Arithmancy

[etyksm <etyksm@yahoo.co.uk>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49729

This is my First posting so please be kind!

I thought that Hermione's main aversion to divination was that it 
was a subject that couldn't be "studied" e.g. by books.

If arithmancy is based on Maths or some other "logical" or "derived 
Logical" means then I can see HG enjoying it as it is likely to be a 
subject that can be "learnt" or "studied" unlike Divination.

I don't believe that it is the outcome of divination that HG 
dislikes, I think it is more the process and possibly the inaccuracy 
of it.

I must admit it is some time since I re-read books 3 and 4 since 
having lent them to my parents who have now packed them among the 
many boxes they have for moving house :-(

Thanks

Sandra



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Scott Northrup" <snorth at u...> 
wrote:
> Felinia:
> > I haven't looked up the dictionary definition of "arithmancy" 
(because
> I've
> > seen the word before) and I was wondering if JKR's intent might 
not be
> more
> > like a more sophisticated vision of numerology, rather than 
mathematics as
> > we understand it, a tool for quantum physics as in time travel 
as you
> > postulate here, for example.
> 
> Me:
> 
> For whatever, reason, I hadn't thought to look it up, or google 
it.  But the
> most common definition is "divination by numbers" or a pre-cursor 
to
> Numerology (which I guess is the same thing?).  I wonder if JKR 
means it as
> something different though, because if it was "divination by 
numbers" A) I
> would think it would just be part of the Divination course, and B) 
it
> probably wouldn't be Hermione's favorite subject.  Personally, I 
think it
> would be much cooler if it was some form of magical mathematics 
and not just
> one more way to try and predict the future.  But that's just 
me.  :D
> 
> -Scott
> 
> PS I also found a rather interesting site while googling.  Not 
totally
> relevant to anything, but here it is anyway.
> http://www.sorcererscompanion.net/arithmancy.html