[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
past cash registers to purchase avocados or Kellogg s cereal at Wal-
Mart, K-Mart, Albertsons, or any grocery store. Why do these stores
carry such things? Because people believe them and buy them.
Hermione Granger, one of Harry s closest friends, excelled in sor-
cery studies above her peers. During her first year at Hogwarts:
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her
wand, and said, Wingardium Leviosa! Their feather rose
off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
Oh, well done! cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. Every-
24
one see here, Miss Granger s done it!
Here strong encouragement is given to those mastering the art of
witchcraft.
Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talis-
mans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the
25
school. More real objects again. Talismans and amulets often used
in astrology can easily be purchased online at any one of countless
occult web sites. In real occultism, practitioners advance from level to
66
THE P OTION: Mixing Fantasy With Reality
level, from beginners to experts. The exact same principle is taught
at Hogwarts. Concerned that Harry might be woefully unprepared for
his next encounter with Voldemort, one teacher offered him advanced
instruction:
Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated
Harry should do the same. The spell I am going to try and
teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry well beyond Or-
26
dinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm.
One mysterious day, Harry climbed a creaky stairway high in the
Hogwarts castle to the Tower Room for a private meeting with his Div-
ination teacher. Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large
27
crystal ball. Crystal balls are real occult objects used by fortune-
tellers the world over. After their brief visit, the following frightening
event scared Harry out of his wits:
Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a
loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. IT WILL HAPPEN
TONIGHT. Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had
gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her
mouth sagging. S-sorry? said Harry. But Professor
Trelawney didn t seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll.
Harry sat there in panic. She looked as though she was about
to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of run-
ning to the hospital wing and then Professor Trelawney
spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:
THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS,
ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT
HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS.
TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT& THE SERVANT WILL
BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER.
THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SER-
VANT S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN
EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT& BEFORE MIDNIGHT& THE
SERVANT WILL SET OUT& TO REJOIN& HIS MAS-
TER. Professor Trelawney s head fell forward onto her
67
Hou r of the Witch
chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Harry sat there,
staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney s
head snapped up again. I m so sorry, dear boy, she said
dreamily, the heat of the day, you know& I drifted off for a
28
moment.
Here Professor Trelawney slipped into a trance and a strange
voice hissed through her lips. In real life, this is called channeling. In
the last few years, many famous mediums Jane Roberts, Edgar
Cayce, J.Z. Knight, James Van Praagh, and John Edwards have sub-
mitted their bodies to become channels for eerie communications by
not-of-this-world entities. The human vessel loses consciousness while
another mind speaks through its vocal cords. It s true, in the Harry Pot-
ter books, Trelawney isn t exactly depicted as a reliable witch, yet even
Albus Dumbledore admitted that what occurred in the Tower Room
was not only a real prediction, but that perhaps he should offer her
29
a pay raise because of it! Thus the highly dangerous occult practice
of channeling unknown spirit entities is portrayed both accurately and
positively.
The list of parallels between the semi-fantasy world of Harry Pot-
ter and the real-life world of ancient and modern occultism is endless.
There s no question about it: J.K. Rowling knows her stuff. In fact,
much of the occult information inside the Potter novels is so real that
during one call-in radio interview an eager inquirer asked Rowling if
she herself was a member of the Craft. When she replied with an un-
expected No, the caller said, You ve done your homework quite
well. This person then expressed his deep love for the Harry Potter
books because they not only portray his own beliefs positively but were
making his daughter more comfortable with his involvement in real
30
witchcraft.
At the beginning of book three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, Harry is found lying on his stomach in bed, blankets drawn
over his head like a tent, so he can read A History of Magic by flash-
light without the Dursleys glimpsing any light under his bedroom door.
68
THE P OTION: Mixing Fantasy With Reality
His class assignment from Hogwarts was, Witch Burning in the Four-
teenth Century Was Completely Pointless discuss. Turning pages in
A History of Magic, Harry read:
Non-magic people (commonly known as Muggles) were par-
ticularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good
at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a
real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The
witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing
Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a
gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird en-
joyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be
31
caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.
Here s a perfect example of Rowling s Potion in action. Harry
read about medieval times when people were particularly afraid of
magic. Historically, this is true. Real witch trials and burnings have
occurred; especially from 1300 to 1600 (my purpose is not to justify
them). Then Mrs. Rowling does something so characteristic of her en-
tire Harry Potter series she trivializes reality by adding imaginary
and goofy elements that fool people into thinking that no serious im-
pressions are being made. But they are. Peeling away the fiction, what [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
past cash registers to purchase avocados or Kellogg s cereal at Wal-
Mart, K-Mart, Albertsons, or any grocery store. Why do these stores
carry such things? Because people believe them and buy them.
Hermione Granger, one of Harry s closest friends, excelled in sor-
cery studies above her peers. During her first year at Hogwarts:
Hermione rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her
wand, and said, Wingardium Leviosa! Their feather rose
off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.
Oh, well done! cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. Every-
24
one see here, Miss Granger s done it!
Here strong encouragement is given to those mastering the art of
witchcraft.
Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talis-
mans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the
25
school. More real objects again. Talismans and amulets often used
in astrology can easily be purchased online at any one of countless
occult web sites. In real occultism, practitioners advance from level to
66
THE P OTION: Mixing Fantasy With Reality
level, from beginners to experts. The exact same principle is taught
at Hogwarts. Concerned that Harry might be woefully unprepared for
his next encounter with Voldemort, one teacher offered him advanced
instruction:
Professor Lupin had taken out his own wand, and indicated
Harry should do the same. The spell I am going to try and
teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry well beyond Or-
26
dinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm.
One mysterious day, Harry climbed a creaky stairway high in the
Hogwarts castle to the Tower Room for a private meeting with his Div-
ination teacher. Professor Trelawney sat waiting for him before a large
27
crystal ball. Crystal balls are real occult objects used by fortune-
tellers the world over. After their brief visit, the following frightening
event scared Harry out of his wits:
Harry got up, picked up his bag and turned to go, but then a
loud, harsh voice spoke behind him. IT WILL HAPPEN
TONIGHT. Harry wheeled around. Professor Trelawney had
gone rigid in her armchair; her eyes were unfocused and her
mouth sagging. S-sorry? said Harry. But Professor
Trelawney didn t seem to hear him. Her eyes started to roll.
Harry sat there in panic. She looked as though she was about
to have some sort of seizure. He hesitated, thinking of run-
ning to the hospital wing and then Professor Trelawney
spoke again, in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own:
THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS,
ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT
HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS.
TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT& THE SERVANT WILL
BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER.
THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SER-
VANT S AID, GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN
EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT& BEFORE MIDNIGHT& THE
SERVANT WILL SET OUT& TO REJOIN& HIS MAS-
TER. Professor Trelawney s head fell forward onto her
67
Hou r of the Witch
chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Harry sat there,
staring at her. Then, quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney s
head snapped up again. I m so sorry, dear boy, she said
dreamily, the heat of the day, you know& I drifted off for a
28
moment.
Here Professor Trelawney slipped into a trance and a strange
voice hissed through her lips. In real life, this is called channeling. In
the last few years, many famous mediums Jane Roberts, Edgar
Cayce, J.Z. Knight, James Van Praagh, and John Edwards have sub-
mitted their bodies to become channels for eerie communications by
not-of-this-world entities. The human vessel loses consciousness while
another mind speaks through its vocal cords. It s true, in the Harry Pot-
ter books, Trelawney isn t exactly depicted as a reliable witch, yet even
Albus Dumbledore admitted that what occurred in the Tower Room
was not only a real prediction, but that perhaps he should offer her
29
a pay raise because of it! Thus the highly dangerous occult practice
of channeling unknown spirit entities is portrayed both accurately and
positively.
The list of parallels between the semi-fantasy world of Harry Pot-
ter and the real-life world of ancient and modern occultism is endless.
There s no question about it: J.K. Rowling knows her stuff. In fact,
much of the occult information inside the Potter novels is so real that
during one call-in radio interview an eager inquirer asked Rowling if
she herself was a member of the Craft. When she replied with an un-
expected No, the caller said, You ve done your homework quite
well. This person then expressed his deep love for the Harry Potter
books because they not only portray his own beliefs positively but were
making his daughter more comfortable with his involvement in real
30
witchcraft.
At the beginning of book three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban, Harry is found lying on his stomach in bed, blankets drawn
over his head like a tent, so he can read A History of Magic by flash-
light without the Dursleys glimpsing any light under his bedroom door.
68
THE P OTION: Mixing Fantasy With Reality
His class assignment from Hogwarts was, Witch Burning in the Four-
teenth Century Was Completely Pointless discuss. Turning pages in
A History of Magic, Harry read:
Non-magic people (commonly known as Muggles) were par-
ticularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good
at recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a
real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The
witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing
Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a
gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird en-
joyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be
31
caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.
Here s a perfect example of Rowling s Potion in action. Harry
read about medieval times when people were particularly afraid of
magic. Historically, this is true. Real witch trials and burnings have
occurred; especially from 1300 to 1600 (my purpose is not to justify
them). Then Mrs. Rowling does something so characteristic of her en-
tire Harry Potter series she trivializes reality by adding imaginary
and goofy elements that fool people into thinking that no serious im-
pressions are being made. But they are. Peeling away the fiction, what [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]