Ashlie raised her hand. "The bloodstone is associated with Mars isn't it? And the moon is associated with sapphire, I do believe. Not sure if that's wrong or right, I heard it once, somewhere."

Kali raised her hand and answered, "Amethyst, and sometimes turquoise, represents Jupiter. Amethyst is like quartz, but purple in color. It is the crystal of calming, tranquility, and sprituality. It sometimes is also called the Soul Stone."

She wasn't sure if she was even close, but it was worth a shot.

Nadia snapped her mout shut, having started talking at the same the professor had spoken. They have moved to the subject of crystals. This might actually be interesting. Keeping notes of the precious stones already mentioned, Nadia raised her hand.

"Saturn stones are garnet, jet, all black stones. It's also common to find it in ancient times they make the images of Saturn in lead - the same they did of Sol in gold, of Luna in silver. Saturne represents patience and induring of labour.
"The colour of garnet is mostly reddish brown but it can be red, light red, violet, purple etc. Garnets are usually semi-opaque but can be transparent and limpid with highly lustrous faces. They have no cleavage and can be made into Cabochons, plus Garnet is also the birthstone for people born in January. It gives relaxation and relieves tensions. The ancient Egyptians used Garnets as an antidote for snake bites and for food poisoning. The use of this gem ensures long, fruitful and un-interrupted professional life. This helps in prosperity by facilitating gradual accumulation of wealth. The Lepiz Lazuli stone curtails the malefic effects of Saturn, which is used to fight depression and feeling of dullness.

"The Garnet stone is good for people having birth numbers 4 or 8. It is very useful for females having delicate health or suffering from body pains, headaches etc. It should be realized that all stones, precious and semi-precious, as stones, come more or less directly under Saturn, the overall ruler of all hard minerals. As for many, authorities differ so widely that to settle the question each stone would have to be examined with respect to its mineral components before deciding the planet to which it should rightfully be assigned."

Titling her head suddenly, Nadia added, "Pardon professor, what are the 11 planets you speak about? I only knew up to Sedna."


ooc: From http://www.pagewise.com/disclaimer.html

Ashlie glanced over at Naida. "I was assuming that she meant the nine planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, etcetera, as well as the Sun and Moon, as I know those are commonly counted as planets in Divination..."

Heshasa who realized she wouldn't know much about this subject. Quickly taking out her parchmant, ink, and quill she began to take notes on the different types of crystals.

Laurasia raised her hand & smiled. "The Moon is also represented by the aptly named Moonstone. It's colors range from milky white, pink or grey to even blue, green or brown. The stone resonates lunar energy, psychic abilities & clarity of thought. It also represents the element of water, as does the Moon itself.".

"Yes, you are right Ashlie. Let's continue....

The moon is represented by the moonstone as Laurasia mentioned, especially the white ones whose color is translucent or cloudy white. This stone tells you to trust your 'inner voice' or intuition and can be used during sleep to give you creative dreams.

The earth is represented by the tigereye whose color is brown. It has been regarded as a talisman used as protection against enemies. It is also used to attract money. It represents all money matters and possessions including your home as well as common sense. If this stone is cast, you should rely on what you see and hear, and not on opinions of others, including your own views. It will help keep you grounded and help with financial deals.

Mercury is represented by the yellow citrine.
Citrine is for clarity and can turn negative thoughts into positive actions. It can also be used to give peaceful sleep and banish nightmares. It represents communication, travel, mental ability and health.

Venus is represented by the jade stone which is either green or pink, though in the past, it has also been emeralds. Jade is a symbol of love and life force. It represents love, marriage, friendships, family, children or other affairs of the heart."

"Mars is represented by the blood agate and rubies which are red. It can also be called the bloodstone as Ashlie mentioned. It is a stone of strength and courage. This stone represents the power of the battle, justifiable anger and fearlessness in the face of opposition. It tells you to take a chance at whatever you desire.

It was used in the past in axinomancy, a form of divination practiced by Vikings and Anglo-Saxons. This 'psychic' skill was used to find buried treasure. Can anyone tell us how axinomancy was performed?"

(ooc: I will continue the rest this afternoon, then we will begin a practical lesson of reading the orbs! Get your crystal balls ready!! I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish this yesterday, but I will continue for a few days with the practical to help you read your futures! I will also be awarding points to those who have answered by questions. There will be a new thread to view your class and homework points.)

Taylie shyly raised her hand and the recounted what she had recently read in a book.

"Axinomancy was performed using either a wood cutters hatchet or an axe. The two spell that I know of were for finding treasure and for finding thieves.

To find treasure you will need an axe or hatchet and round agate. First you head the head of the axe in a very hot fire, then you place the axe so that the haed of it is perpendicular, then you place the agate on the head of the axe edge. If the stone stays on the axe there is no treasure, if it does roll of there is treasure. You have to do the test three times for accuracy. If the stone rolls off in the same direction each time the treasure is in that direction. If it rolls off in different directions you need to continue looking.

To find a thief you will need an axe of hatchet and a group of people. First you place the axe with the head down a and the handle perpenicular in the air. Everyone has to dance in a circle around the axe until the handle falls on the ground. Whichever way the handle lands is the direction that the thief has gone.

Professor Kotkin smiled, "An excellent answer Taylie! Very detailed! That will be 5 points to Gryffindor!"

Jupiter is represented by the lapis lazuli, also called 'eye of the gods'. The color is a deep or rich blue and purple. This stone has been used for over 6000 years and is also know as the heavenly stone or eye of wisdom. It is a powerful stone that gives access to wisdom and guides its owner to be a noble and just leader. As Kali, pointed out, the turquoise has also been used.

Saturn is represented by the obsidian that is black in color as Nadia pointed out, and the jet is an alternative stone. When holding the obsidian, it is said you will never know deep sorrow. This 'shadow' stone shows there are limitations and that time does pass, so make your actions and relationships count and base them on reality. If you persevere you can accomplish your goals.

Uranus is represented by amber. This orange crystal comes from fossilized tree resin. Amber melts emotional and physical rigidity, and is said to contain the power of many suns to help release the potential within you. It is a stone of courage and the power to change.

Neptune is represented by the aquamarine. Its color is turquoise or green-blue like the sea. Aquamarine itself means 'water of the sea' in Latin. It is the stone used to help focus emotions which can either be harmonious or turbulent like the sea. Feelings help to indicate the right course of action, or can help you read others intentions.

Pluto is represented by the amethyst, especially if they are softer shades and more transluscent. They are usually browns. greens and purples that are softly muted and tend to change with the light. The amethyst is a healing stone, especially ills caused by fear. It absorbs negativity and represents beginnings and endings. Be willing to shed the old or begin something new.

Laurasia copied her notes down as she listened to everything that the professor was telling them. "This is great," she thought to herself.

Nadia mentally snapped her fingers. She had been sure she had gotten Saturn stone right. And if she had known Jupiter's was lapis lazuli, she had many thinsg to say about that stone. Dratty drat. Now she though of it, when it came to stones she had made a couple of investigations but nothing too concrete. Finally something new to occupy her mind with. Making a mental note to investigate more later, Nadia copied everything the professor said down.

Professor Kotkin waited as the students finished taking notes.

"Now class, I think we should start with the 'practical' lesson. You see the shelves to my right contain crystal orbs. I would like each of you to carefully take one to your own desk. Now you must concentrate, almost to the point of meditating as you gaze into your orb so that it might reveal the portents of your future!"

"Take careful notes about what you see. For example, if you see a bird in flight it could mean good news is on the way, whereas a bat would be a warning of danger. Generally, you would see more than one thing, just as you do when reading tea leaves. We must try to put them together to come up with the message that you are receiving."

Laurasia finished taking her notes & went over to the cabinet that the professor had pointed out. She carefully took one of the crystal balls to her desk & sat it in its holder. She closed her eyes & took a few minutes to clear her mind of all distractions. After she was nice & relaxed she slowly opened her eyes & gazed softly into the orb, awaiting whatever it was that she was going to see within it.

Yay... the hard part Ashlie thought to herself as she walked over to the shelves and pulling down a glass orb. She hadn't ever really done that great in Divination, but at least Professor Riddle had helped her along.

Taking it back to her desk Ashlie sat the orb down and slid into her chair. She blinked and gazed into it, attempting to become calm and collected.



That hadn't happened in years. Really.

Laurasia relaxed more & more while gazing into the crystal. To her surprise a sort of fog began to seemingly fill the orb. She steadily gazed at it. Not staring, but gazing softly.

Slowly the fog started to assume what appeared to be shapes within the orb. Laurasia continued to gaze & keep a mental note of all of the various forms the fog ended up taking. "A serpent, a house, the number 1..."

Olivia picked up a crystal ball and took it to her desk...it was really pretty. Shiney and pearlish...like an opal almost. But, she wasn't supposed to be admiring it's beauty, she was here to gaze into her future. No matter how ridiculous that sounded that was the reason for being in the class...

She stared into it's glassy contents. Trying to concentrate herself into a state of meditation. She wanted to tune out all other distractions, then she'd see something...and oh, how she wanted to.

Professor Kotkin was enthralled as she watched her students concentrating on their orbs. She didn't want to disturb anyone, so she quietly stepped around the room to see how they were doing.

(ooc: I have to be off, but please go ahead and post what you see, and if you have questions for me as well! I can help with your interpretations and what your symbols mean. This site might assist, though it is for tea leaf reading, the symbols would still work. I will update in the morning and tomorrow afternoon.)
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/...ealeaves3.html

For Laurasia:
serpent/snake - spiritual energy, knowlege, treachery, distrust, an enemy nearby
house - comfort, home, shelter, success, family
number 1 - represents span of time.... 1 week, month, etc.

As you can see, symbols can represent many things!

Olivia gazed almost mesmerized in the crystal's contents...surely she'd be seeing someting soon. She felt like her feet had left the floor. It was the strangest sensation...suddenly some things did appear. She couldn't tell what they were at first but then they started to take shape...yes she could almost make them out now.

"A mask...a daisy...a star?" She said utterly bewildered. It didn't make snese to her but she was sure her Divination book would know.

After she finished taking notes Heshasa took an orb. gazing into its depths she emptied her mind and concentrated on the feelign of lightness filling her. Suddenly they appeared and horse, rose, and a sapphire. Not knowing what they meaned she returned to earth and wrote them down staring quetioningly at the proffesor.

Nadia walks up to the front and then closet, retrieves an orb and then sits down. Some people were already on this so she better get going. She tried to relax, something she wasn't that used to, and let her sight be blurred a bit. Though maybe she should goonly take her glasses off, that blurred her sight alright. Sighing, she went back to try getting in a meditative stance. It shouldn't be too hard.

But five or so minutes of seeing into the yellowish surfice of that orb and she thuoght she woudl never see anything. Until finally... "An scorpion." She wrote that down, before returning to her gazing. Then an arrow pointing up, rather inclined. The rest looked like shadows looming, she couldn't tell if it had any shape. May it be because she kept thinking of what soem or another thing meant...

Thinking she had gotten her fair share of images, she went to the text book. First she looked at arrow and her heart dropped. 'Bad news in love'. Could it be any badder? (Pardon the invented word.) Why from all things... well, she didn't have any love life anyways. So Scorpion. She actually saw it coming, 'an enemy or backstabbing friend' (from other site). She looked at her results, now wanting to find somethnig else, something possitive. Couldn't she find a circle or something? Well, the arrow could have been a triagle, no? She though of this hopeful, seeing that meant 'good karma'.

Peony took an orb, and sat with it at her table. She stared down into the misty depths and tried not think of her growling stomach. She was starving to death. Every shadow she looked at seemed to be turning into a big, juicy, unhealthy hamburger... or a plateful of fried chicken... she could even smell it, for crying out loud...

Her left hand rose and smacked her on the head.

Peony scowled. That was another reason why she didn't like Divination. You were supposed to 'let go of yourself', but if she let go, there was another one, waiting right there to take over.

Get some self-control.

The Voice always wanted to spend her money, reflected Peony sulkily. A spine, then self-control... did it know how much these things cost?

Don't you dare take control over anything.

So you can get whacked in dueling again?

Peony barely stifled a sigh. Get over it.

Her eyes caught something in the mists. It looked like... something like muffins...

Peony blinked and tried to ignore her esophagus. A book.

Beg pardon?

If you sort of go upside down, squinch your eyes and ignore everything else, it looks like a book.

Peony would dearly have liked to know how the Voice went upside down in her own head, but she didn't. She just did as the Voice suggested. Oh yeah, it does look like a closed book. Or a rectangle. Or a blank.

But closed book was the only one she managed to find a meaning for: a question needing investigation.

Peony frowned. Slowly the smoke began to move and formed something that looked like a cartwheel with the sides taken off. Erm... cartwheels, cartwheels...

It's a daisy.

Well, excuse me, Ms. Botanist.

But it did bear a little resemblance to a flower. And there were no cartwheels in the book. Peony flipped to the D section, and her cheeks became a little pink. The daisy meant a new love.

Well. That was interesting. Her lovelife - or lack thereof - might improve. That was nice. Of course, that was before the smoke began to resembled something like an empty checkerboard.

It curved slightly at the edges, wavering.

Peony poked at the Voice slightly. You must be blind...

It looks like a net to me, but I wanted some confirmation.

Yeah, I think you're right.

Net: A trap.

Peony groaned out loud. "Wonderful."

Professor Kotkin saw Heshasa looking for her and came to help.
"Let's see, a horse... that could be about a true friend, most likely a male friend, or if the horse was dark, it could be about a disappointment or some bad luck coming. The rose is a good sign though to do with love or romance, and a sapphire... gems stand for good fortune or clarity, even wealth. So I would assume your horse was light, and that you will come to realize that a true friend of yours could turn into something a little more, shall we say romantic." Professor Kotkin blushed with the revelation, hoping this was something Heshasa would like to come to pass.

Kiaria quickly scribbled down a few notes in her notebook and looked at her orb. She stared at it for a while before consulting her book. "It looks like a..." she paused, scribbling in her notebook again. "A...Hmm..." she looked again, not really knowing what exactly she was looking at. She flipped through her book and found the symbols. "There we are! It looks like a weird bird, so that means it's either a...bird, or a raven. So, is it good news, or bad news??" She stared at her cup, thoroughly confused now.