Melifeather

1 hour ago, LynnS said:

That's really interesting.  I don't imagine the COTF belting out Walking on Sunshine.  Their songs might be more in tune with the sounds of nature; waves or vibrations that can be manipulated or amplified.  

Wouldn't it be something if the singing of the COTF were a deep, BRAAAAAAH like didgeridoo!

The Earth hums due to a phenomenon known as “microseisms,” which are low-frequency, long-period seismic waves that constantly reverberate through the planet's crust.

Even without earthquakes, seismometers constantly record seismic energy. They record periods of oscillations about every 6 seconds as background noise.

Earth hum was once thought to be very mysterious in nature. It went unexplained for decades. But now scientists discovered that these oscillations are due to ocean waves constantly crashing into continents.

Ocean waves pound continents vibrating like a bell. Then land masses shake back and forth like a metronome. And during storms, it worsens as the reverberations are amplified.

The universe is filled with a constant hum of gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the universe, caused by the motion of giant, accelerating celestial bodies. They travel through space-time like waves in an ocean, but at the speed of light. 

There's an electrical hum in most animals, including ourselves. Purposeful humming can also help cleanse and detoxify the body by allowing more airflow in the lymphatic system. It eases stress and improves your mood. Yogis have long used humming to wind down and relax the nervous system. They call it "bhramari pranayama". “Bhramari” is derived from the Sanskrit word for bee. It works, because humming causes turbulence in the nasal cavity, which increases the release of a powerful molecule known as nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, meaning it helps blood flow more easily through the body.

Speaking of your Maori and Aboriginal peoples...the first thing that comes to my mind is that deep throated sound the Didgeridoo makes.

And lets not forget about hummingbirds...

We've got a formerly respected tv news journalist (now ridiculed conspiracy theorist) over here in Minnesota that made a "documentary" (and I mean that generously) about the "fall" of Minneapolis when people rioted after George Floyd was killed by police. 1300 businesses were damaged with about 100 being severely or completely destroyed including three post offices. I'm not trying to downplay the damage nor do I agree with the rioters, but when a city "falls" then I would expect that the attackers would then gain control over the city which didn't happen. In many people's minds they (still) believe Minneapolis "fell" and that it is now a dangerous place largely left in ruins and run by gangs which would be news to the thousands of people who actually live and work there. Granted, the people that believe this are from rural areas of the state and avoid downtown, preferring to stick to the suburbs to get their Scheels and Fleet Farm shopping done. I'm only using this as an example of how something can be described as "fallen" when it obviously remains intact.

Yeah, that does seem to be an accidental slip, however I guess it depends upon the definition of "fall". Technically the Wall did fall as soon as LC Jon Snow allowed the wildlings through the tunnels. Yes, there are still things beyond the Wall like the wight army that are (for now) still being contained, but with wildlings on the south side now, I would not be surprised if Winds begins with wights on the south side as well.

I also still like an old theory of LynnS where she posited that the Wall is blowing away, that originally the Wall drew the cold unto itself accumulating ice and snow through the ages, but that the blizzard that is now emanating - seemingly through Winterfell - is evidence that the reverse is happening. It is expelling itself in the form of a blizzard and blowing away - which would be a fulfillment of this Mirri Maz prophecy:

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"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," said Mirri Maz Duur. "When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before."

 

When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east is a reversal of time.

When the seas go dry could mean the Narrow Sea and other large bodies of water freezing over and allowing people to walk across.

"Mountains" blow in the wind like leaves could be explained as the Wall disintegrating and blowing away.

On 4/4/2024 at 2:34 PM, Phylum of Alexandria said:

We really know nothing about who the real Jesus was. The first available Christian writings aren't concerned with a Jesus who had recently preached in Galilee, but of a cosmic savior coming to bring judgment at the end of days. More like the archangel Michael, or how the Essene's wrote about the high priest Melchizedek.

The gospels put Jesus in a specific place and time in Judea, but they came decades later, and their contents are highly symbolic. It's mostly pseudo-history, used by the authors to advance (competing) moral arguments.

Not to say that there can't be real historical nuggets embedded in the apocalyptic character, or the gospels. But if there are, the specifics are lost in the fog of history. What the early Christian scriptures tell us most about are the beliefs and concerns of the emerging Christian communities themselves. But even then, not the earliest ones. Paul is our earliest authentic scribe, and he himself admitted he was a latecomer.

What we call the early Christians were people who still identified with Judaism. Many of the letters between Paul and the various congregations were clarifications of the law as written in the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) which comprise the Torah. These books dictate how to atone for particular sins and the sacrifices needed in order to receive forgiveness which included animal sacrifices and burnt offerings of grain, etc. Paul instructed these congregations that sacrifices were no longer needed since Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, but they still requested guidance on a number of practices that were common to the Jewish faith such as abstaining from eating blood or anything strangled, avoiding bigamy and other sexual immorality, and prohibiting idol worship. The early Jews knew of Jesus and believed he was a prophet, but the large majority didn't believe he was the Messiah. The Jews that believed Jesus was their Messiah began referring to themselves as those who followed "The Way". The earliest known use the term Christianity wasn't until 100 years after Jesus's death.

42 minutes ago, Bironic said:

And here I thought Jesus is symbolized by fish because Ichtys (greek for fish) is a greek abbreviation for Jesus son of god my savior or something along the lines coupled with the biblical stories of the two fish that became so many that they could feed thousands and the fact that Simon Petrus was a fisher whom Jesus told that he will fish "men" in the future...

Can we not leave MLK alone? the guy has done more than enough... He doesn't deserve to end up as the figure head of the next crazy cult...

Well if humanity survives until 2150, the sea levels will rise so much due to climate change that most people (Florida!) will probably live in the age of aquariums...

It’s just something that I was wondering about. I’m afraid I’m an avid reader and love history as well as historical fiction. You actually learn allot about history reading historical fiction! I just see the overall „issue“ of our age to be equal rights for everyone and the age of Aquarius is supposed to be a time of enlightenment both spiritually and figuratively. MLK embodies the time we live in.

As for the debate about fishes…I can just imagine the Romans thinking how perfectly the symbolism worked out. I could do a deep dive on this particular subject alone, but I’m just now walking into work!

3 hours ago, Mr. Chatywin et al. said:

56 years later:

Crazy that he gave this speech the day before he was assassinated. Makes you wonder if a few of us are touched by a divinity most can't and aren't meant to ever understand. 

Martin Luther King Jr has been on my mind lately as well. I have been wondering lately if years from now people will believe he was the "Messiah" for the Age of Aquarius just as Jesus was for the Age of Pisces (2 fishes). I feel I must insert that I am not religious nor do I believe Jesus was a god, but I do believe that the Bible is a collection of historical records and should be viewed as a large history book assembled by the Council of Nicaea in 325 common era at the directive of the Roman emperor Constantine.

The "good news" that Jesus was known for has been distorted over time. He was actually a political activist preaching about debt - financial debt that used to be forgiven every Jubilee year. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the jubilee was a time to free slaves, to return land to its rightful owners, and to forgive debts. It was both a time of repentance when injustices were put right and the symbolic beginning of a new era. It was also how rulers were overthrown with the new ruler promising to bring about a Jubilee year - a tradition that the Romans abolished in 313 common era. Is it a coincidence that the council of Nicaea followed so closely after? The Romans created the Christian faith (and gave it a home base in Italy) in order to control the messaging - a sophisticated propaganda campaign that rewrote Jesus's message of forgiveness. How clever of the Romans to turn the message of financial debt forgiveness into the forgiveness of venial sins.

The Romans based Christianity on the Zodiac knowing that the symbolism would appeal to the masses which followed a variety of gods including horoscopes. Jesus is symbolized by two fish (Pisces) which matched up with the current astrological age in which they were living (1 CE to 2150 CE). The precession of the equinoxes are roughly 2150 years until we move from one astrological age to the next. In the Bible, Luke 22:10 confirmed that the next "age" would be Aquarius. It states, “When you have entered the city, a man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters."

We have about 150 years before we are officially in the age of Aquarius. Maybe some political giant as clever as the Romans will make MLK or someone like him be the prophet of this age?

I saw something else when I was looking at the timeline...Pycelle told Tyrion that he helped Jon Arryn die. Lyssa Arryn takes credit for giving him the tears of Lys, but Pycelle told Tyrion that Maester Colemon was treating him properly, but that the Queen (Cersei) needed him dead. 

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A Clash of Kings - Tyrion VI

Tyrion tsked at him. "I saw the tears of Lys among your potions. And you sent away Lord Arryn's own maester and tended him yourself, so you could make certain that he died."

"A falsehood!"

"Shave him closer," Tyrion suggested. "The throat again."

The axe swept back down, rasping over the skin. A thin film of spit bubbled on Pycelle's lips as his mouth trembled. "I tried to save Lord Arryn. I vow—"

"Careful now, Shagga, you've cut him."

Shagga growled. "Dolf fathered warriors, not barbers."

When he felt the blood trickling down his neck and onto his chest, the old man shuddered, and the last strength went out of him. He looked shrunken, both smaller and frailer than he had been when they burst in on him. "Yes," he whimpered, "yes, Colemon was purging, so I sent him away. The queen needed Lord Arryn dead, she did not say so, could not, Varys was listening, always listening, but when I looked at her I knew. It was not me who gave him the poison, though, I swear it." The old man wept. "Varys will tell you, it was the boy, his squire, Hugh he was called, he must surely have done it, ask your sister, ask her."

Tyrion was disgusted. "Bind him and take him away," he commanded. "Throw him down in one of the black cells."

 

Ironically, I think Pycelle made an assumption that it was the Queen that had Jon Arryn poisoned.

23 hours ago, LongRider said:

That's interesting, but then what?  Did Tyrion poison Tywin at the wedding while Sansa poisoned Joffery?   

I don't think the text describes in detail when Tyrion poisoned his father. The only text that I've uncovered so far are the two passages that are two Tyrion chapters apart in A Storm of Swords. It's interesting that the claim by Pycelle that Tyrion stole his poisons is from Swords Tyrion IX (chapter 66) while the line about knowing where to find his father (on the privy) is Swords Tyrion XI (chapter 77). I would call this a very subtle revelation. Yes, Pycelle claims Tyrion took all his poisons, but by the time we get to Tyrion XI and the line about knowing where to find his father, we dismiss the line because its been several chapters from the accusation that we sort of forget about it and then Tywin didn't actually die from poisoning and maybe this is why Tyrion decided he needed to make sure the job was finished before he left?

Here's a handy link for chapters.

Joffrey's poisoning occurs prior to Tywin's assassination by Tyrion, but Tyrion (while acting as Hand during his father's absence) took Pycelle's poisons from him in A Clash of Kings - the book before Swords. Pycelle isn't restored to his position to make his complaint against Tyrion until Tywin returns as Hand in Swords. 

Tywin's poisoning is probably one of the three-fold revelations that we were discussing up thread. I'm thinking we remove the Cressen poisoning from the group and make Tywin's poisoning the first and most subtle of the three. Joffrey's poisoning would remain as the second and more blatant poisoning, with Ser Gregor Clegane remaining as the third and most spelled out poisoning.

On 3/1/2024 at 8:52 PM, Nevets said:

Given the POV structure, how would we find out if Tywin was poisoned?  Oberyn is dead, Tywin is also dead, and buried.  Plus, it would effectively absolve Tyrion of responsibility for his father's death, and that's not the GRRM way.  He may have had health issues, plus if he isn't in bed or visible in the room, the privy is all that's left.

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A Storm of Swords - Tyrion IX

Then they brought forth Grand Maester Pycelle, leaning heavily on a twisted cane and shaking as he walked, a few white hairs sprouting from his long chicken's neck. He had grown too frail to stand, so the judges permitted a chair to be brought in for him, and a table as well. On the table were laid a number of small jars. Pycelle was pleased to put a name to each.

"Greycap," he said in a quavery voice, "from the toadstool. Nightshade, sweetsleep, demon's dance. This is blindeye. Widow's blood, this one is called, for the color. A cruel potion. It shuts down a man's bladder and bowels, until he drowns in his own poisons. This wolfsbane, here basilisk venom, and this one the tears of Lys. Yes. I know them all. The Imp Tyrion Lannister stole them from my chambers, when he had me falsely imprisoned."

 

4 hours ago, Castellan said:

I thought it was accepted that he'd been poisoned - there is mention in the text of such a poison, that closes the bowels. Oberyn is in KL for revenge (despite his silly brother's instructions). Oberyn was scandalous even in Dorne because he didn't fight fair duels - he poisoned his spear so if he lost, his enemy died anyway. He has done this to Gregor and he made sure Tywin dies too. It would be easy for him - slip it into a goblet, a la Olenna.

The only thing is that after Tyrion enters the room and sees Shae there and strangles her, the text goes something like 'he found his father where he knew he would be - in the privy." This could be interpreted as the only place that he could be, since he is not in the main room. Or it could be argued that Tyrion must have been the one who poisoned him, an we know Tyrion has a stock of poison. But I think Tyrion has deduced that if Oberyn made sure of Gregor's death he would also make sure of Tywin's. I have to admit there is a bit of a flaw in my argument there as how would he know its a poison that would drive him to the toilet? Unless Oberyn gave him an actual hint, of course.

 

Here it is:

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A Storm of Swords - Tyrion XI

Waddling to the door, he listened a moment, then eased it open slowly. A lamp burned in a stone niche, casting wan yellow light over the empty hallway. Only the flame was moving. Tyrion slid out, holding the crossbow down against his leg.

 

He found his father where he knew he'd find him, seated in the dimness of the privy tower, bedrobe hiked up around his hips. At the sound of steps, Lord Tywin raised his eyes.

 

13 hours ago, Castellan said:

I thought its just sposed to be those vulgar upstart Tyrells (they started up centuries ago when a steward became a master but that's still how they are painted) showing off, can't give a cheap present after all, and celebrating that they are now going to be part of a new royal dynasty (once Margaery has a child).

I did at one point wonder if it had a secret little well in its inner wall so that someone could release poison inside by pushing a certain jewel of fiddling with a handle or something, but its not feasible as there's a chance some smart person might decide to examine it extremely carefully and also you have to have someone make it for you, and that's too big a risk.

That'd be cool though!

I don't know if its supposed to be a tradition to share goblets when toasting or for a bride and groom to share one at their wedding feast, but there does seem to be something "blatant" and "spelled out" with regards to having a three-foot tall golden wedding chalice with seven bejeweled sides and large handles on either side. The description sounds like a championship trophy! It's an attention grabber. It screams off the page to pay attention to the huge-ass chalice!  

1 hour ago, Lyanna<3Rhaegar said:

Could it be Tywin? Doesn't really fit in that GRRM doesn't spell it out for us but I've seen quite a few theories suggesting Tywin was poisoned prior to Tyrion cross bowing him. 

I had read something too...something that made him constipated and that is why he was sitting so long on the toilet in the first place. I'm assuming the gut shot is why Tywin smelled so bad and the large amount of stool in his colon. 

6 hours ago, Hippocras said:

Oberyn’s use of poison was a different kind, so the third step might actually be still to come. I would not be against a mass strangler murder (in the story, not real life, where i am always against mass murder) in one particular House…

 

In terms of the story however, it might make most sense for Cersei to be the next one to use the Strangler. She has a history of almost using poison when things get dire, and she has a way of taking things used against her and learning from them. So maybe we should fear for the Tyrells or the Faith Millitant rather than the Freys.

This too bothered me all evening. I'd like to retract my post for now.

Oberyn used venom. Then I thought the third was Jon Arryn, but Lyssa used Tears of Lys on him. 

GRRM does utilize a three-fold strategy, but I think I used an incomplete example. This doesn't change my thoughts that Melisandre's shared cup with Cressen was intended to be similar to Joffrey's poisoning though. Like you say, perhaps there will be a third one yet to come.

I should add that the three-fold strategy unfolded in this order:

The first, subtle - Cressen tried to poison Melisandre. (A Clash of Kings, Prologue) The killer is killed.

The second, blatant - Lady Olenna poisons Joffrey. (A Storm of Swords, chapter 60) The killer (via a proxy) kills their intended target.

The third, spelling it out - Oberyn poisoned Ser Gregor. (A Storm of Swords, chapter 70) The killer ends up killed, but still manages to poison their target.

Sorry for all the edits...just small corrections in grammar and one book!

19 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

@Melifeather I agree on a lot of things here, such as the importance of timing. I also agree that the chalice was meant to provoke and distract. But the cup Melisandre drank from was not exceptionally ornate or deep. I really don't think that GRRM made two scenarios with deliberate similarities, but that require different explanations. To me an antidote is more convincing because it applies potentially to both scenarios, not just the one.

GRRM's editor Anne Groell once said:

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...it is easier to tell when he’s overplaying a hand and revealing things too early if you don’t actually know going in what will happen. That said, now that I’ve realized his three-fold revelation strategy, I see it in play almost every time. The first, subtle hint for the really astute readers, followed later by the more blatant hint for the less attentive, followed by just spelling it out for everyone else. It’s a brilliant strategy, and highly effective.

I do believe that Cressen's attempted poisoning of Melisandre is one of GRRM's three-fold revelation strategies. I guess technically you could say this is a murder-suicide since surely Cressen understood he would die when he drank the rest of the wine. He was just hoping Melisandre died too.

Joffrey's poisoning took out the intended target and concealed the killer. It was a successful murder and the killer went free which suggests that there was a third murder attempt by poison, that ends with the death of the killer...and there is such an account: Oberyn Martell. Oberyn poisoned his lance prior to fighting Ser Gregor Clegane - its what nearly killed Gregor and placed him into the "healing" hands of Qyburn who turned him into Ser Robert Strong. Oberyn, of course, was killed when Ser Gregor crushed his head.

The wedding chalice symbolically represents the game of thrones. It has seven sides that might even represent the Andal Faith of Seven, with the seven major houses: Lannister (ruby lion), Tyrell (emerald rose), Baratheon (onyx stag), Tully (silver trout), Arryn (blue jade falcon), Martell (opal sun), and Stark (pearl direwolf). They're all playing games in order to gain power and it cannot look deliberate. The best game players, by all appearances, look innocent.

12 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

Alright well, interpretation in absence of info I guess. But if i knew there was poison in a cup I would not depend on intangibles like bottom settling or dissolution speed. I would just not drink, because mixing and spread could not be predicted or controled.

Yet I do agree that nothing has been directly said about either an antidote or dissolution time so it is up to us to pick our preferred idea.

Let's pretend we're the Tyrels for a moment and that we did plot Joffrey's poisoning. How would the preparations go?

The 3-ft golden chalice with the seven bejeweled sides is an over-the-top gaudy wedding gift that was sure to capture a teenaged king's attention and likely insure that he'd want to drink from it - actually, he probably was obliged to drink from it since it was a gift intended to be used during the wedding feast.

Its sheer size offers concealment in more than one way. When placed in front of you, you cannot see down inside. The solid gold would only shade the wine inside from light. It also insures that a full flagon is needed to fill it. If Joff managed to finish the first cup, he'd be sure to be intoxicated and less likely to notice anything amiss.

Having Margaery share it - deliberately seen drinking from the same cup makes it appear safe. Surely the Tyrells wouldn't use a shared cup to poison Joffrey! That is why timing is so important. Margaery needed to be seen drinking from the same cup, but then a plan needed to be in place for when the cupbearer put the poison in: the toasts. They were waiting until the customary time to toast the bride and groom.

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"My lord," Margaery said, "we should return to our places. Lord Buckler wants to toast us."

15 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

Neither did I with the gnat. It was an outside party with colourful cups.

 

I could see it from above before taking a sip. And as the chalice would have been wider at the top than the cup I had, I genuinely think they would see a seed in there too.

But would you see anything at the bottom of a three foot tall golden chalice filled with red wine? I think that was actually the point of Mace Tyrell having such a large thing constructed. The chalice itself was deliberately made in order to disguise the poison.

A three-foot tall chalice that Tyrion mutters is taller than he is... question - when Joffrey upended it over Tyrion's head, did he let go of the chalice let it fall to the ground?

It's not clear how the chalice ended up on the floor, but when Joffrey demanded Tyrion pick it up, he kicked it away from Tyrion's hands. After Tyrion retrieved it, he takes the flagon from (I'm assuming) Joffrey's cupbearer, fills it 3/4's full, and then wonders if he's going to get another wine bath. Does this sound like the opportune time for Tyrion to drop the Strangler into the chalice? If you've only got one shot, you don't take it when you think it's just going to get dumped on your head again. I think this passage clears Tyrion as a suspect. Added to that, the chalice is as tall or taller than Tyrion. When it was on the table the rim would have been way over Tyrion's head. If Tyrion dropped the Strangler into the chalice, it would have had to be done during when he retrieved the chalice off the floor or when he refilled it.

Refilling it must have been a challenge too. How did Tyrion hold the chalice and refill it and drop in the Strangler? Did he place the chalice on the floor while he poured the wine? At first I thought he placed the empty cup on the table and then filled it, but that would have been physically impossible for someone so short. No, Tyrion retrieved the cup from under the table. Joffrey demands that he refill it. Tyrion takes the flagon from the cupbearer and fills the chalice 3/4 full. Joffrey takes the chalice, drinks deep - as deep as someone can when they're tipping a 3-foot high chalice 3/4's full, and places it upon the table in front of Tyrion. It's not until Joffrey decides to shove his hand into Tyrion's pie that he tries to finish the wine and it pours down his face.

If Joffrey was the target and the poison was in the pie, why was it Tyrion's piece that had it?

I remain firmly convinced that Joffrey was the target, that the Strangler was dropped in the wine flagon by his cupbearer, and not in the pie. I also suspect that Margaery understood when the Strangler would be placed in the wine and that is why she was calling Joffrey back to his seat for a toast. She too would not want the wine wasted on top of Tyrion's head.

Okay, this next part confirms my suspicions that the 3ft tall chalice was the one used at the wedding:

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Sansa pretended that she had not heard.

"Margaery and I shall drink deep at the feast, good father." Joffrey lifted the chalice above his head, for everyone to admire.

"The damned thing's as tall as I am," Tyrion muttered in a low voice. "Half a chalice and Joff will be falling down drunk."

 

And this...

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A Storm of Swords - Tyrion VIII

He and Sansa had been seated far to the king's right, beside Ser Garlan Tyrell and his wife, the Lady Leonette. A dozen others sat closer to Joffrey, which a pricklier man might have taken for a slight, given that he had been the King's Hand only a short time past. Tyrion would have been glad if there had been a hundred.

"Let the cups be filled!" Joffrey proclaimed, when the gods had been given their due. His cupbearer poured a whole flagon of dark Arbor red into the golden wedding chalice that Lord Tyrell had given him that morning. The king had to use both hands to lift it. "To my wife the queen!"

"Margaery!" the hall shouted back at him. "Margaery! Margaery! To the queen!" A thousand cups rang together, and the wedding feast was well and truly begun. Tyrion Lannister drank with the rest, emptying his cup on that first toast and signaling for it to be refilled as soon as he was seated again.

 

I am delighted to have proof that Joffrey had a cupbearer and that a flagon could fill this giant, three-foot wedding chalice.

12 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

I guess I just think the theory the strangler poison dissolves slowly is doubtful because I think noone would risk using it if it were that slow. Too much risk of being caught. Wine is translucent and I know that I have had a tiny gnat fly into my wine outside before and seen it right away. So even if there was a seed sized crystal in my wine, that I would also see. The only way the poison is useful is if it dissolves fast IMO.

I think it’s likely that this was the wedding chalice:

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A Storm of Swords - Sansa IV

Sansa reddened. She glanced nervously at Tyrion, afraid of what he might say. This could turn as nasty as the bedding had at their own feast. But for once the dwarf filled his mouth with wine instead of words.

Lord Mace Tyrell came forward to present his gift: a golden chalice three feet tall, with two ornate curved handles and seven faces glittering with gemstones. "Seven faces for Your Grace's seven kingdoms," the bride's father explained. He showed them how each face bore the sigil of one of the great houses: ruby lion, emerald rose, onyx stag, silver trout, blue jade falcon, opal sun, and pearl direwolf.

"A splendid cup," said Joffrey, "but we'll need to chip the wolf off and put a squid in its place, I think."

 

4 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

I guess I just think the theory the strangler poison dissolves slowly is doubtful because I think noone would risk using it if it were that slow. Too much risk of being caught. Wine is translucent and I know that I have had a tiny gnat fly into my wine outside before and seen it right away. So even if there was a seed sized crystal in my wine, that I would also see. The only way the poison is useful is if it dissolves fast IMO.

I don't think they typically use glass goblets. More likely silver or bejeweled.

3 minutes ago, Hippocras said:

No, I think her vision made it clear which poison.

The Ghost of High Heart saw a maid with purple serpents in her hair. Let's say Mel saw something similar. Even though she did not see the vision as if it were a movie, directly showing Cressen choosing strangler crystals, if she saw purple serpents and wine, I would say it is relatively easy to narrow down which poison was intended.

True, the Ghost of High Heart (who many suspect was a child of the forest with the gift of green dreams) did say she saw a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, dripping with venom, but she never offers an interpretation. As for Melisandre's vision of Cressen - we'll never know, because we weren't privy to any of it on the page. You are filling in some blanks here but, if that's how you interpret it who am I to say that you are wrong?