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

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Friday, November 17, Second Period

Today, along with the usual spread of hot beverages and pastries, students will find some handouts and a box marked "Group Projects".

"Please don't forget that today is the deadline for turning in your Group Projects. If anyone has questions, you can catch me after class. Also, the box will be outside my office door for the rest of the day, until James and I get back from our trip to the mainland. Also, I'll need an excuse from Mr Carson regarding your absence from last week's lab.

"Now...today we'll be practicing the art of Bibliomancy, or divination through the random selection of words and phrases from books. Religious texts are the most frequently used books for bibliomancy, but any written work whatsoever can be used. The use of books for divination is also sometimes called stichomancy. Some people mistakenly attribute the term bibliomancy to the use of religious texts exclusively, but in fact the root 'biblio' refers to any book."

HANDOUTS:
Bibliomancy 1
Bibliomancy 2

LAB EXERCISE: "As you can see, there is an excellent selection of books here in the bookcases. Choose one, and then the exercise is rather simple -- decide before you begin whether you'll be asking a question or looking for a general prediction. Then decide how many 'passes' you're going to do for your reading, then randomly open the book and select a passage. Don't look at the page until after you've selected the passage. Then have your partner write down the word or phrase from each 'pass'. Then comes the more complicated part: interpreting the prediction. When you and your lab partner have done at least one prediction, share it with the class."

[Note about the exercise: Use this link to generate a reading online, or grab a book and give it a shot. The bookcases are large, and have a pretty thorough selection available today, as long as you don't choose anything extremely obscure.]


Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
Lab Partner List

[ooc: Slowplay for a good part of the afternoon. Please wait for OCD is up!]

Comments

Sign In

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

...

Re: Sign In

[saltandammo.livejournal.com]

Dean Winchester

Re: Sign In

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty Blank

Lab Exercise

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Quite possibly the easiest form of divination ever. Open a book, point at some words.

Re: Lab Exercise

[oatmanspatient.livejournal.com]

Marty opened a book and start picking out words at random. Really? It made no sense.

Re: Lab Exercise

[nadiathesaint]

Nadia spent rather a long time dithering over what book to choose.

Re: Lab Exercise

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Hey, Anders didn't know Bibles. He just grabbed a book that looked old and important.

So he opened it up and ended up on the phrase "Buggre alle this for a larke."

". . . weirdest prophecy ever!"

Re: Lab Exercise

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Pippi grabbed a book at random (http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext94/plgrm11h.htm).

Re: OOC

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

John grabbed a hardcover book on myth adventures.

Class Discussion

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Once you've completed your lab exercise, share your results with the class.

Re: Class Discussion

[demonbelthazor]

"Her shining tresses, divided in two parts, encircle the harmonious contour of her white and delicate cheeks, brilliant in their glow and freshness. Her ebony brows have the form and charm of the bow of Kama, the god of love, and beneath her long silken lashes the purest reflections and a celestial light swim, as in the sacred lakes of Himalaya, in the black pupils of her great clear eyes. Her teeth, fine, equal, and white, glitter between her smiling lips like dewdrops in a passion-flower's half-enveloped breast. Her delicately formed ears, her vermilion hands, her little feet, curved and tender as the lotus-bud."

"What the fuck" didn't being to describe Bel's expression.

Re: Class Discussion

[lovechildblair.livejournal.com]

Blair blinked at looked at Phale worriedly, holding out his passage. "Um...this isn't a good thing, is it?"

then I spied the ugly head of Woola peering from a second- story window on the opposite side of the very street where I was quartered, but nearer the plaza.

Without waiting for a further invitation I bolted up the winding runway which led to the second floor, and entering a great chamber at the front of the building was greeted by the frenzied Woola, who threw his great carcass upon me, nearly hurling me to the floor; the poor old fellow was so glad to see me that I thought he would devour me, his head split from ear to ear, showing his three rows of tusks in his hobgoblin smile.

Re: Class Discussion

[nadiathesaint]

don't mean anything."

"You think so?" He laughed again.

"I know so. As for what I said to you to-night, I said it for your good. You know I have been always a stanch friend to you."

"Don't touch me. Finish what you have to say."

A twisted flash of pain shot across the painter's face. He paused for a moment, and a wild feeling of pity came over him. After all, what right had he to pry into the life of Dorian Gray? If he had done a tithe of what was rumoured about him, how much he must have suffered! Then he straightened himself up, and walked over to the fire-place, and stood there, looking at

"Huh," was about all Nadia had to say to that one. "Weird."

Re: Class Discussion

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

I slept, I dreamed a dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back. I looked, and saw him open the book, and read therein; and, as he read, he wept, and trembled; and, not being able longer to contain, he brake out with a lamentable cry, saying, "What shall I do?"

Pippi thought about it.

"That doesn't bode well for bibliomancy I think."

Re: Class Discussion

[sensethevisions]

bestows on man season by season, one and all they commence earlier and end later in this land. Nor is the supremacy of Attica shown only in those products which year after year flourish and grow old, but the land contains treasures of a more perennial kind. Within its folds lies imbedded by nature an unstinted store of marble, out of which are chiselled[4] temples and altars of rarest beauty and the glittering splendour of images sacred to the gods. This marble, moreover, is an obejct of desire to many foreigners, Hellenes and barbarians alike. Then there is land which, although it yields no fruit to the sower, needs only to be quarried in order to feed many times more mouths than it could as corn-land. Doubtless we owe it to a divine dispensation

Phoebe blinked and then stared... and then blinked again.

Re: Class Discussion

[lilpunkinbelly.livejournal.com]

Dawn frowned as she read her results. Why did it have to be Virgil?

When old Deucalion on the unpeopled earth Cast stones, whence men, a flinty race, were reared. Up then! if fat the soil, let sturdy bulls Upturn it from the year's first opening months, And let the clods lie bare till baked to dust By the ripe suns of summer; but if the earth Less fruitful just ere Arcturus rise With shallower trench uptilt it- 'twill suffice; There, lest weeds choke the crop's luxuriance, here, Lest the scant moisture fail the barren sand. Then thou shalt suffer in alternate years

Re: Class Discussion

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

Bridge isn't quite sure what to make from his passage.

if there were but one foot-bridge to the future! Verily, those shepherds also were still of the flock!

Small spirits and spacious souls had those shepherds: but, my brethren, what small domains have even the most spacious souls hitherto been!

Characters of blood did they write on the way they went, and their folly taught that truth is proved by blood.

But blood is the very worst witness to truth; blood tainteth the purest teaching, and turneth it into delusion and hatred of heart.

And when a person goeth through fire for his teaching--what doth that prove! It is more, verily, when out of one's own burning cometh one's own teaching!

Re: Class Discussion

[likethegun]

Sam eyed his passage wearily.

Placing one paw on the raft, he turned and struck out with his other three legs and so strong was the great beast that he managed to drag the raft from off the beach and propel it slowly to where the Wizard stood on the river bank.

"Good!" exclaimed the little man, well pleased.

"May I go across with you?" asked Dorothy.

The Wizard hesitated.

"If you'll take care not to leave the raft or step foot on the island, you'll be quite safe," he decided. So the Wizard told the Hungry Tiger and the Cowardly Lion to guard the cage of monkeys until he returned, and then he and Dorothy got upon the raft.

"I'm not quite sure that worked," he said.

Re: Class Discussion

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"Well, Ajax," Aahz sighed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. "We're going to miss you."
"Just a minute!" I found myself saying in a cold voice. "Are you trying to tell me you're breaking our contract?"
Ajax's head came up with a snap.
"I expected better from a genuine Archer," I concluded.

"Oooooookay?"

Talk Amongst Yourselves

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

For your non-divination related chatter.

Talk to the Professor

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

He's off to see a movie, but he's got time to answer questions or chat for a bit first.

OOC

[a-phale.livejournal.com]

Whee! Bond!

Re: OOC

[demonbelthazor]

*glares*

Re: OOC

[strongestgirl.livejournal.com]

Was supposed to see that today, but is sadly sick in teh bed. *sads*

Re: OOC

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

This? (http://community.livejournal.com/fandomhigh/1119153.html?thread=63036337#t63036337) Makes me laugh and makes me want to see the source material. and Agnes'seses's' prophesies