Back in the old days, when folks worshipped the 'old gods', stone idols, bits of old bones or a pile of pony-pooh – if it pleased them, they looked for 'a sign' – always a sign. They were too realistic to expect actual words to be uttered by a stone idol. Chicken innards, fish guts, a couple of birds or the crops growing were all seen as auguries that the gods had listened, were happy and had bestowed that good will on the happy peasants and their masters alike.
I have determined to try some of the old time 'reading of the signs', just in case we expect too much from 'the gods', in the general way of communication. It is, I confess a slightly modified. 'modern' idea; inspired by 'the life of Brian', the gourd or the sandal type of decision. My first inkling that we should 'look to the past' for answers came when the sky didn't fall in when 61 went live. One of the problems of the old system of divination, by sign was that the gods could be ambiguous. For example, demigod Farq-u-hardson sent us a sign that all was well; for indeed, the sky did not fall in – however, this failed to explian why an earthquake stuck a flying school, a charter operator went mad, or why the chooks stopped laying. Tricky business this readin' of augury.
We probably do expect too much and really should hone our arcane skills. Was that rumble of thunder the gods decision to publish the industry responses to the WLR?, was that dead spider some god speak defining the reform or not question?; perhaps if I count the grains of sugar which missed my coffee cup the answers to old questions can be numerically deduced.
Don't know; but another month has rolled by and we can comfortably assume the rest of this one will follow suite, without response. So for the benefit and mental well being of our happy (IOS) peasants I shall Google some voodoo rituals, a tea leaf reading course and perhaps, chook guts reading: just to see what, if any answers may be gleaned from the gods, determined by a more scientific approach to finding out WTF is going on (or not, as the case may be).
No!, by Golly – I'm off to the dark cave, to visit the three Aunts: now that's a sure fire winner.
First Witch
Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Days and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.
ALL
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Toot toot...
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