DIVINATION CLUB: Term XXI, Activity 7: Cold Readings vs The Noble Art of Divination

[anbyrobanby.livejournal.com]

Every year, this squabble seems to happen. Somebody throws a tantrum, fed up of not being able to see anything, or seeing shapes in tea-leaves only to be shot down for saying something. The whole class pipes up about how it's a waste of time, until somebody points out what has correctly been predicted over the course of the year. It seems Trelawney has a special way of dealing with this: she opens a fresh pack of greenish joss sticks and lights them; the thick mossy smoke makes everybody go mellow and thick-headed, and she smiles at the renewed optimism.

Activity: Cold Readings vs The Noble Art of Divination
Points: Long debate: Participation 10pts, Additional comment: 2pts.
Deadline: 20th December @ 11:59PM UTC.
Details: Do you believe there is a difference between the Divination presented in the HP series, and those techniques applied by Muggles in the real world? Could you or I walk into a class and be on equal footing with those at Hogwarts? Do Wizarding folk simply have greater sensitivity to the paranormal workings of the universe? Debate and discuss.


Okay! Seeing as people seemed to enjoy the Hogsmeade debate, we're going to have another one (before I forget). So here's the point of discussion:

Is wizarding Divination any different from Muggle fortune telling?

Note that this question is NOT asking if you think Muggle fortune telling is a sham or not: that's a completely different issue. If possible, let's try to keep things on track!

I would like you to consider whether there's any real differences between our brand of fortune telling, and the one depicted in the books. Do you think a Muggle could teach the kids as well as Trelawney? Did the predictions that came true in the novels happen because of Divination's magic, or was it just dumb, serendipitous luck? Are both types just cold readings manifested in different ways? Feel free to cite things from canon as much as from your own point of view!

A substantial opening comment is worth 10 points. Follow-on elaborated responses are worth 2 points each, so long as they're a bit more meaty than "I agree/disagree". Cap of 30 points total.

Make Hermione proud, guys! Or Trelawney. Or Firenze. Whichever.


_{The future will look bleak if you forget to sign the ROSTER}

Comments

[capeofstorm.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure it can be said that the classes with Trelawney were Divination, to be honest. I think it was more of a Fortune Telling 101. To me, Divination means having some sort of an aptitude for it and most of Trelawney's students didn't posses it. It was sad to see Divination portrayed as mumbo-jumbo and a 'slacker' class with only 'silly girls' (Parvati and Lavender) interested in it. Harry Potter world has magic, so I kind of expected that there would be more importance placed on the ability to tell the future etc. and that a class in Hogwarts would be more substantial. After all, we are told Hogwarts is one of the best Wizarding schools so it was really distressing to see just how much of a joke Divination classes were.

I don't believe you can teach people about finding their inner eye if they don't have an inkling of a gift. IT is a very rare ability so obviously not many people would have a need for Divination classes.

Lena | Gryffindor | 4