Trelawney and Intuition
Divination & The Harry Potter Series
Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today we step into one of the most complicated corners of the Harry Potter universe: Sybill Trelawney, intuition, and the strange way a magical world still undervalues certain kinds of knowing.
For me, this is personal. I grew up reading the series as a family from elementary school onward. I’ve been a Mugglecast listener since 2006. I’m a Slytherin, my favorite book is Half-Blood Prince, my favorite film is Goblet of Fire, and when it comes to intuition in this world, I can’t help but adore Luna and Tonks! But Trelawney’s arc has always fascinated me—partly because of what she could have been if she’d been allowed to trust herself (sigh).
What we explore in this episode:
The many faces of intuition in Harry Potter—Luna, Tonks, Harry, Molly, and Snape
The gendered dynamics of whose intuition is celebrated and whose is undermined
How bias, trauma, and context shape whether we trust our own intuition
The paradox of prophecy: fate, choice, and the power of belief
Intuition: The Body as an Oracle
Intuition in the wizarding world is rarely loud. It shows up in the pause before action, the sudden shift in direction, the unspoken certainty that something is about to happen. Harry survives again and again because of these instinctive flashes. Dumbledore moves political mountains through what he “just knows.”
And yet, when intuition is embodied by characters like Trelawney, Lavender, or Parvati—often women working within explicitly mystical traditions—it’s treated as fragile, unserious, or decorative.
The series really mirrors our own world’s bias: valuing instinct when it serves logic or strategy, but dismissing it when it speaks through symbols, dreams, or emotion.
The Quiet Violence of Not Being Believed
Take Sybill Trelawney’s for example, she delivers prophecies which shape the fate of the wizarding world and is never told. She is completely unaware that she was right, and without that knowledge, she doubts herself and clings to theatrics for authority. She then gets written off as weird and unreliable.
The tragedy of Trelawney as a seer isn’t her eccentricity, but that no one even thought that she deserved to know the truth of her own gift. Mind you, she has no memory of what she said or what she saw. The prophecy leaves her lips, true as bone, but no one tells her it came to pass. No one confirms she was right. Without that anchor, the memory slips sideways. She convinces herself it must have been nonsense, or a lucky guess at best.
But the truth is she wasn’t wrong—not then, and not now. She just learned, through omission and dismissal, to stop believing in her own knowing. And that’s the cruelest part: not that her visions were doubted, but that she learned to doubt them too!
Her arc invites a hard question: What happens when someone’s magic is real, but the world refuses to believe it? And perhaps, more importantly: How much of your own magic have you doubted because someone else couldn’t see it?
The Paradox of Prophecy: Where Fate Meets Choice, and Belief Shapes Reality
Divination in the wizarding world—and in our own—isn’t just about seeing the future. It’s about how belief shapes reality. If you think about it, Voldemort’s downfall only came because he acted on a prophecy, setting into motion the very chain of events it foretold.
Dumbledore’s reminder to Harry in Order of the Phoenix feels just as true for us: “It is our choices, Harry, far more than our abilities, that show what we truly are.”
Because the truth is, prophecies can hint at possibility, but they do not strip away agency. The same is true for intuition when it is used as a compass, and not a command.
Prophecy sits in a liminal space—half tethered to what will be, half shaped by what we choose to see. In tarot, as in life, there’s a dance between inevitability and agency. While the cards may whisper of a path ahead, it’s our interpretation, our willingness to believe (or to defy), that shapes how the story unfolds. This paradox invites us to hold both truths: that destiny may call, but we have the power to answer in our own way.
Tarot Cards
To explore the energy of this episode, I pulled cards from Therapists Who Tarot Deck, Prompts by Dreya Blume and Images by Rebecca Bloom:
Queen of Spirals (Queen of Pentacles) - Grounded leadership and self-worth, even when the world doubts you.
Judgment - awakening your self-trust, the moment you stop asking for permission
The High Priestess - sacred mystery, the keeper of unspoken truths and inner knowing
The Fool - trusting the step forward without needing proof of where it leads
Deck referenced:
Therapists Who Tarot Deck, Prompts by Dreya Blume and Images by Rebecca Bloom
If you haven't listened to my other seasons yet, go check them out!
Season 1 - Tarot basics
Seasons 2 & 3 - Major Arcana and 4 suits
Season 4 - Tarot in Pop Culture
Season 5 - Tarot Spreads
Season 6 - Suit of Wands
Season 7 - Suit of Pentacles
Season 8 - Suit of Swords
Season 9 - Suit of Cups
Season 10 - Tarot and Witchcraft
Season 11 - Tarot and Plant Allies
Season 12- Tarot and Animals
💭 Today's Tarot Pull:
From The Herbcrafter’s Tarot, I pulled the Yucca (Adelita of Earth) and Cinnamon (Seven of Fire).
A pairing that speaks to holding your ground and tending to what matters most, even when you’re misunderstood. Yucca roots you to place and purpose; Cinnamon reminds you that the work worth doing is often the work you must protect fiercely.
Reflective prompts on this card:
Where is my magic asking for deeper roots right now?
What am I defending that is worth every ounce of my energy?
If I stopped seeking validation, what vision would I commit to without hesitation?
A 12-Week Tarot for Transformation Journey
Starting at the end of summer, join me for a 12-week live course based on Tarot for Transformation!
We’ll spend three months together, working through the major arcana as archetypal guides. Each week, we’ll:
Focus on one major arcana card and the life themes it highlights.
Explore journaling prompts and exercises from Dreya Blume’s book.
Share experiences and support each other in a safe, witchy, and affirming space.
Participate in live one-hour calls (with replays available if you can’t join live).
This is not just about learning tarot — it’s about using tarot as a vessel for real, meaningful change in your life.
If you've ever longed for a supportive community to explore big personal shifts, or if you’re ready to commit to discovering your most authentic self, this journey is for you.
You can sign up to receive more information (no FOMO!). We’re planning to begin at the end of August, so there’s plenty of time to get ready.
Ways to Connect & Support:
Get my Tarot Card Creation Workshop including the full hour long recording with my step by step method, examples of the tarot cards I’ve created, journaling questions, and PDF to walk you through it for just $33. Click here to purchase now!
Join my 12-week Tarot for Transformation Live course this summer where we will be deep diving into the Major Arcana to Discover Our Best Selves and Create a Life Worth Living. If you’re interested, sign up here for more information!
Patreon: For new moon readings, tarot Q&As, individual card pulls, and behind-the-scenes peeks, join the Every Day Tarot Patreon family.
Newsletter: Get my FREE 2025 5-Card Tarot Spread PDF + weekly musings, event invites, and magic straight to your inbox.
Support the Podcast: If you love the show, the best way to support it is by listening daily, leaving a review, and subscribing or following in your favorite podcast app.
Book a Consultation: I’m a sex & relationships therapist working virtually across Washington. I specialize in helping queer, kinky, polyamorous, and witchy folks navigate anxiety, chronic illness, communication, and identity work. If you’re looking for a therapist and I seem like a good fit, please reach out and book a free consultation: camilleasaunders.com