Fawkes' Tail Feather - Yin Yang symbology?

[nightngle]

No: HPFGUIDX 43122

Hi! I'm new to the group, and hope that all will bear with me while I 
gain my sea legs in the streams of thoughts here! :)

This thread is near and dear to my heart, since it echos a theme that 
I've been thinking about since reading the first book. It's a bit 
lengthy...

I look at Harry and Voldemort, espeically in light of the wands, 
being Yin/Yang to each other.

An excellent summary of the yin yang symbol can be found here:
 http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/yinyang.htm

Yin and Yang are not as simple as merely being "good vs bad", the 
duality of life isn't a list of all things good and all things bad, 
but rather the complimentarity that is necessary for life itself to 
exist. To be alive, we can't be stagnant, we have to be in a state of 
equilibrium; we breathe in, we breathe out - all aspects of ourselves 
are valuable.

The schools of Hogwarts can be seen in terms of yin/yang - Slytherin, 
can be seen as feminine - Yin - curious, devious (in a good way ;), 
using intellect and cunning, resourseful, and importance of the 
goal)  It's colors are green (healing!, posion, money - in European 
mythology, the green knight is one that represents the early stage of 
development; one who has committed to the path of enlightenment) and 
silver (the moon, reflective). The snake is a symbol not only of 
devious evil, but of rebirth (the snake sheds it's skin in a cyclical 
way), and is often associated with the masculine.

Gryffindor, can be seen as masculine - Yang - brave, daring, direct. 
It's colors are red (blood, fire - warmth and the power to destroy as 
well are refine and transform, life, anger, the symbol for sacrifice, 
Mars) and gold (the sun, wealth, wholeness). The lion - brave, 
fierce, yet a cat is often seen to represent the feminine. Fawkes is 
Gryffindor's phoenix, and is a dramatic symbol of rebirth.

Green and Red are complimentary to each other, as silver and gold are.

In a yin/yang symbol, there is also a small circle of the opposite 
color in each of the fish shapes within the circle. A feminine aspect 
in the masculine and a masculine aspect within the feminine. We have 
the potential to understand each other because we have elements of 
the other within us.

Ravenclaw, becomes the "lesser yin" the feminine within the masculine 
Gryffindor - clever, intelligent, . It's colors are blue (sky and 
sea/height and depth, representing Mary/mother, cleansing, calm, 
intuitive) and bronze. Symbolized by the eagle - the soul, flight, 
the spiritual rather than the material, soaring close to the sun.

Huffelpuff, becomes the "lesser yang" - hardworking, loyal, and just. 
It's colors are yellow (sun, the ability to see or understand, life 
giving, hopeful) and black. The badger is noted for it's 
tenaciousness.

Blue and yellow are nearly complimentary to each other, just as they 
have compliment with the other houses.

This has been noted in other messages here as well - Harry has green 
eyes to Voldemort's red eyes; the red and green sparks from their 
respective wands - show us the complimentarity again. Each has 
aspects of the other within them.

Why do both Harry and Voldemort have brother wands? Perhaps, they are 
embodiments of the Yin and Yang; and indeed it's their choices that 
make them good or evil. Both the phoenix and serpent being symbols of 
rebirth make it a pretty powerful connection, in my eyes. Yet, each 
aspect is needed for balance. Interesting and intreguing to me are 
the reactions of Dumbledore and Sirius to Voldemort using Harry's 
blood - it's rather ambiguous; Dumbledore flashes on a look of 
triumph, but then looks old and weary. We'll have to wait and see 
what that really means.

But, perhaps, if there is a plan, it is to add "balance" to the 
wizarding world (sorry for the brush with a Star Wars reference - but 
George Lucas is highly interested in mythology as is JKR, so there 
will inevitably be some similarities). But what comes next? Do Harry 
and Voldemort cancel each other out in the end? Do they transcent 
duality in the final confrontation?

This is a terrific article on some of the mythologic aspects of the 
books from a Jungian perspective.
http://www.cgjungpage.org/grynbaumpotter.html

Thanks for listening...

Nightengale Murphy