Arithmancy

[in_the_blue]

On my role-play board, one of the characters asked Sirius what Arithmancy was.

Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! sff_corgi beseeched me to share it with everyone (and really, I would never not do something she asked me to do so nicely), so all interested parties are invited to step behind the veil and find out what I came up with.

---

Sirius looked startled--he couldn't imagine someone not knowing what Arithmancy was. 'Arithmancy is... well, it's based on standard mathematics; it combines that and numerology and archaeological and geographical distance mapping, and stellar cartography and algebraic calculations. It's complex but it's fascinating. I liked it. In fact, when I was in prison I used to do Arithmancy calculations to try to maintain my sanity. Since it wasn't a particularly emotional thing, I could do it all I wanted. It's very logical and very precise. One of its main tenets is that numbers give off vibrations; Arithmancy is largely the study of those vibrations and how they affect the world around us over great distances. And of course, it's all interrelated, because all the sciences are interrelated.'

He took in the entirely baffled look on Sunny's face and smiled. Perhaps it was a case of giving far too much information, or perhaps it was just a disconnect between something as supposedly intuitive as Divination with something as logical as mathematics. But really, all magic could be described mathematically at its base, if one were really to go that far.

Of course, most of the time it was just easier to say 'it's magic!' and explain things that way.

---

Hmm. I wonder how I can be a word-whore and reuse this explanation in my latest Draco fic?

Comments

[queen-nerd06.livejournal.com]

Wait? Sirius is the arithmancy teacher? *bewildered*

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

No... I never said he did. It's not his style to teach Arithmancy.

You might have to actually click on the link (http://pub152.ezboard.com/bdogstaracademy) and find out for yourself.

[carlythemeek.livejournal.com]

Course you're a word whore and it's your writing (which is ALWAYS fabulous) and so... I don't know where I was going with this...

[chrysantza.livejournal.com]

I loved Sirius' explanation, though I fear I would have been to Arithmancy what Neville is to Potions.

Was the star Sirius used for navigation? Is that what Sirius meant about "stellar and cartographical distance mapping?"

[sosirius.livejournal.com]

She wants me to teach Arithmancy here; what a concept. We all start out in Arithmancy as complete neophytes; it's a complex blend of so many areas of study.

The reason we use the star Sirius for navigation is because of its relative proximity to Earth. Depending on your source and where our planet is and the time of year, Sirius is between eight and nine light-years away. This is why it appears as the brightest star in the night sky (and third brightest object beyond the moon and Jupiter); it's closest to us. So yes, we use Sirius because we can measure its light and its vibration. Its numerological value, by the way, is five, which vibrates the following qualities: expansiveness, vision, adventure, and the constructive use of freedom.

I liked that last bit when I was in prison.

Now... damn. This is why I don't teach this subject: my name resonates to seven (analysis, understanding, knowledge, awareness, studiousness, meditation), unless I use my middle name in the calculation in which case I resonate to two (cooperation, adaptability, consideration of others, partnering, mediating). Add that to my current location and the absolute and light-year distances from my stellar counterpart, and it's...

far too confusing.

I'll stick to teaching my students to become Animagi. That's simple in comparison.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

wait!
i'm sorry to pop into an odl entry but..there are BOOKS and other info thigns about arithmancy? Because if it's rea lI wantto know about it. It soudnedl ieka fascinating subject (but I"m sure i'll get lost in al lthe numbers if I getto read morea bout it.

It sounds liek sometign for number-people. or jsut folsk prefferring figures over langauge stuff. or jsut calculation geeks. :p
It's one of those öooh1 I watn to know more1"subjects though.

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure, I'll send the Arithmancy textbooks right over.

No, Sirius, bad dog! Be nice.

I made it all up. Hope you're not too disappointed. :) I can always make up more; sosirius loves to pontificate teach.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

OOh, that's anice joke you put on me. *g*

Realy though, I was so dam nconvinced it came for mstuf ou atually read.
anwyays, if Ieve rneed stuff for hogwarts clases in whatever hogwarts fic orflashback I need it for ,coudl I borrow that(and credit it of course.0 it 'ssuch alovely idea!

[in-the-blue.livejournal.com]

If you must. I'm usually pretty proprietary about that stuff, but what the heck, so long as it's credited.

If I ever write more about it, I'll be sure to let you know.

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

Did I say that? *blush* I almsot forgot .heh ,that was a bitto oenthusiastic. Adn rather lazy too since yes I have my own imagination.