OOP: Calling the Chymical Wedding Theorist

[mongo62aa]

No: HPFGUIDX 65101

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Kathi L Johnson 
<kathleenjohnson at j...> wrote:

Can you tell us whether the previous days correspond to the previous 
books? Is there foreshadowing for the 6th and 7th books?

Me (Bill):

Here is the information from previous posts:

The Chymical Wedding is divided into seven days, compared to the 
seven years of the HP books. Here is a day-to-year comparison of 
some of the similarities between the first five days of `Chymical 
Wedding', and the first five years of the HP books.

First Day:

- CRC (Christian Rosenkreutz) is living in cramped accommodations, 
with minimal food

- a terrible storm arises

- during the storm, an `otherworldly' being appears, and delivers a 
letter to him

- the letter is heavy, sealed with a curious symbol with a Latin 
phrase, and written in gold letters

- upon opening, the message is an invitation to attend a wedding, 
which CRC was at birth entitled to attend

- near the end of the first day, CRC descends (in a dream) into a 
dark dungeon, containing a peculiar stone

- CRC is presented with seven `challenges'; six inside the dungeon, 
and one at the entrance above it, and during the final challenge 
inside the dungeon receives a wound to the head from the stone, but 
is rescued by his mentor, a wise old man

The seven HP challenges: Fluffy (entrance above the dungeon); the 
Devil's Snare; the Keys; the Chess Game; the Troll; the Potions; the 
Mirror (inside the dungeon)

Second Day:

- CRC encounters, and shares food with, a snow-white dove, which is 
then attacked and chased by a filthy black raven

- CRC attempts to rescue the dove, and near the end of the day, 
passes through a series of three portals, interspersed with a series 
of four tests 

- CRC meets the Virgin after passing through the second portal, and 
accompanies her through the third and last portal to a room in the 
Castle

- CRC is struck speechless by beautiful music, which seems to come 
from no human source, and is associated with the Virgin

The three HP portals: the sink in the bathroom; the door to the 
Chamber of Secrets itself; the squeeze through the fallen rocks and 
the flight back to the bathroom

The four HP tests: Aragog; Lockhart; the Basilisk; Tom Riddle

Although the obvious candidate for the Virgin would be Ginny 
(VIRGINia?), I think that Fawkes is a closer match. CRC is only able 
to pass through the third portal with the Virgin's help, and she is 
also associated with the music. Later in the story, her name is 
revealed to be Alchimia, alchemy – a process of transformation 
through death and rebirth. Ginny seems to match more closely with 
the white dove, which had taken a liking to CRC from the beginning, 
and was attacked by a symbol of dissolution and destruction.

Third Day:

- one of CRC's newly met companions, thought unworthy and 
contemptable, who had been bound with chains in a dark place, is 
measured on a balance and passes, and joins CRC in friendship

- CRC is himself measured and also passes, and then sets an 
undeserving person free.

- a majestic magical beast wearing a collar, bowing with its front 
legs, is involved in the story, and then leaves amid great joy

Fourth Day:

- near the start of the day, a ceremony involving a Goblet takes 
place

- CRC encounters a skull, with a serpent entwined

- CRC attends a grand dance, with four King/Queen pairs 
(three `official' pairs and one `unofficial' pair) in the place of 
honour

- the day ends with murder

Fifth Day:

The domain of the goddess Venus [Ministry of Magic?] is underground

CRC passes through a door to a glorious 
antechamber, with a golden fountain

CRC continues further underground through a dark passage to a 
forbidden chamber [Department of Mysteries?]

In the chamber is a sepulcher [Death Chamber?]

Cupid, son of Venus [Dolores Umbridge?] greatly enjoys drawing blood 
from CRC's hand

CRC participates in a group with a Phoenix as their symbol

It is mentioned that CRC's head wound is connected to dreams

CRC is employed in various potions-related tasks [lessons with 
Snape?] in preparation for days six and seven

The day ends with CRC observing a conjunction of the planets 
[divination / the Prophecy?]

******

Other bits, not necessarily matching day-to-year:

The interval between being invited to the Wedding, and the Wedding 
itself, is seven years

During the feasts, food appears `by magic' in front of the 
feasters.  The servers become visible to CRC in his third day

CRC's own group of initiates wear red robes, and the insignia of the 
Flying Lion (Griffin?)

A lion, holding a naked sword (Harry?), is symbolically united with 
a snow-white dove (Ginny?)

CRC is bothered by a dream involving a door

The castle is next to a lake, which CRC and the others must pass 
over in ships to succeed in their quests


Bill