Witch and author Courtney Weber recently shared something on Instagram that I found interesting. It’s a meme that says
Every time the universe sends me a sign, I’m like OK but I think I’ll wait for a signier sign.
My issues with talking about “the universe” as though it’s an all-powerful deity aside, I get this. Whether we’re observing omens or doing divination or just trying to figure out what to do next, we want a sign that’s unmistakable and clear and that gives us good news.
It rarely works that way. We get what we get and either we make good use of it, or we don’t. A signier sign isn’t coming and waiting for it means we’re going to stay right where we are.
I know this is a silly meme intended to make us laugh, but like most good humor, it’s funny because it’s true. And I think that’s worth exploring in more depth.
The Gods have no need for spectacle
Most times, what we call a sign or an omen is simply the early stages of a process that will lead to a certain conclusion. Our subconscious mind notices patterns that our conscious mind either can’t see or has been trained to ignore. It extrapolates from sign to process to end and provides us with information that is useful even if it’s vague.
Correlation is not causation, but correlation is very useful for making predictions.
Sometimes, though, a sign is a message from a God or other spirit. And Gods have no need for spectacles. They know They’re Gods and They don’t have fragile egos that need to be reinforced all the time.
Besides, these days Zeus could appear bodily in the middle of a major city, throwing lightning bolts, and “certain people” would be calling it a hoax before He could get back to Mount Olympus.
I can speak only for myself and in relation to the handful of Gods who I’ve experienced, but They’re not looking for followers who need to be impressed with spectacles. They’re looking for people who are in agreement with Their value and virtues and who just need a little nudge to remind them that yes, this is all real. And worth working for.
And so They rarely send signier signs.
All we usually need is a hint
We are not Gods, but we are powerful and intelligent beings (most of us, anyway…). Deep down we know what we need to do… what we want to do. We may not know how to get there, but if we know which direction to go and we start moving, we’ll get there sooner or later.
We just need a hint to get us started.
Subtle signs are entirely adequate, if we’re paying attention.
And if we’re really interested in moving forward instead of continuing in a situation that’s familiar even if it’s not particularly comfortable.
“Lie to me”
I just finished teaching a class in Tarot (it’s on-demand – if you missed it you can take it any time you like). One of the things I pointed out early in the class is that people seek out Tarot readers and other diviners because they’re anxious. And the thing most people who are anxious (I speak here of ordinary “life is uncertain” anxiety, not any form of mental illness) want to hear is that everything is going to be OK.
We humans are strong and resilient in this life and we are immortal beyond this life – everything is going to be OK. But there may be pain, suffering, and general unpleasantness from time to time.
Or rather, there will be.
And so we look for signs that tell us we’re not going to suffer. And when we don’t get that, we look for a signier sign.
Some of us are looking for a sign that tells us we’re special. We’re a “natural witch” or a “light bringer” or some other vague title that means we’re the magical or spiritual equivalent of Bill Gates’ long lost child who’s about to inherit billions of dollars so we don’t have to deal with the difficulties of life.
What we are is human. What we become is up to us.
No sign required.
“Tell me what I want”
Life was simple in ancient times. You and your family and your community tried to grow enough food to make sure you didn’t starve, while hoping you weren’t killed by raiders or disease or childbirth.
In our time, we have a wide array of choices about where to live, how to live, and how to find meaning in our lives. Some of us have more choices than others, but almost all of us have options that would be inconceivable to even our more recent ancestors.
If it’s hard to figure out what to have for dinner, how hard is it to figure out what to do with our lives?
And so we look to cards or runes or the flight of birds to send us a sign. Not a hint or a bit of inspiration, but a detailed plan telling us exactly what to do that will make us happy and successful.
The magical and spiritual orders of the 19th and 20th centuries put a huge amount of emphasis on self-discovery. They put a modern spin on the words carved above the doorway to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
Know Thyself.
Facing the answer
Psychonaut Terence McKenna famously said “the problem is not to find the answer, it’s to face the answer.”
I have a lot of personal experience here. I thought I would find meaning and happiness by making a ton of money in the mundane world. I didn’t get very far down that path before I realized this was a recipe for overwork and misery. But I couldn’t accept that the answer for me wasn’t what I had been told all my life, and I was almost 40 before I finally committed to this path that has brought me so much satisfaction and meaning.
If you’ve read Tarot at all – particularly if you’ve read for other people – you know the temptation to whitewash the unpleasant cards. While Death rarely refers to physical death, most times it’s not referring to anything happy. Yes, The Tower is tearing away the false to make room for the true, but the process of destruction is going to hurt, even if it’s necessary, and even if what it ultimately bring is good.
Our challenge is to not ignore the signs we get just because they tell us something we don’t want to hear.
Because if we do, the next sign may be signier, but it’s also going to be harder.
Just start
If you want something more, just start.
Take the hint and start moving in that direction. Planning is good, but you don’t need a perfect plan. Just start.
Read the first book, pour the first offering, cast the first spell.
Clean up your resume, look for openings, talk to people in your field.
Talk to friends in other states, look for places to live, rent a U-Haul.
Signs and omens are gifts from the Gods, whether they come through our subconscious or directly from Themselves or through any other means. They give us a hint – or more than a hint – as to what’s coming, so we can make preparations and so we can act.
Let’s honor them and make use of them by responding as we notice them.
Without waiting for a signier sign.
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