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MJ Spooks

Demonic Cat

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:53 pm


Lesson One: What is Divination?


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Lesson Closed


OOC:

Homework should be turned into Professor Somerset's Office before the end of Lesson 2.

25 total points to Hufflepuff for participation by Victor, Eleanora and Jess.

10 total points to Slytherin for participation by Dmitri.

10 total points to Gryffindor for participation by Toby.

5 total points to Ravenclaw for participation by Gypsy.
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:04 pm


Lesson Two: Muggle Forms of Divination


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          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, your house will be docked ten points at the end of the term. This is waived if you are listed as absent.



    Squeeky Luff
    Victor Beausoleil
    Present 1

    Sir Spazalots
    Jarlath Lowery
    Present 0

    The Forgotten Weasley
    Jessamine and Tobias Walsh
    Present 1 and 1

    Amadeli
    Eleanora McKenny
    Present 1

    shabatha
    Raphael Snow
    Present 0

    Essy ze Ninja
    Dmitri Kamenev
    Present 1

    MJ Spooks

    Demonic Cat

    14,625 Points
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    MJ Spooks

    Demonic Cat

    14,625 Points
    • Demonic Associate 100
    • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
    • WilyTrickster 50
    PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:25 pm


    User Image
    Drusilla is...spacespacespacespace
    CURRENTLY // Looking Distracted in her Classroomspace
    CURRENTLY // singlespaces
    CURRENTLY WITH // Studentsspacesp
    CURRENTLY FEELING // Nervousspacespa
    CURRENTLY THINKING // 'Let's not botch it this year, ducky...' spacespac

    ☩ ☩ ☩ But what is this, that I cant see?
    With ice cold hands taking hold of me...
    ☩ ☩ ☩
    ═════════════════════════════════════════════════


                                                            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.

                                                            ═════════════════════════════════════════════════
                                                            ☩ ☩ ☩ When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
                                                            Who will have mercy on your soul?
                                                            ☩ ☩ ☩


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    (( OOC: ))
    ...


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    PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:17 pm


    User Image

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    "The violin plays a soft melody,
    as my mind starts to feel ease.
    Let the music wash over my soul,
    make my mind pure and whole.
    Let me be renewed."


    Victor smiled a he entered the familiar scented classroom, the same dimly-lit room he now attended for divination. The subject always interested him, though he was still a bit put out by the fact as a muggleborn, he probably didn't do divination correctly at all.
    Then again his class' professor was a genuine seer, she even spaced out sometimes! That seemed so interesting! What was it like to glimpse the future? Was it concrete? Or was it wavy?

    With a small smile he took a seat near the front, ready for the new lesson. When he heard the topic of the lesson, he frowned some. The way muggles did divination and how it was wrong?

    ...Maybe he would learn the right way then?

    So they could...replicate the forms? But...he was attending Hogwarts, so he had some magical ability. Right?

    When the professor asked if there were any questions, Victor hesitated for a bit, "Ummm..." He then raised his hand a bit, "Professeur Somerset?" He began, "Before I came to zis school as a muggleborn, I've tried divination multiple times. I've seen zings, but....since I had no idea about my magical ability....zough I do possess it, would zat mean ze zings I saw were about as nondescript as someone with no magical ability?" Victor then paused, "Or since I have magical ability...would some of zose zings I saw be true?"


    I feel curious you know?
    My inner thoughts are, "Hmm..."
    I'm in the house of Hufflepuff.
    I am a proud third year
    My puppeteer says "..." Out of character.

    Squeeky Luff

    1,750 Points
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    Essy ze Ninja
    Vice Captain

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    PostPosted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:07 am


    I have screamed until my veins collapsed
    I've waited as my time's elapsed

    Now, all I do is live with so much hate
    I've wished for this, I've bitched at that
    I've left behind this little fact:

    You cannot kill what you did not create
    I've gotta say what I've gotta say
    And then I swear I'll go away

    But I can't promise you'll enjoy the noise.

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    𝔇mitri 𝕲rigori 𝔎amenev
    я никому не уступлю
    of house Slytherin ___________ Thirteen Years Old
    Third Year



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                            An empty notebook he’d dubbed for this class was tousled onto his desk. A self-inking quill spurted to life as he pressed the nib against the fading yellow pages and began to jot down the gist of the lesson, with his own occasional notes and references and beatboxing skills of his feather and fingers tapping against his desk when things got dull. He glanced around the room slowly as the professor ended her lecture and began inquiries. Victor was the first to retort, and Dmitri had to admit, he was a bit curious of it himself. In Russia, he’d come across the poor, lowly gypsies wandering in their loosely fitted garments layered in bright ostentatious colors or dingy dirty rags; anything they could find, really. He’d always felt a sort of pity for them, always on the move, ostracized entirely. Many would take to stealing, to bribing and trickery to make their coin and feed their bellies. Dmitri had fallen as a fool to them before, but he never really blamed them.

                            He knew the professor hadn’t answered Victor yet, but he didn’t want to forget his question waiting. ”And, professor… Vat does say about ‘spiritual healers’ of muggles, or de divinities in aura readings and o’der practices of like… gypsys? Is all ‘dat speculation and opinion…? And vat is auras in Divinations? Vill ve be doing anyt’ing like dat?” That was probably a little off topic, wasn’t it?

                            Oh well…


                            We’re never who we say we are.
                            162cm (5’3”) and 45kg (98lbs)
                            //Translations://


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    I guess I'll save the best for last
    My future seems like one big past ________

    You're left with me 'cause you left me no choice



    PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:53 pm


    I'm fly, the original
    I'm sly, unpredictable
    I'm nearly irresistible
    And I don't even try
    I'm easily excitable
    Completely undeniable
    And sometimes unreliable
    Don't ask me why


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    Jessamine Cathlin Walsh
    ~ Halfblood Hufflepuff ~ Third Year ~ Twin ~
    {feeling: intrigued} {thinking: so...cool...} {with: Third Years} {at: Divination}


    Jess was too busy taking notes to even raise her hand. The professor might come off as vague and mysterious, but, boy, did that woman know how to lecture. She wrote faster, trying to catch up her notes. Yep. She was going to have to really pay attention in this class.

    They can't rain on my parade, I'm sunshine on a cloudy day!


    I'm strange, and I like it
    That's just the way I am
    I can't change, I can't hide it
    That's just the way I am
    From a whisper to a shout
    On what the buzz is all about
    Everybody's buggin' out
    And I've only just begun

    The Forgotten Weasley
    Crew

    Blessed Moonwalker

    9,250 Points
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    The Forgotten Weasley
    Crew

    Blessed Moonwalker

    9,250 Points
    • WilyTrickster 50
    • Blazing Power of Friendship Wave 200
    • The Wolf Within 100
    PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:55 pm


    I don't patronize, I realize
    I'm losing and this is my real life
    I am half asleep, and I am wide awake
    This habit is always so hard to break
    I don't want to be the bad guy
    I've been blaming myself and I think you know why
    I'm counting time, and time's counting you
    Every way that I do


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    Tobias Philemon Walsh
    - Halfblood Gryffindor - Third Year - Twin -
    [feeling: calm] [thinking: ...] [with: Third Years] [at: Divination]


    Toby had been counting on this class being a snooze fest that he could use to catch up on sleep. Being thirteen was hard work, after all. And he had a fair amount of classes and Quidditch to keep up with. Now he was going to have to take a bunch of notes. He suppressed a groan.

    I just can't decide what I'm running from.


    Did you say "please just follow me?"
    I thought you wanted me
    'Cause I want you all to myself
    I can try to suck it up
    I just can't suck it up
    Make me feel like someone else
    Please just follow me
    I thought you wanted me
    PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 10:59 pm


    Lesson 1: What is Divination?

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            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.


    Lady Pomegranates
    Kasdeja de Assi
    Present: 0/4
    Absent: 4/4

    shabatha
    Sapphire Snwo
    Present: 0/4
    Absent: 4/4

    MJ Spooks

    Demonic Cat

    14,625 Points
    • Demonic Associate 100
    • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
    • WilyTrickster 50

    MJ Spooks

    Demonic Cat

    14,625 Points
    • Demonic Associate 100
    • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
    • WilyTrickster 50
    PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 11:03 pm


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    𝔻𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕚𝕤...spacespacespacespace
    CURRENTLY // singlespace
    CURRENTLY // Looking Distracted in the Divination Classroomspaces
    CURRENTLY WITH // Studentsspacesp
    CURRENTLY FEELING // Distractedspacespa
    CURRENTLY THINKING // 'So many little duckies, so so many...' spacespac

    ☩ ☩ ☩ But what is this, that I cant see?
    With ice cold hands taking hold of me...
    ☩ ☩ ☩
    ═════════════════════════════════════════════════


                                                            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...


                                                            ═════════════════════════════════════════════════
                                                            ☩ ☩ ☩ When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
                                                            Who will have mercy on your soul?
                                                            ☩ ☩ ☩


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    (( OOC: ))
    ...


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    PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 3:43 pm


    User Image - Blocked by "Display Image" Settings. Click to show.
    ♫ ♬ ♪ ♩ ♭ ♪♫ Ⓢʜɪʀ ɴ ɴᴡ ♫ ♬ ♪ ♩ ♭ ♪♫



    Where : <3 Divination <3
    With : <3 Drusilla <3
    Who : <3 Professor <3
    Feeling//Ooc : <3 Well then this is kind of interesting <3
    Wearing : <3 <3




    Sapphire stepped into the classroom. Being almost late, she didn't see anyone in the class. Boring... She sat in the middle and watched/listened to the professor. She was intrigued. Usually she wasn't."The art of trying to see into the future without having the powers of a seer." She said quiet but loud enough to be heard. Since she was the only one in the class.



    Third year // Single // Pureblood // Slytherin

    shabatha

    Desirable Prophet

    10,375 Points
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    • Money Never Sleeps 200

    MJ Spooks

    Demonic Cat

    14,625 Points
    • Demonic Associate 100
    • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
    • WilyTrickster 50
    PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2014 3:39 pm


    Lesson 1: What is Divination?

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    Lesson Closed

    OOC:

    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.


    5 total House Points awarded to Sapphire Snow of Slytherin House.
    PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2014 3:41 pm


    Lesson 2: Muggle Forms of Divination

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            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.


      Lady Pomegranates
      Kasdeja de Assi
      Present: 0/4
      Absent: 4/4

      shabatha
      Sapphire Snwo
      Present: 1/4
      Absent: 3/4

      MJ Spooks

      Demonic Cat

      14,625 Points
      • Demonic Associate 100
      • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
      • WilyTrickster 50

      MJ Spooks

      Demonic Cat

      14,625 Points
      • Demonic Associate 100
      • Loving Fortune Seeker 250
      • WilyTrickster 50
      PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2014 3:43 pm


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      𝔻𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕒 𝕚𝕤...spacespacespacespace
      CURRENTLY // singlespace
      CURRENTLY // Looking Distracted in the Divination Classroomspaces
      CURRENTLY WITH // Studentsspacesp
      CURRENTLY FEELING // Nervousspacespa
      CURRENTLY THINKING // 'Let's not botch it this year, ducky...' spacespac

      ☩ ☩ ☩ But what is this, that I cant see?
      With ice cold hands taking hold of me...
      ☩ ☩ ☩
      ═════════════════════════════════════════════════


                                                              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.

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                                                              ☩ ☩ ☩ When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
                                                              Who will have mercy on your soul?
                                                              ☩ ☩ ☩


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      PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 5:25 pm


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      Sapphire listened intently. What in the world? Why would muggles do something if they couldn't possibly get it right in the first place? "Professor, do all muggles do things like this? And if they know they will be wrong, why do it in the first place? Or do they earnestly think they are right?" She asked curiously. Muggles seemed so dumb!


      Sapphire's Homework
      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.

      Some symbols include : Acorn - "windfall, unexpected gold"
      Club - "an attack"
      Cross - "trials and suffering"
      Falcon - "a deadly enemy"
      The Grim - "death"
      Skull - "danger in your path"
      Sun - "great happiness"
      These are when used in Magical appliance to other situations. As well, it does seem that muggles tend to think they see these images. But it is not common for them to even get these symbols other than what their minds eyes provides.



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      PostPosted: Sat May 24, 2014 7:42 pm


      Lesson 2: Muggle Forms of Divination

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      Lesson Closed

      OOC:

      Homework: Do some research and write a short explanation of an Omen common in Muggle Superstition.

      Homework for Lesson 2 should be turned into Professor Somerset's Office before the end of Lesson 3. Shabatha, if you would like credit for Sapphire's homework last week, please post it there.


      Quote:
      "I wouldn't say that all muggles do things like this... or that all muggles do anything else, really. Except breathe, and drink water, and other things that the human body requires to live. All muggles is a rather large group, after all, spanning many cultures and things. No, I wouldn't say all muggles do anything, anymore than I would say all wizards do, or all witches. Generalizations aren't a very good thing, duckie. As for knowing they will be wrong... well, they don't, of course. They were taught how to divine by ancient Seers, presumably, and have been doing it ever since. As they don't know that the magical world exists, they can hardly be expected to know that they lack the ability to do magic. As I said, for many, divining isn't just an attempt to see the future; it can be used for introspection, as well, a way to find the things that are on your mind that you hadn't realized you were thinking of... whatever the reason, it is an art they practice. I wouldn't say they are doing it wrong... actually, the techniques many use are perfectly on point. It is not their fault they lack magic, after all."


      5 total House Points awarded to Sapphire Snow of Slytherin House.
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