c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝒆 ✖ LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Third Years xxxғeelιngxxx Focused xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ Little ducklings, all in a row. ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
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...
• 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:
• Tasseomancy: 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. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Miss GryffindorK
Lyall Thompson
The Shiny Furret
Victoria Macclellan
Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 4:50 pm
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝒆 ✖ LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Third Years xxxғeelιngxxx Focused xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ Little ducklings, all in a row. ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
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.
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝒆 ✖ LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Third Years xxxғeelιngxxx Cheerful xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ So many new little ducks! ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
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, actively redirecting her mind away from the path it'd tried to wander, 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...
(( OOC: )) Students posted Wednesday or later will be considered late.
Divination Notes
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 Divination:
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. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Deviled Dregs
Layton Bannister
Diamond Wales
Joel Powell
Graydon Ironshield
Selina Grey
The Forgotten Weasley
Antigone Lillantine
Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:04 pm
And you don't seem the lying kind A shame then I can read your mind And all the things that I read there
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Tʜɪʀᴅ Yᴇᴀʀ|Ⅲ|Rᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ|Ⅲ|Hᴀʟғ-Bʟᴏᴏᴅ
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Text.
Selina made certain she arrived at Professor Somerset's class in plenty of time to get a good seat for the lecture and get comfortable. She'd already met the professor, as she'd brought them across the Black Lake in her first year, and they spoke briefly when Selina was casting an augery in the Great Hall. She found the Seer to be an interesting person, and knew she wanted to be in her class.
Selina found herself to be almost in a hypnotic state, as she listened to Professor Somerset speak, calm and relaxed, as she took notes. When the professor asked her question, Selina raised her hand. "Divination," she said in a tranquil tone, "is the means by which one may gain insights into events and people, past and present, and the possibilities of what has not yet come to pass."
════════════════════════ OOC:
Candle lit smile that we both share and you know I don't mean to hurt you But you know that it means so much And you don't even feel a thing
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ✖ 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝒆 ✖ LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Third Years xxxғeelιngxxx Calm xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ Oh, this lesson is so dull... ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
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. She wasn't particularly looking forward to this lesson, given that it was on the history of her art, but it couldn't be avoided. Students needed to know the history of what they were doing and where it came from before they could learn to practice the art. At least, that's what she thought, even if she often had trouble remembering the history properly."Greetings, duckies! It's lovely to see you all again. I hope you've had a pleasant week so far. Today, we'll be going over the history of the art of divination. There are notes on the board for you to copy."The Seer paused, giving them time to write down what she'd written on the board. When the scratching of quills began to die down, she tilted her head, finger tapping her chin."Divination is, of course, an ancient art. It is difficult to trace any particular source, because it goes back further than recorded history. It seems that, for as long as we have had the ability to reason, humans have been looking towards the future, and towards signs from the world around them to determine what it might be. Ancient humans from every part of the globe looked to patterns to try and ascertain what tomorrow might bring. Oftentimes, correlation of events was thought to equal causation, and so omens came about. Seers have also existed for as long as we can remember, which has only helped the art remain strong."
spaceThe professor blinked a bit, then shook her head. She'd very nearly drifted off-topic."Well, there is a lot more to be said on the subject of Seers, but that will be covered next week. For now, if you have any thoughts or questions on the history of divination, feel free to share, or ask now. Participation will, of course, be rewarded with House Points."Drusilla really did hope that she was thorough enough with this particular lesson. It was hard to be, sometimes, particularly since, as she'd stated, it was very difficult to trace the history back to its source. She couldn't speak for where her art had begun; only what had happened after people started keeping records.
(( OOC: )) Students posted Wednesday or later will be considered late.
Divination Notes
Lesson 2 : History of Divination
History:
Human beings have always looked for the answers to life’s great mysteries. Why are we here? Who or what controls our destiny? How does life work? What does the future hold? There is archeological evidence that a need to know and deep spiritual seeking are universal human traits, and that some form of divination has been used since the earliest times, to support this quest. Even though various forms of divination have been used in all societies, the widespread use of sophisticated divination systems across all classes of people is a very recent development. The spread of divination systems had depended on oral transmission, which in preliterate times was largely the exclusive domain of the rulers, chieftains, official soothsayers, priests, sages, prophets and shamans. Although belief in magic was practically universal up to and through the Middle Ages, including primitive divinatory practices of folk magic, knowledge of divination systems and what Tarot scholar Bob O’Neill calls learned magic, could not spread until the invention of printing.
Early Methods:
• Chinese Taoists read patterns on tortoise shells, which evolved into the hexagrams of the I Ching. • Vikings consulted the runestones. • Ancient Roman shamans observed the entrails of slaughtered animals and grains that hens pecked at and formed messages (alectryomancy). • Other cultures have looked to inner space (such as the Australian aborigines with their dreamtime), or have used hallucinogenic plants for vision quests (such as the Mazatec Indians of Mexico who use Salvia divinorum for spiritual rituals and divination). • There are also numerous passages in the Old Testament documenting Jahweh’s instructions for using a sacred set of dice called Urim and Thummim to make decisions in His name.
Modern Methods:
There are, currently, five recognized 'branches' of modern divinatory systems: • Astrology: Using the locations of the planets and stars relative to the Earth and one another to determine the future. • IChing: An ancient Chinese manual of divination based on eight symbolic trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams, interpreted in terms of the principles of yin and yang. • Numerology: Understanding and interpreting the significance of numbers in relation to the future. • Tarot: Interpreting cards to determine the future. • Runes: Interpreting runic symbols to determine the future.
Homework:Write a short essay on the history of divination.
(( 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. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Deviled Dregs
Layton Bannister
Diamond Wales
Joel Powell
Graydon Ironshield
Selina Grey
The Forgotten Weasley
Antigone Lillantine
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2015 6:41 pm
And you don't seem the lying kind A shame then I can read your mind And all the things that I read there
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Tʜɪʀᴅ Yᴇᴀʀ|Ⅲ|Rᴀᴠᴇɴᴄʟᴀᴡ|Ⅲ|Hᴀʟғ-Bʟᴏᴏᴅ
════════════════════════
Text.
Selina took care to arrive as early as feasible for Divination class, as she wanted a good seat and a chance to get herself ready for class. She found the class enjoyable and Professor Somerset's manner of conducting class to be a calming balm. When the lecture began, Selina was taking her usual copious notes. "I have a question, Professor," Selina said quietly, when Professor Somerset opened the floor for questions. "On the subject of tarot reading, how did the cards become associated with the Fool's journey through the physical and metaphysical realms towards Enlightenment?"
════════════════════════ OOC:
Candle lit smile that we both share and you know I don't mean to hurt you But you know that it means so much And you don't even feel a thing
c υ r r e n т l y ╔═══════════════════════════════╗ ➸ 𝓚𝓸𝓵𝓽𝓸𝓷 𝓥𝓲𝓷𝒆𝓻 ➸ LookingDistractedin her Classroom with her Third Years xxxғeelιngxxx Excited xxxтнιnĸιngxxx ❝ So many new little duckies, all in a row! ❞ ╚═══════════════════════════════╝
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, actively redirecting her mind away from the path it'd tried to wander, 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...
(( OOC: )) Students posted Wednesday or later will be considered late.
Divination Notes
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 Divination:
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. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
stitchkin babe
Sybil Vance
kiska166
Cordelia Quimby-Winthrop
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 7:37 pm
USERNAME HERE
【 LOCATION 】 divination x【 MOOD 】 intrigued x【 COMPANY 】 third years x【 CLOTHING 】isn't it funny? (uniform)
Sybil took a seat quietly in the divinations room, eyes darting from one bauble to another as she awaited the beginning of class. It seemed as though she were early, or everyone else was late, but she didn't really mind as she studied the room. It wasn't until the professor started the lesson that Sybil really started to pay attention to her surroundings. She sat back in her chair as the professor introduced herself and the class. Sybil was quiet, sitting back and simply listening. She didn't really want to answer, so she kept her mouth shut, waiting for someone to talk.
╓xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx»wнere«xx xxxDivination Classroom xxxxxxxx»wιтн«xx xxxxxxxxxThird Year Students xxxxxxxxxxxxxx»ғeelιng«xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHappy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╜
αи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ιи тнє fαяαωαу н є я є αи∂ и σ ωxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ι'νє вє¢σмє ι и ¢ σ и т я σ ℓ ѕσмєнσωxxxxxxxxxxx αи∂ ι и є ν є я ℓσѕє му ω α ℓ ℓ є тxxxxxxxxx вє¢αυѕє ι ωιℓℓ вє тнє ρ ι ¢ т υ я є σf ∂ ι ѕ ¢ ι ρ ℓ ι и єxxxxxx иєνєя f υ ¢ к ι и g υρ α и у т н ι и gxxx
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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, actively redirecting her mind away from the path it'd tried to wander, 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...
╚════════════════════════════════════════════
xxxαи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ι ιмαgιиє ѕ σ м α и у т н ι и g ѕ xxxxxxтнιиgѕ тнαт α я є и ' т яєαℓℓу н α ρ ρ є и ι и g xxxxxxxxxαи∂ ωнєи тнєу ρ υ т мє ι и т н є g я σ υ и ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxι'ℓℓ ѕтαят ρ σ υ и ∂ ι и g тнє ℓ ι ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxѕαуιиg ι н α ν є и ' т f ι и ι ѕ н є ∂ уєт
xx»╳♥╳«xx xx»oυт oғ cнaracтer«xx Please do not quote for replies! Questions will be answered later in the week, or when the lesson closes.
Divination Notes
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 Divination:
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.
xxxx× × ×xxxxSTUDENTSxxxx× × ×xxxx Any registered student who fails to post at least once this year will have their house docked ten points at the end of the term. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 9:58 am
Location : Divination - Monday @ 2:00pm
Emma left potions and headed for Divinations. It was her first elective for the year. She hoped she’d like the class it sounded interesting enough. Going up the tower, she took a seat in the classroom. Turning her attention to their professor she smiled. Professor Somerset seemed like an odd professor but she sounded nice. Listening to the intro to the subject she couldn’t want to get started.
Listening to Professor Somerset, Emma was intrigued. Taking notes, she was really looking forward to the class. When she asked what Divination was to her and what purpose it served, the Hufflepuff thought about it. She’d never given it much thought until now since she only took the class because it sounded interesting. “Um… I’m not really sure Professor. I didn’t really know about Divination until I had to pick my electives and my uncle filled me in. What I do know though, is that Divination is a way to see into the future. The future is always changing so you never know where you can end up but it would still be nice to have an idea of where you’re headed from time to time.” She answered her as best she could.
╓xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx»wнere«xx xxxDivination Classroom xxxxxxxx»wιтн«xx xxxxxxxxxThird Year Students xxxxxxxxxxxxxx»ғeelιng«xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHappy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╜
αи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ιи тнє fαяαωαу н є я є αи∂ и σ ωxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ι'νє вє¢σмє ι и ¢ σ и т я σ ℓ ѕσмєнσωxxxxxxxxxxx αи∂ ι и є ν є я ℓσѕє му ω α ℓ ℓ є тxxxxxxxxx вє¢αυѕє ι ωιℓℓ вє тнє ρ ι ¢ т υ я є σf ∂ ι ѕ ¢ ι ρ ℓ ι и єxxxxxx иєνєя f υ ¢ к ι и g υρ α и у т н ι и gxxx
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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. She wasn't particularly looking forward to this lesson, given that it was on the history of her art, but it couldn't be avoided. Students needed to know the history of what they were doing and where it came from before they could learn to practice the art. At least, that's what she thought, even if she often had trouble remembering the history properly."Greetings, duckies! It's lovely to see you all again. I hope you've had a pleasant week so far. Today, we'll be going over the history of the art of divination. There are notes on the board for you to copy."The Seer paused, giving them time to write down what she'd written on the board. When the scratching of quills began to die down, she tilted her head, finger tapping her chin."Divination is, of course, an ancient art. It is difficult to trace any particular source, because it goes back further than recorded history. It seems that, for as long as we have had the ability to reason, humans have been looking towards the future, and towards signs from the world around them to determine what it might be. Ancient humans from every part of the globe looked to patterns to try and ascertain what tomorrow might bring. Oftentimes, correlation of events was thought to equal causation, and so omens came about. Seers have also existed for as long as we can remember, which has only helped the art remain strong."
spaceThe professor blinked a bit, then shook her head. She'd very nearly drifted off-topic."Well, there is a lot more to be said on the subject of Seers, but that will be covered next week. For now, if you have any thoughts or questions on the history of divination, feel free to share, or ask now. Participation will, of course, be rewarded with House Points."Drusilla really did hope that she was thorough enough with this particular lesson. It was hard to be, sometimes, particularly since, as she'd stated, it was very difficult to trace the history back to its source. She couldn't speak for where her art had begun; only what had happened after people started keeping records.
╚════════════════════════════════════════════
xxxαи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ι ιмαgιиє ѕ σ м α и у т н ι и g ѕ xxxxxxтнιиgѕ тнαт α я є и ' т яєαℓℓу н α ρ ρ є и ι и g xxxxxxxxxαи∂ ωнєи тнєу ρ υ т мє ι и т н є g я σ υ и ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxι'ℓℓ ѕтαят ρ σ υ и ∂ ι и g тнє ℓ ι ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxѕαуιиg ι н α ν є и ' т f ι и ι ѕ н є ∂ уєт
xx»╳♥╳«xx xx»oυт oғ cнaracтer«xx Please do not quote for replies! Questions will be answered later in the week, or when the lesson closes.
Divination Notes
Lesson 2 : History of Divination
History:
Human beings have always looked for the answers to life’s great mysteries. Why are we here? Who or what controls our destiny? How does life work? What does the future hold? There is archeological evidence that a need to know and deep spiritual seeking are universal human traits, and that some form of divination has been used since the earliest times, to support this quest. Even though various forms of divination have been used in all societies, the widespread use of sophisticated divination systems across all classes of people is a very recent development. The spread of divination systems had depended on oral transmission, which in preliterate times was largely the exclusive domain of the rulers, chieftains, official soothsayers, priests, sages, prophets and shamans. Although belief in magic was practically universal up to and through the Middle Ages, including primitive divinatory practices of folk magic, knowledge of divination systems and what Tarot scholar Bob O’Neill calls learned magic, could not spread until the invention of printing.
Early Methods:
• Chinese Taoists read patterns on tortoise shells, which evolved into the hexagrams of the I Ching. • Vikings consulted the runestones. • Ancient Roman shamans observed the entrails of slaughtered animals and grains that hens pecked at and formed messages (alectryomancy). • Other cultures have looked to inner space (such as the Australian aborigines with their dreamtime), or have used hallucinogenic plants for vision quests (such as the Mazatec Indians of Mexico who use Salvia divinorum for spiritual rituals and divination). • There are also numerous passages in the Old Testament documenting Jahweh’s instructions for using a sacred set of dice called Urim and Thummim to make decisions in His name.
Modern Methods:
There are, currently, five recognized 'branches' of modern divinatory systems: • Astrology: Using the locations of the planets and stars relative to the Earth and one another to determine the future. • IChing: An ancient Chinese manual of divination based on eight symbolic trigrams and sixty-four hexagrams, interpreted in terms of the principles of yin and yang. • Numerology: Understanding and interpreting the significance of numbers in relation to the future. • Tarot: Interpreting cards to determine the future. • Runes: Interpreting runic symbols to determine the future.
Homework:Write a short essay on the history of divination.
xxxx× × ×xxxxSTUDENTSxxxx× × ×xxxx Any registered student who fails to post at least once this year will have their house docked ten points at the end of the term. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 4:49 pm
Location : Divination - Monday @ 2:00pm
Emma took a seat in divination, ready to truly learn the art. It was an art, that’s what Professor Somerset said. Getting her parchment out, the Hufflepuff began to take down the notes on the board. There were so many different methods, most required understanding symbols or patterns. It would be a lot to learn but she was willing to try. As Emma listened to Professor Somerset talk about the art, it sounded like a history lesson. Like all things, no one knew how far back it went or when things for discovered. When asked for any thoughts or questions, Emma raised her hand. “Does the world actually give us signs? Or do we just perceive things around us as signs when they really aren’t?” She asked curiously. She thought it was a good question being muggle-born and all.
Status:Happy & Interested With:Class... Professor Somerset
╓xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xx»wнere«xx xxxDivination Classroom xxxxxxxx»wιтн«xx xxxxxxxxxThird Year Students xxxxxxxxxxxxxx»ғeelιng«xx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxHappy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx╜
αи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ιи тнє fαяαωαу н є я є αи∂ и σ ωxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ι'νє вє¢σмє ι и ¢ σ и т я σ ℓ ѕσмєнσωxxxxxxxxxxx αи∂ ι и є ν є я ℓσѕє му ω α ℓ ℓ є тxxxxxxxxx вє¢αυѕє ι ωιℓℓ вє тнє ρ ι ¢ т υ я є σf ∂ ι ѕ ¢ ι ρ ℓ ι и єxxxxxx иєνєя f υ ¢ к ι и g υρ α и у т н ι и gxxx
════════════════════════════════════════════╗
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, actively redirecting her mind away from the path it'd tried to wander, 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...
╚════════════════════════════════════════════
xxxαи∂ ιи м у м ι и ∂ , ι ιмαgιиє ѕ σ м α и у т н ι и g ѕ xxxxxxтнιиgѕ тнαт α я є и ' т яєαℓℓу н α ρ ρ є и ι и g xxxxxxxxxαи∂ ωнєи тнєу ρ υ т мє ι и т н є g я σ υ и ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxι'ℓℓ ѕтαят ρ σ υ и ∂ ι и g тнє ℓ ι ∂ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxѕαуιиg ι н α ν є и ' т f ι и ι ѕ н є ∂ уєт
xx»╳♥╳«xx xx»oυт oғ cнaracтer«xx Please do not quote for replies! Questions will be answered later in the week, or when the lesson closes.
Divination Notes
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 Divination:
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.
xxxx× × ×xxxxSTUDENTSxxxx× × ×xxxx Any registered student who fails to post at least once this year will have their house docked ten points at the end of the term. Exceptions can be made provided you contact Cara MiaKitty and are able to provide a reasonable excuse.
