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Prophecy 
Cara Soror, 
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. 
Perhaps it will be best to begin by setting down the 
necessary conditions for a genuine prophecy. We shall find 
that most of the famous predictions are excluded without 
need of more specific examination. 
Bu t-priority, 
please, as usual, for the etymology. 
Prophecy means 'forth-speaking', 
more or less equal to 
'inspired'. It has nothing to do with foretelling the future, 
though it may do so, as it may do anything, being only the 
ravings of a poet, drunkard, or madman. (You remember how 
Saul came upon a company of youths all prophesying away 
together to beat the band, and joined the merry throng. So 
people said, "Is Saul also among the Prophets?" meaning a 
man capable of the "divine" intoxication of love, song, 
eloquence, or whatever else enthusiastic might possess him. 
Men seized by the afflatus were found to be capable of 
extraordinary exploits; hence the condition was admired and 
envied by the average clod. Also, imitated by the average 
crook!) 
For all that, I am going for once to yield to popular 
clamour, and use words in their popular sense. That seems to 
me, roughly this: Prediction is a forecast based on reason, 
prophecy one which claims the warrant of "magical" powers. 
You agree? Then we can get on. 
1. The prophecy must announce itself as such. We cannot 
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