prophecies and choice

[Mel]

No: HPFGUIDX 108622

Valky:
> 
> Firenze gives me the lever in his comments in OOtP about the wisdom
> of his kind and with his insistence that the future is not to be
> foretold because it has no certainty.

Well, I don't think the Centaurs wisdom applies to the prophecies, 
since the prophecies by definition are specific events foretold.  

The Centaurs are not the ones that gave the prophecies in the books, 
because that is not what they do.  They are "general" fortune 
tellers whereas prophecies are specific.  When the Centaurs read the 
stars they read that "mars is bright" which means that conflict or 
war is on the horizon (I think).  This is not a specific statement 
regarding certain people, but a general outlook about the world. 
Therefore it is not a prophecy.  

However, I do like the idea that you must have an "instrument" of 
the prophecies.  Much better way of saying it then I could have 
thought up.  Someone must take an action or make a choice to 
initiate the prophecy. However, the instrument almost has to go 
along with it.  It's like if you're walking down the sidewalk and 
there's a tree in your way.  You only have two choices 1. walk 
around it or 2. chop it.  It's not a big leap to figure out you'd 
probably walk around it.  Therefore, the prophecy is somewhat aware 
of the choices the instrument will make, even though he or she 
hasn't made them yet.  


Meltay