DIY Divination Interpretation Tips – Energy Wisdom with Ellen Meredith

Let your mind be loose and free-associate. You can interpret your “results” later. Write everything that flashes through your mind, without judgement.
What strikes you most about the image you received?
Sometimes your mind will make an association with an image that seems to have nothing to do with the image. For example, you see a picture of a rabbit and flash on a scene with Uncle Fred, showing magic tricks. Write it down. When you do your summary, you can try to figure out what Uncle Fred’s magic tricks had to do with the question you asked.
How does the image make you feel? What are your personal associations with it?
What is the “energy” of the image? Is it tranquil? Playful? Angry? Formal? Foreign? Familiar? Drab? Colorful? This energy may also relate to the question you are asking.
Sometimes an image refers to energy that is flowing, and sometimes it refers to that same energy, but in a blocked or not-yet-realized form . For example, if you ask about your relationship with your partner, and get a picture of a rabbit -- you might think: fertility. Then you must use your instincts to determine whether it is a yearning for not-yet realized fertility that you are feeling, or whether the relationship is in fact already fertile. Sometimes you will need to do a second reading in order to clarify the distinction.
What are the qualities of the art work? Does the form fill the space, or is it tiny and insignificant? Is the image realistic and detailed, or more cartoon-like. If you find yourself noticing these aspects, it might tell you something about the qualities of the situation you are asking about.
If you draw a blank in responding to an image, write it down. Describe the image. It may be that you are not yet ready for insight into that dimension of the question. A friend may be able to help you with her/his free-associations on the image too. Or it may be that next week the meaning of the image will become clear, but at the moment, you just don’t see. That is information too; sometimes you are not yet ready to know, not yet at a choice point, not yet ready to acknowledge your feelings about a situation. Sometimes your imagination is just “stiff” and needs a bit more exercise. Sit with not knowing for a while, then ask someone for input if you wish.
What is the literal meaning of the image? The subconscious often uses puns and plays on words. For example, if you are struggling with a woman named Pamela, you might dream about trying to make a can of Pam spray correctly. When you are awake, the mind sometimes plays similar games.
Are you drawn to the image or repelled by it. What is your personal relationship to the image -- is it familiar territory or new ground?
If you feel the image is irrelevant, write down what else the image might be relevant to in your life. Sometimes we ask the “wrong” questions and our Wiser Self tries to steer us back to more appropriate questions.
Symbols stand for things, but they also represent analogies. If you see a rabbit hopping, it is symbolic of fertility-in-motion, but it is perhaps also analogous to covering a lot of ground at work, or running away from problems, or flitting from topic to topic. Your mind will steer you to the analogies that apply to your situation, if you keep it open and loose.
Keep in mind that insights shed light on a situation. You are not looking for the “right answers” to your question, but rather a greater understanding and appreciation for the dynamics of the situations or relationships you have asked about. If the images yield insight or lead you to identify subtleties or help you to focus more clearly, then you are doing a successful reading. But you may not get an “answer” to your question. Notice if you are expecting too much of yourself and of the tool.
Be aware that as you have asked a question, you are planting a seed in your mind. It will begin to generate responses and insights over time. This do-it-yourself divination tool is one step in a larger process of self-discovery and increasing awareness. Let it be a toy, a tool for playful exploration, and an enjoyable “check-in” with yourself. Do not ask it to make decisions for you, guide you to actions you don’t feel comfortable with, or invade other people’s privacy. It can help you to expand your vocabulary for dialogue with your Wiser Self. But remember, the tool itself is not wise. That resides within you.