Ravenclaw Common Room

kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

Ravenclaw Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!

ravenclaw shield

Daireen · Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 5:36 am Post subject:

Yes indeedy!

OK, my darling 'Claws, let's get our research on!

Assignment: Find good things to say about snakes so we can figure out what Mr. Fry was hinting at!
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kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

OK - snippets of good things about snakes from Wikipedia

Rod of Asclepius
The Rod of Asclepius (a serpent entwined around a staff) is an ancient Greek symbol associated with astrology and healing the sick with medicine. Asclepius, the son of Apollo, was practitioner of medicine in ancient Greek mythology. He was instructed in medicine by the centaur Chiron also connected to the constellation Ophiuchus.

The Rod of Asclepius symbolizes the healing arts by combining the serpent, which in shedding its skin is a symbol of rebirth and fertility, with the staff, a symbol of authority, befitting the god of Medicine. The snake wrapped around the staff is widely claimed to be a species of Rat snake [ good at catching silver pawed rats perhaps?? ], Elaphe longissima, also known as the Aesculapian (Asclepian) snake. It is native to southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, and some central European spa regions, apparently brought there by Romans for their healing properties.

Asclepius himself, in traditional Greek mythology, was reputed to have the blood of Medusa in his veins. The blood that flowed on Medusa's left side was said to be fatal poison. The blood from her right side was beneficial. Asclepius was also known as Ophiuchus, the son of Apollo, to the ancient Greeks. In early Christian theology, the constellation Ophiuchus was associated with Saint Paul holding the Maltese Viper.

In Astrology, some systems include a thirteenth sign of the zodiac, which is the constellation Ophiuchus, and is known as Ophiuchus Serpentarius (the "serpent holder"). This constellation lies between Sagittarius and Libra in the astrological charts.

Caduceus
A caduceus is a winged staff with two snakes wrapped around it. It was an ancient astrological symbol of commerce and is associated with the Greek god Hermes, the messenger for the gods, conductor of the dead and protector of merchants and thieves. It was originally a herald's staff, sometimes with wings, with two white ribbons attached. The ribbons eventually evolved into snakes.

In some cases, depictions of the Greek kerykeion can be radically different from that of the traditional caduceus. These representations will feature the two snakes atop the wand (rod), crossed to create a circle with the heads of the snakes resembling "horns." In this form, it looks remarkably similar to the symbol for the planet Mercury — while Mercury the god is the Roman name for Hermes, who carries the kerykeion, or caduceus. The Greek messenger goddess Iris also carried the caduceus. The basic power of the Caduceus is the primal power to heal or harm.

In the seventh century, the caduceus came to be associated with a precursor of medicine, based on the Hermetic astrological principles of using the planets and stars to heal the sick. As a symbol for medicine, the caduceus is often used interchangeably with the Rod of Asclepius (single snake, no wings), although learned opinion prefers the Rod of Asclepius, reserving the caduceus for representing commerce.[1] Historically, the two astrological symbols had distinct meanings in alchemical and astrological principles.

Lots more info about European snake mythology in astrology

kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

Oh no! I've killed the thread again!!

"Hello, are any Ravens out there?"

2xKnight · Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 333 Location: NW Georgia

kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

Hellooooo

It's very echoy here in this empty common room.

Is anyone there?

mongoluehring · Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:38 pm Post subject:

*streaks past wearing nothing but a Hufflepuffian smile*

Hey, I'm not technically a claw, but I can come say hi, right? Wit beyond measure and all that. Smile

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http://spaah.net/index.htm

madmamma · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 318 Location: North Carolina

*streaks thru chasing Donna* Hello , great place you have here. Much more active than our Griff. room. Its lonely in there? Can I defect?

*Throws cheery smile, and kisses to everyone, and continues on*
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Daireen · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject:

Defectors are welcome if they can answer this riddle:

Mountains will crumble and temples will fall,
and no man can survive its endless call.

What am I?
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Daireen · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject:

Hello my Housemates!

PM me your mailing addresses - I have awesomeness to send each & every one of you!! Very Happy

(as long as it doesn't exceed 20 ppl.. erm...)
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RaasAlHayya · Smartypants Joined: 13 Jun 2005 Posts: 377

kazza · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Australia

Daireen · Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 11:18 am Post subject: Cross-fandom Query

Hello fellow Ravenclaws!

We gather here, amongst the fat blue armchairs under the starry dome, to bend our wits to humankind's greatest questions. Rhetoric is our apple-cherry pie, symposia our sparkling wine.

The query I put forth today is: choice vs. free will

Would you rather live in a world where your mind isn't quite your own, but you have peace and goodwill throughout the earth, or would you rather have complete control over yourself, but live in a world of war and pain?

This came courtesy of {expletive} {censored} TVTropes.com, and the Nice Job Breaking It, Hero trope. I'll post so you don't have to go there and lose hours of your life: