Character Discussion: Ron

[Hans Andréa]

No: HPFGUIDX 124521

In my theory that Harry Potter is a road map to total human liberation, I
equate Ron to John the Baptist. Harry equates to Jesus; Ron to John.

It's a very radical proposition to interpret the Bible, as I do, as a set of
instructions for liberation rather than a historical record for events
that happened 2000 years ago. I'm not saying they didn't happen! What I am
saying is that what happened 2000 years ago is of little relevance to us
today. The most it can do is inspire us to realise that Jesus was a man who
showed that it is possible to vanquish death. He was a wonderful example
that can give us great faith, but that means we see the Christ epic as an
event OUTSIDE of us rather than as a process that should happen WITHIN us. I
quote again, as I have several times:
"Though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born,
but not in thee, thou shalt be yet forlorn." (Angelus Silesius) These same
words are quoted by Tom Harpur (www.tomharpur.com), author of "The Pagan
Christ". Tom is a Canadian theologian and professor of New Testament who has
risen up from within the Anglican Church to admit to the world that the
whole story of the New Testament was already known in Egypt thousands of
years before a 1 A.D. He is of the opinion that God has planted in the human
unconscious the story of the birth, the life, the self-sacrifice and the
resurrection of the Inner Christ and that people who raise themselves to
great spiritual heights can tune in to this archetype and tell the story to
the world. This is what has happened in all ages in all civilisations. This
is what is happening now to JK Rowling.

If we see the New Testament and all the other wonderful myths, metaphors and
allegories as a set of instructions for an alchemical transformation that
enables us to vanquish death, the whole thing takes on a very powerful
meaning for us personally. 

Jesus and Harry personify a new, immortal soul that is born in a seeker
whose Lily has opened in God's hollow place. This is not something that just
happens by chance. There is quite some preparation needed.

The story begins with a microcosm that is completely shut off to the calling
Light of the Christ. The Light is calling, but the auric ring (Voldemort) of
the microcosm shuts it out. However there is also a latent ring that eons
ago shone in refulgent glory in God's Immovable Kingdom.

When eventually a person begins to realise that life is an endless
repetition of things without any real progress, one of the twelve original
lights in the latent ring, the sixth ring, gradually begins to resume its
work of letting in the Divine Light. Such a person realises that "what has
been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there
is nothing new under the sun." (Eccl. 1:9) A new sun is born in the
firmament of the person. This new sun is only a small star at first, but a
tiny ray of light falls on the divine spark of the spirit in the heart of
the person. The seeker has been born! He has become a seeker because the
divine spark has begun thirsting for the Living Water.

As I have explained earlier in this series, that new sun we call Sirius, and
the force causing the thirst for God we call James. Ron/John is the earthly
seeker who is reacting to the calling power of the Brotherhood of the
Masters of Compassion, the Body of Christ. This is the person who has found
the Path of Liberation and is willing to dedicate his whole life to it. He
realises that the only way he can reach liberation is to give up the earthly
self. Very soon after John the Baptist is born, Jesus is born.

In Harry Potter, Ron and Harry are best friends, and Ron tacitly accepts
Harry as his leader. One of Ron's greatest talents is chess. Chess is
mentioned in "The Alchemical Wedding" and I see it as the symbol of right
versus wrong, or "virtue against vice" as "The Alchemical Wedding" puts it.
In other words, the apprentice alchemist has to have a very clear perception
of right and wrong. He has to know what is the right thing to do under all
circumstances.

In this series I have explained the seven trials described in Book 1. In the
fifth trial Ron conducts a chess game of gigantic and dangerous chess pieces
in which the three children take the place of certain chess pieces.

'Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white
queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay
quite still, face down.
"Had to let that happen," said Ron, looking shaken.
"Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, go on."
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon
there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron
only just noticed in time that Harry and Hermione were in
danger. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white
pieces as they had lost black ones.
"We're nearly there," he muttered suddenly. "Let me think, let me think..."
The white queen turned her blank face toward him.
"Yes..." said Ron softly, "It's the only way... I've got to be taken."
"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted.
"That's chess!" snapped Ron. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one
step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the
king, Harry!"
"But --"
"Do you want to stop Snape or not?"
"Ron --"
"Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!"
There was no alternative.
"Ready?" Ron called, his face pale but determined.
"Here I go - now, don't hang around once you've won."
He stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard across
the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor - Hermione screamed
but stayed on her square - the white queen dragged Ron to one side. He
looked as if he'd been knocked out. Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the
left. The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They
had won.'

(I must say, on a personal note, that there are very few scenes where the
film excels over the book, but this is certainly one (No offence, Jo). And
John Williams' music is so powerful here!)

Ron's willingness to sacrifice himself teaches us that liberation requires
the giving up of self. "He who loses his life for my sake will find it"
(Matt. 10:39).

In "The Alchemical Wedding" six kings and queens are beheaded in self
sacrifice, and in the New Testament John the Baptist is beheaded. I'm sure
Ron will sacrifice himself for Harry. The earthly personality, no matter how
pure, how noble, cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He is the product of an
error, the Fall from the Divine Life. However if he can give up his life for
the new soul, he will dissolve into the original human being who is the Only
Begotten Son of the Father.

I used to think (as some of you may remember) that Ron would face
decapitation. I'm beginning to think this is unlikely because I know Ron
will survive. However I do think Ron will make a tremendous act of self
sacrifice which will make the alchemical wedding possible.

Why is decapitation used as a symbol of sacrifice in both the New Testament
and the Alchemical Wedding? Because the old consciousness, situated in the
head, is gone. It has merged into the new consciousness as a candle flame
merges into the sun. It no longer exists as an individualised
self-consciousness but has become part of the universal, omnipresent
consciousness. This particular decapitation is not gruesome or bloody, but
extremely serene and means that the apprentice has completed his training
and is now an Alchemist by the Grace of God.

That's one aspect of Ron's future. We will come back to Ron again later as
he plays another role in the alchemical process as well. In that role he
survives! Just as Ron is willing to sacrifice himself in book 1 and
survives, so I think he will do in book 7. I don't know how Auntie Jo is
going to put this into the story but I'm sure she can do it in such a way
that tears will flow by the bucketful.

Good on yer, Jo! We all loves yah!
Your world No. 1 fan, Hans

=====

Hans Andra 
see you at Harry Potter for Seekers 
http://www.harrypotterforseekers.com/
 




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