Chương 35: Chapter 32 ~ Palindrome

11/11/1111 EotTS 08: 73 Rolling onto her side, Gysel adjusted the covers of the bed, and dug around with her feet, searching for Kawvel, who had decided to go spelunking down to the bottom left corner of the bed, and get trapped, face down, stuck between the bed and the tucked-in sheets. Grabbing his leg with her toes, she excavated him, and moved him upwards to her hands, into the light. Gysel looked at the old bear, old friend, in the bars of dim sunlight that crept through the shutters.

"Today is the Eleventh of Mourna, in the Eleven-hundredth and Eleventh year of the Era of the Two Scholars, Kawvel. Do you think that means anything?"

He did not respond, but that was all right, because it likely did not mean anything, it was simply a neat little thing that happened with the calendar every now and then, but then again, it very well could mean something extremely important, and the only way to learn was to clamber out of bed and find out, but that would be done when the alarm clock decided it was time.

Gysel rested Kawvel against the feather-bed, and stared at him, only stopping to blink, or rub her eyes; all of the socializing and classes were exhausting—as much fun as it is to be at the Academy with a new group of people who are kind and seemingly appreciative of the newest member of their clique, there is something nice about the alone time, the isolation that allows the new member to shirk the facade that is required to be liked by others, and just exist as the new member is meant to, just thinking about what is interesting, and not needing to worry about a judging gaze, because the Gods know the moment that facade cracks, and an ornithological tangent slips out, the newest member of the clique will be the newest former member, left wondering where the invitations to gatherings, or shopping trips went—the alarm clock began to ring, and Gysel sniffed, and clambered from her bed, and walked across the chilly hardwood floors to the desk and turn the clock off.

Thus, the morning routine began: Gysel got Kawvel and the divination deck from the bed, and took them both to the desk. Removing the deck from the box, she gave it a good shuffle—maybe the library has books on ornate ways to shuffle cards; this is an academy for Magick after all.

"What will I do today?" Gysel drew the top card, and placed it face up on the desk; it was the First Daughter of Lamps. The card depicted a lone woman in a dark room, lighting a lamp with a match. Gysel looked up to Kawvel; his button eye looked inquisitively at the card, as if asking what it meant.

"I think that it means a beginning, or maybe a continuation of something already started in new hands, Kawvel... Why? Because she is lighting the lamp with an already lit match... Yes, she would have had to get the fire from somewhere, and no ideas are truly new, but they can grow into something bigger... Yes, like a fire... Assuming the deck is right, and it has not consistently been... Well, hopefully it is right, perhaps I shall start something new today."

With assistance, Kawvel nodded, and Gysel opened the two panes of the right-side bay window, and went to the wardrobe. Once dressed in a loose, cream blouse, oversized green knit sweater, and a pair of brown corduroy trousers, Gysel put on her shoes and departed for the cafeteria, then class.

11/11/1111 EotTS 10: 00 To-day, Florna wore a dress of dark grays with vibrant embroidered greens: she stood out against the barren blackboard and its oaken frame, like the Temple of Aeska with its weathered, ivy-clad stone blocks against the darkening ocean sky. She waited patiently, rocking on the heels of her shoes as she smiled and waved to the straggling students who found themselves filing in late to class. At five past ten, she started her lecture: "Hello and good morning, everyone.

I hope you slept well; I certainly did. It was lovely weather last night, and I really did not want to get out of bed this morning... and it looks like four of you felt the same way. That's fine, not my problem; I'm not being graded." Plucking a piece of chalk from the trough, she wrote the date on the board, started to write another word, but only got 'Div' written before she paused and underlined the date she had just written, then turned back to the class.

"I love things like this. Eight Ones in a row. This has some importance actually, mostly to numerology people. If there are any of you. Palindromic dates supposedly allow for a close connection with deities, and could make your rituals go better. I don't really believe this because dates are not some sort of divine concept, and are really just people cataloging time, but, if it works, it works." Florna turned back to the board and finished what she was writing: 'Divination Decks'.

"I'm going to be talking about the use of Divination Decks. I hope you have all acquired one; if you have, you can bring it in on the twenty-fifth, when we will privately discuss your exercise and project. And those of you with no prior experience, who did acquire one and use it, I can probably imagine that you are all pretty confused. But that is fine, I was pretty confused as well.

"I'm going to start this with a disclaimer that I really hate to have to say, but it is true: these cards work purely psychologically. I would really like for them to actually work magically, but the cards do not magically change when you ask them a question. People have tested this, not sure how, but they have." Gysel looked over to Wyohla; the blonde had her chin on her palm, rolling her eyes, but Florna did not seem to notice.

"Actually," said Florna, "let me clarify. The standard divination deck does not work magically, but other decks, like the lunar divination deck, likely do. Especially if you are active with related deities. They might even draw for you." Wyohla seemed to have found this appended information to her taste: she smiled and nodded.

"What is likely happening is that you are associating the archetypes illustrated on the card with your own thoughts or subconscious. For example, let's say we have someone who is struggling with alcoholism, and they ask their divination deck, 'Will I quit drinking?' and they draw 'Waedhinyn' in reverse. They will take the typical meaning of that draw—which is the return of bad habits—and project their own addiction onto it, and believe that they cannot stop drinking.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"So, in most cases, the actual 'Magic' is you making connections between the card you drew, and events that actually happened, or will happen. In most cases, they are taking something subconscious you cannot convey or express, and turning it into a language your conscious mind can understand.

"Back to our example of an alcoholic. The card they drew really does not matter; they could come to the same conclusion with really any card, as deep down, they know that they cannot quit. But if they knew deep down that they could quit, they would just assume the card is wrong and try again.

"I'm not going to go over the meanings of the cards, because I think it is best for you to actually get a book on the subject, and read it yourself, that way you form actual connections and relationships with the cards and their meanings. I don't really have any book recommendations, but if you can find one that has the same illustrations as your deck, that would be best.

"But, I will be giving you some tips for these decks, based on my own personal practices, well, mostly just how I use them. I am pretty methodical with how I interact with my deck, and I think everyone should be, because if you have a consistent routine that you follow, it will help you get into the same headspace each time, allowing for a more consistent experience.

So, the first thing I always do is wash my hands very well, if you have a cheap deck, and don't care, that's fine, but I have a nice one, and I like it clean. After that, I divide it into the Shynaox, and the four covens of the Shynashsk, then I put them all in order, and shuffle by dividing them into eight piles of ten. Then, after all the cards are in piles, I pick up the odd ones, then the even ones, and ask my question.

If I draw one card, I draw from the top; if I draw three, I do one from the top, middle, and bottom card. I also always give it a good, normal shuffle once I am finished, and I always say hello and good-bye." Nodding, Gysel noted that down: 'say hello, and good-bye.'

"If you are just starting out with them, you can just jump straight into it, but I recommend spending some time with the cards, try meditating on the illustrations and what they mean. Do one card at a time. It will take a bit, but it will be worth it.

"Now, for your practical project, I want you to figure out how to incorporate an isolating circle into your daily outfit. I don't care how you do it, just make sure you can say the name of a deity and have nothing happen." Florna paused, and looked at the clock.

"Oh, look at the time," she said, "It's eleven past the eleventh hour. I think that is a sign to end class, so I am. Goodbye, everyone. Enjoy the break, be sure to water your plants." And with that, she took her bag, and left, leaving the door open behind her.

11/11/1111 EotTS 15: 00 Half asleep, and with her head buried in her arms, Gysel sat alone at a table for eight in the library; she had walked up all thirteen floors after finishing lunch, but found nothing interesting to read, nor had she found the others: it would be excellent if someone were to show up; a library might be meant for silence, but one can have silence without loneliness.

The large hearth against the south wall was softly crackling, but sometimes it was difficult to distinguish the pops of the fire from the tapping of a pen, or the turning of a page—the turning of a page would be nice, it would have been nice to have found something to read, maybe it is worth taking a gamble with the fiction section, there might— Someone slammed their hands down onto the table, and decided to accompany their disturbance with a question:"What do you think, Gysel?"

It was the airy voice of the Northern Blonde.

"About what?" Gysel looked up to see the six she had spent so long looking for—it is nice that they came to find the seventh member of their group...

'we'.

"The practical." Wyohla sat down across from Gysel. Crossing her arms on the table, she leaned down, and rested her chin on the crook of her left arm.

"What are you going to do to incorporate a protective circle into your clothing day to day?"

"I do not know." Maybe a belt, but a belt could not be perfectly circular and be comfortable: anything that would move with the body was out of the question.

"Do you?"

"We already have the answer," Ardhy said.

"What is it?" Gysel looked Ardhy and Wyohla up and down, then did the same for Thyres, Lyma, Lyvahn, and Visi as they sat down; where could they be keeping a circle on their person? nothing obvious seemed practical. Ardhy made a motion like he was locking his lips and throwing away the key. Wyohla giggled at this, and did not answer Gysel.

Logically, it would have to be something easily removable, so the practitioner could leave the circle, and it would also have to be some sort of accessory that was not critical to one's dress, so dresses were out of the question; thus this only left one possible option: a wide-brimmed hat.

"Would a hat work? You could put a circle in the headband or have it as the frame for the brim."

"Aren't you the traditionalist," cooed Wyohla, "Those are pretty fashionable in the Grand Northern Forest."

"Will it work?" asked Gysel again; comments on cultural views and fashion did not answer the question.

"Yes, very much so."

"So what do people use?" asked Gysel.

"Because you said you already have the answer, but I do not see a hat."

"Mine is set into the base of my shoes," Ardhy said, and he showed Gysel the metal half circle in the heel of his shoe.

"But it only works if I put my heels together."

"I have one around the hem of my dress," said Wyohla.

"I have one in the hem of all of my dresses. I also have some shoes with it for when I'm not wearing dresses." Gysel looked to the others.

"Shoes," said Visi.

"Shoes as well," said Thyres.

"I have a few dresses, like Wyohla," said Lyma, "but usually just shoes."

"I try my best to watch my tongue," said Lyvahn. The shoes seemed a bit odd since they did not enclose the whole body, but the dress, the dress was smart for day-to-day use.

"How do you do rituals if it is unbroken and part of your clothing?" Gysel asked Wyohla.

"Nude," Wyohla answered like there was nothing abnormal about that.

"Or I wear something other than a dress, usually a simple silk gown. But if I'm at home usually nude."

"Why nude? Why not in undergarments or a robe?" Wyohla shrugged.

"I like it more, and some deities respond better if you are nude. Luhnylla is particularly fond of men doing her rituals nude." She ran her hand down Ardhy's arm.

"Especially if they are well developed." Ardhy rubbed his eyes and looked away.

"How are you going to get that hat, Gysel?" asked Visi.

"I do not know," Gysel said; his lips pursed at the answer, but relaxed a moment later.

"I did not think about that. I just thought of an answer."

"Well, how about you and I go tomorrow?" Wyohla asked.

"I'm not going to the 'debate club', so we can go into town and commission you that hat."

"All right," Gysel said.

"When?"

"How about after lunch? We don't need to go to class, so why don't we go into town and talk to the milliner?"

"All right."

"Excellent, now how about you come back to my place with Lyma and I. We are going to leave some offerings for the Three Sisters, as it is a good day for that."

"Why is it a good day to leave offerings? Is it because it is the Eleventh of the Eleventh Maiden, of the Eleven-hundredth and Eleventh year?"

"Yes, there is a closer connection to the Mourna and the Sisters because of it."

"Can we come?" asked Thyres.

"No, just us girls."

"I do not want to," said Gysel.

"What? Why?"

"Because I do not want to do things nude." There was a fine line between being nude in the bathhouse and being nude in an alcoholic's attic (no matter how nice the attic was).

"Oh, no, don't worry, we will do this clothed."

"All right. When?"

"The twenty-second hour would be best, since that is a multiple of eleven."

"Will you buy me dinner?"

"We were just going to get takeout."

"From where?"

"I'm not sure yet, we will figure it out later." Wyohla shrugged and checked her watch.

"We should head back to my place in about two, three hours, we can decide then."