Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today’s episode takes you inside my Enchanticon 2025 talk on Divination, Tarot, and Trusting Yourself. 

What we explore in this episode:

• The importance of self-trust when working with divination practices

• Why tarot and intuition point to possibilities rather than fixed outcomes

• How prophecy in Harry Potter highlights the tension between fate and free will

• A step-by-step “Trust Yourself” tarot spread you can try at home

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today’s episode is about the magic of numerology—or, as it’s called at Hogwarts, Arithmancy. 

Numbers aren’t just numbers in the wizarding world; they're magic. But numerology goes far beyond lucky or unlucky numbers! From Voldemort’s obsession with the number seven to Hermione’s absolute love for Arithmancy, it’s an ancient system that sees numbers as carriers of energy, meaning, and destiny.

What we explore in this episode:

• The history of numerology and its roots in divination

• Why numbers are seen as energetic, symbolic, and deeply influential

• How arithmancy appears in the Harry Potter books (and why Hermione loves it)

• The cultural obsession with numbers and their magical resonance

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today, we explore dream interpretation. We’ll touch on the history of dream divination, how it appears at Hogwarts, and what the tarot can teach us about the dreaming mind.

What we explore in this episode:

• The history of dream interpretation across cultures and philosophies

• Famous reflections on dreams, from Socrates to Zhuangzi to Salvador Dalí

• How dream interpretation appears in Divination class at Hogwarts

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today we’re gazing at the stars—literally. We’ll explore astrology, its history and practice, how it shows up in the Harry Potter books, and what it can teach us about seeing our lives reflected in the night sky.

What we explore in this episode:

• How astrology is defined and practiced in history and modern life

• The difference between astronomy (science) and astrology (divination)

• The role astrology plays in the Harry Potter series: humans vs. centaurs

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today, we dive into the art of crystal gazing, also known as scrying. This practice has roots in cultures around the world and is often depicted in pop culture with the classic crystal ball. In the Harry Potter series, Professor Trelawney uses crystal gazing as part of her Divination lessons.

What we explore in this episode:

• The ancient history of crystal gazing across cultures and traditions

• Methods of scrying with a crystal ball

• Crystal gazing as it appears in the Harry Potter books and films

• Tarot cards that echo the symbolism of orbs and crystal spheres

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, and today we’re turning our attention to palmistry—the ancient art of reading palms. We'll look at how palmistry works, how it shows up in the series, and how tarot cards echo the symbolism of open hands, hidden lines, and untold stories.

What we explore in this episode:

• The history and basics of palmistry: lifelines, heart lines, and beyond

• How palmistry appears in Harry Potter and why Trelawney kept flinching at Harry’s hands

• The deeper meaning of palmistry beyond reading your life line to know “when you’ll die”

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today’s episode focuses on fire omens, also known as pyromancy or capnomancy—the ancient practice of reading flames and smoke. 

What we explore in this episode:

• Mentions of fire omens and smoke reading in the Harry Potter series

• The history of pyromancy and capnomancy across cultures

• Smoke as a bridge between earthly and spiritual realms

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot is all about divination, and today’s episode dives into tasseomancy—the ancient art of reading tea leaves—and its appearance in the Harry Potter universe.

What we explore in this episode:

• The history of Tasseomancy, from melted wax divination to Romani tea room traditions

• How Harry, Ron, and Trelawney approached tea leaf reading in Prisoner of Azkaban

• The balance between ambiguity, symbolism, and intuition in both tarot and tea reading

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

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot continues our exploration of divination in the wizarding world, and in this episode, we turn the crystal ball toward Sybill Trelawney—a character who embodies both the mystique and the marginalization of intuitive arts. 

We’ll explore her family lineage, the mythological roots hidden in her name, how her prophecies shape the series, and why she’s often dismissed despite her accuracy.

What we explore in this episode:

• How Sybill’s name links her to ancient Greek oracles and prophecy traditions

• The portrayal of divination in Hogwarts classrooms vs. real-world magical practices

• The tension between authentic vision and public disbelief

• Why reclaiming the intuitive arts matters for modern witches and seekers

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot continues our exploration of divination in the wizarding world, but this time through the lens of how male characters approach (or avoid) it!

In this episode, we look at Ron and Harry’s skepticism, the gendered dynamics around mystical arts, and how fiction mirrors real-world attitudes toward intuition.

What we explore in this episode:

• Why Ron and Harry approach divination with skepticism and how that shapes the story

• How intuitive arts are often coded as “feminine” in both magical and non-magical culture

• Power, perception, and why divination threatens rigid hierarchies

• Reframing divination as a universal human skill, not a gendered one

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot continues our deep dive into divination in the wizarding world by looking at one of its most skeptical students—Hermione Granger. 

We explore her background, her dismissal of divination as a “woolly” subject, and the irony of her embracing numerology while rejecting other intuitive arts. Along the way, we connect her magical preferences to her mythological namesake Hermes, a god strongly associated with messages, magic, and prophecy.

What we explore in this episode:

• How Hermione’s character, name origins, and mythological roots tie into themes of knowledge and divination

• The irony of her loving Arithmancy (numerology) while rejecting other intuitive practices

• The contrast between Hermione’s logic-driven mindset and Luna Lovegood’s intuitive openness

Divination & The Harry Potter Series

Season 13 of Every Day Tarot opens with a vital conversation before stepping into the magic of the Harry Potter world. 

In this episode, we explore the irony of JK Rowling’s public persona, how the books often portray femininity and intuition in a negative light, and the ways the fandom has reclaimed the wizarding world to center inclusivity and queer joy.

What we explore in this episode:

• JK Rowling’s trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) stance

• How the Harry Potter books reveal a pattern of devaluing femininity and intuitive arts like divination

• How the fandom has reclaimed the series to center inclusivity, diversity, and queer joy