Occlumency and Spies (Re: Mental Discipline in the WW: A Comparison...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 130511

>>Betsy Hp:
>Well, you brought up A.S. Byatt and she complained that JKR's magic 
wasn't numinous enough, that it was too mundane. (I'm assuming you 
brought up her views because yours are in agreement?)<
<snip>

>>Nora:
>You know what they say--when you assume, you make an ass out of you 
and me. :)
>I'm not fond of Byatt's argument because it misses the point.<

Betsy Hp:
Didn't mean to make you (or me) an ass! :)  I do wonder why you 
brought up Byatt in the first place if you completely disagreed with 
her sentiment.  I must have missed the point you were trying to make.

>>Nora:
>I find the mundanity of the magic rather attractive.   It means that 
I look far more for the psychological than the spiritual or symbolic, 
even-- and that's what drew me into my attempts at aiki explanation 
for Occlumency.

Betsy Hp:
I think you're looking too hard at the magic.  Seeing something that 
isn't there.  Though there is an intention behind it (eg the need to 
*want* to cause pain to successfully cast a Crucio; the need to find a 
genuinely powerful happy thought to successfully cast a Patronus 
against a dementor) the intention is rather basic.  It calls upon 
certain aspects of the witch or wizard -- but it's fairly simple in 
its psychology.  Much more simple than anything comparative in real 
life, IMO.

Betsy Hp