Fandom High School

Tuesday, December 18, Second Period

The usual pastries and hot drinks were laid out for the students as they entered, and as soon as everyone was seated, Aziraphale indicated a stack of blue books and an assortment of fortune-telling accoutrements.

"Your final exam is in two parts, one written and one practical. I don't expect that the test will take the entire period, so if you finish early, you are welcome to stay and talk quietly." He gestured toward the blackboard, where there were instructions and a list of questions for the exam.

Aziraphale looked around at all of his students, a sad smile on his face. "I want all of you to know that I've enjoyed teaching you, and learning from you. I wish you all much success in wherever the Plan takes you, and I hope that perhaps one day, our paths will cross again."


( PROPHECY FINAL EXAM )

[ooc: Please wait for the OCD is up and class is in session.]

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Tuesday, December 4, Second Period

The classroom today was decorated with all kinds of astrological charts, and anyone looking closely at the ceiling might have noticed the faint outlines of constellations. The furniture had been moved into a large circle, and there were piles of cushions on the floor.

"Today's topic is astrology, or specifically the branch of astrological divination known as astromancy. There are a number of different 'traditions' of astrology -- those of you from this dimension might be most familiar with the Western or Chinese traditions." Aziraphale gave a brief lecture, and then waved his hand toward the ceiling. The lights in the room began to dim, and as they did so, the ceiling became covered in stars, constellations, and the outlines of astrological symbols.

"Make yourselves comfortable in the chairs on the floor, and spend some time studying the symbols used in the three major fields of astrology we've covered in the lecture: Vedic, Western, and Chinese. If you like, try your hand at some divination for yourself or one of your classmates."

[ooc: Please wait for the OCD is up and class is in session.]

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A sign was taped to the door of the Prophecy classroom:

Attention Students:

Today's class is being held at The Perk. Please consider attending to participate in your class project.

Aziraphale

Tuesday, November 6, Second Period

The classroom today was decorated with posters and charts referring back to all of the hands-on prophecy activities the class had undertaken so far. Once every was settled in, Aziraphale stood to address the class.

"Today, rather than a written quiz, you're going to have a practical exam. There will be two parts: a reading for yourself, and a reading for one other classmate. A person can receive more than one reading if necessary. The only stipulation is that you choose one of the assigned methods for each reading."

Part One: Do a reading for yourself, using cartomancy, tea reading, or I Ching.

Part Two: Do a reading for a classmate, using chieromancy, chrystallomancy, or cartomancy.

"When you are finished, you may use the rest of the class time to read or talk quietly.

Announcement of Special Project: During our class time on November 20, we will be meeting at the Perk for an extra credit project. Throughout second period, you will be giving free fortune readings to anyone who comes by and asks for one. This is not a required activity. Extra credit will be applied to participants, but the attendance requirement will be waved for that day. Please catch me after class if you have questions."

[ooc: Please wait for the OCD is up and class is in session.]

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Tuesday, October 23, Second Period

The usual snacks and drinks were laid out for the class, and Aziraphale gave everyone a little time to chatter before calling for their attention. He figured they had a lot to talk about, after all.

( Lecture )

[ooc: Please wait for the OCD is up and class is in session.]

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It wouldn't have been Aziraphale's class if there were no breakfast pastries and pots of tea and coffee on the table in the center of the room. Since it was Aziraphale's class, those items were conveniently available for the students to enjoy.

The teacher himself had just finished setting up a display of scrying implements, and turned to the class once everyone was seated.

"As you can see, today's exercise will be in chrystallomancy, or crystal gazing. Before we begin the exercise, however, I want to give you a brief lecture on dream interpretation. You may think it odd that the lecture would focus on dreams while the exercise covers scrying, but really the two are very similar. The same sorts of symbolism you're going to encounter in your dreams is also very often present in chrystallomancy as well."

Aziraphale proceeded to give his lecture on dream interpretation, and gave each student several different handouts and a blank journal.

"Your homework for is to keep a dream journal for the next week. One of your handouts has some good pointers on methods for keeping them. When you come to the next class, I'd like you to bring a written interpretation of one of the dreams from your journal. Now, we'll move on to today's class exercise."

He gave a short talk on the basics of chrystallomancy, and then said, "Now, pair up and choose a crystal or scrying mirror to work with, and do a reading for your partner. Also, please don't forget to turn in your homework assignment from last week."

[ooc: Please wait for the OCD is up and class is in session!]

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Tuesday, September 18, Second Period

The usual offerings of delicious breakfast treats, along with tea and coffee, were in place on the table in the center of the room. Aziraphale was kicked back in his chair, reading a novel.

No really, he was. It had a picture of a woman in a froofy old-fashioned dress on the cover, too. He stuck it under his chair once the class began to assemble, however.

"Good morning! Today's discussion will focus on the perceptions of prophets and fortune-tellers in popular culture. I'm sure all of you, whether you've had personal experience with prophecy or not, came to this class with a specific idea in mind of what constitutes the sort of person who makes predictions. Perhaps it was that of a traditional witch, or a gypsy reading tea leaves, or even the man who tells you what tomorrow's weather will be. Your experiences, and the society you're raised in, are going to color your ideas about people who predict the future. As well as the level of acceptance you're likely to feel toward what those people tell you.

"So your discussion topic today is this: In your own view, does the methodology a person uses affect the "validity" of his or her predictions? For example, is a prediction from a professional tarot reader more, less or as valid as a prediction from a religious seer? Please keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers, but I would like to hear what each of you has to say on the subject, and I'd like to hear your reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with your fellow students."

Once the discussion was over, Aziraphale indicated a large palmistry chart on the wall. "Today you'll be doing your first real hands-on exercise, if you'll excuse the pun. Chieromancy, or the practice of telling a person's future through the shape and coloring of their hands and the arrangement of lines on their palms, is perhaps one of the best-known methods of fortune-telling." He passed around some handouts, and gave a brief lecture on chieromancy.

"Now, I'd like you to choose up partners. For the remainder of class, I want you to practice reading one another's palms. Before you leave today, please remember to turn in your homework from last week. We'll be having a test next week, so your assignment is to study what we've discussed thus far."

[ooc: You get to choose your partners today, but the RNG will be making an appearance again in future, just to keep things interesting. Please wait for the OCD threads are up and class is in session.]

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Monday, December 18, First Period

Extra care seems to have been put into the spread of breakfast offerings this morning -- muffins, bagels, coffeecake, spice bread, and scones. As well as plenty of hot beverages, and several types of juice. Aziraphale appears to be in a particularly mellow mood, although he frowns now and again when the thought crosses his mind that this is the very last meeting for this class.

"First off, I want to tell all of you how very much I've enjoyed teaching you, and just getting to know you. I'm going to miss this class terribly, and I do hope that even if you don't enroll in my class next term, you'll still stop by for a visit now and again.

Today, in place of a lecture, we're going to have an open discussion. I want to hear your views on what we've covered in class this term, and I also want to hear any questions that might have gone unanswered. There'll be a drop box for your final group projects to be turned in outside my office door, and it will remain there until Friday afternoon.

Truly, this has been a remarkable experience for me, and although I do expect to be seeing some of you for our final lab session on Friday, I want to thank all of you for making my very first teaching experience a wonderful and memorable one."

[ooc: No lecture today, but there will be are OCD threads for the discussion Aziraphale mentioned.]

Monday, December 4, First Period

There are plenty of bakery items and hot beverages laid out, but the classroom appears to have been rearranged. The chairs and tables are moved to the walls, leaving the center of the room open.

"Good morning, everyone! I want to remind you all that I will be leaving briefly for an assignment. In my absence, Dr Wilson will be conducting class, with the assistance of my TAs. Now today, in lieu of a regular lecture, we're instead going to be rehearsing for the pageant on Friday."

[ooc: Please wait for OCD is up. Rehearse!]

Monday, November 27, First Period

It would seem that someone has been doing a lot of baking lately. A huge spread of homemade breads, various scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and cookies is available for munching on during class. In addition there is, of course, the usual tea, accompanied by coffee, hot chocolate, and hot cider. Aziraphale appears to be a bit on the fidgety side, and is actually walking about the room as he talks, rather than sitting in his chair.

"Before we begin class today, I have an announcement to make. I have been called away on assignment, and will be leaving town a week from Tuesday. During my absence, class will be led by Dr James Wilson, with the assistance of Miss Halliwell and Miss Belacqua. I'm certain that you'll all give Dr Wilson your utmost respect and attention, just as you do for me.

"Now, we have a full day ahead of us. First there's a short test for you to take, and then we'll move on to the lecture."

( Test )

( Lecture )

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[ooc: Please wait for OCD is up, enjoy!]

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."

( Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. )

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

Friday, November 10, Second Period

Along with the usual spread of hot drinks and pastries, there are carefully arranged boxes of little coins, sticks, and other sundry divination accoutrements.

"Today we're doing an exercise in a specific type of bibliomancy, divination through the I Ching. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, some of them quite complex. For today's lab exercise, you're going to work with your partner and these handouts. Choose a casting method and try a few passes to see what you come up with.

"There will be no homework assignment today, unless you count my expectation of seeing all of you on the bus this afternoon for our field trip."

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[ooc: Any supplies you might need for the various casting methods: turtle shell, yarrow sticks, etc, are available in the classroom. Please wait for OCD threads are up, class is in session!]

Today the room is arranged so that a movie screen hanging on the wall is easily viewable from all the chairs. In addition to the usual scones, cookies and muffins, there is also popcorn and gummi worms.

"Today we're going to have a brief lecture, followed by a movie. No homework, since you have no classes next week. I hope you all enjoy your break."

LECTURE: Arithmancy

MOVIE: Nostradamus

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[ooc: Through the magic of handwavy time, you'll be able to watch the entire film and still make your third period class. Please wait for OCD is up.]

Friday, October 20, Second Period

The room is in the same arrangement as last week, with pairs of comfortable chairs divided by small tables. Except that each table holds several items: a deck of tarot cards, a crystal ball, and an astrology chart.

"Today I'm giving all of you a choice of exercises, but I'd like you to choose one that you haven't had a chance to try yet. If during the cartomancy or chrystallomancy lab, your partner did a reading but you didn't, for instance. Or if you haven't yet had the opportunity to do your homework assignment from Monday's class, you have the option today of doing a chart for your partner. If you've done all three of these exercises already, then I am offering you the opportunity to choose a method of divination and request permission to give it a try. The following, however, are off limits as we will be covering them in future labs: Arithmancy, I Ching, Bibliomancy, Tea Reading, Onomancy, Graphology, and Rune Casting.

"Also, don't forget to turn in the essays assigned to you last week."

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[ooc: Please wait for OCD is up, class is in session.]

Friday, September 29, Second Period

Once again the furniture has been rearranged. There are large comfortable pillows and cushions on the floor, and between each set of two is a low table with two decks of cards sitting on it. One deck is an ordinary set of playing cards, the other is a classical tarot deck. There are also two sets of handouts on each table. As usual, a table of tea and coffee, scones, cookies, and tea sandwiches has been provided.

"Today's exercise is on Cartomancy, or the skill of divining through cards. Cartomancy can be done using ordinary playing cards, although many people choose to use the more ornate and specialized tarot cards. You have a choice to use either one today. Once you've gotten comfortable, I want you to follow the guidelines on your handouts and do a simple reading for your lab partner. You can choose any layout you like, although you must use a minimum of three cards. If you're not certain what to choose, consider using the Celtic Cross, which is a very common layout for general readings."

HOMEWORK: One of the handouts is actually a take-home test. Please complete the test and bring with you to lab next Friday.

[OOC: The following links can be used to generate tarot readings.]
Traditional Tarot Reading #1
Traditional Tarot Reading #2
Reading using Playing Cards

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[Please wait for OCD threads. Class is now in session.]

Friday, September 21, Second Period

Instead of the usual lounge-like arrangement, today the classroom has been set up without any furniture at all. On the floor are numerous large and comfortable looking cushions. Hanging on one wall is an oversized palmistry diagram.

"Good morning, class. Before we begin our lab, I do want to remind you all that your project proposals for this lab section are due by the end of the day today. There is a drop box outside my office door for that purpose. Also, your group project proposals for the regular class are due today as well.

( On to the lab... )

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[ooc: Please wait for OCD is up, have at!]

Friday, September 15, Period 2

More sandwiches and cookies (some of them might be rum-ginger today), as well as tea and coffee. Aziraphale seems a little subdued today, but he smiles readily enough as the students enter.

"Good morning everyone. Today I like for you to do two things: first, I want each person in turn to share the information you gathered last week about your lab partner. If you didn't find a lab partner...then raise your hand and I will pair you up myself. Second, I'd like for you to each tell me about one form of divination that particularly interests you, and why. There will be no lecture today, but I am always willing to answer your questions. Next week, we'll begin our actual hands-on lab work."

Homework:
Work on your project proposals, which are due next week.

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[ooc: Please wait for OCD threads are up. Have at!]