Do you wanna know?

All of us encounter, at least once in our life, some individual who utters words that make us think forever. There are men whose phrases are oracles; who can condense in one sentence the secrets of life; who blurt out an aphorism that forms a character, or illustrates an existence.

– Benjamin Disraeli

_{"Ask your query; but remember, I bear only one answer. And you are not ready for it.}"

Hello there, full-time weekenders!

Another #weekend-engagement is upon us and I couldn't help to feel drawn towards being an oracle of death. We are fixated on the concept of our own demise. We wonder about it and cultures have bestowed death an honor role in their societies. That's why we have so many version of a place of rest. Religions bring us ideas of how these things work and more.

The idea of being an oracle of death reminded me of this poem that was on this 10 cards from Magic The Gathering's Shadowmoor/Eventide sets. There were these Spirit Avatar cards that all had something called The Seer's Parables in their flavour texts. On the official website from Wizards of the Coast, there use to be an article that contained the whole poem and I found it thanks to a reddit user. You can read it here. But that's not all! The idea brought me back to the Thor: Herald of Thunder comic series where the asgardian becomes de new king and has to face an enemy called The Black Winter. This cosmic entity has the power to show people and other beings how they will die. I guess y excitement towards this idea comes from here.

If I had such powers, they would bear a heavy burden. Yes, I could exploit it. Rich people love superstitions and could certainly come around to know about their demise. My bet is that after receiving the gift/curse of sight, I would lose sense of vision.

That would be a fair tradeoff for such powers.

The other thing is that it would bring me to live secluded. If the powers work from contact or fevered dream, is beyond my knowledge. I would see the death of all my loved ones and peoples yet to come. Some would come seeking the ways to cheat death. And it true Greek fashion, they would meet theirs in the path the believe could save them. I remember that the depiction of oracles in series and movies always portraits them like junkies or using some sort of drug to enter a trance and seek their vision.

I believe oracles do that not to have vision but to drive them away. Their gift is a curse. Reading the threads of destiny isn't a good line of work. People not liking what they hear could outright get the oracle killed.

I imagine the first vision of death would be my own. If it comes from a client, well, isn't that poetic?

On the other hand, having this kind of knowledge could be a really powerful asset to control world politics. And I do believe world leaders would either seek my services by employment or by kidnapping. Some of them might want to have me killed. If you know when everyone will die and how, you're the most powerful person in the world. Even when you have no way to control anything.

And the idea of controlling fate is certainly something that drives humans crazy. Stupid decisions come from it. The kind of choices that get you a lot closer to your own death.

I would consider such a power a really funny thing. Maybe instead of living in a cave like a hermit, I should open a parlor in New Orleans and become the richest oracle in the world. That would get me enough to pay the voodoo users in the city to craft interesting stories about what could happen if I'm killed or else.

Good thing these powers are just a thought experiment.

I can already see how everything could become a hassle, a funny story, and a blood feud of worldly proportions. Not even worth the trouble. If those powers were mine tomorrow, I'd keep them to myself. It doesn't matter if they drive me crazy. Better me that the whole world going mad about such an idea.