Why did divination often become a specialized occupation?

Divination often evolved into a specialized occupation because the techniques required to perform it frequently set practitioners apart from the general population. By its nature, divination tends to develop as a formal discipline, becoming the tradition of an organized body of specialists who possess the systematic knowledge or unique skills necessary to guarantee an authentic answer.1

The necessity for specialization often arises from the following factors:

• Credibility and Authority: In many societies, such as the Zande, divination is used to address sensitive or contentious issues where extraordinary credibility is required. Consequently, the reliability of an oracle is tied to the status of its owner, and the process is carefully guarded to ensure its power remains uncontaminated.1
• Complexity of Technique: Whether through inductive divination (which relies on systematic procedures) or intuitive divination (which requires special gifts of insight or communication with extramundane spheres), the practice often demands expertise that ordinary individuals do not possess.12
• Crisis Management: In cultures where divination is reserved for significant crises, a recognized expert is consulted to provide a definitive, authoritative interpretation that can forestall calamity or resolve deep-seated troubles.12