The divinatory arts are therefore much more than practices for predicting the future; they are a path of knowledge and connection with invisible forces. Whether one seeks answers to practical questions or a deeper understanding of oneself and the cosmos, these practices offer a link between the tangible world and spiritual or psychic dimensions, thus becoming a mirror of the soul and the universal mysteries.

A divinatory art consists of giving a description, particularly predictive, of everything that can affect an individual or a group of individuals. The major themes are love, health, money, human relationships, and the character of people. The divinatory arts frequently use a system of symbolic correspondences between the descriptions provided and observable data.

Unlike predictive sciences, the accuracy of descriptions is secondary in a divinatory art. It is the interest aroused by the description that takes precedence. Confused synergies between scientific and artistic aspects sometimes contribute to the interest aroused, as between astronomy and astrology or between scientific or non-scientific graphologies.