Free Will & the Future: How does Divination Really Work?

[Firebird]

Or are we simply creating the world (unconsciously vs consciously) as a mirror of the world within us, attracting externally what we are manifesting internally? (Magic(k)).

so, are you saying the reading reflects the inner world of our consciousness? so that the cards, runes, tea leaves, whatever are merely a tool that reflects (like a mirror) what is really going on, currently, rather than what is to come?
In this way I can see how they are truly a divination tool, (I'll divert with a little story, ...Me and the hubby used to pull a card a day to reflect on the next 24 hours at hand, each card was meant to give insight to our own strengths to build upon, until this one Sunday, when he pulled the Tower and I pulled Death, Wow, I thought ...that sounds like a bad day, before 24 hours passed at 4:30 Monday morning ...Towers came down and people were dead, the Northridge Earthquake had struck! and we were thrown into darkness) So when I read now I have to understand that the bigger picture may be beyond my scope of understanding, and I'm ok with that. However, that one reading still freaks me out.
As far a soul contract, I don't feel that was of free will, we will return in whatever form we will best be the teacher for this time around, the judgement has been made, now the facts involved in your judgement were of your own doing, which, in you life now, involved your free will...but when the time comes to go to the next level... or not,... is not likely to be of your will.

(we are bounded, for instance, by the laws of physics, as well as our relationships to each other, the Earth, etc.)

It would seem living a conscientious life is attuned with the law of attraction, ...like I said before if we went all willy-nilly all over the place, chaos would ensue. Some would be pleased with this.
For now, as a matter of going deeper with my will, I chant this little diddy....I will to will my will! (three fold!)
(Dark! you little devil!)
Blessings, Firebird

[Jade Rose]

I have also heard many people say (and I gravitate towards this explanation myself) that divination is merely a way of connecting with the divine and breaking out of tired ways of thinking to draw new connections and insights.

That's what I believe as well for a few reasons. Mainly because I know I am not capable of -accurately- predicting the future, and I'm not sure where to begin. Of course I could try but it I always feel like whatever is going through my head is "not right" or doesn't feel right, I could be thinking "this will happen next" and then a second later I'm like oh no, I think I'm wrong.

I don't own a Tarot deck as of yet but I have tried doing a reading with one a really long time back. I realized though whatever was on the cards I already knew. It didn't feel like it was telling me what's going to happen in the future. However it did point out to me what I need to pay attention to, what was positive about the situation and what was negative.

I figured that (to me at least), divination helps me draw answers as it stimulates my conscious mind to extract information from my subconscious which I personally believe knows the solution to whatever problems I go through.