divination/ pantheon?

[golddust]

does the pantheon you choose/follow/ are darwn to affect the type of divination you prefer
e.g. i'd love to use runes, and even started making my own, and then i realised i didn't feel comfortable with them, because the nordic forms of the god and goddess mean nothing to me at all, and therefore i cant really use the symbols and energies attributed to them as i would like to, (though i can still use the power, just not as knowingly as i should be to use the power- if you catch m,y drift)
so does it really matter?
and also are other forms of divination attributed to other pantheons?

[Rick]

Can you read/do magic with Runes without following the Germanic/Norse Gods? Sure, no problem...

Can you read/do magic with Runes more effectively if you know the sagas & lore? Definitely...

The more you know about a divinatory system, about how it came to be, how it works, all the relationships & inter-relationships, etc, the more accurate your readings will be...

So do you have to believe in/follow the pantheon(s) associated with a certain system? I say no, it's not necessary... but I believe it's absolutely necessary to understand them...

As to other divinatory systems being associated with certain pantheons, Ogham & the Celtic Gods comes to mind...

[phoenixsong]

When I started using runes, Freyja started to take an interest in me - I think.

[Flar's Freyja]

This is a fascinating question for discussion. I have to agree with Rick. No, it's not absolutely necessary but an understanding does help and enhance your experience. For a long time, I used the Thoth deck in tarot and studied the history behind this particular deck. I was more effective with it than with other decks where history and details were not as available. I had the same experience with Motherpeace; again, a lot of background information is readily available. I was not attracted to the runes until I had an encounter with Freya and she drew me to them. I still have a lot to learn.

[Azure]

My first interest in divination started when I was three or four - I scaled a fence at Delphi and took a swim in the fountain of the oracle. My Dad had to go in after me while the Greek guards yelled. To this day, I can't get away from an interest in omen reading - in fact, that's becming a major method of divination for me, for all that was 25 years ago. So I guess the form chose me.

But overall I agree with Rick and the others - if you know the folklore and myth behind a system it's easier to use. I started reading Tarot at 17, in college, but it got easier for me as I studied literature and history that provided access to the symbolism.

I feel pretty confident in my Norse myth and history, but I don't really read runes - they don't seem right for me, perhaps because I don't work with the Norse pantheon. I do think that the right forms will make themselves known to the individuals when they need them.