Read the following article about Divination:
https://www.pottermore.com/features/in-defence-of-divination
Do you agree with Professor Trelawney and Lavender Brown, Professor McGonagall and Hermione Granger, or somewhere in between? What are some of the strengths and weaknesses of Divination?
Write one paragraph (at least 5 sentences) explaining your position on Divination.
Also, remember to review this year’s lessons as your exam is next week!
This week, we’ll continue to explore the various branches and methods of Divination that you’ll study in the next few years. Remember, you are not expected to know everything about each method this year – rather, these lessons will provide an overview so that you can decide which topics you’ll study more in depth over the next few years. You will be allowed to look back at these lessons during the exam.
Chartomancy
There are two branches of Chartomancy that we study here at Hogwarts: Cartomancy and Stichomancy. The first, Cartomancy, involves divination through Tarot cards. Tarot cards can be purchased for divinatory purposes in sets of 78 cards. This includes 22 cards which make up the Major Arcana, each representing a stage of life or a typical life experience, as well as 56 cards which make up the Minor Arcana, similar to a traditional deck of cards. The cards in the Minor Arcana depict people experiencing influences that may come up in daily life.
The cards are dealt into a spread, containing anywhere from two to fifteen Tarot cards, for a reading. The reader interprets the images, often looking at them from the perspective of present, past, and future. For more information about Cartomancy, you may read chapters 8-9 of the course textbook, Symbology for Seers, but this is not required at this time.
Stichomancy is another form of divination by paper, but in this case, the tool used for divination is a book, generally of historical or cultural significance. A word or phrase from within the book is chosen randomly, either through flipping and pointing or dropping a small item onto the page. If a single word or phrase is not substantial enough, the process is repeated until a full interpretation can be made.
Theriomancy
This form of divination focuses on animal behavior. There are several types of Theriomancy studied at Hogwarts. The first is Ichthyomancy, or divination by fish. A fish is placed into a bowl specifically used for divinatory purposes, and its behavior is studied to make general predictions about the future.
Myomancy is the study of mice and rats in order to make predictions about the future. Certain behaviors by mice or rats are believed to indicate evil or misfortune. Seers may keep mice and rats to monitor their behavior regularly, but for a particular reading, one places a mouse or rat into a maze in order to observe it as it exits the maze.
Ailuromancy is divination involving cats. Various behaviors of cats are believed to be associated with good or bad fortune; for example, fighting with another cat is believed to predict death, while looking out the window predicts forthcoming rain. Cats are also used to answer yes or no questions by placing them near an entrance to a room; the first paw to enter the room determines the answer to the question.
Finally, Ornithomancy involves studying birds for divinatory purposes. Birds can be observed spontaneously or in a planned session. Certain colors and flight patterns of birds are believed to be associated with certain traits and fortunes. You may read chapter 7 of the course textbook, Symbology for Seers, for more information, but this is not required at this time.
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. Your responses must be in your own words.
1. What is the name for divination using cats? 5 points
2. What are the two parts of a Tarot deck called? What is the difference between them? 5 points
3. What animal do some seers keep in order to regularly monitor predictions about the future? 5 points
4. What type of book is primarily used for Stichomancy? Why do you think this is? 5 points
This week, we’ll continue to explore the various branches and methods of Divination that you’ll study in the next few years. Remember, you are not expected to know everything about each method this year – rather, these lessons will provide an overview so that you can decide which topics you’ll study more in depth over the next few years. You will be allowed to look back at these lessons during the exam.
Scrying
Scrying is the practice of divination by gazing into a reflective or translucent object. Popular objects used for Scrying include crystal balls and mirrors. Prior to gazing, the reader must enter a calm and relaxed state of being. By clearing the mind, the reader ensures that he/she is able to focus on the reading itself. The reader allows his/her eyes to relax as well, so that objects appear in the reflection.
Catoptromancy is one method of Scrying which involves mirrors. The reader turns the mirror toward the moon in order to reflect its light, then relaxes his/her eyes in order to see images in the reflection.
Another method of Scrying is Hydromancy. You may have guessed based on the root word hydro that this is divination using water! Running water is best for this method, but to gaze into still water one can simply drop a small pebble or similar object into the water to create a ripple.
Perhaps the most common method of Scrying is Gastromancy, or crystal-gazing. For this method, the reader relaxes his/her eyes and gazes into a crystal ball, allowing images to appear in the crystal swirls.
Regardless of the object used for Scrying, the reader interprets the images that appear in order to make predictions and interpretations about the Querent and the future. The interpretation of symbols is similar across many fields of divination, with some symbols representing positive traits and others negative.
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. Your responses must be in your own words.
1. Describe Gastromancy in your own words. 5 points
2. How does one prepare for Scrying? 5 points
3. Other than those mentioned in the lesson, what are some objects a seer might use for Scrying? 10 points
This week, we’ll continue to explore the various branches and methods of Divination that you’ll study in the next few years. Remember, you are not expected to know everything about each method this year – rather, these lessons will provide an overview so that you can decide which topics you’ll study more in depth over the next few years. You will be allowed to look back at these lessons during the exam.
Astrology
This method of divination involves observing the position of objects in the universe at a particular moment to interpret information about that moment. Most often, astrologers create and study birth charts, which represent the position of the planets in relation to the earth at the moment of the person’s birth. A birth chart contains twelve equal sections representing areas of life such as home, career, and relationships.
The planets and Zodiac signs are also placed on a birth chart. The position of each object within a house allows the reader to make observations about a person’s life. For example, if Neptune falls within the 2nd House (material wealth), this may mean that a person has unrealistic aspirations regarding their possessions or money.
To learn more about Astrology, you may read chapters 13 and 15 in the course textbook, Symbology for Seers, but this is not required at this time.
Cleromancy
Cleromancy is the fancy term for divination by casting. One popular type of Cleromancy, runic divination, typically uses stones inscribed with runic symbols from the Elder Futhark. Each of the 24 symbols in this runic alphabet represents a sound as well as a word; the words are interpreted for deeper meaning. For example, the first rune in the Elder Futhark, Fehu, literally means cattle. However, when appearing in a rune reading, Fehu may represent prosperity, wealth, goals, and/or self-esteem, depending on the context of the reading.
Typically, someone practicing runic divination would select a casting layout in order to answer a question. Each layout has a prescribed number, order, and position of runes, and each position typically has a particular focus. For example, some 3-rune layouts focus on past, present, and future. Each rune is interpreted in terms of its position in order to answer the question overall.
To learn more about runic divination, you may read chapter 6 in the course textbook, Symbology for Seers. This is not required at this time, though.
Another popular type of Cleromancy is Favomancy, or casting beans and interpreting the patterns in which they fall. Some methods of Favomancy involve casting beans into particular layouts, similar to runic divination. However, many practicers of Favomancy simply cast a handful of beans and interpret the symbols that appear in the way they land, almost as if reading tea leaves.
Arithmancy
One of the most scientific divination methods, Arithmancy involves assigning values to letters, often with the intention of learning about a person. After translating a name into the corresponding numbers, the digits are added together until only a single digit remains. Each digit then represents certain traits or features, which can provide insight regarding a person’s personality, desires and fears, and social qualities. Personality numbers determined from Arithmancy can be used to establish compatibility between people.
The same method can also be used to learn more about a particular date, especially birthdates. By adding together the digits until a single digit remains, one can obtain a destiny number to learn more about a person’s traits and tendencies.
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences. Your responses must be in your own words.
1. What objects in the universe are studied in Astrology? 5 points
2. What is the name of the runic alphabet commonly used for rune readings? 5 points
3. If you were to practice Favomancy, how would you determine which beans you would cast? Would you select a certain number, choose beans with certain features, etc.? 5 points
4. Use the key below to translate your first name (or username) into numbers. Then, add the digits together until you’re left with a single number – what is it? 5 points
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Divination 