it and requests help. The symbolic message was designed for the original receiver. A third party can only offer an opinion, not an oracle.
- The seeker commissioned an oracle from someone but wasn’t satisfied and seeks a second opinion. Same issue: the message was born from a specific attunement. Someone removed from that process can only give their own interpretation.
This also happens in Tarot study groups: while the symbolism may be shared, the only genuine reading is that of the original reader. Others’ interpretations are merely opinions. Each reader may have drawn different cards for the same question.
A poorly trained interpreter won’t effectively decode the message—like trying to give an address in English without knowing the language.
There’s another frequent scenario: readings for a third party.
This occurs when the seeker asks a question about someone else—like how their child will perform academically, whether their partner will land a job, or what a friend might decide.
Even if well-intentioned and using a valid oracular process, there’s a critical flaw: the true seeker is the person the question concerns, not the one asking it. If that person isn’t present or hasn’t consented, the message will likely hold little real value for them.
Worse still, when they are unaware of the consultation. Often, these readings serve more to relieve the anxiety of the person asking than to offer growth or direction to the third party.
When this happens, the oracle’s purpose—to bring clarity, awareness, and guidance—becomes diluted and may ultimately serve no one.
The Role of Intuition
Symbols are not flat icons with fixed meanings; they are rich, layered concepts shaped by culture, time, and personal context. They can carry both positive and negative connotations simultaneously—and in a given moment, one will resonate more strongly.
Why? Because intuition, and the synchronicity it depends on, steps in.
Intuition is the ability to understand something instantly, without deliberate reasoning. Unlike logical thinking, which traces each step, intuition delivers the conclusion without revealing the pathway.
That doesn’t mean intuition emerges from nothing. It requires a “substrate”: the interpreter’s knowledge, experience, and training. If someone doesn’t know what an “acorn” is, they won’t arrive at that concept—but they might recognize “a nut from a tree,” which, even if vague, still provides useful insight.
A skilled interpreter familiar with the system’s symbols and processes has the substrate to connect with meaning and convey the intended message. That’s why seeing a snake might suggest “betrayal” instead of “renewal” or “hidden wisdom.” All are valid, but attunement determines which one resonates at that moment.
Without that attunement, interpretation is mere randomness.
It’s important to distinguish intuition from improvisation. Improvisation occurs when the interpreter lacks knowledge of the system and invents meanings in the moment, projecting personal impressions. Even with all other components in place, an interpreter who can’t decode the message ends up saying whatever feels right—even with good intentions.
That’s why caution is warranted when someone claims their system is “intuitive.” They may actually be improvising without mastery.
The Function of Oracles
In ancient Egyptian philosophy, destiny was seen as written and unchangeable. If an oracle declared something, it was treated as fact. Myths abound of characters who, in trying to avoid a prophecy, ultimately fulfill it—Cronos and Oedipus being classic examples.
That said, there are many ways to understand destiny and future prediction.
In my perspective, oracles act as forecasts. Through synchronicity, they trace a line from the seeker’s past and present to project future possibilities. By considering both known and hidden factors, they offer guidance: “If you continue down this path, here’s what might occur.”
We don’t always control what happens—like death or a sudden storm. But we can decide how to prepare and respond. That’s where the oracle’s utility lies.
A simple example is a weather forecast:
- If you don’t check it, it may or may not rain—and you won’t know to bring an umbrella.
- If it says it won’t rain, you walk out confidently.
- If it says it will rain, you can choose to carry an umbrella—or not, and enjoy the rain.
Only by knowing the forecast can you consciously choose how to experience the situation. That’s the true purpose of an oracle: to enable choice, awareness, and preparation.
A Final Word of Advice:
Never ask what you are not willing to know.
Curiosity isn’t nourishing in this context—because once you have the information, you must take responsibility for it.
Until we meet again.
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