Felisia perked up a second when she heard the word 'Tarot.' It had been the one form of divination she had always been interested in. She listened to the girl explain it, and looked up, hoping the professor would give some sign of whether or not the class would be learning that art.

Adrienne took notes, pausing to look things she didn't know in her textbook. She felt kind of stupid, listening to her fellow students spout out answers. She raised her hand "Professor, what about Astrology, reading celestial bodies and their movement,and Numerology, reading numbers?" She only knew those from late night commercials and talk shows.

Whilst busy taking notes, Cassy remembered another form of Divination, one so obvious she was suprised none of her class had mentioned it yet, raising her hand she said "Astrology is a way to predict the future by noting the planetary movements and the stars. By learning which positions the planets were in at your birth can help to create a birth chart that will allow you to see qualities and events." Cassy also knew a little about sun signs and celtic signs but decided that wasn't really relivant.

Professor Kotkin was thrilled to see her students level of knowlege on the varied forms of Divination. "Really good, all of you. I see you came to class prepared. Now let us get back to the subject at hand."

She turned again to the board and waved her wand wiping it clean and replacing it with Palmistry. Then below that.... Hand Types.

"Can anyone tell me what the 6 Hand Types are?"

(For now, just list them please.... then we'll take on one at a time to describe them. I'm going with the list introduced by Cheiro, 1866-1936.)

Jessica decided to give it another shot, blushing slightly at the Professor's praise. But before she could start, Cassy had made up her mind to answer too.

She listened intently to Cassy, and nodded to herself. When Cassy had finished, she raised her hand and began her answer.

"Stargazing is also a form of Divination," she stated. "Some say it is a branch of Astronomy, but others argue that it is a complete form in itself. In both cases, it remains an essental part of Divination. It is an ancient art, in which a Seer looks for answers by gazin towards the heavens. The shapes of the stars, their luminosity, their size and their arrangement in important. There are a few well-known symbols too - for example, brighter stars mean the intesity of the happening will be greater, dimmer stars mean it may be leseer, but it is not always so.

"Stargazing is also known as the "Art of the Centaurs" who are said to posess great knowledge regarding this form of Divination." She paused for breath before continuing.

"It is said that the Centaurs expertise in this field, but the art in itself is a difficult one. Few Seers and Oracles truly know it, and others may wrongly predict through stargazing."

Sabrina raised her hand "The elementary, spatulate, psychic, conical, square, and intellectual are the 6 hand shapes."

"Very good Sabrina!

Let's start with....." she waved her wand again

The Elementary Hand/Reflects Earth Energy

Can anyone tell me why they named it 'elementary'?"

Laurasia raised her hand. "The elementary hand is a hand that looks like it belonged to early man. This is not an attractive hand. The fingers are short and stubby, while the palm can be many different shapes but is normally thick. The hand is clumsy and course and there is often few lines on the palm. People who work really hard have these hands, people who chop trees for example, people who work hard and live hard instinctive life. They are usually good with animals, plants and the world of nature which is very important to them. They tend not to appreciate beauty and are not generally intellectual, they seem to react to instinct rather than reason, and have very little emotion or aspirations. This hand is rarely seen in woman and is thought to be the lowest type of hand."

Jessica raised her hand too.

"Professor," she began. "I think it's called Elementary because it is a common, basic and unspecial type of hand."

"Excellent Laurasia! The Elementary Hand is one that contains only a few basic lines. The majority of people with this trait will be male. They also dislike change and prefer to see things in a simple, uncomplicated way. They are considered realistic. Most people with this type are actually The Higher Elementary Hand.
The consistency of the hand is more elastic with a finer textured skin. This shows they are more sensitive and flexible. A field suited to this type might be someone who likes to fix things.

Now, can anyone tell us about....

The Square Hand/Practical and Level Headed

....?" she waved her wand again revealing the words.

Sabrina raised her hand. "The square hand has a square palm, a square wrist, and the fingertips are also square. While the fingers are largely knotty, this hand is characterised by a large thumb and a square finger base. People with square hands are blessed with perseverance. They are downright conventional and love general order. They are honest and reliable, and like to lead disciplined lives, with little imagination. This hand usually belongs to businessmen, executives, lawyers, doctors, scientists and engineers."

Jessica didn't need to note this down. She knew it already. She had just missed the chance of answering the question.

"Wonderful Sabrina! It is known as the hand of the organizer or planner. They tend to love order, method, structure and stability. They don't adapt to change well. This is especially true if this type has a rigid thumb and/or hand. They like to follow rules so are not known for being spontaneous. They are also polite and reserved while dealing with others.

Now who wants to go next?" she said waving her wand as these words appeared.

The Spatulate Hand/Action

Susan listened carefully.

Laurasia once more raised her hand. "The active or spatulate hand, is a large wide hand, with thick, sometimes long fingers with broad tips. These hands belong to people who are active in the community, people who are restless and original, and prefer to act rather than think. They are gamblers and love risk and speculation. They will go on till they drop and are usually linked with the explorers and settlers and the pioneers. They love action, independence and energy which means these people will not be held back or restricted in any way. This is often displayed as a disrespect for the law and authority. They are often people who are athletic and sometimes musical. This type of hand can be found among all types of people in all sorts of professions. They are all intent on making their mark in life and are true individuals, making their own rules and regulations as they go along."

Taylor sat and listened to the asnwers. He scribbled down a few notes, then returned his concentration once again to the teacher.

OOC: Where are you finding these answers...

Cassy started chewing nervously on her thumb nail. She was confident enough with Divination as a whole but didn't know too much about palmistry. She listened intently whilst making notes, hoping that she'd got all the correct details.

"Thank you Laurasia! This hand is broad and strong with slightly knotted fingers. The fingertips 'fan out' like a spatula making the tips wider than the base of the first joint of the finger with broad nails. The palm is also wider at the knuckles than at the wrist.

This type also tends to be realistic. They can be original or inventive and are known for being restless and adventurous. They are independent and self-reliant but also creative and impulsive.

Next up is..."

The Conic Hand/Lover of Beauty

Sabrina raised her hand again "This hand has smooth fingers, the nails of which are shaped like cones, giving the hand its name. The palm is broad, thick and large, and the thumb is also unusually huge.People with this hand are usually connoisseurs of the arts with superb communication skills, and a love for the arc lights. He lives life on a purely sensual level. On the flip side, this person is impulsive and has a short temper."

Taylor raised his hand and said "Conic individuals are usually quick and impatient, with great artistic creativity. Their ambition and energy make them lively, enthusiastic company. People who posses the conic hand are also well organised individuals with great persuasive techniques. The conic finds it easy to get along with people from many different walks of life, making them a popular asset to any family or work function. Indeed, they are very instinctive people, using their intuition to help guide them in the right direction. Continually seeking new challenges, the conic cannot tolerate monotonous or boring tasks. Their short attention span makes the need for exciting new projects even more important. Although prone to making rash decisions, their intuition and natural instincts usually help them get back on the right track."

Raising her eyebrows, Eunice copied her notes down, her quill making quiet scratching noises on her parchment.

Jessica scribbled down everything, as quickly as she could, frowning suddenly as she blotted her paper. Tearing and stuffing in her bag, she began again, this time more crefully.it

"Ah, wonderful Sabrina and Taylor! This hand tends to be slightly tapered at the base of the palm as well as the tips of the fingers. There are usually alot of fine lines, including vertical lines on these hands, and they have flexible thumbs and fingers.

They are also called 'artistic' hands and is most common among women. These people tend to be receptive, emotional, intuitive and changeable. They are impulsive and are not found to be consistent. They are excited to start a project, but tend to let others finish them. They are known to shift loyalties and have problems with commitment. If they have firm hands with well formed lines, they are very creative. When the hand is bland and fat they have a sensous nature and look for comfort in different forms such as food and money.

Next."

The Psychic Hand/Painfully Idealistic

Taylor raised his hand and said "Slim, delicate structure.
Long fingers with smooth joints.
Although easy to get along with, psychic types are plagued with fear. Even in comfortable, secure circumstances, they forever fear that their security will somehow be disrupted. However, in situations where problems do arise, their notion that it could be worse helps to soften most blows. The psychic also suffers most in love - despite strong intuition, they have great difficulty choosing the right partner. Although they crave peace and tranquility, they are often involved in the entertainment industry. Both impractical and unpredictable, psychics are also particular, organised individuals. Always seeking new challenges, their threshold for everyday tasks is limited. Their sensitive demeanour also makes them unable to deal with criticism very well. Although open to suggestions, it is important to them that their ideas and opinions are duly acknowledged."

Jessica raised her hand.

""This is a small, thin hand, characterised by smooth fingers," she began. "The palm is medium-sized but the nailed phalanges are long and tapering. The thumb is smaller and finely-shaped. People with this hand are very imaginative and dreamy. They are interested in occult sciences. They are hardly ever organzied, lack discipline and lead an unsuccesful life.
"This hand usually belongs to those with a deep interest in the occult, such as magicians."