Lesson One: Welcome to Divination
When Harry Potter and his friends studied at Hogwarts, they were given new classes called electives. One of the many electives offered at Hogwarts School and Witchcraft and Wizardry is Divination. We all know what they found after climbing the staircase to the Divination Tower. When Harry began Divination in his third year, it was taught by one eccentric and delusional Sibyl Trelawney. As the years went by, he discovered that she did indeed have the "Sight," as she claimed, but it only showed up in extenuating circumstance.
I for one do not claim to have the Sight. Indeed, you will find I have an entirely different approach than Professor Sibyl Trelawney. This class will give you enough information so that you can make informed decisions about Divination. You will find that there are some forms of Divination you have a gift for, and others you think are quite foolish and even absolute malarkey. Regardless, we'll cover all twelve known methods of Divination over the course of two classes.
I for one do not claim to have the Sight. Indeed, you will find I have an entirely different approach than Professor Sibyl Trelawney. This class will give you enough information so that you can make informed decisions about Divination. You will find that there are some forms of Divination you have a gift for, and others you think are quite foolish and even absolute malarkey. Regardless, we'll cover all twelve known methods of Divination over the course of two classes.
What is Divination?
Before we jump into each method, we must first understand just what divination truly is. Divination is the practice of using signs or special powers in order to predict the outcome of the future. It includes fortune telling, scrying, casting lots, and performing rituals. Will I marry my crush? Will I get that job? Will I get an A on my upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts exam? Will my grandmother survive the cancer that has been wrecking her body? Divination claims to offer answers to life's mysteries and even warn us of future danger.
In the Wizarding World, Divination is a branch of magic that includes the ability to prophesy major events in the near or distant future. Sibyl Trelawney herself managed to foretell two major prophecies relating to Voldemort's rise. Prophecies just like these are stored in the Hall of Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry of Magic Headquarters. It is also argued she has told many other minor prophecies that have all come true in some way.
In the Wizarding World, Divination is a branch of magic that includes the ability to prophesy major events in the near or distant future. Sibyl Trelawney herself managed to foretell two major prophecies relating to Voldemort's rise. Prophecies just like these are stored in the Hall of Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry of Magic Headquarters. It is also argued she has told many other minor prophecies that have all come true in some way.
A History of Divination
Divination has always been a part of human culture. In fact, it existed in some form in many of the ancient civilizations. Ancient Egypt had an oracle named Amun, who was visited by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. In Ancient Greece, divination was practiced through oracles (human gateways who prophesized the will of the gods) and seers (interpreter of signs sent by the gods). Seers were visited much more often than oracles due to the more expansive amount available and unlimited schedules to visit them. Customers were only allowed to ask yes or no questions, whereas oracle customers would get a more detailed answer. Seers were also used in battle and were chosen by who had a valid, or most accurate, record of answers.
Divination was incredibly important in the religious life of many Mesoamerican civilizations. They practiced divination in daily life. Scrying was a popular practice using reflective surfaces. They also believed in visions caused by help from plants. On the other side of the Pacific, China also had elements of divination, including its own oracle that read sticks. They also believed in geomancy, which is determining the energy that courses through the earth using physical structures.
Divination throughout the years has been a particularly controversial pastime. Jewish and Christian cultures both forbid the practice of divination, even though prophets whom share God's prophecies with others are accepted. During the Middle Ages, it was even illegal. Today, many are skeptical of whether it actually works. Can you really use certain items to see into the future? It is a question that is still debated to this day, and usually depends on who you ask.
Divination was incredibly important in the religious life of many Mesoamerican civilizations. They practiced divination in daily life. Scrying was a popular practice using reflective surfaces. They also believed in visions caused by help from plants. On the other side of the Pacific, China also had elements of divination, including its own oracle that read sticks. They also believed in geomancy, which is determining the energy that courses through the earth using physical structures.
Divination throughout the years has been a particularly controversial pastime. Jewish and Christian cultures both forbid the practice of divination, even though prophets whom share God's prophecies with others are accepted. During the Middle Ages, it was even illegal. Today, many are skeptical of whether it actually works. Can you really use certain items to see into the future? It is a question that is still debated to this day, and usually depends on who you ask.
How Do We Study It?
Before we discuss methods, it is important to understand the types of Divination in the world. There are two types of Divination known to wizarding man. These are Centaur Divination and Human Divination.
Centaurs have their own form of Divination. Firenze, a centaur who came to Hogwarts in 1995 to teach student Divination, taught Divination an incredibly different way than Trelawney. Firenze taught his students that not all things will get a definitive answer. He argued that small things like accidents and pain were far too unimportant in the scheme of the universe to be controlled and effected by the movement of planets. Appropriately, Centaur divination is directly linked to observing planets, moons, and stars in motion. Centaurs spend a decade learning how to correctly observe these celestial bodies and still might have trouble getting specific results. They use burning scents like sage and mallow sweet to try to predict just when an event might take place.
Human divination relies on many other methods than astronomy and is therefore called "nonsense" to the Centaurs. There are witches and wizards that are born with a rare gift for divination and are known as "Seers." Seers can see the future with their "Inner Eye." Those of us who are not Seers can learn divination, but some might be better at it than others. Humans use many different ways to try to find some insight into the future. This includes all twelve of the methods we will be studying over two courses. They are:
We'll be discussing each of these over the course of two classes.
Next month, we'll begin with astrology!
Centaurs have their own form of Divination. Firenze, a centaur who came to Hogwarts in 1995 to teach student Divination, taught Divination an incredibly different way than Trelawney. Firenze taught his students that not all things will get a definitive answer. He argued that small things like accidents and pain were far too unimportant in the scheme of the universe to be controlled and effected by the movement of planets. Appropriately, Centaur divination is directly linked to observing planets, moons, and stars in motion. Centaurs spend a decade learning how to correctly observe these celestial bodies and still might have trouble getting specific results. They use burning scents like sage and mallow sweet to try to predict just when an event might take place.
Human divination relies on many other methods than astronomy and is therefore called "nonsense" to the Centaurs. There are witches and wizards that are born with a rare gift for divination and are known as "Seers." Seers can see the future with their "Inner Eye." Those of us who are not Seers can learn divination, but some might be better at it than others. Humans use many different ways to try to find some insight into the future. This includes all twelve of the methods we will be studying over two courses. They are:
- Astrology - a method studying how the positions of stars and movements of planets and other galactic objects effect events and people on Earth.
- Cartomancy - a method of using playing cards and other cards in order to tell what the future holds.
- Chinese Fortune Sticks - a method of using flat sticks found in a small cup or tube to tell fortunes.
- Crystal Gazing - a method of scrying by gazing into crystal until entering a trancelike state so that one may see insight to the future.
- Dream Interpretation - a method of using and analyzing one's dreams to find answers and meaning to life's questions.
- Fire Omens (also known as Pyromancy) - a method of using the shapes to interpret omens and assign meaning.
- Heptomology - a method of using the number seven to unlock mysteries.
- Palmistry - a method of telling the future and character traits from the lines on a person's palm.
- Ornithomancy - a method of observing the flight and cries of birds in order to read omens.
- Ovomancy - a method using eggs cracked into water to scry.
- Tessomancy (also known as Tasseography) - a method of using the patterns made by tea leaves and similar to predict the future.
- Xylomancy - a method of using wooden twigs and other small pieces from trees to predict the future.
We'll be discussing each of these over the course of two classes.
Next month, we'll begin with astrology!