[valis]

heck, I'm already a veritable hermit......usually by choice, but not the 'soar with eagles' one.....just don't care for the vast majority of the populace.......

[NICK G]

valis: Flip a coin 100 times; the outcome is random, NOT predetermined.

Outcome may not be predetermined but it may also not be so random.
Coin lands on heads 99 times. Odds for heads again? 50-50? Maybe not.
A savant once explained it this way:
Suppose the coin you used is not perfectly round or evenly weighted or a variety of things that would make it different from another coin of the same nature in perfect condition.
Now the odds maybe 49-51 in favor of heads or tails, depending on the distinctions.
Just enough to throw the experiment off its random course.
This is but one of many lessons learned that all things that seem black and white are not.
Silly observations, huh?
I call it thinking outside the box.

[valis]

oldtech: You are missing the point, I believe. Yes, random (there's that word again) variances in the makeup of the coin will influence the outcome; there is also the force imparted, the friction of the air, even what part of the planet you are on, as gravity is not standard planet-wide. However, my point was that there is no way to predetermine the outcome; it is impossible; the higher amount of flips made, the flatter the probability curve gets, but on any given flip you have a 50-50 chance of it landing either side.

[NICK G]

...but on any given flip you have a 50-50 chance of it landing either side.

Well, in spite of what I said, and you reinforced with other influences, if you still think it's still 50-50 probability, then I can say no more.
Have a good one.

[valis]

always do.

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by valis

heck, I'm already a veritable hermit......usually by choice, but not the 'soar with eagles' one.....just don't care for the vast majority of the populace.......

...hermits usually are in the very best of company... great authors, powerful thinkers along with the greats of this world. Communication is a property of the mind and does not necessarily require another physical human presence...

...the only thing, one has to be careful as not to verbalize his thoughts out loud... not everyone would understand...

[valis]

yup, me, myself, and I; all three of us, that's all the company I need......

[Shamou]

Originally Posted by valis

yup, me, myself, and I; all three of us, that's all the company I need......

As in the movie, Wall Street with Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko: "If you need a friend, get a dog..."

...one of my all time favorite quote...

[valis]

great movie....I actually hadn't seen it until about 2 years ago; my wife found out I'd not seen it, and as I am a child of the 80's, pretty much said I needed to watch this flick.....good flick....

[lighthouse]

Originally posted by Valis....................

"heck, I'm already a veritable hermit......usually by choice, but not the 'soar with eagles' one.....just don't care for the vast majority of the populace....... "

LOL! Does that make you the local awkward person? Good, there's nothing worse than a bunch of people just being clones of each other!

[valis]

Originally Posted by lighthouse

Originally posted by Valis....................

"heck, I'm already a veritable hermit......usually by choice, but not the 'soar with eagles' one.....just don't care for the vast majority of the populace....... "

LOL! Does that make you the local awkward person? Good, there's nothing worse than a bunch of people just being clones of each other!

probably....i get along fine with the local populace, don't get me wrong, it's just that I prefer the company of my own, shall we say.....I don't drink, smoke, or do other things that our neighbors seem to enjoy, and they don't really seem to care for studying, reading, or playing backgammon, so we are sort of at an impasse.

[lighthouse]

LOL!

Although back on topic, here's how a lot of that 'divination' stuff works. Most of it is word fiddling - and because English speakers are afflicted with a language where one word can have a multitude of meanings (and no this isn't a cue for a pompous song by crowleyite rockers Led Zeppelin) this process can be more effective with them than most. Take the word 'Stick' for example. So what 'stick' do you refer to? A piece of wood? What happens when you apply glue to two surfaces? Something that is stuck fast (ie; in mud etc)? Perhaps its a verb - to stick (ie; a stamp on an envelope). Are you referring to a piece of paper that attaches itself to something (ie; a sticker). Maybe even a famous Tennis Player. It's all bul**** and has nothing what so ever to do with any omnipotent forces, just messing about with words.

Also, all a Soothseer has to do is gauge someones response to certain assertions or comments in a 'reading' then develop the 'prediction' accordingly. Gamblers do this when they want to observe how the other players are reacting to the circumstances of the game - hence the expression "Poker face" when referring to the expressionless people gathered around the card table as they attempt to disguise any positive or negatives in their game.

There might be some who can genuinely do this stuff but I'm sceptical these days.

And, because of the corporatisation of the 'occult' much of what is sold these days is more about money than anything else. Paganism - or at least proper Paganism - is concerned with the forces that govern such things as agriculture (seasons, growth and reproduction cycles etc) not some playing around with languages - particularly ours.

[valis]

Originally Posted by lighthouse

Also, all a Soothseer has to do is gauge someones response to certain assertions or comments in a 'reading' then develop the 'prediction' accordingly. Gamblers do this when they want to observe how the other players are reacting to the circumstances of the game - hence the expression "Poker face" when referring to the expressionless people gathered around the card table as they attempt to disguise any positive or negatives in their game.

I think you are pretty accurate right there. It's not 'luck' that the same people end up in the finals of the world poker tournaments; they can read people (and count cards) and have a reasonably good idea what the other person is holding/thinking.

[lighthouse]

Exactly, and it has the potential to be a very corrupt process which has nothing to do with an omnipotence and everything to do with the devious machinations of unscrupulous people!

I also get a bit wary of occult practitioners who constantly prattle on about their violent hobbies - because it's like they're subtlely attempting to gain control of you!

[valis]

Originally Posted by lighthouse

Exactly, and it has the potential to be a very corrupt process which has nothing to do with an omnipotence and everything to do with the devious machinations of unscrupulous people!

the trick is recognizing who is saying what, and what they truly mean by what they are saying. Especially in a forum such as this......no interpersonal communication, only the written word.