Episode 8 - Divination

Summary

Hymns for the Road: Episode 8 - Divination Release Date: October 25, 2024 | Host/Author: Hodgepodge Audio

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Introduction

In Episode 8, titled "Divination," of the enchanting fiction podcast Hymns for the Road, listeners are immersed in a gripping narrative that blends magic, mystery, and the harsh realities of a post-apocalyptic America. The story follows four survivors—Silver, Copper, Amber, and Glass—as they navigate a fantastical wasteland filled with otherworldly creatures and surreal landscapes. This episode delves deep into the themes of fate, foresight, and the burdens of knowledge, all through the lens of divination.

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Main Plot and Discussions

1. Exploring Divination Tools

The episode kicks off with the characters seeking shelter in an old barn to escape the encroaching darkness. Copper introduces his collection of magical artifacts, sparking a conversation about divination:

• Silver: “I didn’t know you did Divination.” ([02:16])
• Copper: “I’ve tried, but I’m not very good at it.” ([02:21])

Copper reveals an oracle deck, an intricate set of cards seemingly imbued with magical properties. Despite his admitted inexperience, Silver expresses fascination with the deck's moving images, sparking curiosity among the group.

2. Silver’s Divinatory Experience

Determined to harness the deck’s potential, Silver begins laying out the cards, attempting to decipher their meanings. As Silver delves deeper, an unsettling sensation of being watched emerges:

• Silver: “You know when somebody is standing right behind you and you can feel them looking even though you can’t see them?” ([07:24])

Despite initial skepticism from Amber and Glass, Silver persists, eventually experiencing a vivid and disorienting vision of a meadow intertwined with fleeting glimpses of the future:

• Silver: “I can see the future, but I also can’t. For just a moment, I feel what it feels like to know I don’t see anything. But I do.” ([10:00])

This profound moment blurs the lines between reality and illusion, leaving Silver grappling with the implications of newfound, albeit unstable, foresight.

3. Encounter with the Cat and Time Slip

Amidst the tension, a seemingly ordinary cat appears outside the barn—a creature previously encountered at a distant rest stop. The cat's sudden presence forces the group to confront the fluidity of their reality:

• Amber: “The cat’s outside.” ([12:04])

Silver, seeking clarity, interacts with the cat, only to experience a brief and inexplicable disappearance:

• Silver: “I was here and then I wasn’t. It was like I slipped through a crack or something.” ([18:27])

Upon reappearing, Silver reports a fleeting vision of the meadow once more, suggesting a link between the divination tools and the mysterious forces at play in their world:

• Silver: “I saw the meadow from the cards from earlier. But I was only there for a second.” ([19:02])

4. Group Dynamics and Conversations

Throughout the episode, the interplay among the survivors highlights their differing perspectives on magic and survival. Amber expresses frustration and skepticism about the practicality of divination:

• Amber: “Magic really is all it’s cracked up to be.” ([11:36])

In contrast, Glass remains pragmatic yet deeply caring, emphasizing the group's unity and willingness to go to great lengths for each other's safety:

• Glass: “As much as necessary.” ([20:31])

Silver's introspection and burgeoning abilities introduce a layer of complexity, as the group grapples with the potential risks and benefits of embracing magic in their perilous journey.

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Insights and Themes

The Burden of Knowledge: Silver's fleeting omniscience underscores the heavy toll that knowing the future can exact. The paradox of foreseeing events without comprehending them fully illustrates the chaos and uncertainty inherent in their world.

Reality and Perception: The episode plays with the boundaries between reality and illusion, questioning what is real and what is conjured by magic. Silver's time slip and the mysterious cat serve as metaphors for the unpredictable nature of their environment.

Unity and Trust: Despite the eerie occurrences, the group's solidarity remains unshaken. Their unwavering support for one another highlights the importance of trust and camaraderie in overcoming adversity.

Magic as a Double-Edged Sword: Divination represents both hope and danger. While it offers glimpses into possible futures, it also invites unseen threats and existential dilemmas, reflecting the complex relationship humans have with power and knowledge.

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Conclusion

"Divination" is a compelling installment in the Hymns for the Road series, intricately weaving magical elements into the narrative tapestry of survival and exploration. Through Silver's quest to unlock the secrets of divination, listeners are invited to ponder the deeper philosophical questions about fate, perception, and the human condition in a world where magic is both a beacon of hope and a harbinger of uncertainty. This episode masterfully balances character development with plot progression, leaving audiences eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this mesmerizing journey.

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Notable Quotes

• Silver: “I didn’t know you did Divination.” ([02:16])
• Silver: “You know when somebody is standing right behind you and you can feel them looking even though you can’t see them?” ([07:24])
• Silver: “I think I just microdosed omniscience.” ([11:40])
• Glass: “As much as necessary.” ([20:31])
• Silver: “I can see the future, but I also can’t.” ([10:00])

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Hymns for the Road continues to captivate listeners with its rich storytelling and intricate world-building, offering a profound exploration of magic and humanity in a fantastical yet perilous landscape.

Transcript

[Ryan]

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[Silver]

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[Copper]

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[Silver]

18.

[Anna McGuire]

Hymns for the road is a fiction podcast that often takes place inside a moving vehicle. Listener discretion is advised while driving. General content warnings are listed in the show notes.

[Silver]

I know you belong to somebody new but tonight you belong to to me Although we're a part of my heart but tonight you belong to me.

[Amber]

Pass my water jug.

[Copper]

Sure.

[Glass]

Keep a lookout for a parking spot. Yard. What are you doing back there?

[Copper]

Going through my magic stuff.

[Silver]

You've got a lot in here, Copper.

[Copper]

I know. That's why we're cleaning it out.

[Silver]

I mean, what even is this?

[Copper]

That's an illness ward I was working on. Don't break it.

[Silver]

I'm not going to break it. Calm down, Amber. Look.

[Amber]

Are those bones?

[Copper]

Yes. I use bones all the time.

[Amber]

You're never going to get that thing untangled, Copper.

[Copper]

I'll work on it later.

[Silver]

Oh, is this an oracle deck?

[Copper]

Yeah, I think so.

[Silver]

I didn't know you did Divination.

[Copper]

I don't, er. I've tried, but I'm not very good at it.

[Silver]

This is really cool, though. Where'd you get this?

[Copper]

I don't remember. I think it was somebody else's.

[Glass]

Whose?

[Copper]

I don't know.

[Silver]

Must have been one of them. Look, the pictures move.

[Copper]

It's not moving. I think it's just shiny.

[Silver]

The clouds are totally moving. Look, the flowers are too.

[Copper]

What flowers? It's a picture of a bird's skull.

[Amber]

You okay, Glass?

[Silver]

Hold on. I think they're all the same picture, but they're definitely moving.

[Copper]

Glass. I don't think I understand this joke.

[Silver]

I'm not joking. That's what I'm looking at right now. Yo.

[Amber]

Are you divining?

[Silver]

Am I divining?

[Copper]

I don't know. I've never divined before. I don't know what it feels like.

[Silver]

I flipped through the deck and realized that it's not all the same picture. It's pieces of the same picture. Right. Like some cards just have the open blue sky. The clouds. Maybe a bird or something. And some have the flowers, hundreds of them, layered over each other like a puzzle. Wait. It's not the same pictures. They're all parts of one big picture.

[Amber]

A picture of what?

[Silver]

Do you remember when we went to that city? That was a bunch of truck stops smashed together.

[Glass]

And we almost got tricked into becoming truckers forever. Yeah, I remember.

[Silver]

And the folk took us all to different other worlds.

[Copper]

Yeah.

[Silver]

I think it's the same field from the one I went to. It has the exact same flowers.

[Glass]

I think I see a stop up ahead. Y'all.

[Amber]

The barn up there.

[Glass]

We could check to see if the door's intact. Looks like something we could ward pretty easy.

[Silver]

Great. I can take these out and get a better look at whatever this is.

[Copper]

Here. Try this. It's a pendulum.

[Silver]

Oh, cool. I don't know what to do with this.

[Copper]

Just hold it. See if it moves in a particular direction.

[Silver]

I don't think anything's happening.

[Copper]

Maybe it'll work better when the car is stopped.

[Silver]

Why am I trying this?

[Copper]

I don't know. I have all this divination stuff and have never really been able to use it. I want to know what it looks like when they work.

[Amber]

I want to try the pendulum.

[Glass]

Careful. Playing around with all that stuff. It ain't a toy.

[Amber]

I'm not treating it like a toy. I just want to test out if we're going through some kind of magic field or something. I don't think it's doing anything.

[Silver]

We go through magic fields a lot as we travel. Spots where there's more magic in the air. I guess they feel kind of like the air gets heavier. I know that doesn't make sense to say, but that's how the cards feel, too. The paver feels like velvet. And it smells like creek water. Or maybe it's the visions that smell. But it doesn't feel like a magic field. It's too small and too quiet.

[Amber]

Check this place out.

[Copper]

I think that barn's big enough to fit our car inside.

[Glass]

Pulling in now.

[Silver]

We stop right inside the barn. Copper's right. It's big. It's this huge, creaking mass of logs and planks. Smells like rotting wood and dead dirt. It'll be fine for one night. Just keeping the car out of the wind does a lot to keep it warm.

[Copper]

Where's the big flashlight?

[Glass]

Look at the paint above the door. It's already been warded.

[Amber]

Nice. I love not having to work for shelter.

[Copper]

You don't have to do anything for our shelters anyway, Amber.

[Amber]

Neither Does Glass. They don't have magic either.

[Silver]

I'm providing moral support.

[Glass]

We still need to give it a once over. Y'all check for anything suspicious.

[Amber]

Here's the big flashlight, Copper.

[Copper]

Thank you.

[Silver]

It's not that dark inside. There are too many spaces that let the light in. But judging by where the sun is, there won't be much light left soon.

[Glass]

I'm going to go use the outhouse. It's right over there. Not too far off.

[Amber]

Pretty out here.

[Glass]

It'll be dark soon. Maybe we could all go look around a little bit in the morning. In the meantime, everyone try to stay in the barn. I'll spray down some backup sigils when I get done.

[Silver]

Do you have a blanket or something I can lay all these out on?

[Copper]

You can use this.

[Silver]

Perfect.

[Amber]

That's my jacket, by the way. And I'm gonna need that back later.

[Glass]

Back soon, y'all.

[Silver]

Amber gets bored almost immediately and starts looking around, checking for suspicious stuff like Silver said. But Copper sits next to me and watches me lay the cards out one by one. And that feeling keeps growing in the back of my head. You know when somebody is standing right behind you and you can feel them looking even though you can't see them?

[Copper]

I can't see whatever you're seeing.

[Silver]

And I can't feel what you feel. When you put components together, Watch.

[Amber]

When it turns out to be nothing.

[Silver]

Why would it turn out to be nothing?

[Amber]

I don't know. Because you and I have never been able to do magic before.

[Silver]

Hey. First time for everything, I guess. Hmm. Give me a second. I'm stuck on this one.

[Copper]

I wish I could help.

[Silver]

I need some inspiration. I lie to Copper and say I can't figure out the next piece, but I can see exactly where each card goes. It's just that every time I put one down, the watch feeling gets stronger. I'm avoiding it. What else do you have in here that I can play with?

[Copper]

They're not toys. Glass.

[Silver]

You know what I mean.

[Copper]

You're done with the cards?

[Silver]

No, I just want to see if anything else works. What's this?

[Copper]

Dice.

[Silver]

Well, yeah, I can see that. What do these symbols mean?

[Copper]

I don't know. I don't think those are mine.

[Silver]

Can I try?

[Copper]

Sure.

[Silver]

I don't know what this means.

[Copper]

Then it probably didn't work.

[Silver]

What else you got?

[Copper]

We could try tea leaves.

[Amber]

I am not boiling water for that. You want to start a fire out there? Be my guest.

[Glass]

Ooh.

[Silver]

I've got another idea. Pick something out of your box.

[Copper]

Okay.

[Silver]

No, no, no. Don't show me.

[Copper]

Okay. What are you.

[Silver]

I'm doing magic. It's a dice.

[Copper]

That's not fair.

[Silver]

You saw it was on the card.

[Copper]

Let me try again. How many fingers?

[Silver]

Two.

[Copper]

How about now?

[Silver]

4.

[Copper]

Now.

[Silver]

Now. It's just your fist now.

[Copper]

No way.

[Silver]

He must be real proud of me. And the cool magic I can do.

[Amber]

Let me know when you're back to being boring like me.

[Copper]

What else can you see?

[Silver]

I don't know. It switches back to that field real quickly. It was only showing me your hand for a second.

[Copper]

Aren't you gonna finish putting them all together?

[Silver]

Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna do that. Then it should be scary. Silver's always telling me I should take things more seriously. But the way I see it, taking things too seriously gets you in trouble just as much. And sure, I feel like I'm being watched. But being watched isn't what I'm afraid of. It's after I lay the last card down that I see it. The meadow. But somehow more than the meadow, too. I can see the future, but I also can't. For just a moment, I feel what it feels like to know I don't see anything. But I do. At the same time, I stare at that meadow and I feel myself in every moment, in the future of that car. Not living it, just feeling that I'll be there eventually. I. I don't understand. It's impossible and confusing. I can feel time looking at those cards. I can't discern the future or the past, but I can taste it. I can sense it.

[Copper]

What do you see?

[Silver]

It's just the meadow. It's not just the meadow. I hear a voice in the back of my mind. My voice. It whispers something like. This is what it feels like to be one of them.

[Amber]

Wow. Sick vision. Magic really is all it's cracked up to be.

[Silver]

This is gonna sound crazy. I think I just microdosed omniscience.

[Amber]

What?

[Silver]

I. I really don't know how to explain what I just felt.

[Amber]

You were right. That did sound crazy.

[Copper]

Well, tell us. What did you see?

[Silver]

I didn't see anything. But also, I did. Wait, wait.

[Copper]

Shut up.

[Silver]

The cat's outside.

[Copper]

The cat?

[Amber]

Yeah, the one we met at the rest stop, remember? When Silver knocked down that cairn?

[Glass]

How do you know it's the same one?

[Amber]

She's orange and she's got those black speckles on her nose.

[Copper]

But she can't be here, can she? That rest stop is really far away by now.

[Glass]

Cats come and go as they please. I don't think Even the folk could change that.

[Copper]

I'm gonna go say hi.

[Silver]

You know, I think I could use the air. I'm getting up into my head with those cards, you know. Here, kitty, kitty.

[Glass]

Don't stay too long out there.

[Silver]

Be right back. Silver. We'll be fine.

[Copper]

Hi, nummies.

[Glass]

Glass. Can I move your card so I can put a sigil down?

[Silver]

Sure, just put them back into the.

[Glass]

Glass.

[Silver]

Good kitty.

[Copper]

Is Glass coming out here too? Silver, they.

[Glass]

They just walked around the post and they just disappeared.

[Amber]

What?

[Glass]

They were there one second and then they were gone. I don't.

[Amber]

Class. Hello?

[Glass]

Shoot. I knew we should have been quicker with those sigils.

[Silver]

Look at the fabric they were wrapped in. Whoa. And I'm back there again. In the meadow. I don't speak. I expect a spring, but there's always a possibility that it's a summer. Trying to trick me. So instead, I just wait. I look all around at the flowers and the blue sky. It looks almost normal. Green trees, white clouds. Hundreds and hundreds of little purple wildflowers. Asters, I think. And eventually they talk. Whoa. That's really weird. I can understand you. I'm not sure how that's happening. Are you. I mean, it almost sounds like you're speaking. How can I? I mean, I. I can't understand what you're saying. And that's weird. This has never happened to me before. It's not language. Not really. When I hear it, it's like the concepts are forming right in my head without words at all. And it feels warm somehow. You know when water is that temperature where the longer you keep your fingers in it, the less you can tell if it's warm or cool. But it's kinda nice either way. The voice. It's like that. Why did you brought me in here? And I don't know why. Yeah. I had a feeling the cards were you. You know, same meadow and everything. It's nice. It's a nice little place. But I am serious. I like it. It's beautiful. I should be getting back to my friends, though. I'm sure they're worried about me. What the. Sorry. I don't know about a bargain. I'm not really in the market for any kind of contract. I did like it. I mean, I've never been able to use magic before. I'm sure you don't mean I'd have the ability permanently. Oh, as long as we're in contact. Right. Would I? So if I could glimpse into the future, I assume I'd be able to see dangers before they Happen. And I could use that to help my friends. Then what would I want to know? What I would need to trade for that? That's not asking very much. Okay. Okay. Let me think. There's a hum in the air. I can feel it in the bottoms of my feet and in the back of my rib cage. Have you ever stood on a bridge? Dozens of feet above the water, actually. Sure. I don't see why not.

[Copper]

Glass, where are you?

[Amber]

This isn't funny anymore.

[Silver]

I'm over here. I'm over. Oh. Bye, kitty.

[Amber]

You're over here.

[Glass]

Glass. What in the sam hell happened?

[Silver]

I. I went somewhere else for a second.

[Glass]

Are you alright? Let me get a look at you.

[Silver]

I'm fine, Silver. I'm fine.

[Amber]

I told you it was a bad idea.

[Copper]

What happened?

[Silver]

I don't know. I was here and then I wasn't. It was like I slipped through a crack or something.

[Copper]

Was it one of them? What? House was it.

[Silver]

It. It wasn't one of them.

[Glass]

It wasn't?

[Silver]

Yeah. I thought it was two at first, but I think it was just. It was just me.

[Amber]

You. It was you. You slipped yourself out of reality.

[Silver]

Oh, I don't know. Stranger things have happened, I guess. And I'm back now, aren't I?

[Copper]

What did you see?

[Silver]

I saw. I saw the meadow from the cards from earlier. But I was only there for a second.

[Amber]

You were gone for like 15 minutes.

[Silver]

Oh, weird. Time slippage.

[Glass]

Time don't work the same everywhere. Let's get you back to the car. Copper and I could do some cleansing to make sure it don't happen again.

[Silver]

Works for me.

[Copper]

What are you writing?

[Silver]

Little story about something that happened when I was a kid.

[Copper]

Like a journal?

[Silver]

Something like that.

[Copper]

Seen anything on the cards?

[Silver]

Not recently. I can feel it, though.

[Amber]

When do I get magic?

[Glass]

Magic ain't all as cracked up to be, Amber. They can see you better when you do it.

[Amber]

Oh, no, they can see me. They could see me before, but it's worse this time somehow.

[Glass]

Amber.

[Amber]

I'm just joking.

[Silver]

How much danger would you guys put yourselves into to keep us safe?

[Glass]

As much as necessary.

[Silver]

Wow. All right.

[Glass]

I'm not trying to be too serious. I just care about you all a lot. I do just about anything to keep y'all from getting hurt.

[Amber]

I wouldn't. Screw you guys.

[Silver]

I think I do some pretty dumb stuff too, if it meant we'd be safer.

[Amber]

You do dumb stuff anyway.

[Silver]

Yeah.

[Copper]

I love you guys.

[Glass]

Love you too.

[Silver]

I love you too. Same.

[Amber]

Say it back.

[Silver]

All right. All right. Love you guys. You already know I too.

[Copper]

Why'd you rip it out?

[Silver]

I wanted to write a different one. I didn't like how it was turning out.

[Amber]

I'm bored. Can we sing something?

[Copper]

You don't have to ask us, Amber. You can just start.

[Silver]

Oh, turn right up here.

[Amber]

What? Why?

[Silver]

The bridge is out.

[Amber]

Oh, sure. Yeah.

[Copper]

Was that the future?

[Silver]

I think it was. Way down by the stream.

[Copper]

It will.

[Silver]

Seem once more just to dream in the moonlight my high.

[Copper]

With the dawn.

[Silver]

That you will be be gone but tonight you belong to me but tonight you belong to me.

[Anna McGuire]

Hymns for the Road is a podcast written and Produced by Anna McGuire. Starring Maurice Thomas as Silver, Pau Panganibon as Glass, Grizz Siebenek as Amber and Tabitha Bardol as Copper. Original music by Joshua David Mitchell. This episode's hymn is Tonight yout Belong to Me by Billy Rose and Lee David. Sign up for our [e-mail] or support our work on Patreon.com find us alive. Thank you for listening.

[Ryan]

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[Silver]

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