[HPforGrownups] re: The Spiritual Symbolism of HP (was: The Philosopher's Stone)

[Ibot Bracchae-Breves]

No: HPFGUIDX 56071


Gwendolyn Grace wrote -

Yes, there's a great deal of symbolism in the books, but where I object to the (predominantly) Christian readings of the books is that most of those symbols are *much* older than Christianity, and at *no* time have those symbols been exclusively Christian.

Alson wrote -

I take your point about the history of the symbols, and there is such a huge amount of imagery in the books that could be taken symbolically its not difficult to selectively pick out those which tend to confirm your own particular preferred viewpoint. 

My response –

Thanks for those comments. I think the point is that Dr Rowling is deliberately using universal symbols so that no group will be offended. The moment she uses an overtly Christian symbol there will be violent reactions from the Moslem world, from communist countries like China, and many other groups and individuals. HP is enormously popular in Asia because the symbols are so universal! 

I also agree that many traditional Christian symbols were adopted from earlier religions by the early church. For example I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) the phoenix originated in ancient Egypt, although I’ve also seen it in ancient Japanese things as well. Similarly the Griffin seems to have originated in the ancient Middle East many thousands of years ago. In the middle ages Christian leaders chose the griffin as a symbol of Christ because with its lion feet it touched the earth and with its wings it touched heaven, showing the supremacy of Christ over heaven and earth.

My theory is that there is a kind of alternate universe, a parallel universe existing alongside ours. Dr Rowling has either consciously or unconsciously touched upon that universe. My theory is that the very deepest spiritual essence of the human being originated in the Other Universe. Although in our universe we are mortal and morally weak, I believe that throughout myriads of millennia the brothers and sisters we left behind in the Other Universe keep trying to call us back. All religions are human reactions to the call to return. "The Call" is in the form of symbols, which address the subconscious mind of every human being. The archetypes in the collective subconscious I believe are a kind of blueprint or roadmap for the return to the Other universe.

Every impulse from the Other universe results in a very powerful reaction in the human race. Time and space do not have barriers for the people in the Other universe, and so these impulses are spaced many hundreds of years apart. Whether it’s the ancient Egyptian religion or that of the Aztecs or Taoism or Christianity, the teachings are always in symbolic form and they always speak to the archetypes in the subconscious. Dr Rowling in my humble opinion is bringing a new call from the Other universe to shake humanity awake and create a longing to return there. So far the four books have been an exact road map to make the journey. In my first message I pointed out that each book brings liberation to Harry, the new-born soul which is the heir of the Other universe.

Alison wrote –

I found Hans’ explanation of the way he sees the symbolic aspects fascinating and, in my view, his interpretation does not try to force the books into being a simplistic or purely Christian story but draws out those elements while allowing other readings as equally valid. I do think we need to keep open minds about this as it is such a complex area. 


My response – 

I’m thrilled about this reaction! I couldn’t agree more with Alison.


Gwendolyn Grace -

While we can debate whether fantasy has its roots in Christianity,
particularly given the influence in the 20th century of JRR Tolkien, I say that those roots go much, much deeper than just a retelling of the Bible. The oldest known work of literature, The Epic of Gilgamesh, is at heart a tale of death and rebirth. Campbell relies heavily on the archetypes it establishes for his "Hero's Journey." 


My reaction –

Yes, absolutely! In my first email I didn’t mention Gilgamesh, but I totally agree that it should be there! The point is that there is only one Truth. That Truth can never be found in this fallible universe, but every so often it comes to us in symbolical form from the Other universe. We fallible humans consume the symbols because we recognise them from within ourselves. And we react with great enthusiasm because, as Dr Jung said, the unconscious mind has more influence on our lives than the conscious mind.


Alison’s reply to Gwendolyn -

As I understand it this fits in with the Inklings (J.R.R.Tolkien,
C.S.Lewis etc) view of such stories as 'true myth' and an indication that this basic story is somehow built into the human consciousness and always has been. This would account for why such stories have such a powerful hold on the imagination and have a popular appeal that purely literary critics can't account for.

My reaction: EXACTLY!

Gwendolyn Grace -

Greek myths. Gilgamesh. The Odyssey. Metamorphoses. The Egyptian pantheon and myths associated with them: Osiris, Anubis, Isis, Ra, etc. The Mabinogion. The legend of Herne the Hunter. Arthurian legend. These works have the same themes and stories as the roots of HP interwoven through them - and they're no less effective. Rowling draws on them as much as she does upon Mediaeval legend, Shakespeare, Scott, Shelley, Dickens, and a host of other cultural and literary resources 
and references. She deliberately plays on what we *know* - and what we *think* we know.

My reaction –

Thank you for adding to my list in my first message on this.

Alison –


I am very glad to discover that some other people do recognise this level of allusion and complexity in the books. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told to stop taking a simple kid’s book so seriously! Because it works as an excellent and entertaining story with a great deal of humour it is often seen only on that level. The other thing that tends to happen is that people spot one allusion and leap on it as an example of plagiarism. It’s good to find a place where this can be discussed.

My reaction:

You bet, Alison!

However, maybe it’s not a bad idea that people in authority think it’s a children’s book. A lot of adults are closed to liberating thoughts while children are open to them. In addition a part of my theory is that there are vested interests, thousands of years old, which do not want people to undertake the journey to the Other universe. They derive their power from having humanity ignorant of the Truth of its origins. When they wake up to what’s going on things might change. But possibly not, because HP is so ingeniously written that no one can really stop the call now that it’s been heard by so many people. In a future posting I want to explain why I think HP will be the gospel for a new religion in the Age of Aquarius.

Alison -

I am certainly making no claims to know what JKR intends or where the story is going. What I do object to is when people deny that there is any deeper meaning or spiritual/religious element to be found in the books. It seems to me to be quite obvious that there is. I am quite happy to discuss exactly what that meaning might be!

My reaction – 

I can’t claim to know either. However to me the symbols are so clear and universal that it’s almost like a language that Dr Rowling speaks and that I recognise as a language that I can understand. I guess I’ve spent so much time using my heart as a tuning fork for symbols and archetypes it’s become a second nature. It’s not a mental thing at all.

There have been no reactions to my theory that the basilisk symbolises the kundalini. That’s most probably because no one’s ever heard of it. However I do suggest you type it into your search engine and see what comes up. You’ll be quite surprised. I believe it’s a Sanskrit word meaning, "coiled up like a snake". 

When I mentioned the "Voice of the Silence" I forgot to say it was first published in 1889.

Next time I want to discuss amazing similarities between a 17th century publication called "Chymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosencreutz", published in 1616, and the story of HP.

Hans




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