This article is the first in a series on Clairvoyance for Psychic Empowerment, by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke. Click here to read the second article in the series.

Dr. Joe Slate and I are currently at work on Clairvoyance for Psychic Empowerment, the next book in our series on contemporary evolutionary empowering psychic techniques. This article is the first in a series providing background to the important issues being discussed in the book, while the book itself focuses on proven techniques for developing innate psychic powers into genuine Clairvoyance and empowering applications with specific, practical benefits.

What is Clairvoyance?
Clairvoyance (pronounced: clair·voy·ance) comes to us from the Seventeenth-Century French, clair meaning clear and voyance meaning vision, hence "clear vision." This Clear Vision means more than just good vision or even vision enhanced by eyeglasses and other physical aids. Rather, it means the ability to see beyond the limitations of location and may mean beyond the limitations of the physical dimension.

In today’s usage, clairvoyance refers to the psychic ability to gain information or knowledge about an object, person, place, event, or a situation (or Deep Insight) into Cosmic Realities.

As a psychic ability, this means that the information is obtained by means other than the basic five physical senses. This, of course, is what "psychic" means—extra-sensory perception involving the two senses beyond the five physical ones, and the ability to expand or alter consciousness to see beyond the physical dimension.

But clairvoyance also refers to acquiring "knowledge," and knowledge is more than just information. Knowledge is the organized and systematic foundation for understanding and insight, and may include foreknowledge of future events.

Extended Awareness in Divination
Clairvoyance traditionally refers to direct and unaided psychic ability. It also refers to the extended awareness associated with the many psychic tools and techniques involved in practices of divination. Systems of divination primarily involve the manipulation of physical objects or the measurement of physical phenomena and then their interpretation through complex symbols and standardized definitions based on years—perhaps thousands of years—of recorded experience.

Whether recognized or not by the practitioner, the acts of manipulation, measurement, and interpretation all "awaken" psychic awareness as an extension of the technical knowledge of the signs and symbols or of the psychic tools themselves.

In later articles in this series, and (of course) as a major discussion in the forthcoming book, we will explore both direct clairvoyance and extended awareness, and also the three major forms of direct clairvoyance and the chakras empowering each.

Clairvoyant and Divinatory Practices
There are so many practices that I tried to organize them in ways to facilitate our study and understanding. In each case, I have given a simple definition of the practice. The following lists are by no means intended to be exhaustive but rather to be illustrative of the system of classification.

Direct Psychic Perception of an Event, Object, or Person (mostly contemporary) External to and Hidden from the Observer, Including:

• Clairalience: The smelling of odors without a physical source that provides some kind of insight.
• Clairaudience: The hearing of sounds and voices without a present physical source that either provides information or messages.
• Claircognizance: Knowing without reference to a physical source, sometimes experienced as a "hunch."
• Clairgustance: Tasting without a physical source that provides some kind of insight.
• Clairsentience: The acquisition of knowledge through the feeling and touching of an object or contact with an organic substance or part of a person or other creature.
• Clairvoyance: "Clear seeing," i.e. the perception of information without the use of physical senses and sometimes knowledge not limited to the physical dimension.
• ESP ("Extra-Sensory Perception"): Basically, an alternate expression for clairvoyance clearly indicating something "extra" to ordinary physical senses.
• Futurology: Predicting the future based on present conditions through Extra-sensory means.
• Premonition: Warning of a future disaster through Extra-sensory means.
• Precognition: Extra-sensory perception of events that will occur in the future.
• Psychometry: Reading the history of an object, in particular its association with humans.
• Remote Viewing: Direct Extra-sensory perception of events at locations remote from the viewer.
• Retrocognition: Perceiving events that occurred in the past.

Direct Psychic Perception by Means of Altered States of Consciousness:

• Dream Interpretation: While often associated with a "dream dictionary," it really involves methods of allowing the dream "to speak" to the dreamer.
• Oracles: Making contact with spirits or gods usually at a special location often associated with unusual environment conditions and a dedicated person in trance.
• Ouija: While commonly used as entertainment, the proper use would be to enter into a trance and let the planchette spell out messages on the board printed with the alphabet and numbers.
• Prophecy: Revelation about the future, often ostensibly from a spiritual presence or deity.
• Shamanic techniques: Sensory repression or stimulation of the physical senses through various techniques of Ecstatic or Exhaustive Dancing, Fasting, Sleep Deprivation, Bondage, Isolation, Flagellation, Psychoactive Drugs, Drumming, Sexual Exhaustion, etc.
• Theomancy: Receiving messages or answers to questions through an oracle or direct contact with Deity.

Direct Psychic Perception By Means of Extended Consciousness:

• Astral Projection: Intentional acquiring of information while Out-of-Body Using the astral vehicle.
• Aura Reading: Perception and interpretation of the auric field usually involving some degree of etheric or even auric vision.
• Etheric Projection: Projection, or more communally, extension of part of the etheric vehicle (sometimes perceived as ectoplasm) to obtain information by touch or to move objects.
• Intuition: A somewhat vague term for a non-verbal "feeling" message from the Higher Self.
• Mental Projection: Projection of the mental vehicle. (It should be clarified the all projections involve more than just the etheric, or just the astral, or just the mental vehicle but rather are inclusive but with one substance and level of consciousness predominant.)

Indirect Psychic Perception Through Another Person or Entity:

• Animal Communication:

Most often a form of Mental Telepathy.

• Automatic Writing (aka Autography and Psychography): Unconscious written communication with a spirit while the writer is in a trance.
• Mental Telepathy: Contact and exchange of information with another person.
• Projection of a Familiar: This is a variation of etheric projection in which a Thought Form of an animal or person is created from etheric and astral substance under direction of the projector—either with a single duty "charge," or a longer-term duty charge. It is sometimes called "indirect psychic spying" in contrast to Remote Viewing.
• Sciomancy: Communication through a spirit guide who, generally, appears spontaneously.
• Spirit Communication: Contact with "spirits" of the deceased or other entities most often through a person acting as a "Medium" under the "Control" of a Spirit Guide.
• Telesthesia: Indirect psychic awareness of a distant condition or happening involving a person related to the receiver.

Augmented Psychic Perception By Means of Divinatory Tools:

• Dowsing (see also Radiesthesia): The use of a forked stick or bent steel clothes hanger (or other metallic imitation of the forked stick) in order to sense the presence of water, other resources, or a lost object. The instrument moves in the dowser’s hands when he walks over the searched for substance believed to radiate a perceptive energy.
• Handwriting Analysis (aka Graphology and Graphoanalysis): Measurement of size, shape, spacing, impression, and other factors of handwriting, including most particularly signatures, the personal pronoun "I," and also doodles.
• Pendulum Work (aka Radiesthesia, Divining, Dowsing, Water Witching): Using a pendulum instead of a rod to determine the location of water or other resources, and also to respond to questions. Related techniques include:
  • Cleidomancy or Clidomancy: Using a key attached to a cord or string.
  • Coscinomancy or Cosquinomancy: Using a sieve suspended from shears or tongs.
  • Dactylomancy or Dactlomancy: Using a suspended ring
  • Rhabdomancy: Using a stick or rod.
• Scrying: Seeing a vision while gazing into a transparent, translucent, or reflective object, inducing a mild trance. Such objects include:
  • Crystal ball gazing
  • Crystal gazing
  • Fires Scrying
  • Ink Scrying
  • Mirror Scrying
  • Smoke Scrying
  • Water Scrying
  • Wine Scrying
• Tea Leaf Reading: Interpreting the shapes, size and patterns of wet tea leaves, either by inspiration or a special dictionary of symbols. Similar practices include:
  • Coffee Ground Reading
  • Egg Yolk Reading
  • Strewn Rice Reading
  • Wine Sediment Reading

Augmented Psychic Perception by Means of Manually-Manipulated Complex Symbolic Divination Systems with Established Rules and Meanings:

• Cartomancy: Using a deck or ordinary bridge or poker playing cards.
• Geomancy: Interpreting dots, lines, and figures traced in sand, dirt, or pebbles, or naturally occurring formations either intuitively or by standard meanings. It is a divinatory system prominently used by Golden Dawn magicians and with variants employed throughout Africa.
• I Ching: The casting of sticks or coins to establish sixty-four Hexagrams, each consisting of six solid or broken lines. The I Ching, aka Yi King, is the oldest and most universal system of Chinese divination interpreted on a foundation of Taoism.
• Oghams, aka the Celtic Tree Alphabet: A series of sticks marked with cuts to represent each letter, and then thrown and selected randomly for divinatory interpretation.
• Runes: Similar to, but older and more complex than Oghams and based on a very rich mythic system of Nordic/Teutonic mythology giving definition to each image. Runes are used both in divination and in magic (as charms and spells). Runes should be ranked with Tarot Cards for their symbolic interpretation and magical use.
• Tarot Cards: A complex deck of seventy-eight cards illustrated with symbols and images associated with the Hebrew and Greek Kabbalah. The Tarot is the most popular and important divinatory system in the Western world.

Augmented Psychic Perception in Association with Scientific Measurable Physical Phenomena:

• Astrology: The most scientific system for determining the value and meaning of "the moment" by measuring the celestial positions of the Sun, Moon, Planets, and sometimes of the fixed stars and asteroids in relation to exact "birth locations" on Earth. The resultant pattern is cast as a wheel, the horoscope, and interpreted through long-established meaning based on thousands of years of observation. The time and place of birth sets the meaning for the life of a person, event, or corporate or other legal entity, while changes to the celestial positions (transits) in relation to the birth horoscope will forecast coming events.
• Cheiromancy: See Palmistry (aka Palm Reading)
• Gematria: Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a numeric value representing a different creative force. When the numeric values of the letters in particular words, names, and phrases are calculated it is assumed that words, names, and phrases have equivalent meanings. Those values and meanings may be found in Kabalistic dictionaries and are employed in divination, prayer, and magic.
• Numerology (aka Arithmancy): A system of somewhat arbitrary assignment of numbers to the letters of the alphabet by which names and birthdates are given meaningful interpretation.
• Palmistry: The reading and interpretation of lines and shapes in the hand, often using detailed measurements of proportionate length, width, depth, and angles of the lines and apparent symbols. The system has been extended to include the proportionate length and width of the thumb and fingers, their flexibility, lines on the knuckles, and the shapes and lines in the fingernails (also called Onychomancy when treated separately from the palm).
• Pegomancy: See Palmistry.

Common Types of Divination Involving Extended Psychic Awareness:
The following is just a selection of the many divinatory system, basically demonstrating the point that anything can be manipulated and "read" because the real meaning is found not in the object but in intentional human consciousness. In most cases, the "reading" is accompanied by a light state of trance. In some, but not all systems, there are established "dictionary" meanings. Further information may be found in Llewellyn's online Encyclopedia (as well as by clicking the provided links).

• Aeromancy: Interpreting atmospheric and related phenomena, such as perceived images in clouds, and also:
  • Austromancy: Interpretation of winds
  • Ceraunoscopy and Keraunomancy: Interpretation of thunder and lightning
  • Chaomancy: Interpretation of sky visions
  • Meteromancy: Interpretation of shooting stars
• Alectormancy, Alectromancy, Alectryomancy: Observing birds, usually a rooster, pick through scattered grains, and noting sequentially when the bird crows, signifying a letter of the alphabet. If the rooster pecks at three grains and then crows, it denotes the third letter of the alphabet ("c").
• Aleuromancy: Messages are written on paper and then inserted into dough that is baked, such as with Fortune Cookies that will be selected at random.
• Alomancy or Halomancy: Interpreting images drawn in spilled salt or dry sand.
• Alphitomancy, also called "Cursed Bread:" If a person has indigestion after eating a loaf of barley bread, he or she will be judged guilty of a crime.
• Amniomancy: Interpreting the caul (the part of the placenta remaining on the head) at a baby’s birth.
• Anthropomancy, Antinpomancy, Splanchomancy: Interpreting the entrails of a human sacrifice.
• Apantomancy: Interpreting the chance encounter with an object, animal, or person, such as a black cat crossing your path.
• Arithmancy: Divination using numbers, including:
  • Gematria: Interpreting Hebrew Bible passages by assigned numeric values to letters of the Hebrew Alphabet
  • Numerology: Dates and words (often birthdates and names) are converted into numbers sequentially identified with the alphabet, and interpreted by a number dictionary.
• Aruspicy, Extispicy, Haruspicy: Interpreting the entrails of a sacrificed animal.
• Astragalamancy, Astragalomancy, Astragyromancy, Cleromancy: Interpreting dice casts by number associations.
• Axinomancy: Throwing an axe and observing the direction of the handle.
• Belomancy, Bolomancy: Shooting, tossing, or balancing an arrow, and interpreting what is observed.
• Bibliomancy or Stichomancy: Reading or interpreting randomly chosen passages in books, most often religious books. Also:
  • Rhapsodomancy: Using a book of poetry.
• Botanomancy: Interpreting burning or burned leaves or branches.
• Brontoscopy: Interpreting the sound of thunder.
• Capnomancy: Interpreting rising smoke.
• Causimomancy: Interpretation by observing objects placed in a fire.
• Ceromancy and Ceroscopy: Interpreting shapes taken by melted wax poured into water.
• Cledomancy: Interpreting random events and statements.
• Crithomancy and Critomancy: Interpreting sacrificial cakes and breads.
• Cromniomancy: Interpreting the sprouting behavior of onions.
• Cybermancy: Divination through a computer.
• Cyclomancy: Interpreting the revolutions of a spinning bottle.
• Daphnomancy: Interpreting a burning laurel branch.
• Dendromancy: Divination by oak or mistletoe.
• Fractomancy: Interpreting the structure of fractal patterns.
• Geloscopy: Interpreting the sound or manner of laughter.
• Gyromancy: Walking or twirling around in a circle marked with letters until one is dizzy and stumbles or falls, thus spelling a prophecy.
• Hepatoscopy, Hepatomancy: Interpreting the liver of a sacrificial animal.
• Hieromancy and Hieroscopy: Interpreting burnt offerings or ritually slaughtered animals.
• Hydromancy: Interpreting of water by color, ripples, and is ebb and flow, including:
  • Hydatoscopy: Interpreting rainwater.
  • Lecanomancy: Interpreting the sounds or the ripples as stones are dropped into water.
  • Pegomancy: Interpretation of waters of sacred springs, wells, pools, or fountains.
• Ichthyomancy: Interpreting the behavior, or the entrails, or fish.
• Lampadomancy: Interpreting the flame of a candle, torch, or lamp.
• Libranomancy or Livanomancy: Interpreting the smoke made by burning incense.
• Lithomancy: Divination with crystal or gems by their reflected light or their placement when cast.
• Lychnomancy: Interpreting the flames of three candles.
• Metoposcopy: Interpreting the lines and wrinkles of the forehead.
• Moleoscophy: Interpreting the moles of the body.
• Molybdomancy: Interpreting the hissing sounds as molten lead, or tin, are dropped into water.
• Oculomancy: Interpreting the eye (also Iridology: interpreting the iris of the eye).
• Oenomancy or Oinomancy: Interpreting wine.
• Omphalomancy: Interpreting the shape of the first born’s navel, or the knots in the umbilical cord, to determine the number of children that mother will have in her lifetime.
• Onomancy: The interpretation of names.
• Oomancy, Ooscopy, Ovomancy: Divination with eggs.
• Phyllorhodomancy: Interpreting the sound made by slapping a rose petal against the hand.
• Physiognomy: Reading a person’s character by interpreting the facial features.
• Podomancy: Interpreting the lines and details of feet.
• Pedomancy: Interpreting the impression made by a footprint.
• Psychomancy: Soul Reading, perceiving a person’s values and beliefs.
• Pyromancy: Divination by watching fire.
• Pyroscopy: Divination by burning paper.
• Schematomancy: Observing and interpreting the face.
• Selenomancy: Interpreting the appearance and phase of the moon.
• Sideromancy: Divination by placing straws on a hot iron and observing the resulting shapes.
• Spasmatomancy: Interpreting convulsions.
• Spatalamancy: Interpreting skin, bone, or excrement, including:
  • Scapulimancy, Scapulomancy, Patulamancy: Interpreting the cracks in the burned shoulder bones of an animal.
  • Scatamancy: Interpreting excrement.
  • Spatilomancy: Interpreting animal excrement.
• Spodomancy: Divination by interpreting ashes, cinders, or soot.
• Stareomancy: Interpreting the classical elements of wind, water, earth, or fire.
• Sternomancy: Interpreting the marks or bumps on the solar plexus (breast to belly).
• Stolisomancy: Interpreting a person’s style of dress.
• Sycomancy: Interpretation by writing a question on a leaf and observing how quickly the leaf dries.
• Tephramancy: Divination by interpreting the ashes of burnt tree bark.
• Tiromancy: Divination by interpreting the holes in cheese.
• Transataumancy: Divination by accidentally seeing or hearing.
• Trochomancy: Divination by interpreting wheel ruts or tracks.
• Uromancy or Urimancy: Divination by interpreting the appearance of urine.
• Urticariaomancy: Divination by the location of an itch (e.g. your palms itch, you’ll get money, or if your nose itches, someone is thinking about you).
• Water Witching: See Dowsing.
• Xenomancy: Divination by interpreting meetings with strangers.
• Xylomancy: Divination by interpreting burning wood.
• Zoomancy: Interpreting the appearance and behavior of animals, including:
  • Ailuromancy: Interpreting the behavior of cats.
  • Entomancy: Interpreting the behavior of insects.
  • Arachnomancy: Interpreting the behavior of spiders.
  • Myrmomancy: Interpreting the behavior of ants.
  • Skatharomancy: Interpreting a beetle’s tracks.
  • Hippomancy: Interpreting the behavior of horses.
  • Myomancy: Interpreting the behavior of mice and rats.
  • Ophiomancy: Interpreting the behavior of serpents.
  • Ornithomancy: Interpreting the behavior, flight, and song of birds.
  • Theriomancy: Interpreting the movements of groups of animals.
• Zygomancy: Divination by using weights.