Divination: Unfinished Business - The Wisdom of the Incomplete

By Melanie Paquette

My mother is nearing the end of her life. Her days left on this earthly plane are likely measured in weeks or months according to the many doctors attending to her. Stage IV cancer in your bones sucks.

For the last seven weeks, my days have been split between work, being at the hospital, and, if I’m lucky, getting some sleep. It’s curious how my own life is almost on pause while I attend to my mother, whose life is wrapping up. Dishes pile up on the counter, mail goes unopened, laundry gets put off until later - everything else can wait. Illness and dying bring in a very clear and simple prioritization system. 

I have very little experience with the business of dying. But I’ve noticed that now that all of my time is truly devoted to the few things that must be dealt with, the many things that I’ve left undone seem to be screaming for my attention.

Things I started and happily left half done for weeks or months have suddenly started to feel urgent. 

We grow up being told to finish what we start. We learn to feel guilty about the things we didn’t get done. But as I live through this time of uncertainty, where I truly have neither the time nor energy to attend to the unfinished, I’ve started to wonder if the unfinished holds its own kind of magic.

Perhaps there are things meant to be left open, unresolved, alive in their own mystery.

There is a peculiar silence around the unfinished - a whisper that lingers in the pause of a half-told story, the dust on an unread book, the half-knit scarf waiting for a winter that never came. What if the lack of completion is more than forgetfulness or procrastination? Could these unfinished things be thresholds, openings, suspended messages waiting to be understood?

In divination, we look for signs in many places. But sometimes, we must look for signs not just in what is present, but in what is missing.

What if the most potent messages are found in what is left half-done, half-said, half-seen.

These unfinished things speak - not with loud proclamations, but with whispers and gaps - the language of absence and suspension.

So, perhaps the unfinished is not a failure - but an invitation.

What does the unfinished reveal? Is it a door still waiting to open or a path never meant to be walked?

The equinox, a time of balance and equilibrium, provides potent energy for examining our unfinished business since these things can often upset our own balance. As I contemplated this month’s divination practice, it occurred to me that it would be powerful to bring this practice into community. So, I invite you to take some time with the divination practice described below and share your insights in the Friends & Folk Circle.

Divining With the Incomplete

Take a slow walk through your space with soft awareness. Let your gaze drift. Where does your attention land? What feels unfinished? Is it a book laid open but untouched for weeks? A creative project gathering dust? A pile of correspondence you intended to file but haven’t gotten around to yet? Maybe as you walk, you’ll notice that what is unfinished isn’t something physical, but an idea you didn’t execute - a wall you planned to paint or artwork you wanted to buy. Choose something (or a few things) that call to you. Note - the walk is important - being in a space awakens memories in our bodies that will pull us in a different direction than if we just sit and think about what we’ve left unfinished.

Sit in the space with the unfinished you’ve chosen to reflect on or bring it to a space of your choosing. If you’ve chosen an idea or the item is too large to move, write it on a piece of paper to give it physical form. Take some time to centre yourself and focus on your breath. When you’ve quieted your mind, speak with the unfinished thing, in the same manner you’d speak with another person. Ask (out loud, or internally):

• Why did I stop here?
• What energy do you hold?
• Do you want to be completed, released, or remain unfinished?

Write down what arises - memories, emotions, a sense of longing, sadness, relief, or even resistance. Notice where those feelings sit in your body. Give yourself time to hear and feel the whispers - the incomplete speaks quietly. Feel free to draw an oracle or tarot card to help receive and clarify the messages. 

Then, turn your attention to next steps - will you complete what is unfinished, will you release it, or will you leave it as is? As you explore the options, continue to notice the feelings that arise and where they live in your body. Write everything down. If you feel called, use an oracle or tarot deck to help receive and interpret any messages.

If the unfinished is asking for completion, ask it what is important about being complete. Is there a timeframe that needs to be respected? Does completion look different than you originally envisioned? What meaning is there in bringing it to completion? What stopped you from completing it? How do you feel about the idea of completing it? Are you ready to commit to completion? 

If the unfinished is asking to be released, ask how you can best release it with gratitude and grace. How do you feel about releasing it? What do you need to do to feel comfortable letting it go? What can you offer as thanks for its presence and the insight it has brought? Perhaps a word, song, breath, or a physical release - bring it to fire, earth, or water if it’s safe to do so. 

If the unfinished is meant to remain unfinished, ask what you need to know about letting it rest. Is it a symbol of an unfolding journey? What does leaving it unfinished mean for you? How can you be comfortable letting it exist in a liminal space? When should you revisit it? 

Once you’ve done this practice, I would love to hear about your experience in the Friends & Folk Circle – I’ll be posting my own results there.

As the days and weeks unfold after you’ve done this practice, spend some time noticing whether anything has shifted for you. If you completed or released the unfinished, how do you feel? If you’ve left something unfinished, in a liminal state, what comes up for you when you see or think about that unfinished thing? 

Some stories are never meant to end. Some things remain in motion, caught in the space between breath and word, between past and future. Not all unfinished things are waiting to be fixed. Sometimes, they are just waiting to be seen.

Perhaps the unfinished is not a burden but a living oracle, whispering a message only we can hear. Let’s learn to listen.

Melanie hosts workshops and offers Tarot readings. Check out her offerings on our website.