What makes Harry Potter so powerful?

[Hans Andréa]

No: HPFGUIDX 113644

What makes the Harry Potter story so powerful? 
John Granger has written an excellent answer in his book,
"The Hidden Key to Harry Potter". I want to share
with you my journey of discovery of the tremendous
spiritual power in the books.

I started HP with book 2. What immediately struck me
was the Cinderella-like treatment Harry was getting
from the Dursleys. I've always been very susceptible
to fairy tales and the fact that HP is situated in
modern times made it all very vivid.

The archetype (if that's the right word) here is the
suspicion that many people have, that deep inside
we're special somehow. Inside us there's that hidden
Prince or Princess who's waiting for a magical event
to bring them to life. There's Cinderella, the one
despised by the forces of this world, but born to
become queen. There's Briar Rose, asleep for a
century, but waiting for the prince who is brave
enough to cut through the briars and rescue her from
her dormancy. There's the princess in "The Glass
Coffin" in the same situation.

I've always had a certain faith that there is indeed a
powerful force within us that can turn us from mortal,
imperfect beings into immortal perfect (royal)
children of the creator. The first few pages of HP
appealed to this strong feeling.

After that it didn't take me long to realise that
Harry Potter was a deeply spiritual and overwhelmingly
sublime tale.

The fight with the basilisk bought a lump the size of
one of Hagrid's pumpkins to my throat. This is
Siegfried and the dragon. This is innocence meeting up
with the power of hell and still managing to win. I
realised straight away the the word "God" was hidden
on the sword. I was overwhelmed with the beauty of
Harry's simple words of loyalty to Dumbledore, and his
cry for help and the quick response to it made me
realise the tremendous spiritual power in Harry
Potter.

The liberation of Dobby I saw as an act of
unparallelled compassion, forgiveness and
intelligence, and I fell in love with Harry for ever.
I realised that he personified our highest spiritual
potential.

I can't go on without mentioning the exquisite
interplay between Dumbledore and Harry when he is
worried about Ginny being expelled for doing what
Riddle forced her to do.

"What if they expelled her? Harry thought in panic.
Riddle's diary didn't work any more ... How could they
prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?
Instinctively Harry looked at Dumbledore, who smiled
faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon
spectacles.
'What interests me most', said Dumbledore gently, 'is
how Lord Voldemort managed to charm Ginny, when my
sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests
of Albania.'
Relief - warm, sweeping, glorious relief - swept over
Harry."

Only a person of the utmost sensitivity to and
compassion for others could have felt like that. That
I think is the passage that defines Harry's character
more than anything.

And of course I must mention the famous words, which
by now I guess are known by millions of people: "It is
our choices that show what we truly are, far more than
our abilities."

These are very powerful passages indeed.

I quickly read books 1,3 and 4 and by then I knew what
made Harry Potter so powerful. It is the real and
practical formula for the awakening and resurrection
of the King-Priest in the heart of every seeker. Each
of us have within us that Master of Compassion that
Harry personifies, and this septology is the complete
manual for his development and fulfilment.

In each book the most powerful parts are those which
tell us the next step we must undertake to free the
inner God.

In book 1 Harry concentrates with all his might on not
letting Quirrell get the stone. The power erupts when
Harry feels the stone in his pocket. The spiritual
self is liberated from desires in the physical world.

In book 3 Harry is able to conjure up a patronus to
ward off 100 dementors. One of the most powerful
moments is when he realises that he cannot rely on
anyone else to do the work of liberation. He has to do
it himself.

The passage describing the stag radiating the blinding
light and running across the lake is almost too
powerful for me to read aloud. To me the stag
personifies the longing in the heart for the return of
the inner God to his original Kingdom.

Harry's saving of Buckbeak and Sirius is unbelievably
powerful. Buckbeak to me symbolises the power which
connects heaven and earth. Sirius is the bright
morning star, the power in Harry's life which will
become his sun. 

In book 4 the most powerful moments to me are when
Harry and Cedric decide to touch the trophy together,
and of course when Harry and Voldemort's wands meet as
equals. The golden cage with the sound of the phoenix
song is an image that leaves an indelible impression
on the consciousness. Harry's determination to use his
will-power to defeat Voldemort is of unearthly beauty.

Book 5 is the most powerful book so far. The scenes
which stand out are the Jupiter initiation, when Harry
is asked to become leader of Dumbledore's army, and
the whole end of the book with the fight at the
ministry, the loyalty of Harry's friends, the passover
of Sirius, and the discussion between Harry and
Dumbledore about Sirius and the prophecy. These scenes
contain archetypes and symbols of overwhelming power.
Some of the things that are taught there are not for
public discussion as they are mystery teachings.
However when Harry is able to drive Voldemort out
because of his love for Sirius we are witnesses to a
supreme moment of spiritual liberation that is so
ineffable and glorious that words are totally
inadequate. I believe this is equivalent to the first
of the three temptations Jesus faces in the desert.

I believe the spiritual climaxes in the next two books
will occur:

- when Harry drives Voldemort out of his heart or
emotional ego. I believe the next book will
concentrate on Harry's emotional state. He will learn
to control his anger and Voldemort will try to take
control over Harry again. Harry will go through a kind
of death but be saved at the last minute because of
some inner quality (and probably help from an ally).
That will be equivalent to the second temptation of
Jesus in the desert.

- When Harry opens the room of love and enters it. I
suspect that will be connected to the previous point.

- When Harry follows Sirius through the Gate of
Saturn (the archway with the veil).

- When Ron, Hermione, Snape and Lupin sacrifice
themselves for Harry.

- When Voldemort tries for the third time to gain
control over Harry (Jesus' third temptation). This
time Voldemort confronts Harry with all his,
Voldemort's, glory and promises Harry heaven and earth
if he will serve Voldemort. Harry will reject this and
that is the moment of ultimate triumph. Once again
Harry will die (perhaps by going through the Gate of
Saturn) but again and for the last time he will
resurge as the total victor over darkness and death.

- When Harry and Sirius are reunited.

- When Harry, Ron and Hermione are reunited (as the
half-blood prince?)

- If and when Harry decides to return to earth to
become Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts.

So, to sum up, what makes Harry Potter so powerful?
The answer: the age old story of the liberation of the
inner God in every seeker, told in modern language.

Hans


=====
Hans Rieuwers 
see you at Harry Potter for Seekers 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/harrypotterforseekers/
 


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