Maybe I'm stupid but I just can't get past like 3 encounters. Have I just not gotten lucky or am I not understanding how to play :(
Hard to say without knowing more. Of course it could be just really bad luck but also can be missing some things (for example not picking up loot or not preserving your cargo dice well enough).
The divine being fights are a puzzle (ish) and I don't want to completely spell them out. Pay attention and experiment...