The Occult | Period 1 | Tuesday

[thepaledreamer.livejournal.com]

Paige arrived early, taking her time to settle in at the desk and make a few notes on some different topics before the class arrived. Nothing too strenuous but it was always good to stay ahead of the game. Once the students filed in, she stood up.

"Good morning," Paige said once everyone was seated and settled. "Glad to see everyone came back for the second class. We'll be getting more into things today so hopefully we won't have any sleepers. Though again, I just ask that you don't snore."

No one needed to hear that.

"Today, we're going to be talking about astrology," she said. "Some of you may know what it is and some of you may now. To put it simply, astrology is the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs. It's the search for answers in the sky. The easiest example of astrology is horoscopes. Horoscopes claim to explain aspects of a person's personality and predict future events in their life based on the positions of the sun, moon, and other planetary objects at the time of their birth."

She paused for a moment and held up a chart listing the various astrological signs. "Astrology has been labeled a pseudoscience though as it has no validity or explanatory power for describing the universe. Scientists basically said there's no way that the position and motion of the planets and stars couldn't affect those of us on Earth without contradicting basic biology and physics."

She crossed her arms and shrugged. "But, I'm going to guess a lot of the scientists who say those things would be pretty shocked if they ever walked onto an island like this. Just because something is discredited doesn't make it true. Just because someone can't see something, doesn't mean it's not there. Today, the activity is simple. I want you all to take a peek at your horoscopes. Read them and then tell the class if you think they're on the right track or if they have any merit at all. Feel free to share the reasons why, if you'd like. Let's get started."

Comments

Re: Class Activity: Horoscopes [01/14]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Toby said dubiously. "I mean, I suppose it's possible that a world exists where astrology really does influence people, but most of this?" He indicated the papers with the horoscopes, "like, there are things in all of these that could describe me, depending on how I choose to interpret them."

Re: Class Activity: Horoscopes [01/14]

[thepaledreamer.livejournal.com]

"That's how most people tend to look at it," Paige said with a nod. "Believers will twist and spin the words until it makes sense when it comes to their lives. It's really how a lot of psychics work too. They tell you vague things and leave it up to your mind to make it right."

She paused for a second. "That's not all psychics though. Some do have genuine abilities." She knew Toby was able to do something but didn't call him out on it. "Though, I don't know if that's due to the position of the stars or something else entirely."

Re: Class Activity: Horoscopes [01/14]

[godgavemecable.livejournal.com]

And Toby used his own particular skill to tell people what he knew they wanted to hear. It was something of a self-defense mechanism.

"A lot of people here who can do... stuff... say it's something inherited. So, genetics plays a part for some people," he mused thoughtfully.

Re: Class Activity: Horoscopes [01/14]

[thepaledreamer.livejournal.com]

Paige nodded. "I can believe that. I think that's where what I can do came from even if manifested late in childhood. The alignment of the stars and planets had nothing to do with it unless I've truly been misled."