Good Omens...And Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Lab Six

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Friday, October 13, Second Period

Today the room is arranged with pairs of comfortable chairs facing one another, a small table set between each pair. Each table is equipped with a very typical looking crystal ball and a dark flat mirror.

"Crystallomancy, or 'crystal gazing', is perhaps one of the most familiar types of divination. Most everyone is familiar with the stereotype of the gypsy fortune teller from popular culture. To perform this type of divination, you will need a gazing surface of some type: crystal ball, mirror or even a large quartz crystal. Crystallomancy works best in a setting where you are comfortable and there are few distractions.

To begin, try to settle yourself into a light trance, by breathing deeply and regularly for a few minutes and then counting slowly backwards from ten. Once you feel as though you are in a relaxed state, free of distractions and focused on the task at hand, concentrate on the crystal. Allow your eyes to focus or unfocus as they will, and let your mind wander as though you are daydreaming. Don't try to force an image or a reading, but rather let the shapes created by the play of light within your gazing surface to form as they will.

It's unlikely that you will see a realistic scene playing itself out. Instead, as in prophetic dreaming, you are likelier to see symbols and shapes: a horse, a tree, a rainstorm. Keep a pad of paper handy to write these down, or speak them aloud to your divination partner for them to transcribe. Continue this until you begin to repeat the symbols or you can no longer maintain your concentration. Keep in mind that these symbols are from your subconscious, and therefore your own personal interpretation will be the most accurate.

Generally, you are going to be seeking an answer to a specific question: should I find a new job, will I pass next week's test. Treat the symbols you obtained as you would a dream interpretation. Perhaps the horse represents travel or motion, the tree may represent life or nature, etc."

HOMEWORK: Write an essay, minimum two pages single spaced, on your experience with the labs we've completed so far: palm reading, card reading, dreaming, or crystal gazing. These essays are worth 10% of your grade, and are due next Friday.

Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
Lab Partner List

[ooc: I may be SP today, if your lab partner doesn't show up, see if someone else will partner you -- Phoebe or Lyra, if you're around, this would be part of your TA duties. Also, be warned: I will be issuing detentions next week to anyone who doesn't tag into the main class or this lab by next Monday, or who missed last week's classes and hasn't provided me with an IC excuse. (Phoebe is exempted from that last one.) ;) Please wait for OCD is up!]

[ETA ooc: I lose at dates. Your prophecy teacher should know it's Friday the 13th. Apparently he doesn't care.]

Comments

Sign In

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

It's the only part that's required!

Re: Sign In

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi Longstocking

Re: Sign In

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John Connor

Re: Sign In

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

Joxer

Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Handwave or RP, it's up to you.

Re: Lab Exercise

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi is curled up in a chair, waiting for Sam as the mun is uncertain if Sam!mun has left for the weekend yet or not.

She might have something wrapped in a large black silk cloth with her.

Re: Lab Exercise

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John settled down to get comfy and try to stay awake.

His question had nothing to do with nuns.

Re: Lab Exercise

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders eyed the crystal ball kind of weirdly and prepared to get handwavey trancey with it.

Re: Lab Exercise

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"This place needs to have more bass-y techno-ish music and flashing lights if I'm gonna stare at one thing for a while. Ever done this?"

Re: Lab Exercise

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

Joxer was a bit apprehensive about this. He wasn't sure about the whole idea of looking into the future when it is actually the past sort of things.

He couldn't even -spell- causality, let alone understand the implications.

Re: Lab Exercise

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

"Yo. Jox-man," Marty said sitting down. "I think it's your turn to do the reading thing."

Re: Lab Exercise

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, you're right," Joxer said. "Okay, hold on." He started doing his best to get trance-like, looking and gazing into the crystal, his eyes starting to cross with the concentration.

"I think I see... A dog."

Re: Lab Exercise

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia sat down in front of one of the crystal balls and looked into it while she waited for Phoebe to join her.

She wondered if she'd have to rhyme at it.

Re: Lab Exercise

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe sat down and then smiled at the crystal ball. "Cool."

Re: Lab Exercise

[demonbelthazor]

Bel eyed the crystal ball warily and waited for Blair.

Re: Lab Exercise

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

"We are so going to rock this activity." Blair bounced as he sat down across from Bel. "I'm all about doing the whole trance thing and if there ever was a class activity tailor made for you...it's this one. All you have to do is glare at the ball! Man, I forsee an A plus in our immediate future."

Re: Lab Exercise

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn sat down cross-legged on the floor, her crystal placed at eye level in front of her. She closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then opened her eyes, concentrating on the crystal and trying to keep her breathing steady.

Her eyes unfocused.

Talk Amongst Yourselves

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

NO fireballs. (Spitballs are fine, just don't get caught.)

Re: Talk to the Professor

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

Sometime after Third period, A multitude of Jamies enter the classroom and scrub every surface available and then liberally spray down the place with lysol.

If they happen to scrub a little harder at the place where Marty was sitting then it's because he's a very dirty dirty person.

Talk to the Professor

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

About whatever you need to talk to him about.

OOC

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Because OOC OCD is LOVE.

Re: OOC

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Do you want to RP Monday Dean's (and Sam's but I won't speak for his mun) excuse for missing this lab or just take it as handwaved that John talked to Phale and got the boys' homework?

I'm good either way. :)

Re: OOC

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

We can handwave that John told Phale about the absence, since it was known in advance. :)

Re: OOC

[multi-madrox.livejournal.com]

Mind if Jamie wanders into the classroom after class is finished and disinfects it?

Re: OOC

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all. Prophecy is second period so it's before Health class, but if you want to just send him into the empty classroom, please feel free! :)