• Astrology comprises several systems of divination[1] based on the premise that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world.
Astrology by Region:
• Western astrology is the system of astrology most popular in Western countries. Western astrology is historically based on Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos (2nd century AD), which in turn was a continuation of Hellenistic and ultimately Babylonian traditions. Western astrology is largely horoscopic, that is, it is a form of divination based on the construction of a horoscope for an exact moment, such as a person's birth, in which various cosmic bodies are said to have an influence. Astrology in western popular culture is often reduced to sun sign astrology, which considers only the individual's date of birth (i.e. the "position of the Sun" at that date). • Jyotisha ( Or Jyotish from Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light, heavenly body") is the traditional Hindu system of astronomy and astrology. Also known as Hindu astrology, and Indian astrology more recently Vedic astrology. The term Hindu astrology had been in use as the English equivalent of Jyotiṣa since the early 19th century. Vedic astrology is a relatively recent term, entering common usage in the 1980s with self-help publications on Āyurveda or Yoga. The qualifier "Vedic" is however something of a misnomer, as there is no mention of Jyotiṣa in the Vedas, and historical documentation suggests horoscopic astrology in the Indian subcontinent was a Hellenic influence post-dating the Vedic period.[4] This, however, is widely debated since an authoritative work on Jyotish called the Bṛhat Parāśara Horāśāstra is said to be spoken by[weasel words] Sage Parashara who existed before the Hellenic Period and contributed to Rigveda. • Chinese astrology is based on the traditional astronomy and calendars. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of astronomy, which came to flourish during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Chinese astrology has a close relation with Chinese philosophy (theory of the three harmony, heaven, earth and water) and uses the principles of yin and yang and concepts that are not found in Western astrology, such as the wu xing teachings, the 10 Celestial stems, the 12 Earthly Branches, the lunisolar calendar (moon calendar and sun calendar), and the time calculation after year, month, day and shichen (時辰).
Homework: Look up information on your astrological sign, either in Western or Chinese Astrology, and write whether or not you believe what is written is an accurate depiction of you.
OOC:
If you are quoted, your student is registered for this lesson. If he or she does not attend at least one class, his/her house will be docked ten points at the end of the term. This is waived if you are listed as absent.
The Forgotten Weasley
Eleazar Bradley Present: 2/4 Absent: 2/4
RedEagleEye007
Inigo Albion-Alexandre Present: 2/4 Absent: 2/4
Utsuha Moon
Yvonne Moreau Present: 1/4 Absent: 3/4
Grespeciatto
Hoffman Heist Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
murruelecreuset
Jasper Lancaster Present: 2/4 Absent: 2/4
Kiska166
Rosabella Winthrop Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
Sir Spazalots
Tyson Xanders Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 2:48 pm
ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕃𝕐 ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ Single LookingDistractedat Location with - - - xxxFEELINGxxx Dazed xxxTHINKINGxxx ❝ Hm, I wonder if anyone will truly See... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
But what is this, that I cant see?✥ ✥ ✥xxx With ice cold hands taking hold of me.✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxx When God is gone, and the devil takes hold,✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxx Who'll have mercy on your soul?✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxxxxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceDrusilla sat behind her desk, staring forward, waiting. She watched the clock on the opposite wall, her head bobbing back and forth, left and right, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock... her students should be arriving any minute now. As they filed in she sat up straight and gave a smile, her eyes bright. Today's lesson should be easy, particularly compared to some of the others."Hello, duckies, today's lesson is on Astrology, which I'm sure you're all at least a little familiar with, yes? It is the method of using the stars to divine the future. Now, there are several schools of thought on how to do this, of course. You can read about each of them on the board, and in more detail in your books. For now, though, I'd like you each to tell me what your Astrological sign is,"she inquired with a smile."As I'm sure you all know, your sign is supposed to tell a lot about you. It can be used to predict your future, or even to tell things about your personality. So, we'll go around the room and share our signs, and then you can tell me what, if anything, you know about your sign."She tapped her fingers on her desk, curious. What would she learn about each of them today? It could be interesting, to say the least.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx✥ ✥ ✥No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold; xxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Nothing satisfies me but your soul. xxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Well, I am Death, none can excel. xxxxxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell.
"The best way to keep something bad from happening is to see it ahead of time..."
Iñigo walked into one of his favorite classes, taking a seat towards the front and prepared for the lesson. He took out a writing utensil and some parchment and awaited the teacher to begin her lesson and as soon as she did, his hand gripped the quill and glided quickly over the parchment, writing down almost everything he could. He tried to keep up with her, but it truly was hard; so instead, by the end he was writing anything that really was important. He watched and listened to the teacher carefully, hoping that he could get closer to harnessing his Inner Eye and become a true Seer, which was an idea that the professor had brought up last class as she answered his question.
But as she asked them what their astrological symbol was, his hand flew up, remembering his father telling him it. "My astrological symbol is Virgo. Virgos are supposed to be analytical and very intelligent, but very skeptical and even sometimes cold-hearted. At least, that is what all the books I have ever seen about the subject have said," he said to the professor, realizing that the depiction of his personality was just about dead on, well, with the exception of cold-hearted. He wasn't truly cold-hearted, but at times he could seem that way.
"and you can't see it if you refuse to face the possibility."
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 1:54 pm
Lesson 3: Astrology
Lesson Closed
OOC:
Homework: Look up information on your astrological sign, either in Western or Chinese Astrology, and write whether or not you believe what is written is an accurate depiction of you.
Homework for Lesson 3 should be turned into Professor Somerset's Office before the end of Lesson 4.
10 total House Points awarded to Inigo Albion-Alexandre of Ravenclaw House.
• Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy or tassology) is a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments. • The terms derive from the French word tasse (cup), which in turn derives from the cognate Arabic word tassa, and the Greek suffixes -graph (writing), -logy (study of), and -mancy (divination). • Divination attempts to gain insight into the natural world through intuitive interpretation of synchronistic events.
History:
• The first inklings of Western tasseography can be traced to medieval European fortune tellers who developed their readings from splatters of wax, lead, and other molten substances. This evolved into tea-leaf reading in the seventeenth century, a short time after Dutch merchants introduced tea to Europe via trade routes to China. • Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England have produced a number of practitioners and authors on the subject, and English potteries have crafted many elaborate tea cup sets specially designed and decorated to aid in fortune-telling. Cultures of the Middle East that practice divination in this fashion usually use left-over coffee grounds from Turkish coffee/Lebanese coffee/Greek coffee turned over onto a plate.
Method of tea-leaf reading:
• The Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, Fifth Edition, Vol. 2, edited by J. Gordon Melton, notes:
After a cup of tea has been poured, without using a tea strainer, the tea is drunk or poured away. The cup should then be shaken well and any remaining liquid drained off in the saucer. The diviner now looks at the pattern of tea leaves in the cup and allows the imagination to play around [with] the shapes suggested by them. They might look like a letter, a heart shape, or a ring. These shapes are then interpreted intuitively or by means of a fairly standard system of symbolism, such as: snake (enmity or falsehood), spade (good fortune through industry), mountain (journey of hindrance), or house (change, success).
• Melton's described methods of pouring away the tea and shaking the cup are rarely seen; most readers ask the querent to drink the tea off, then swirl the cup. Likewise, his notion that readers give intuitive interpretations reflects his unfamiliarity with teacup reading; most readers use the standard symbols that have been handed down through several generations. There are, however, many who prefer to read by feel and intuition, as stated by Melton. • It is traditional to read a cup from the present to the future by starting along the rim at the handle of the cup and following the symbols downward in a spiral manner, until the bottom is reached, which symbolizes the far future. Most readers see images only in the dark tea leaves against a white or neutral background; some will also read the reverse images formed by seeing the symbols that form in the white negative spaces, with a clump of dark leaves forming the background. • Some people consider it ill-advised for one to attempt tasseography using tea from a cut-open tea bag or to use a symbol dictionary. The reasons for these prohibitions are practical: tea-bag tea is cut too finely to form recognizable figures in the cup and tea-leaf reading has its own historic system of symbolism that does not correspond exactly with other systems, such as symbolic dream divination.
Fortune Telling Tea Cups:
• Although many people prefer a simple white cup for tea leaf reading, there are also traditions concerning the positional placement of the leaves in the cup, and some find it easier to work with marked cups. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing to the present, English and American potteries have produced specially decorated cup and saucer sets for the use of tea-leaf readers. Many of these designs are patented and come with instructions explaining their mode of use. Some of the most common were those that were given away with purchases of bulk tea.
Common Fortune Telling Cups:
• Zodiac Cups: These sets contain zodiacal and planetary symbols. Typically the interior of the cup contains the planetary symbols, while the saucer has the astrological sign symbols, but there are many variations and exceptions to this common pattern. The placement of these symbols allows the reader to combine astrology with tasseography. • Playing Card Cups: These cups carry within their interiors tiny images of a deck of scattered cards, either 52 cards plus a joker, as in a poker deck, or 32 cards, as in a euchre deck. Some sets also have a few cards imprinted on the saucers, or the saucers may contain brief written card interpretations. The playing cards permit the reader to creatively relate cartomancy to tasseography. • Symbol Cups: These sets are decorated with between a dozen and fifty of the most common visual cues that can be found in tea leaves, often numbered for easy reference and supplied with an explanatory booklet. The symbols are generally displayed inside the cups, but there are also sets in which they decorate the outside or appear in the cups and on the saucers.
Coffee reading:
• Coffee tasseography is called καφεμαντεία in Greek, гледање у шољу in Serbian, and kahve falı in Turkish. Traditionally, coffee readers use Turkish coffee or any method of coffee brewing that leaves grounds sitting at the bottom of the cup. Most of the coffee in the cup is consumed, but the sediments are left to settle. It is often believed that the querent should not read his or her own cup. • There are several variations of coffee reading. They commonly require for the cup to be covered with the saucer and turned upside-down. In the Turkish tradition, coffee-readers often interpret the cup as being divided into horizontal halves: symbols appearing on the bottom half are interpreted as messages regarding the past, and symbols on the top half are messages regarding the future. The cup may also be interpreted in vertical halves to determine "yes" or "no" answers as well as the overall outcome of the events represented by symbols. For example, some fortune tellers may "read" symbols in the "left" half as "negative" events or outcomes, while symbols in the "right" half are "read" as "positive". Other readers may adhere to the belief that the cup is capable of revealing insights about the past, but it cannot predict events beyond forty days into the future. The saucer may also be incorporated into the reading. As with the cup, different variations exist for what the saucer represents, including whether the saucer sticking to the cup indicates a "positive" or "negative" outcome. • Some Romanian methods require that the sediments be swirled around the until they cover the majority of the cup's inside surface. Other traditions, such as Turkish and Middle Eastern, do not require this swirling but do require that the cup be turned towards the querent in revealing the fortune. The coffee grounds are given time to dry against the cup before a reading begins. • After a reading, the querent will be asked to "open the heart". This is done by placing the right thumb at the inside bottom of the cup and twisting clockwise slightly. This will leave an impression behind that the fortune teller will interpret as the querent's inner thoughts or emotions.
Symbols:
• Many interpretations for symbols exist, but readers commonly focus on the color of the symbols. Since most cups used are white or ivory and the grounds are dark, symbols are formed from the strong, contrasting colors. White is considered a "good" symbol foretelling of generally positive things for the querent, while the grounds themselves are considered to form "bad" symbols. • Symbols can be many things, including people, animals, and inanimate objects. Usually, the fortune teller will group nearby symbols together for a prediction.
Some symbols and their meanings include:
• Apple: achieving knowledge, completing school, getting diploma • Birds Flying: good news • Candle: enlightenment • Cat: a deceitful friend or relative • Dog: loyal friend or relative • Kite: wishes will come true • Raven: death or bad news • Shamrock: Good luck, wish coming true
Homework: Come by Professor Somerset's Office for tea sometime before the end of term. You will exchange and attempt to read one another's tea leaves.
OOC:
If you are quoted, your student is registered for this lesson. If he or she does not attend at least one class, his/her house will be docked ten points at the end of the term. This is waived if you are listed as absent.
The Forgotten Weasley
Eleazar Bradley Present: 2/4 Absent: 2/4
RedEagleEye007
Inigo Albion-Alexandre Present: 3/4 Absent: 1/4
Utsuha Moon
Yvonne Moreau Present: 1/4 Absent: 3/4
Grespeciatto
Hoffman Heist Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
murruelecreuset
Jasper Lancaster Present: 2/4 Absent: 2/4
Kiska166
Rosabella Winthrop Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
Sir Spazalots
Tyson Xanders Present: 0/4 Absent: 4/4
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:03 pm
ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕃𝕐 ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ Single LookingDistractedat Location with - - - xxxFEELINGxxx Dazed xxxTHINKINGxxx ❝ Hm, I wonder if anyone will truly See... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
But what is this, that I cant see?✥ ✥ ✥xxx With ice cold hands taking hold of me.✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxx When God is gone, and the devil takes hold,✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxx Who'll have mercy on your soul?✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxxxxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceDrusilla sat behind her desk, staring forward, waiting. She watched the clock on the opposite wall, her head bobbing back and forth, left and right, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock... her students should be arriving any minute now. As they filed in she sat up straight and gave a smile, her eyes bright. Today's lesson should be easy, particularly compared to some of the others."Hello, duckies, today's lesson is on Tasseomancy, which is the art of divining the future through tea leaves or coffee grounds. You all have a pot of tea on your tables, along with a cup. I'd like you to pour yourself a cup. Then, drink until there is just barely a bit of liquid in the cup, swirl it around a couple times, and switch cups with someone. Using your books, try to read each other's leaves. If you need help or would like to share with the class, please raise your hand."The professor tilted her head from side to side and tapped her fingers on her desk, curious. She wondered if any of them would see anything interesting in the depths of their neighbor's cup.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx✥ ✥ ✥No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold; xxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Nothing satisfies me but your soul. xxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Well, I am Death, none can excel. xxxxxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell.
"The best way to keep something bad from happening is to see it ahead of time..."
The boy walked into the class, just a tad late, not really knowing what to do at the moment. He did take a seat and listened to the teacher, but despite being a little late, he was the only one there. He didn't what to do at the moment, but he figured he should probably wait for someone to show up so he can perform the assignment with them. He really did want someone to show up too, because maybe this lesson would be something that could prove to be useful. He doubted it greatly, but it could prove useful for the future.
"and you can't see it if you refuse to face the possibility."
Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:50 pm
Rosabella glided into the room, quiet as always. The girl’s eyes scanned her classmates. When they locked with Inigo’s, her lips curled up into a small smile as if to ask if he’d like to partner up with her. Once the professor finished speaking, Bella stood from her seat and approached the front of the class to pour herself a cup of tea. Sipping on the hot beverage, the muggleborn made her way towards one of the desks next to Inigo.
((OOC: outfit in left picture))
I wanna dance with somebody. I wanna feel the heat with somebody. I wanna dance with somebody. With somebody who loves me.
Jasper took a seat in divination he was a bit late because he had been talking with his potions professor. Taking a seat quietly as to not disrupt the class he had a feeling he knew what they'd be doing. Going up and getting a cup of tea Jasper drank his tea until it was down to just a bit left in the cup. All he had to do was look for a partner to trade off with. Who that was Jasper had no idea... he really wasn't a people person.
Status:I hope I don't get in trouble for being late With:Class
You have the intellect of a Ravenclaw, And the protective spirit of a Gryffindor. However, if you are sure about being with Alice, then... Hufflepuff!
Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2014 8:11 pm
Lesson 1: What is Divination?
The Definition of Divination:
• Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a querent should proceed by reading signs, events, or omens, or through alleged contact with a supernatural agency.
The Categories of Divination:
• An omen (also called portent or presage) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. Though the word "omen" is usually devoid of reference to the change's nature, hence being possibly either "good" or "bad," the term is more often used in a foreboding sense, as with the word "ominous". The origin of the word is unknown, although it may be connected with the Latin word audire, meaning "to hear." • Cleromancy is a form of divination using sortition, casting of lots, or casting bones or stones, in which an outcome is determined by means that normally would be considered random, such as the rolling of dice, but are sometimes believed to reveal the will of God, or other supernatural entities. • Augury ranks a set of given possibilities. It can be qualitative (such as shapes, proximities, etc.): for example, dowsing (a form of rhabdomancy) developed from this type of divination. Augury is normally considered to specifically refer to divination by studying the flight patterns of birds. • Spontaneous. An unconstrained form of divination, free from any particular medium, and actually a generalization of all types of divination. The answer comes from whatever object the diviner happens to see or hear. Some religions use a form of bibliomancy: they ask a question, riffle the pages of their holy book, and take as their answer the first passage their eyes light upon. Other forms of spontaneous divination include reading auras and New Age methods of feng shui such as "intuitive" and "fuzion"
The Purpose of Divnination:
Divination is a means to attempt some form of understanding of events to come. The true purpose of this form of magic is hard to say. It is used by some to plan their day to day activities, and by some to attempt circumventing or ensuring that certain things come to pass. It is a fluid magic and is not understood by many who do not have either the Sight nor the patience to learn to See. In this lesson, you will be taught the methods for Seeing, but in order to be successful, you must believe, and put in a fair amount of effort. It will come easier for some than others; any among you might be a Seer, blind to your talents due to lack of practice. For others, visions and signs will be difficult to see. This is natural, and all it means is that you must try harder.
Homework: Do some research and write a short essay on one method of Divination we'll study this year.
OOC:
If you are quoted, your student is registered for this lesson. If he or she does not attend at least one class, his/her house will be docked ten points at the end of the term. This is waived if you are listed as absent.
ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕃𝕐 ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ Single LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Students xxxFEELINGxxx Dazed xxxTHINKINGxxx ❝ So many new duckies, all in a row... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
But what is this, that I cant see?✥ ✥ ✥xxx With ice cold hands taking hold of me.✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxx When God is gone, and the devil takes hold,✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxx Who'll have mercy on your soul?✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxxxxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceDrusilla entered the classroom in a daze. She was quite late, she was certain of it. Where did the time go? She'd been so caught up in her cards and runes that she'd completely lost track of it... or perhaps she'd simply stared off into space for a couple of hours. Both were equally possible, after all... except that when she arrived in the classroom and checked the clock, she was actually on time. She frowned; the clock in her office must be wrong, then. She'd have to fix it... if she remembered. Which she probably wouldn't, of course. She blinked a moment, then smiled at her students, her arms sweeping open in a grand gesture."Hello, my little ducks, and welcome to Divination. I am Professor Somerset. Now then, in this class, you will need to have an open mind, open eyes, and patience. Divination is a powerful art, but difficult. Also, there will be no disrespecting of my craft, or of the abilities of fellow students... now then! With that unpleasantness out of the way, we can begin."
spaceShe paused long enough to let the students absorb her words, and long enough to get just a tad distracted... what was she looking at, though? She scowled for a moment, shoved the visions away, and smiled widely again at her students before launching into the lecture."Divination is an old art, practiced by Magic folk and Muggles alike; though of course, they rarely read the signs correctly, they lack the ability to do so, usually. But you, my young one, can be taught to read the signs and to predict the future. I say predict because, of course, time is a fluid, ever changing thing. Every time you are faced with a choice, you could change the events that were to transpire. And everything is important; choosing something different for lunch; going to bed an hour earlier than usual; even stopping for one second on your way to a lesson to gaze out the window can set and entirely new wave of things in motion than would have had you gone about the usual path. And so, nothing is certain. But, we can always look. We can always search. In the future, we see signs, hints of things to come. Whether or not they are to be is largely up to us. Seeing is the first step.""She stopped then, curious. She had, of course, seen this play out, but in different ways each time... how would it happen then?
spaceThe Seer's eyes glazed, and she shifted a bit, her head tilting in an odd manner, rather like a bird's, her eyes unblinking and unseeing. After a moment, she gave her head a light shake, and smiled again."Where was I? Oh, yes. Searching. Divination is, first and foremost, the art of searching... for the future, for the answer, for the key. And now, I'll have an answer from you, ducky. What, to you, is Divination, and what purpose does it serve?"She waited patiently, eager to hear what her students had to say. It would tell her much about them... but didn't she already know? Sometimes she forgot...
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx✥ ✥ ✥No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold; xxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Nothing satisfies me but your soul. xxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Well, I am Death, none can excel. xxxxxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell.
(( OOC: )) ...
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 8:23 pm
x x x x
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████████████████xxαяιαηα εℓωσσ∂xx███████xxxxalways forgive your enemies, nothing annoys them so.
Third Year | | Thirteen | | Hufflepuff | | Single | | Metamorphmagus
Ariana couldn't help but notice how completely strange the Divination teacher was. Of course, she hadn't expected a 'normal' professor, but she certainly hadn't expected a woman like Professor Somerset. She often gazed off and lost her train of thought, but Ariana couldn't help but begin to like the woman as soon as she saw her. There was just...something about the woman that Ariana couldn't help but like. She was also rather amused that she called them her 'duckies', certainly something she didn't expect from a teacher. When it got to her, Ariana thought a bit before answering. "Divination to me is..." She paused for a moment as she tried to gather her thoughts. "It's the art of seeing the future in several different ways. It's seeing the future as it may be and as it will be." She said quietly, not completely confident in her answer.
Homework: Do some research and write a short essay on one method of Divination we'll study this year.
Homework for Lesson 1 should be turned into Professor Somerset's Office before the end of Lesson 2.
15 total House Points awarded to Ariana Elwood of Hufflepuff House.
Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:12 pm
Lesson 2: Muggle Forms of Divination
Muggle and Magical Practices:
• In Ancient times, the muggle and magical communities were not separated as they are now. Because of this, there were many muggles who wanted to learn the magical arts. While most could not be taught, such as wandwork and the like, Divination was one method in which they could be taught the basic principles. Because of this, we now have various methods of Divination which are known to muggles, and used by them. • Muggles can never be true 'Seers' as a witch or wizard can, so methods like crystal or mirror gazing will not really work for them. While a proper Seer, or a witch with potential for Seeing, can see visions in the crystal or glass, a muggle only sees what his or her mind tricks him into seeing. Often, this is used as a more insightful look at their current outlook, rather than a vision of the future. • Muggles often use Divination, not to really see or predict the future, but to give them insight on their life, and how they might change it. This is because, since they have no real magic to See with, everything they find in their practice is something they have applied to it from their subconscious.
Methods Commonly Used by Muggles, Learned from Magical Practices:
• Tessomancy: Also known as Tea-Leaf Reading, this is the practice of looking into a tea cup and making predictions based on the way the leaves are arranged in the cup. While a magical person can imbibe their leaves with their own magic by focusing, or a Seer can do so for the drinker, Muggles possess no magic, so their leaves are arranged by chance. • Crystal Gazing: The art of gazing into a crystal form, usually a ball, and seeking visions within it. The Crystal, for a magical user, serves as a medium through which the Seer can focus her energies to make sense of her visions. A muggle, however, will see tricks of the light and mind, which they will then interpret as visions. • Palmistry: This method of Divination is actually surprisingly straight-forward for Muggles, since all they need to know is what the different lines actually mean. There is very little room for alterations by magic to change what will be said. However, it is a method which is greatly open to interpretation, and while witches and wizards have ancient texts which they use to determine the meaning of each line, Muggles have long since lost the original documents with this information. Because of this, their determinations are often different from what a witch would foretell, because they are working off of information that has been lost, mistranslated and passed off incorrectly for thousands of years.
Oddities of Muggle Divination:
While many methods of Divination have been passed down from witches of ancient times, there are a few methods which Muggles have developed on their own, usually designed to answer a specific question.
• One oddity is the method of using an Apple Peel to predict one's true love. A person must peel an entire apple in one unbroken strip, taking it in their right hand, and then spin three times, usually by the light of a certain colored candle and while reciting an incantation (both of these things are optional and/or vary from method to method). The peel must then be either cast over one's left shoulder or dropped into a pool of water. The peel is then said to form the letter of the person's soulmate's last name. • Another form of Divination common among Muggles is related to Omens. Omens abound in Muggle Lore and Supersition, with many relating to weddings. One states that, if the wedding band is dropped during the ceremony, whichever of the pair drops it will be the first to die. Should it roll away from the alter, the death will be tragic, or violent. Lastly, should it stop on top of a gravestone embedded in the church floor, one of the pair will die young, the victim being predicted by the gender of the person interred in the grave.
Homework: Do some research and write a short explanation of an Omen common in Muggle Superstition.
OOC:
If you are quoted, your student is registered for this lesson. If he or she does not attend at least one class, his/her house will be docked ten points at the end of the term. This is waived if you are listed as absent.
ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋𝕃𝕐 ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ Single LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Students xxxFEELINGxxx Dazed xxxTHINKINGxxx ❝ This lesson is always such a mixed bag... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
But what is this, that I cant see?✥ ✥ ✥xxx With ice cold hands taking hold of me.✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxx When God is gone, and the devil takes hold,✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxx Who'll have mercy on your soul?✥ ✥ ✥xxxxxxxxxxxx ═════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
spaceDrusilla sat behind her desk, staring forward, waiting. She watched the clock on the opposite wall, her head bobbing back and forth, left and right, tick, tock, tick, tock, tick tock... her students should be arriving any minute now. As they filed in she sat up straight and gave a smile, her eyes bright. This wasn't always the most... enjoyable, of lessons, what with muggleborn students taking offense for some reason (she'd never understand it, honestly), but it was an important one, so she would make it as brief and, hopefully, as unoffensive as possible. Thankfully, she was almost totally lucid today, which would hopefully make things easier."Hello, duckies, today we're talking about the methods Muggles use for divining the future, and the reasons that it typically doesn't work. A bit of history first; as I'm sure you all know, there was a time in our history where the Statue of Secrecy didn't exist, and wizards lived openly with one another. Now, naturally, this caused a bit of confusion for some muggles, particularly because of the existence of muggleborns. Essentially, some muggles did not understand why some children born to their families could do magic and yet they could not. Some became convinced that their lack of magical ability was merely a lack of learning. So, they would pick of sticks, brandish them about, and attempt to cast spells. After that, things get a little fuzzy, and no one really knows how muggles got from there to divination, but they did. Some have speculated that perhaps it was the thought of a witch or wizard, feeling sorry for the muggles, and trying to help. Divination, you see, is an art that, while muggles can not properly perform, they can at least replicate."She paused; here was the part that got tricky. She'd have to be careful with it."Now, when a witch or wizard attempts to See, their magic is instrumental in the driving force behind it. Their focused attention and energies enable their latent ability to conjure up images in crystal balls, to cause the runes to fall a certain way when cast, to tell them when the tarot deck is shuffled just right. If any of you have ever had your fortune told by a muggle, you may recall them attempting a similar practice, closing their eyes, breathing deeply, attempting to center themselves. This is their attempts to replicate our use of magic. Of course, having none of their own, they can not do so properly. Rather, when a muggle gazes into a crystal ball, they see a distortion of what is reflected in its surface. When they cast runes, it is all chance. When they shuffle a tarot deck, it is their mind that tells them when it is ready, not magic. What they fortell from their readings isn't a true prediction of the future; rather, it is an idea superimposed on the medium by their mind. Many muggles use Divination to answer questions about themselves, to help clear doubts or answer questions, but it is all their own interpretation of chance and their mind's trickery."Drusilla stopped, hoping she hadn't spoken too fast for them all to keep up. She rather wanted this lesson to be over; it never went well. After a moments pause, she smiled at them."Does anyone have any questions? And thoughts they'd like to share?"She rather hoped that she'd done this well enough that the muggleborn students would be unoffended. She did hate putting someone off of her and her class by seeming to insult their families when really, she was simply speaking facts. She'd revised the way she ran this lesson greatly since her first year teaching had gone so horribly. Hopefully, it would be enough.
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════ xxx✥ ✥ ✥No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold; xxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Nothing satisfies me but your soul. xxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥Well, I am Death, none can excel. xxxxxxxxxxxx✥ ✥ ✥I'll open the door to Heaven or Hell.
