Divination is the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or unknown through various methods. It has been used for centuries by different cultures to gain insight and guidance. While there are many different strategies for practicing divination, they all have the same underlying goal - to tap into higher sources of wisdom and knowledge. One common strategy for practicing divination is through the use of tools or objects. These can include tarot cards, runes, pendulums, or even tea leaves. The practitioner focuses their energy on the tool and interprets the messages or symbols that are revealed.
Operation Bertram was a component of Operation Lightfoot, Lieut-Col Bernard Montgomery’s turning-point offensive in the North Africa Campaign. Bertram was just one of many deception plans of the war, the most famous being Operation Fortitude – the Allied ruse that led Germany to believe the D-Day offensive would come at Pas de Calais instead of the beaches or Normandy.
According to Maskelyne s ghost-written memoir, Magic Top Secret , and David Fisher s The War Magician , Maskelyne was not only responsible for moving the Suez Canal and the entire city of Alexandria as part of the North Africa campaign, but was also the mastermind behind Operation Bertram. According to Maskelyne s ghost-written memoir, Magic Top Secret , and David Fisher s The War Magician , Maskelyne was not only responsible for moving the Suez Canal and the entire city of Alexandria as part of the North Africa campaign, but was also the mastermind behind Operation Bertram.
The practitioner focuses their energy on the tool and interprets the messages or symbols that are revealed. **The key to using these tools effectively is to trust one's intuition and be open to the messages that come through.** Another strategy for practicing divination is through the observation of patterns and signs in nature.
Magical Victory? Jasper Maskelyne and the Battle of El Alamein
Jasper Maskelyne, a third generation British magician, was in the business of illusion. However, what he called the greatest “illusion” of his career is a major point of controversy for historians of World War II and those in the magic trade.
According to Maskelyne’s ghost-written memoir, Magic: Top Secret, and David Fisher’s The War Magician, Maskelyne was not only responsible for “moving” the Suez Canal and the entire city of Alexandria as part of the North Africa campaign, but was also the mastermind behind Operation Bertram.
Operation Bertram was a component of Operation Lightfoot, Lieut-Col Bernard Montgomery’s turning-point offensive in the North Africa Campaign. Bertram was just one of many deception plans of the war, the most famous being Operation Fortitude – the Allied ruse that led Germany to believe the D-Day offensive would come at Pas de Calais instead of the beaches or Normandy.
The operation was made up of a series of fake ammunition dumps in sight of the Axis forces that were replaced with real ammunition and gas rations under the cover of nightfall, an incomplete dummy pipeline which implied that preparations for attack were not as far along as they actually were, an army of jeeps disguised as tanks sent in one direction and tanks disguised as transport vehicles sent in another and lastly, a series of fake buildings, soldiers, tanks and trucks in the south.
The facts of Operation Bertram are undisputed. However, the role of Jasper Maskelyne is another story. According to Maskelyne and Fisher’s accounts, Montgomery met with the magician personally with the directive to hide the forces in the north while creating the deception of a military build-up in the south. However, military historian and magician, Richard J. Stokes argued in a series of articles published in Geniis Magic Journal that a number of chronological inaccuracies and unconfirmed events in both books, the absence of any mention of Maskelyne in official records and Montgomery’s own accounts, along with a statement from Maskelyne’s own son, cast a great deal of doubt on his involvement.
After the war, Maskelyne faded into obscurity. Unable to resurrect his career in magic and greatly frustrated by the lack of any recognition for his war efforts, he later moved to Africa where he operated a driving school. He died in 1973.
So was Maskelyne the unsung hero of the North African Campaign? Did he pull off some of the greatest illusions of World War II or even of all time? Or was he simply a washed-up magician, looking for credit and another taste of fame? After all of these years Jasper Maskelyne still has us guessing. And that may actually be the magician’s greatest feat.
Magic: Top Secret is currently out of print but David Fisher’s The War Magician has been recently reissued and is rumored to be on its way to the big screen. To read Robert J. Stokes articles in entirety, visit www.maskelynemagic.com.
Below: Photos of the sunshield prototype used to disguise a tank as a transport vehicle from declassified document “WO 201/2841 Sunshields – tank camouflage: introduction and development”. Jasper Maskelyne had several similar photos in his wartime scrapbook. Courtesy of The National Archives, Kew and special thanks to Richard Stokes.
You really rocked the house down there. It was amazing seeing you work behind the bar. You were totally in your element.
This can involve studying patterns in the flight of birds, the movement of clouds, or the formation of natural elements. **By paying attention to these patterns, one can gain insights into future events or receive guidance from the natural world.** Meditation is also a powerful strategy for practicing divination. By quieting the mind and focusing inward, one can access deep levels of intuition and receive guidance from higher powers. **This can be done through visualization exercises, guided meditations, or simply sitting in stillness and allowing messages to come through.** Dream interpretation is another common strategy for practicing divination. Dreams have long been believed to hold hidden meanings and messages from the subconscious. By keeping a dream journal and reflecting on the symbols and events that occur in dreams, one can gain insights into their own psyche and receive guidance for the future. Finally, **one of the most important strategies for practicing divination is to cultivate a mindset of openness and receptivity.** It is essential to approach divination with an open heart and mind, allowing the wisdom and guidance to flow through without judgment or preconceived notions. By doing so, one can tap into the deep well of knowledge and wisdom that is available through the practice of divination..
Reviews for "The Art of Palmistry: Unlocking Secrets in the Lines of Your Hand"
1. Sarah - 2/5 - I was really looking forward to learning about divination and how to practice it, but this book fell short for me. While it did provide some strategies, they were very basic and not very insightful. The author also didn't delve into the different types of divination methods, which was disappointing. I was hoping for a more comprehensive guide, but unfortunately, this book didn't deliver.
2. Jake - 1/5 - This book was a letdown. The strategies mentioned were very generic and didn't offer anything new or innovative. It felt like a regurgitation of information that can easily be found online for free. I was expecting a more in-depth exploration of divination, but instead, I got a shallow and repetitive book. Save your money and look for other resources if you actually want to learn about divination.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I found this book to be quite lackluster. The strategies provided were very basic and didn't offer any practical guidance. The author didn't explain the reasoning behind the strategies, which left me feeling confused and unfulfilled. Additionally, there were some editing errors throughout the book, which made it difficult to follow at times. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interested in practicing divination.