Discussion: Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Divination

[Jenny T. Malmiola]

No: HPFGUIDX 19219

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., Sara Metz 
<hermionegranger.gryffindor at j...> wrote:

> Celtic and 	Norse runes, and possibly Egyptian hieroglyphics, as 
we know
> the Ancient 	Egyptians had powerful wizards.


Norse and Celtic runes aren't that different (depends of course at 
what time you compare them) but I don't think Egyptians get into this 
class because hieroglyphs are so faraway from runes. They are based 
on the same thought, yes, but I just don't think so. Or then there 
must be chinese (sorry, my dictionary just failed me) letters too. 
But then I would suspect the whole class would be named differently. 
When I read this from the book, I thought immediately how 
Scandinavians (I live in Finland) use to predict future with runes, 
there was very much magic in them. So I just wondered what Hermione 
thinks about that? Does she think it's just history?

> Fourth years; she 	tells Harry that this is her favorite class. 
It is
> taught by Professor Vector, one of 	which indicates that words 
may factor
> in this class along with numbers. The 	homework includes a 

I thought it's basicly numerology, in Kabbala it's important. In 
ancient Greece Aristotle practised it (IIRC. We're having 
nightguests, so I can't go to livingroom and search my bookshelf). In 
astrology and tarot numbers and their symbolic meanings play big 
part. As a Virgo myself, just like Hermione, numbers and symbols have 
always been very interesting.
> 
> year. We don't know 	what the first was. The textbook 
is "Unfogging the
> Future" by Cassandra 	Vablatsky, 

Nice one, JKR, again! Madame Blavatsky was the founder of the 
Teosophist Society in New York at the end of the 19th century. 
Claimed she had a connection to the akashic-world-memory and 
spiritual beings told him the truth about how humans came into this 
world. Spent many years in Tibet and wrote atleast a book called "The 
Veil of Isis".

Jenny